For more information and to book please visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or let us arrange your whole trip, by calling +44 (0)20 8987 4312 or from the USA dial 1 866 610 3867.
You’re now as likely to come across loft-dwellers quaffing mojitos as you are flat-capped tradesmen nursing pints of Newton & Ridley ale in the Rover's. For the cosmopolitan weekender – wanting to cheer on the Reds at Old Trafford, shop for denim on Tib Street, dine in a converted cotton warehouse and bar-hop in the Northern Quarter – Manchester is as vibrant and immediate as any European capital. The Industrial Revolution has been succeeded by a Residential Revolution, with grand old mills and factories now housing apartments, restaurants and bars, and elegant new glass and steel inventions transforming the landscape by the week. From the waterfront bars of Castlefield to the energy of the Gay Village and the boho chic of the Northern Quarter, the city centre is as neat and tight as a pass from Ryan Giggs. And the superb shopping goes some way to explaining why northwestern lads and lasses look as fine as they do.
The holy trinity of Manchester is – in order of importance – the Haçienda, Old Trafford and some place called Manchester Cathedral. The infamous nightclub is no more, but if your religion is football, a visit to Old Trafford is a must. If you can’t get tickets for a game, take the guided tour (+44 (0)870 442 1994; www.manutd.com).
Photos: Alan Bellwood
Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and romantic boutique hotels in Manchester
Velvet is a decadently camp boudoir-styled boutique hotel with a central setting on Manchester’s Canal Street.
Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.
Early March There’ll be music, comedy and Guinness at the Irish Festival (www.manchesteririshfestival.com). 22–30 July The Manchester Jazz Festival (www.manchesterjazz.com), with the Tord Gustafson Trio a star turn in 2006. 18–28 August The utterly fabulous Gay Pride. September Manchester Food and Drink Festival (www.foodanddrinkfestival.com), hailed as one of the best urban events of its kind. Mega music-industry schmooze-fest In The City (www.inthecity.co.uk) at the Midland Hotel. December Christmas markets in Albert Square and St Ann Square are perfect for giving you that festive-shopping tingle.
Housed in the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, this dramatically theatrical restaurant with high ceilings, red velvet walls, antique gold wall coverings and black crocodile-skin furniture, dishes up modern British food.
Free Trade Hall, Peter Street,
Between courses at this luxurious Moulin Rouge-esque restaurant, you can have your palm read, relax to the lounge-core musings of the in-house crooner, watch the Latino dancers shimmying among the tables, or check out the erotic art on the walls.
10 Tib Lane
Stars of Street and pitch gather here for the quality menu, bar snacks and classic cocktails, this place has character despite being part of a chain.
80 Deansgate
The downstairs bar and popular, contemporary first-floor restaurant with an Italian-inspired menu are linked by a stunning suspended staircase.
14 John Dalton Street
This restaurant serves up a very contemporary take on classic English dishes from the 1970s; the antique-retro surroundings of the old Reform Rooms are very impressive, too.
81 King Street
You’ll struggle to choose between visiting the oh-so-stylish bar, brasserie and restaurant on the second floor of Harvey Nicks in the heart of the city, perfect for a breather during a shopping spree and each worth a visit in its own right.
Exchange Square
The environmentally conscious owners of this café recycle all its cardboard, cans, bottles and oil, give away coffee grinds to customers for composting, minimise food waste and reduce the price of healthy, wholesome deli items before their best-before date.
57 Thomas Street
This bright and airy restaurant makes the most of local produce, serving up sophisticated but homely fare, such as roast Garstang suckling pig with Bury black pudding croquettes and pan-fried hake with potted brown shrimp. It’s independent too, with plenty of charm, an impressive wine selection and friendly staff.
108 High Street, Manchester, M4 1HQ
Part restaurant, part cocktail bar, this is a venue to see and be seen while sipping champagne cocktails and listening to the team of handpicked resident DJs.
14 John Dalton Street
The bar staff at this independent boutique cocktail lounge grind fresh ingredients before your eyes, with the resulting delicacies all at around £7. It remains the retox venue of choice for the city’s over-stretched socialites.
100-102 High Street, Northern Quarter
Probably the best-preserved Victorian pub in Manchester, Tom’s dishes up traditional English fare such as fish and chips, black pudding, sticky toffee pudding, and naturally, chops.
52 Cross Street
©2010 Mr & Mrs Smith
