FOOTBALL, music, TV, fashion, food and great nightlife… Manchester has everything you could want from a great city break.
But for those looking to stray off the beaten tourist track, we asked a few born-and-bred locals, including two very famous soap stars, for the city’s best hidden gems.
James Pelham, founder of Manchester Bites Food Tours, which shows visitors around the city on three-hour eating and drinking tours, reveals his hidden foodie gems:
Peveril of the Peak pub on Chepstow Street
This great pub is green tiled on the outside and looks a bit out of place amongst all the new glass offices.
It’s run by the city’s longest-serving landlady and it’s always got a good crowd in. I’ve been going there since I was a teenager.
Rad’s Caribbean on Jersey Street in Ancoats
This hole in the wall Caribbean takeaway is run by the nicest family and offers proper home cooked Caribbean food.
The portions are huge, they really should charge more. In the summer, you can go to nearby Islington Marina and eat your lunch there.
Kabana curry cafe on Back Turner Street
Manchester has a few little curry cafes that opened up in the 1980’s to cheaply feed the growing population of South Asian workers. Thankfully we’ve still got them.
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Rice ‘n’ Three (a plate topped with rice and three curries) is one of the best lunches in the city and places like This & That and Kabana fight it out for people’s favourites.
The lamb Karai at Kabana is worth travelling a long way for, but it’s only available on Sundays.
Great North Pie Company in Kampus
Winner of pie of the year and dozens of other awards, this is a great spot for a quick lunch or a few pints in the summer.
They change a few of the pies up seasonally as well so worth a few visits a year.
The Jane Eyre cocktail bar, Cutting Room Square
A nice little neighbourhood cocktail bar on Cutting Room Square in Ancoats. Good beer and food as well.
Josh Martin, Founder of Free Manchester Walking Tours, has shown everyone around the city, from the Uruguayan rugby team to Noel Gallagher. Here are his top five hidden gems:
Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square
I know what you’re thinking…What’s so hidden about Manchester Central Library?
But there are so many hidden offerings, including the BFI’s media library, interactive history archive, the Henry Watson music library (including keyboards!), and Manchester Visitor Information Centre with a nice gift selection.
Social Refuge on Great Ancoats Street
A coffee shop, bar and bookshop on the blossoming Great Ancoats Street, that hosts regular events such as live music, pub quizzes, comedy, book signings and talks.
Tib Street in the Norther Quarter
Lemn Sissay’s poetry is in the pavement, ceramic birds on the walls, the Northern Quarter’s unique street signage, and a huge mural from Manchester’s ‘City’s of Hope’ street art festival.
Tib Street’s shops include a high-end butchers, hipster coffee, a florist, a buddhist bookshop, vintage sports fashion, and the institution that is Afflecks Palace.
This & That curry house on Soap Street
Tucked away down a backstreet, This & That is the originator of Manchester’s ‘rice ‘n’ three’ curry houses that gained popularity through the 1980s.
For around a fiver you’ll get three incredible curries and rice, as well as a good chat with whoever you end up sat next to on the table.
Mayfield Park
Manchester’s green spaces might be small, but they make up for it with intrigue.
Perhaps best of all is Mayfield Park, which incorporates our industrial heritage, ancient wildflowers, wetland spaces, and play areas that invite the whole family to enjoy the outdoors.
TV stars Brooke Vincent and Ellie Leach share their favourite places in Manchester
Brooke Vincent and Ellie Leach both made their names in the iconic Manchester TV soap, Coronation Street – they told The Sun how they spend their days off relaxing in the city.
Brooke Vincent, 31, lives in Manchester with her boyfriend Kean Bryan, 27, and their two sons, Mexx, 4, and Monroe, 3.
If someone’s visiting Manchester for the first time, what must-see things would you recommend?
1. Definitely see a show, because even though it’s not the West End, there are some epic shows that go on in our theatres.
2. Spinningfields is a really cool place with lots of different bars and restaurants.
3. If you’re visiting around Christmas, the German markets are fabulous.
4. Afflecks Palace is a cool place to shop in the Northern Quarter.
What are some hidden gems in the city?
There’s a small restaurant called Ornella’s in Denton [five miles east of Manchester city centre]. It’s Italian food, it’s the smallest little shop, but oh my god, the food is amazing. If you’re ever in Manchester, try and get in.
Where is your favourite hotel?
The King Street Townhouse Hotel is mine and my partner’s favourite place to stay. The pancakes are amazing, and it’s just a really nice treat if we’re ever in town.
Ellie Leach, 23, is best known for playing Faye Windass in Coronation Street from 2011 to 2023.
What’s your favourite restaurant?
One place that I love is The Refuge in the city centre. It’s just across the road from the Palace Theatre and it’s inside the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel. The vibe’s just really cool and the Sunday lunch is gorgeous.
Do you have any hidden gems in Manchester you can recommend?
Bee’s Coffee Pot in the countryside near Hyde [a 40 minute-drive from the city centre] is a little hut in the middle of nowhere. They cook out of a little caravan and you go to the window and you collect your food.
They have little wooden cabins with fires inside and blankets, and you’re high up with a beautiful view.
Is there a place that holds a great memory for you?
The AO Arena in Manchester holds a very special place in my heart, because I’ve grown up going to concerts there. During the Strictly tour I was able to perform there myself and it felt like a real full circle moment – to have watched people there and to then be on that stage.