Refuge, one of the places to be in Manchester
With a direct flight, just two hours, Manchester is a perfect option to escape a weekend with your best friends. Traveling from the airport to the city is also comfortable: about 15 minutes by taxi.
Once there we have two unbeatable hotel options. On the one hand, there is ** The Principal Manchester **, a high level hotel that you will recognize by its clock tower, the red brick facade of Victorian architecture and a cosmopolitan interior, whose reception is presided over by an immense bronze horse over three meters high.
In one of its corners it houses the bar-restaurant ** Refuge , one of the fashionable places in the city**, either to eat or to enjoy an after-work with live music.
Has a very industrial decoration and atmosphere at any time of the day , and in its menu, based on tapas, you will find fish, meat or vegetable dishes designed to share.
Manchester: the perfect getaway with your friends
The other option, if you are looking for a modern apartment vs. hotel concept, is the Whitworth Locke Hotel, housed in a 19th-century building and with a reception that looks more like a bar.
So you will only know that you have reached your destination by locating El Camino Mexican restaurant , attached to the entrance, that will make you fall in love with its sophisticated decoration and its delicious tacos. An important notice: at the end of the year the concept will change, since they propose pop up restaurants every few months.
THE COLLEGE NEIGHBORHOOD
Another of Manchester's strengths is its fun university atmosphere, which animates the streets of the city every day of the week. In this area, in addition to several historical monuments that are worth visiting, there are two places that are meeting points for students.
The first and newest is hatch , a space of curious architecture, with several premises that offer gastronomy, shopping and good music.
The exterior is a colorful game of absolutely instagrammable recycled shipping containers, and in them you can take a beer at Elektric Bar, a delicious coffee at Takk, or an Australian wine at Vin-Yard.
And, if you get hungry, go to the Hot Chick's fried chicken, Mezze's hummus, or a Vietnamese roll at Hanoi 75.
Hanoi 75, one of the Hatch posts
The other busiest place in the neighborhood is called Yes, well known for the independent music concerts that it offers several days a week.
Spread over four floors, the space houses a restaurant with many Italian dishes, sandwiches and hamburgers; a pink room for mini concerts, as well as a terrace where you can enjoy the sunny days of the city. A recommendation? Take a photo with the letters on the stairs... we can count on this far!
The cozy terrace of Yes
CULTURAL WALK
Since it's not all about eating and partying, try to find some time to take a cultural tour; You will not regret it. Start at **John Rylands Library , a library dating back to 1890, with a room reminiscent of the library in Harry Potter.**
It is also worth visiting ** Home , a space dedicated to all kinds of cultural manifestations**, whose modern architecture collides with the classicism of the neighboring buildings. Offers temporary exhibitions of renowned artists, film shows and music, dance and theater festivals.
Home, culture in every corner
Finally, the ** Museum of Science and Industry is also interesting, which reviews the history of the city **, closely linked to industrial activity since its birth.
VERY CHIC DINNERS
There is a wide range, for all tastes and all pockets. One of the most chic novelties is The Ivy, which occupies an entire building of modern architecture , and decorated with good English taste, whose walls full of paintings are its hallmark.
Each plant offers a type of food, from English to Japanese. It is, without a doubt, the place to be in the city, so it is essential to book in advance.
If you are looking for something more discreet, the option is ** Kala, in whose kitchens chef Gary Usher creates a menu that fuses dishes from his other five restaurants.** One of his best sellers is the beef stew with walnuts.
The Ivy, one of the most chic novelties in the city
Another destination of the same nature is the newcomer ** Elnecot , which enjoys great acceptance for its exquisite cuts of meat and its cocktail menu.**
But if you are looking for something more exotic and informal, ** Mackie Mayor ** is a closed space with high ceilings and imposing columns where they propose to taste different cuisines from around the world, in pizza stalls, chicken, hamburgers, Fish & Chips, etc.
IF THE NIGHT LONG
In Manchester it seems that life begins after midnight , so it will be difficult for you to pick up after dinner.
For the first drink, the best views are at ** 20 stories , a bar-restaurant with an extensive cocktail menu, which has a terrace with a botanical garden ** from which you can enjoy a 360 0 panoramic view of the city.
Other options for drinking are ** Albert's Schloss , with live music of all styles, and Wood & Company , a cocktail bar with such a clandestine touch ** that many locals don't even know about it.
SHOPPING IN THE FASHION NEIGHBORHOOD
As you will leave the city without spending a few hours shopping, write down three essential stops in The Northern Quarter, the trendy neighborhood , where to buy something different and with personality.
The first is ** Afflecks , an entire building that deals in eclectic clothing and second-hand accessories **, and has several shops that do tattoos at the moment.
Another must see is Manchester Craft & Design Center , a Victorian architecture building where you will find everything from jewelry and bags to furniture, paintings and ceramics by new artists.
Yard & Coop, where you can taste a thousand and one ways of cooking chicken
Lastly, ** Form Lifestyle Store ** is a charming little shop, where its owners, Elly and Harry, have a very special selection of objects, including feathers, flowers and even artisan soaps.
Before starting the tour, you can have breakfast at ** Pollen Bakery , a bakery that bakes delicious pastries and pastries** – watch out for their Pain au Chocolat! –, which you can also visit at brunch time. With only two years of life It has already entered the list of the best in the whole of the United Kingdom.
If the technical stop coincides with lunchtime, at ** Yard & Coop you can taste many ways to cook chicken.** You will recognize it by the giant rooster that occupies the entrance.
The interior of the Yard & Coop restaurant