Tangerine

Tangerine is Manchester’s latest greatest must-visit multipurpose venue, found straddling the gap between the two warring cities of Manchester and Salford. It’s best described as a food-hall-meets-creative-hub, but let’s unpick that. 

By day, it runs as a cantina and roastery, which transforms into a martini bar and music hall and live space in the evening, suitable for dance performances, art shows and live music.

Essentially, it’s like a souped-up Exhibition or Mackie Mayor, but with the Didsbury Dad energy dialled back. There’s a lot more going on here. 

The Canteen Collective – day bit to you and me – hosts seven independent kitchens, a bakery, in-house coffee roastery, florist and wine store. Like a chic little orange village, all under one roof. 

The after-hours zone opens up into a live-music space, arthouse screening area and performance space, centred around the Grand Departures Bar which has 40 craft taps and a full martini-programme. Oh, and a neat line in ‘coupes’, which is apparently what they’re calling alcoholic slush puppies these days. 

The whole thing is smart and savvy, without feeling like it’s trying too hard – a rare feat in Manchester 2025. There’s the energy and buzz of places like Ramona and DIECAST, but with a more impressive range of goodies to eat and drink, plus a lot of very, very orange-coloured lighting. 

Proximity-wise, Tangerine fills that tricky gap between Spinningfields in Manchester and the Eagle Inn in Salford. Conceptually, it does too.

It has the art-friendly, forward-thinking feel of the Eagle (and its sort-of near neighbours, The King’s Arms and The New Oxford), paired with the polished look and high-grade food and drink selection of Spinningfields’ better venues. 

In short, looks like David Gandy, thinks like David Bowie (especially Low-era Bowie, with his striking tangerine-coloured locks). Or Kates Moss and Bush, to be all gender parity about it.

This part of the city (Salford or Manchester, choose your team) has been weirdly overlooked for a long time. Tangerine brings something new and exciting to the area, and does it with style.