Irvine Welsh at Waterstone’s

The Botanist on Deansgate, Manchester, does botanical cocktails and toothsome food with aplomb.

Lectures and talks about literature and philosophy.

Kai is a Turkish restaurant on Deansgate, set up by the brains behind the well-regarded Zouk restaurant. Expect excellent mezze plates and an open grill that releases wonderful aromas throughout the venue.

Based in a converted Methodist church, Gaucho is one of the best-looking restaurants in Manchester, with a steak-heavy menu to match.

Elegantly laid out with simple wooden tables and Burgundy-coloured banquettes, Côte in Manchester does brasserie food, and does it well.

Lunya is a Spanish and Catalan deli and restaurant in Manchester’s stunning Barton Arcade. The food is reliably fresh and the staff both charming and incredibly knowledgable.

Great-looking events space beneath the Grade II listed Barton Arcade

The Royal Exchange is one of the most celebrated theatres in the country, highly regarded for both new writing and its take on the classics.

Historic Grade I listed church on St Ann’s Square, Manchester.

San Carlo Cicchetti in Manchester does Italian small plates with aplomb.

Bloom Cafe is a stunning cafe based on Deansgate in Manchester, serving up an array of hot and cold drinks, including a range of CBD options.

St Ann’s Square is a quiet little enclave of shops, with Barton’s Arcade set back from it on one side, and St Ann’s Church, which dates back to 1712 and…