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Manchester, United Kingdom
Photo: via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
This covers the area in central Manchester north of Piccadilly Gardens and east of Bridge St and Princess St, served by Victoria railway station. It covers the locales of the Millennium Quarter and St. Ann's Square as well as the multi-million pound Arndale shopping centre.
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Cathedral Yard (Visitor Centre at 10 Cateaton Street, around the corner). Cathedral M-F 8AM-7PM, Sa 8AM-5PM, Su 8:30AM-7:30PM, check website for service times and events; Visitor Centre is open M-Sa 10AM-4:30PM, Su 11:30AM-4PM. One of the few surviving medieval buildings in Manchester, the cathedral is a beautiful, dark Gothic building inside and out. It has a modern interactive Visitor Centre built around the excavations of the medieval 'Hanging Bridge' with an excellent licensed restaurant and gift shop. Entry to all attractions is free. Gamers may recognise the cathedral from its controversial setting in the video game Resistance: Fall of Man.
Library M-F 9AM-12:30PM, 1:30-4:30PM, closed Bank Holidays, call in advance; School is closed to general public. Chetham's is an independent private school of music and public library housed in the medieval priests' college next to the Cathedral. The library is the oldest public English library in the world. It is possible to look around without an appointment, but if you want to take a look at any of the collection, you will need to arrange this with the librarian beforehand.
Based in the visually striking glass sloping Urbis building designed by Ian Simpson Architects. England's only national museum for football (aka soccer) is spread over six floors. Museum café near exit. Admission ticket prices lower if booked on line.
The Frog & Bucket comedy club provides rib(bit)-tickling entertainment.
The principal wing is the work of Sir Charles Barry, also architect of the House of Parliament. Manchester's central art gallery is home to a huge collection of 19th-century and earlier works, including paintings by Canaletto, Constable, Turner, and Burne-Jones, as well as more complete collections by other artists. It has also been home to a number of original exhibitions over the last few years and the city's own art from all ages is well-represented within. There are important collections of world ceramics and English silver.
Daily daytime, check the website for service times. St. Ann's Church is the main parish church of Manchester and one of only two surviving Medieval churches in the city centre (the other is the cathedral). It is also a venue for many sacred and secular classical music events. A small shop selling books and gifts is open at all times except during services.
The neo-classical Royal Exchange was the commercial heart of Manchester's and therefore the world's cotton trade. The main trading hall, essentially a neo-Roman basilica, was at one time the largest commercial room in the world. It fell into disuse in the 1960s, but was rescued in the 1970s by the restoration of the building and the addition of an ultra-modern theatre in-the-round for Sir Robert D.H. Scott's '69 (now Royal Exchange) theatre Company. It stands in the centre of the main trading floor, squatting like an alien invader's spaceship, but is actually supported on the hall's load bearing columns. Ill-disposed members of the audience sitting in the theatre's surrounding on-stage banquette seats are well-placed to trip the actors up physically. Extensive wine merchant cellars have now been converted into a shopping centre and the wings surrounding the theatre hall contain offices and Barristers' chambers. Pop in during the day for a coffee or something stronger at the tranquil and elegant licensed cafe in the main hall: the entrance is up the stairs in St. Ann's Square or on Cross Street. As well as the wonderfully-restored interior and three dramatic coloured-glass domes, you can admire the trading board, which still shows the price of cotton around the world on the last day of trading in 1969. There is also a small, expensive craft shop inside.
CFCCA
Small, alternative Chinese art gallery. Closed until 2023
Attraction opening times vary. Originally the home of Manchester's newspaper offices, the Printworks is now a covered street where it's night time all day long. It is the home of several well-known restaurants including Hard Rock café Manchester (the only English Hard Rock outside of London) and drinking establishments, as well as a large Vue cinema, home of Manchester's IMAX screen.
The largest indoor arena in Europe (21,000 capacity) hosts most of the world's most famous music and comedy acts, plus theatre and international boxing.
Concert Hall associated with Chetham's School of Music. Predominantly Music; Classical, Folk, Jazz
A traditional English pub just off the Rochdale road, Manchester city centre. The pub serves real ales, fine wines and highly acclaimed food prepared by award winning celebrity chef Robert Owen Brown.
Food Court in 1858 Grade II listed former market building. 6 independent kitchens and also bars. Beers from Manchester's Blackjack brewery. Tables are shared and are not bookable.
One of the chain of Japanese restaurants popping up all over the country. Wagamama's serve the best ramen, ebi gyoza, and many other different Japanese cooked dishes... perfect with a hot flask of sake!
Great sushi from the conveyor belt in a fun atmosphere.
Set around a sushi counter, this eatery serves a variety of mainstream Cantonese (Hong Kong), Thai, and Japanese dishes. The Hong Kong style roasting dishes are particularly good value and well-made. Typically any mixture of Char Sui, Duck, Pork Belly, Jelly Fish, and Cold Cuts can be paired with Rice, Soup Noodle, or other fried noodles, typically for around £4.50 for a very large and filling bowl/plate. Teamed with a bottle of Asahi Beer, the bill per person will be well under £10.
A pleasant place to while away an hour or two, with very honest and tasty Greek food.
Offers good priced pan Asian food with quick, friendly service in a modern, clean restaurant environment. Table booking on website.
Long established and in the city centre just off Deansgate. A regular stop for Manchester United's Korean football star, Ji-Sung Park.
A tiny little curry house with real charm. They serve a range of delicious curries and kebabs for £3-£4.
Authentic family-run Chinese restaurant. Excellent reputation and well established. Licensed.
Spectacular Victorian show-pub with beer from local Marble brewery. Inside, the pub has a high, glazed ceiling, ceramic walls and a bar that slopes down with the hill. Great beer & food makes the walk here worthwhile.
Historic England Grade II listed pub with an unusual ceiling. Food available.
Latino bar/club serving up salsa and sangria.
Good little tucked away jazz club. Also serves up good pizza. They have jazz bands every night except Mondays (when it's closed) at 10PM. There is free entry before 8PM. If you want to enjoy the jazz seated, seats have to be booked at least a few days beforehand.
The venue to see bands before they make it big! Bands such as Oasis and Badly Drawn Boy have played here. Well worth a visit. Can be a little bit pokey inside, as it's not the biggest venue!
Excellent free Open Mic music nights on Tuesday & Wednesday. Also music on Friday & Saturday.
The Britannia Sachas is a popular hotel located near Manchester city centre. Its Tripadvisor reviews page makes for famously entertaining reading.
Comfortable basic hotel.
In the heart of the shopping district in Shambles Square, moments from the Arndale Centre and Victoria station, the Mitre Hotel offers pleasant accommodation in a period building. En-suite and shared bathroom tariffs available.
Victorian textile warehouse made over into a jazzy and avowedly cool hotel, rooms are small. No restaurant, lots nearby. No dogs.
Five-star hotel - the best in Manchester.
The multi-million pound Manchester Arndale shopping centre lies at the heart of Manchester's shopping district and offers retail therapy on a grand scale: from high fashion to high tech, it can all be found here.
formerly Affleck's Palace
Afflecks Palace is a shopping arcade in a five-story Victorian building, featuring a range of over 50 independent stalls catering to a young alternative crowd. It's a lot of fun: strange costumes, lots of goths, punks, and teenagers.
By tram
This area has several stops on Greater Manchester's Metrolink tram system.
By train
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Manchester, Greater Manchester · International · MAN
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