Travel facts
Currency: £ GBP.
Visas:
Generally tourists from Europe, USA and the Commonwealth do not require Visas for UK holidays. Check out: www.ukvisas.gov.uk
Getting there:
Flights into Manchester are serviced by busses to the centre (Picadilly)
Getting around:
Manchester , "Trams". Buy a Day saver Card which is also valid for Manchester buses.
For Tickets:www.gmpte.com
Tipping:
10-15% is normal in cabs and
restaurants (where a service
charge is usually included in your
bill).
Restaurants
| Piccolino`s Piccoloni`s 8 Clarence Street, Manchester, M2 4DW tel: 0161 835 9860 < Metrolink Piccadilly Gardens/City Centre buses/ Piccadilly rail Every food lover has a favourite Italian restaurant and ours is Piccolino`s, Manchester. And judging by its constant flow of customers (booking in advance is a must) and the success of its sister restaurant in Cheshire, we?re not the only ones to feel this way. On entry, navigate your way through the potentially lethal revolving doors before you?re greeted by the manager who, coincidentally, is one of the biggest characters in town. The staff are mostly Italian - which is always a good sign - and the food is what makes the Piccolino`s experience shine. |
| Barburrito Barburrito Barburrito, 1 Piccadilly Gardens M1 1RG tel: 0161 228 6479 < Metrolink Piccadilly Gardens/City Centre buses/ Piccadilly rail It seems amazing that Barburrito, ?the UK?s first burrito bar?, opened so recently (in 2006). The compile-your-own burrito format has caught on so quickly that the only downside is the queue the place can generate. We`re reliably informed that the menu goes beyond the slow-braised pork flavoured with bay leaves and orange (£3.10 / £4.50), but we haven`t got past it yet. /td> |
| A Place Called Common A Place Called Common Barburrito, A Place Called Common, 39-41 Edge Street M4 1HW 0161 832 9245 < Metrolink Piccadilly Gardens/City Centre buses/ Piccadilly rail A sure-fire bet in the Northern Quarter for consistently friendly staff serving quality drinks in a down-to-earth and lively environment: Common doesn?t sacrifice service for boho charm. There?s an ever-changing mix of artwork on the walls, DJs spin records most nights of the week, and own-made food is served right until closing time every day. The place also has the latest opening hours in the area. A must for visitors to the city. |
| Grill On The Alley
Grill On The Alley Grill On The Alley, 5 Ridgefield M2 6EG 0161 833 3465 < Metrolink St Peter`s Square/Salford Central rail Mancunians don?t often get a chance to barbecue, so the Grill is a welcome arrival. With food cooked over live flames to seal in moisture, you can choose from the lobsters that float placidly in their tank or from the display of fresh fish ? there is even a chance to sample the notorious beer-fed and massaged Kobe beef. Complete the feast with a split, a delicious fruity milkshake. |
| Northern Quarter Restaurant & Bar
Northern Quarter Restaurant & Bar Northern Quarter Restaurant & Bar, 108 High Street M4 1HQ 0161 832 7115 < Metrolink Shudehill/ City Centre buses/Victoria rail New head chef Jason Wass has piloted this handsome restaurant away from its former Middle Eastern style, towards a more Modern British/ European proposition. Lovely dishes such as roasted garlic and cherry tomato risotto and oven-roasted wood pigeon have turned the place into a jewel on the Northern Quarter?s High Street ? an absolute must for any visiting foodies. |
| Obsidian
Obsidian Obsidian, Arora International Hotel, 18-24 Princess Street M1 4LY 0161 238 4348 < Metrolink St Peter?s Square/City Centre buses/Oxford Road rail This restaurant and bar are located within the chic Arora International hotel, but Obsidian is just as popular with the Manc crowd as it is with expense-accounting visitors to the city. Head chef Adrian Bailey?s cooking is adventurous, but never offputtingly so: aided by ingredients sourced from local suppliers, he lets the flavours do the work. You can?t really go wrong with anything on the menu, but the whole Goosnargh duck cooked two ways and served with duck-fat roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables and cherry sauce is ridiculously good. The bar scene is pretty lively |
| Teppanyaki
Teppanyaki Teppanyaki, Connaught Building, 58-60 George Street M1 4HF 0161 228 2219 < Metrolink St Peter?s Square/City Centre buses/Oxford Road rail Teppanyaki is the Japanese style of cooking that originated among Samurai warriors cooking on the battlefield, using the inside of their metal armour as a sizzling hot pan. Here, awesome chefs prepare the ingredients in the kitchen and then cook them in front of your eyes, so that you can see the skill and fresh ingredients that go into your dish. With excellent sushi and sashimi as a further draw, it`s worth splashing out at Teppanyaki |
| Isinglass
Isinglass Isinglass, 46 Flixton Road, Urmston M41 5AB 0161 749 8400 < Bus 22, 23, 23a, 46, 47, 84, 85, 270, 297/Urmston rail Suburban Urmston is the unlikely home of Isinglass, one of`s most impressive restaurants. The name refers to a gelatin-like substance made from fish bladders that`s used to clarify beer and wine but don`t let that put you off. Opened by Julie Bagnoli and magnificent chef Lisa Walker, the idiosyncratic establishment takes the oft-empty promise of only using local ingredients and shows what can be achieved when experts hold themselves to it. Salad leaves from Chat Moss, rich Dunham Massey ice-cream, meat from Knutsford? The menu doubles up as a local geography guide. Most impressive of all, the evident quality comes at very affordable prices. |
Bars
| Dukes 92 Dukes 92 Castlefields and Deansgate Locks Dukes 92, 18-25 Castle Street M3 4LZ 0161 839 8646 One of the first bars to open in these parts, Dukes 92 is still as popular as ever, and the canalside patio is one of the best outdoor spots from which to enjoy a summer pint and a chunky gourmet sandwhich or cheese and pâté plate; choose from over 30 types of cheese from Britain and around Europe. |
| Tribeca
Tribeca Piccadilly, Chinatown and Gay Village Tribeca, 50 Sackville Street, M1 3WF 0161 236 8300 Metrolink Piccadilly Gardens/City Centre buses/ Piccadilly rail Tribeca?s laid-back take on bar culture made it an instant hit when it opened in 1999; eight years on, it`s still as popular as ever, pulling in an eclectic bag of customers ? whether gay, straight or bi, the bar, situated on the edge of the gay village, has something for everyone. Friendly rather than achingly fashionable, it can be counted on for reasonably priced cocktails and space to chat. Downstairs, take time out to recline on supper club-style beds in between stints on the small dancefloor. |
| Cloud 23
Cloud 23 Cloud 23, Cloud 23, Hilton, 303 Deansgate M3 4LQ 0161 870 1600 < Metrolink G-Mex/City Centre buses/Deansgate rail Manchester?s newest tall building, the Beetham Tower is home to one of its most talked-about new bars, the Hilton?s Cloud 23, billed as Manchester?s first ?sky bar? (it?s located on ? as you may have guessed ? the 23rd floor). Designed by the Gorgeous Group, which has previously worked wonders on ventures such as London?s award-winning Hakkasan, the bar itself has the feel of the world?s coolest airport lounge. With floor-to-ceiling windows laying bare every section of Manchester, all guests can do is stare out of the windows and take in the incredible views. If you?d rather look down, there are two portholes cut out of the floor where you gaze on the city below. Not for vertigo sufferers. The drinks menu has a full selection of wines and beers but a special view demands a drink to match. Gorgeous Group has plundered Mancunian history to bring you a range of Manc-themed cocktails. Rather than featuring anything with stout in it, Ena?s Sparkles finally grants Mrs Sharples some glamour and commemorates the Coronation Street star with a fruit juice and champagne drink. The Stone Roses also get the cocktail treatment with Sally Cinnamon, a brandy and cider concoction flavoured with tarragon and, naturally enough, cinnamon. With most cocktails coming in around the £8 mark, make sure you make the most of the view. To avoid disappointment you should probably also try and book a booth in advance (0161 870 1788), or go the whole hog and book an entire room. It?s possible that you?ll still find a few Mancs who don?t like the tower as a whole, but it would be amazing if you found someone who didn?t enjoy a drink or two at Cloud 23. |
| Charlie`s Karaoke Bar
Charlie?s Karaoke Bar Charlie?s Karaoke Bar, 1 Harter Street M1 6HY 0161 237 9898 < Metrolink St Peter?s Square/City Centre buses/Piccadilly rail Tatty but charming, Charlie?s mutates from karaoke hangout into club proper at weekends. Saturday night belongs to the Heart of Soul crew that play soul, funk and hip hop to an up-for-it crowd. Friday?s club nights rotate throughout the month; most notable is the decadent cabaret soiree the Whim Wham Club. If you?ve spent the day shopping for vintage garb in the Northern Quarter`s quirky boutiques, this is the place to show it off. |