r/manchester • u/haleybh • 1d ago

Fun Things to Do in Manchester

Hello! I’m going on a UK trip from the US with two of my best friends soon, and we’ll happen to be in Manchester for my birthday. Does anyone have any suggestions for fun things to do in Manchester? I’m looking for activities, restaurants, nightspots, or just anything 3 ladies in their late 20s would enjoy. Thanks!

14 Upvotes

69% Upvoted

48 comments sorted by

27

u/Dee-licious0288 22h ago

• Museum of illusions £17? • Mosi free • Manchester museum free • Play arcade games Nq64 • Football museum • Canal tour /river cruise £12 great views • Sealife Manchester Trafford Centre • Cloud 23 views! Cocktails. • Check out the renovated library!

  1. All you can eat mini hotpot M8
  2. Bunny Jackson,american dive bar vibe. 20p chicken wings! Deansgate.
  3. Try Thai - Chinatown great lunch deals
  4. Noodle alley - mainly schezuan but great food.
  5. Rollers-amazing fresh cinnamon rolls
  6. Gooey - all brownies and cookies buy so good.
  7. Fat pats sandwiches!
  8. Crazy Pedro pizzas and by the slice. £3
  9. Wolf at the door. Bao buns and tacos starting at £1.
  10. Flat Baker - postscio croissaint 🥐 7.50
  11. Kongs tacos and wings
  12. One plus Hotpot! 3 different floors. 3Kbbq 2hotpot 1rice and noodles.
  13. Hello oriental - 3 floors different shops food hall.
  14. Thief street.
  15. Fazenda all you can eat meat bbq.
  16. Northern soul packed cheesy toasties.
  17. American pies
  18. Hong Thai
  19. Dishoom Indian lamb shank biryani.
  20. Bundobust Indian street food.
  21. Madre Mexican.
  22. Tops buffet. World food. Live station if u like prawns then a double of this is worth the entry price alone!
  23. Pho cue
  24. Federal brunch.
  25. Medlock canteen.Minted lamb/schnitzel and rhubarb pie
  26. • Jimmy's killer prawns
  27. • Akbars Indian
  28. • Soporro teppanyaki - great food and show(cooks in front of you)
  29. My lahore Indian English fusion - ie lamb kheema lasagne.
  30. Biskits mini Dutch pancake and brunch.
  31. Zouks amazing lamb and other things and steak was apparantly good too!
  32. Walnut great place hummus amazing.
  33. Blues kitchen
  34. Nonnas pasta
  35. Almost famous for burgers.
  36. Onda
  37. Ca phe viet for pho
  38. Noodle alley noodles!
  39. Chefdiao for dumplings
  40. De Creperie scrambled pancakes
  41. Oi Dumplings
  42. Chicken Shack dirty burger
  43. BangGa banga viral cheesy £1 coin
  44. Eat Greek gyros
  45. Hip hop chip shop
  46. Mexico Joes Minted lamb
  47. Fuego tacos
  48. Mr crumble
  49. Ciaos garlic bread!
  50. American pies deep dish 🍕
  51. Birria bros tacos
  52. Happy seasons 3 meat roast
  53. Gooey dulce de leche filled French tst
  54. Longs dirty burger and wings
  55. Ramona cali style pizza peperoni
  56. Pho cue street box £11
  57. New wave ramen mackoe mayor signature lamb tantanmen.
  58. Cardinal rule American biscuit and 🐥
  59. Bugalu £2 🌮 £3birria and tapas
  60. Cafe continental garlic bread lamb ribs,3 day potatoes prawns. Roast
  61. Blue kitchen unlimited wings £14.
  62. Waffle cart.
  63. Evelyns - roast and lamb
  64. Elnecott roast and lamb
  65. The trof roast and lamb
  66. Firehouse roast and lamb shank. Great food app.

6

u/haleybh 22h ago

This is incredible thank you so much

4

u/idlewildgirl Stretford 11h ago

I have lived here 40 years and will be saving this list!

1

u/Dee-licious0288 10h ago

Haha no worries! I've Been to quite a few and got stuff from a few at the Xmas markets. I just love food and I guess my love language is food and sharing things I love,haha!

I made this for my bro in law when he was doing a trip to Manchester and I was out of the country that weekend. So wouldn't have been there to explain.

I like to have a small description of what kind of food or a fave dish to try from that place so included what I know and he bloody loved it! Feel free to save it.

2

u/EquipmentAlone5143 9h ago

Fair list, although some of these places no longer exist and there's a few duplicates

1

u/Dee-licious0288 8h ago

Aww no! Which ones don't exist? And lol yeah I was in the hospital waiting room when I posted this (came on reddit to get my mind off things) and literally just cut and pasted it without double checking it so apologies if some of these are now closed, altho I'm not aware which ones x

3

u/EquipmentAlone5143 8h ago

Hip Hop chip shop got repo'd by Manchester Life last year.

Thief Street was replaced by Gasworks Brewbar at least 2 years ago.

Oi Dumplings went bust over a year ago, they sometimes run a food stall at christmas, same for Mr Crumble, don't think either were there last year.

Gooey and Pho Cue are on there twice.

I didn't check all of them, just know these for sure :p

Good effort though, I'm sure most are fair.

2

u/Dee-licious0288 8h ago

Oh no! Yeah actually Oi dumplings and Mr crumble I had both at the ma's markets! Wasn't aware of the rest! Thank you for the update, apologies once again OP!

10

u/Competitive-Leg-1474 22h ago

29 year old woman here, lived in Manchester for the last ten years.

Lunchtime food/ drinks:

  • mackie mayor
  • pot kettle black if you want brunch (only brunch place in the city that you can book a table at online)
  • salt n pepper (great Asian food boxes for lunch)
  • Rustica for sandwiches
  • crazy pedros for pizza

Drinks/ nights out

  • Diecast
  • Albert schloss
  • blues kitchen
  • Common in the Northern Quarter for drinks and great pizza by the slice.
  • stevensons square in the northern quarter is a small square surrounded by great bars with loads of indoor and outdoor seating
  • NQ64 is a bar full of vintage video games
  • northern quarter generally is full of great bars

Things to do:

  • go karting (chaos karts)
  • junkyard golf (indoor mini golf)
  • people’s history museum
  • the cube experience in the arndale
  • escape room
  • gin distillery tour and tasting at Manchester gin distillery (did this for my birthday, it’s about £30pp and was really good)
  • if you’re coming on the weekend I’d look up the makers market, there in a different location every weekend of the month and there are ones in the northern quarter and spinningfields some weekend days. 10/10 markets I go every month.

Bakeries:

  • Gooey (will have a massive queue for eat in but easy to get takeaways)
  • Buzzy bee
  • pollen
  • companio
  • the flat baker
  • siop shop (doughnuts and great coffee)

Good independent shops:

  • Fred aldous (vintage photo booth in here)
  • dead stock general store
  • form lifestyle store
  • Nordic muse

Personally if I was planning a birthday in Manchester I’d go: makers market in the late morning (usually starts at 10am), salt n pepper for lunch and then a look round the shops in the northern quarter with a potential stop at siop shop for doughnuts and a coffee, gin distillery tour, followed by common for pizza and drinks and then continue on for drinks in Stevenson square or die cast if I fancy a boogy 💃🕺

2

u/haleybh 22h ago

Beautiful list thank you!!

2

u/Dee-licious0288 22h ago

Ooh good list I forgot about a few of these!!

7

u/Amolje 1d ago

Really depends, what type of things are you interested in?

4

u/haleybh 23h ago

I’m pretty open to anything, but I love fun interactive stuff, museums, and I’m a huge foodie so I love a good restaurant/bar. Also interested in a late night club/bar situation

9

u/KakhaberTskhadadze 22h ago

The people's history museum is good and sometimes (but not always) gets mentioned on threads like this.

People's History museum

Bundobust is good as they have a fairly cheap option to have three smallish bits of stuff so you can try a decent bit of the menu if you order 9 different things between the group and share.

Bundobust

Roxy ballroom is good for options of games to play together (mini golf, crazy pool etc), or nq64 for old arcade games

Roxy ballroom

NQ64

There are a few walking tours, I always find them a useful starting point in a new city. I liked this one

Rock and goal

1

u/puncheonjudy 22h ago

These are damn good shouts.

3

u/Amolje 19h ago

Northern Quarter is the best area for late bars and clubs.

2

u/Eojte 20h ago

Museum of illusions

it in the city centre

7

u/jayjoemck 1d ago

Just have a wander around the Northern Quarter

4

u/deedpoll3 Altrincham 19h ago

Check out if anything interests you at HOME https://homemcr.org/whats-on/seance-q3ht

Or at Aviva Studios https://factoryinternational.org/whats-on/

If you like paintings, it's worth seeing the Stations of the Cross at St Mary's. https://hiddengem.me.uk/

You might just miss out on supermassive https://www.supermassive.uk/

3

u/NobodyMoves1996 23h ago

Check our @artfloat on instagram if you enjoy painting and Japanese culture!

3

u/8racoonsInABigCoat 23h ago

If you've ever been a fan of Mario Kart, Chaos Karts could work for you.

3

u/Criticada 20h ago

I usually take my American family to Sam’s Chop House to get the British food staples, and close to it are North Westward Ho and Cafe Beermoth for some amazing local and guest beers.

Northern quarter for the nightlife. The museums are all good and mostly free.

3

u/Immediate_Poet6554 10h ago

The answer will mainly be driven by what night of the week your birthday falls on…

1

u/haleybh 1h ago

Ahh true true my birthday is on a Wednesday 🙃

2

u/Immediate_Poet6554 1h ago

Well Wednesday is practically the weekend in Manchester!! :-)

2

u/Dee-licious0288 22h ago edited 22h ago

Haha I've literally just cut an pasted my Manchester food list and a few other interesting things to do. Hope that helps a little x

Dirty martini for late night drinks and club vibe.

The washhouse is a speakeasy where u have to find the hidden door and say a secret password!

Revolution de Cuba is a good night out!

The alchemist has molecular gastronomy cocktails which are all sciency! Hope that helps too x

2

u/haleybh 22h ago

I appreciate it nonetheless!

2

u/vordh0sbn- 19h ago

Supermassive by Piccadilly? Closes in a few weeks though.

2

u/senormankee 14h ago

Creatures comedy club in the northern quarter, shows every night, well worth a look

2

u/EquipmentAlone5143 9h ago

Pixel's a cheap gaming night if you book a console booth

7Sins/Faradays have pool tables

Fab Cafe have cheap drinks and their decor's almost museum grade.

Alternatively sign up to Meetup, don't pay for the app. There's always stuff going on whether it's climbing at rockover, walks, games nights, drinks and more.

2

u/EquipmentAlone5143 8h ago

If you go to Yes, between Noon and 6pm all their pizzas and slices are half price.

Cheap saturday lunch and they're all handmade.

5

u/west_manchester City Centre 1d ago

Whitehotel

1

u/financekiduk 23h ago

We went last week was dead

1

u/rclonecopymove 23h ago

The place was dead or you were dead afterwards cause you had such a good time with the disco biscuits the kids are doing these days? 

Does the place need the students to be back to be heaving?

3

u/Moop_the_Loop 22h ago

If you're insta people, check out the museum of illusions on market street.

2

u/ShaftManlike 23h ago

Go to the People's History Museum.

2

u/NoStructure331 23h ago

Friday/Saturday nights at DIECAST are good. Food is great, pizzas, garlic knots, and the best frozen daquiris in the city. Seriously. Thank me later for trying the Lychee or Sour Cherry. After 10 there is live music, dancing on tables in the "Brooklyn" hall, and overall a great night out.

If you are alternative or queer I suggest having a walk around Afflecks Palace, a treasure trove of small businesses all in one place.

Boom Battle Bar has drinks as well as loads of activities (kareoke, axe throwing, beer pong, shuffleboards) and is a good laugh, or if you are more gaming inclined then NQ64 has Playstations for hire/old arcade machines with the best themed cocktails in the North!

2

u/Honest-Emergency9162 21h ago

Cloud 23 Cocktail bar has really nice drinks, Manchester isn't the prettiest city but you get a good view out

2

u/Immediate_Poet6554 10h ago

I would give this a miss. Honestly not what it once was.

1

u/Come-jive-with-me 23h ago

Hawksmoor or Millers & Carter or the Ivy are your staple bit highend special occasion restaurant.

2

u/flat121cotton 23h ago

Start fights in Picadilly gardens, seems to be popular these days.

1

u/guildazoid 20h ago

Don't go near picadilly gardens x

0

u/Simple_Block1901 1d ago

Roxy ballroom, Bierkeller, Puppy/kitty yoga, Tops buffet

4

u/Acceptable-Ad-3830 23h ago

not tops 😭😭

-1

u/scooba_dude 14h ago

That guy's wife!