City Centre

Hungry? The city centre is a terrific place for restaurants with both the highfalutin’ and the humble in close proximity. The cluster of luxury hotels near Piccadilly Station host some of the city’s most exciting kitchens, especially  City Café at Mint Hotel and Michael Caines at Abode. Other upscale dinners can be had at The Kitchen at The Circle Club and Harvey Nichols Second Floor Restaurant. More casual diners should head for the vicinity of the Town Hall, where Mr Thomas’ and Sam’s (pictured above) duel it out for the chophouse crown.

Our small but perfectly formed Chinatown is a real treasure, packed with everything from Teppanyaki bars to Vietnamese bubble tea cafes. Perennial favourites include Chinese & Thai at Pacific, fiery Szechwan at Red Chilli, sushi at Wasabi, and the dim sum lunch at The New Emperor. Or for a quick snack, buy a pork bun at Ho’s Bakery and enjoy some people watching at the pagoda-topped benches.

When it comes to pubs we’re a bit spoiled, really. Manchester’s collection runs to curiosities like the truly miniscule Circus Tavern on Portland Street, Manchester’s smallest pub, or Oxford Street’s The Temple of Convenience, a former underground public toilet block immortalised in Elbow’s song Grounds for Divorce. There are great real ale pubs, such as The Briton’s Protection on Great Bridgewater Street and The City Arms on Kennedy Street. But if you’re in the mood for swanky cocktails, go straight to Obsidian or OpusOne. The canalside tables of the Gay Village are always lively, with bars serving as relaxed cafes during the day and filling up with busy nightlife after dark. Some may recognise Via Fossa from Queer as Folk. We like Taurus, a friendly village stalwart with its own theatre programme, and gorgeously appointed newcomer The Molly House.

Shopaholics take note: Market Street and the squares and arcades branching off it comprise the city’s retail heart. For luxury shopping, head to New Cathedral Street, where Harvey Nichols, Heal’s, Louis Vuitton and Burberry are all located. The city’s main indoor mall, the Arndale Centre, recently had a much-needed spiffing up, but beneath its sleek new Winter Garden lurks the pleasantly scruffy traditional market. The new foodmarket has the best fishmongers in town and a few gems like the Pancho’s stall, where a Mexican expat sells tacos alongside specialist chillies and proper corn tortillas.

The Arndale’s Waterstones bookshop provides an easy oasis for families, with a Costa Coffee adjoining a nice read-and-play area where kids can stretch their legs. Fun and baby-friendly pan-Asian restaurant Tampopo (locations at The Triangle in Exchange Square and near the Town Hall in Albert Square) is a safe bet when you have several ages eating together. Or head to nearby Croma for tasty wood-fired pizzas with all the trimmings. And don’t forget Manchester Art Gallery’s great café, which sells baby food and offers a hot children’s menu.

Getting into Manchester is relatively easy at the weekend, and transport links are good. The Metrolink tram stops at the top of Market Street and threads its way around the city centre, and most buses coming into the city stop at either Piccadilly Gardens or Shudehill. Manchester city centre is eminently walkable, but if you’re tired of hoofing it, hop on the Metroshuttle, the free bus that runs frequently on three routes around the city centre.

Images (from top:) Sam’s Chophouse, Chinatown, Canal Street by Flickr user Pimlico Badger

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