Manchester is one of my favourite places in the whole world. I lived here for 4 years of my life and it definitely has a special place in my heart. There are so many fun and quirky places to go to so I thought I’d put together a 24-hour travel guide of all the best places to go!
Where to stay in Manchester
Okay, let’s start with where to stay in Manchester. There are all sorts of places to stay from fancy hotels to quirky apartments, there’s something for everyone.
I’m lucky in the sense I usually stay at friend’s houses BUT if you’re looking for a location, around the Northern Quarter is the place to be! If you’re going to a concert at the arena, the Corn Exchange is another fab area which is full of food places and shops.
I recently stayed at the Hilton Hotel at Manchester Piccadilly, and it was such a great base to explore the city. Two minutes from the station and tram spot, and 5 minutes from the center of town. One downside was that it was slightly noisy due to the trams, but I would stay again as it was great value for money. Side note, you get the best price at Hilton by booking direct with them, and you can sign up for their loyalty scheme too. You can find out more by clicking here, and book your next stay!
QUIRKY PLACES TO EAT, DRINK AND HAVE CAKE IN MANCHESTER
Manchester is a buzzing hub of food and drink places. I’ve decided to break it down into restaurants and coffee shops seeing as that’s where I spend most of my time when I’m in Manchester!
It was SO HARD to get this down to just a handful of places because there are so many amazing places!
QUIRKY RESTAURANTS
Manchester is a foodie’s dream. It’s a fact. There are so many places to go for so many different types of food.
If you’re looking for brunch, a few of my favourites (which I went to very regularly!) are Albert Schloss, Leaf on Portland Street & Gorilla.
Let’s head onto lunch. One place I’ve only recently tried is Mackie Mayor and I am in LOVE with the place. It’s the little sister of Altrincham Market and has such a good vibe about it. It’s filled with independent food retailers and it’s a great place to go with friends and mix and match.
There are lots of different food outlets, my favourite being honest crust because their pizzas are AMAZING. My least favourite is the tacos – they just weren’t my thing. Then there are lots of seats in the middle (and outside) where you sit and enjoy the food you’ve got.
It’s the perfect place to go to if there’s a few of you (or even just 2!) and you’re wanting to get a few bits and share it between you all. The vibe is SO GOOD there and it helps that it’s super instagrammable.
THE BEST COFFEE STOPS IN MCR
Let’s start with Takk. I first heard of Takk when they opened a mini version near Manchester Met in Hatch. Getting to visit the main coffee shop was FAB – it’s always pretty busy and has a really nice buzz of activity.
It is a little on the expensive side for coffee BUT it is great coffee. They also have a fab brunch menu and I really regretted not getting a cake there because they look amazing.
The Portico library is somewhere my mum introduced to me. It’s on Mosley street next to the Manchester Gallery and it is so quirky!
You have to buzz in and walk up some stone steps and then you get to the library and WOW. It is stunning and filled with books. You can’t actually touch the books unless you’re doing research but they usually have an exhibition on as well.
It’s a simple menu, and VERY reasonably priced plus the location is what you’re going for here!
The Cafe at the Cathedral is a new find and possibly my favourite place in Manchester. It overlooks Manchester Cathedral (the name of the cafe kind of gives it away!) and has the most stunning decor.
I came here with my friend Lauren and we finished our day off with pots of roobis tea and some HUGE slices of cake. It’s another one which is more expensive (it was £18.00 for 2 cakes and 2 teas, tbf you could share 1 slice of cake between two though as they’re big) BUT it is stunning and you could spend a lot of time here.
I think the reason I loved it here so much was that it felt so peaceful. You forgot you were in the centre of a bustling city – it was like a little oasis of calm.
Things to do in Manchester
So, once you’ve filled your bellies with coffee, cake and lots of food, you’re probably wondering what to do in Manchester.
Firstly, I recommend just wandering around the Northern Quarter. There are so many cute independent shops and some FAB charity shops. It’s always fun to just see what you can find.
There are lots of venues in Manchester to go see bands, live theatre and talks. Last time I was in Manchester, I headed to a talk which was part of the International Festival. There’s always something interesting on at HOME and the Royal Exchange theatre. Or, you could go to one of the MANY music venues, whether it’s Jimmy’s, The Ritz or the Arena – there’s something of every size.
If you’re wanting to relax a bit, you can get a day pass to the pool and jacuzzi at The Hilton on Deansgate. Overlook Manchester whilst you get some much needed r&r!
If you’re wanting some friendly competition with the people you’re with, head on over to Junkyard golf. It’s so much fun there, with 3 different courses and you’re guaranteed a good time.
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