Ready for love, like Elton? (John, not Ben.) Pip at Treehouse Hotel hosts a Valentine’s weekend (February 13-15) packed with social experiences, ranging from Friday’s communal ‘Seats for Strangers’ dinner for solo guests to a Sunday drag brunch hosted by Anna Phylactic. The evening set menu (£60-£70) delivers Scottish landed clams and Yorkshire grass-fed beef, alongside Saturday’s illustration-led lunch and a new daily 4pm-6pm happy hour.

With maximum alliteration, Cupra’s Counter Culture Café is fixing all coffee prices at £2 throughout January, offering a low-cost way to navigate the month. . And don’t skip on the Hip Pop Kombucha – a low-sugar, gut-friendly alternative designed to help you refuel and reset without the standard New Year baggage.

The unfailingly excellent Blues Kitchen provides a dedicated outpost for the Super Bowl, screening every bit of ball-in-motion, and, of course, the half-time spectacle on its big screen. It’s a late-night deal, but fear not, the bar and kitchen remain open until 1:30 AM, serving grand old menu of American staples: think Buffalo wings and burgers.

Albert’s Schloss on Peter Street has transformed into the glamtastically titled Chalet Albert up til the end of March. This means a menu of Alpine-inspired indulgence featuring cheese fondue and the gravy-drenched Baron Burger. The three-month takeover combines high-energy après-ski entertainment with five-shot schnapps paddles and even a competition to win a seven-night stay in Val Thorens.

Zouk Tea Bar & Grill offers a five-course Valentine’s set menu for £39.95, delivering technical Punjabi craft without the usual seasonal markup. The evening features live accompaniment from Royal College of Music musicians alongside signature dishes like Achari Lamb and Lasooni Tiger Prawns, while a morning cooking class (£150 per couple) serves as a hands-on alternative for those preferring to master the kitchen themselves.

With Dry January underway, Side Street is running an all-day weekday happy hour throughout January, offering alcohol-free cocktails for £5, available Monday to Friday.

Next door, the wonderful Tartuffe is all about nicely discounted January dining with a set menu, priced at £28 for two courses or £32 for three, available Tuesday to Thursday from 5-8pm for the duration of the month.

From February 5 to March 14, Freight Island transforms into a dedicated Six Nations hub, screening every tournament fixture alongside its formidable culinary roster of Burgerism, Nell’s Pizza, and V.Goode Pies. General admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis, though reserved seating options start at £5 per person for those requiring a guaranteed vantage point and a house drink.

Stow is among the very, very best of the new wave of Manchester restaurants. The menu isn’t long or overly elaborate, but by Jove it’s mighty. Thoughtful and exciting small plates, that manage to wow outside the Michelin-defined confines of ‘fine dining’.

The Horse and Jockey is back and better than it ever was. Based on this and the Black Friar, the restoration team is doing important, brilliant things to the Manchester landscape.

Two of the North-west’s most respected chefs are teaming up for a one-night collaboration dinner and we couldn’t recommend it more. On Tuesday 27 January, Oli Martin of Aven in Preston, a former finalist and later winner of MasterChef: The Professionals, joins Dan McGeorge, GBM Champion of Champions 2021, at McGeorge’s Liverpool restaurant Vetch.

The six-course menu reflects their post-TV evolution and shared influences. With just 26 seats, the evening is an intimate snapshot of where both chefs are now. Tickets are £95 per head, with an optional wine pairing available.

Our famed guide to the best deals in the city. All restaurants and bars tried and tested, and all doing something above the norm. Keep checking back – we’ll add more throughout the month.

Spring Gardens isn’t historically known as a hotspot for first-rate drinking holes, but with this and the recently-launched Posie, it looks like we might have another destination district on our hands. Just don’t call it a quarter.

Buck your ideas up, sort yourself out, stop eating meat. That’s the kind of tough love you need in January. Follow through on your eco-conscious, healthy eating resolutions with our guide to the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Manchester.

The Black Friar has confirmed the return of its popular £10 Pie Festival, running from Monday 5 January to Friday 27 February 2026. Now in its fourth year, the festival offers four fixed pies alongside rotating specials, with new fillings including mushroom keema with onion bhaji, confit garlic chicken and leek, truffle dauphinoise, and a classic meat and potato pie, all priced at £10. There are also larger sharing pies for pre-order, serving up to four people from £65, plus a line-up of mini dessert pies such as treacle, Mississippi and lemon meringue.

Just in time for those resolutions, Treehouse Hotel Manchester has announced a new limited membership for The Playground, its gym and wellness space (previously available only to hotel residents). In 2026, the gym will open to the public for the first time with a limited number of memberships, providing access to a top-notch training and recovery space.