Oxford Road

Despite the proximity of the two universities there are few scholars crawling around the pubs here (many of them stay in Fallowfield.) So, instead of the student ghetto you might expect, Oxford Road is a haven for unpretentious and inexpensive bars without the self-regarding hipsterism of many Northern Quarter watering holes. The Deaf Institute (above) does tasty, bar-friendly food and also doubles as a venue, with space for music and edgy spoken word evenings in the upstairs hall and DJ thrills in the basement club. Across Grosvenor Street is the mighty Sandbar, with a rotating selection of guest ales, delicious homemade cakes and local independent comics all available from behind the bar. Space, a short hop from Oxford Road railway station, is a café bar with a roof terrace covered on three sides to provide protection during Manchester’s, ahem, rainy season. Their weekly barbecues in the summer are always a hit.

Manchester is a city of different cuisines and Oxford Road is a little bit like a greatest hits compilation; all killer, no filler. Spice lovers should definitely visit the Curry Mile, as well as Red Chilli for mouth-blistering Szechwan. On Upper Brook Street,  Seoul Kimchi is a small Korean diner which serves perfect sticky noodles, peerless dumplings and cheap and tasty lunchboxes. Back on Oxford Road, or just a little off it, is Zouk Tea Bar and Grill. An Indian restaurant rather than a curry house, Zouk’s meat and seafood is delicately spiced and roasted on a charcoal grill. And local food hero Peter Booth has recently opened a tempting coffee shop in the new International Anthony Burgess Centre.

Retail opportunities are a little thin on the ground on Oxford Road, but where there are shops they are real treasures. Buffeted by fried chicken and pizza outlets, vegetarian food co-operative Eighth Day sells fantastic marinated olives, organic cider and artisan bread, and has a good café downstairs. Legendary one-stop musical instrument emporium Johnny Roadhouse occupies the same strip.

Images (from top): courtesy Deaf Instittute, courtesy International Anthony Burgess Foundation, courtesy Zouk

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