This is the UK's most exciting city for food — here's how to do it The Times Huw Oliver, Audience Editor, Travel 48 hours This is the UK's most exciting city for food — here's how to do it Swish hotels, new cultural hubs and fine dining worth travelling for — pack your parkas and get ready to go mad for it in Manchester Manchester's skyline is constantly evolving Alamy Huw Oliver , Audience Editor, Travel Monday October 26 2026, 5.00am GMT , The Sunday Times Listen 0:00 / · 10:35 min Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save M uch is said about Manchester — good and bad. The skyline is unrecognisable and full of skyscrapers. Decent with a guitar, them Mancunians — perhaps Westside Cowboy are the next Oasis? Uh-oh, looks like the footy teams are in trouble. A couple of days in the city is enough to collect your own set of (less told) tales. You might clock that the building boom which took place before and during Andy Burnham's mayoralty has given Manchester big new cultural venues — from Co-op Live to Aviva Studios and New Century — and a trio of swish hotels (Mollie's, Treehouse, Soho House) as well as the soulless apartment blocks. Another observation could be that, somehow, despite industry trends and all that development, grassroots live-music institutions in the Northern Quarter are thriving. And glimpses of history in former warehouses, disused railway infrastructure and neo-gothic architecture make for an excellent yarn too. A story often repeated about Manchester is that its food scene isn't ambitious enough — not true. Since high-end Mana and the small-plates spot Erst landed in Ancoats, a wave of chef-entrepreneurs have moved in and put the city centre on critics' radars. Tom Barnes's tasting-menu restaurant Skof, for example, is serving the most exciting little bits of food in Britain. Pass it on. 48 hours in Manchester — at a glance Day one Morning John Rylands Library Lunch The Sparrows Afternoon Manchester Jewish Museum Drink at Stray Evening Aviva Studios Dinner Skof Day two Morning Castlefield Viaduct Lunch Higher Ground Afternoon People's History Museum Drink at Bar Shrimp Evening Live music in the Northern Quarter Dinner Morejoy at Exhibition What to see and do John Rylands Library The John Rylands Library houses more than a million rare books and manuscripts Alamy The city's finest example of Victorian neo-gothic architecture is the cathedral-like John Rylands Library on Deansgate, housing more than a million rare books and manuscripts. The vast reading room has the hushed feel of an Oxford college library — all vaulted ceilings and nooks inhabited by students (free; library.manchester.ac.uk). Manchester Jewish Museum Manchester Jewish Museum in Cheetham Hill Alamy This little museum in Cheetham Hill, 15 minutes' walk north from Victoria station, comprises the green-painted Spanish-Portuguese Sephardi synagogue and a modern gallery next door. It tells the story of Jews who moved to Manchester from the mid-18th century through photographs, recordings and objects. Slazenger and Marks (of Marks & Spencer) are among familiar names that crop up (￡10; manchesterjewishmuseum.com). Advertisement Aviva Studios An opera inspired by Einstein; a contemporary-dance interpretation of Russell T Davies's TV series It's a Sin ; big alternative bands from Ezra Collective to Tindersticks — the programme of forthcoming events at the enormous Aviva Studios arts space in Castlefield certainly has range. Even if you're not seeing a show, the foyer and deckchairs outside are perfect for people-watching over a beer (prices vary; factoryinternational.org). Castlefield Viaduct Castlefield Viaduct in Deansgate is very soothing Alamy There's something very soothing about this National Trust-managed, High Line-style walkway on an abandoned railway viaduct. Steel beams frame distant skyscrapers; ferns and grasses conjure even more distant meadows. You can walk all the way along it in five minutes, but the views offer a great excuse to linger (free; nationaltrust.org.uk). People's History Museum The People's History Museum is dedicated to the history of workers' rights Alamy This small, central museum on the River Irwell is dedicated to the history of workers' rights and democracy in the UK. It has a splendid collection of trade-union banners, a moving display on the 1819 Peterloo Massacre and the navy jacket worn by Burnham when he made a speech as Manchester mayor arguing for more government support for the city during Covid, cementing his reputation as “King of the North” (free; phm.org.uk). Live music in the Northern Quarter Manchester and music go hand in hand, so wade into a mosh pit (or linger safely on the sidelines) at a venue in the Northern Quarter. Night & Day is a chip shop turned indie institution that hosted early shows from the Arctic Monkeys and the 1975 (prices vary; nightnday.org), while Band on the Wall has a Womad-inflected programme of jazz fusion, funk and bossa nova (prices vary; bandonthewall.org). Where to eat and drink The Sparrows Who doesn't like dumplings? That's the thinking behind the Sparrows, a restaurant in a railway arch five minutes' walk from Victoria station where you'll find them in the form of spätzle (German lumps of dough served like pasta), pelmeni (meat-filled Russian parcels) and pierogi (their more sizeable Polish siblings). Veggie? Try the cottage cheese and potato pierogi, accompanied by a glass of Polish chardonnay (mains from ￡11; thesparrows.me). Advertisement Stray In a discreet corner of the Mackie Mayor food hall, which occupies a Victorian former meat market in the Northern Quarter, Stray is the city's most fun cocktail bar. Traditionalists beware: negronis come with scoops of ice cream, bellinis resemble frothy half-pints and glacé cherries feature heavily. The tomato vine margarita — tart and salty with a cherry tomato plopped inside — is at once silly and sophisticated (cocktails from ￡11; straybar.co). Skof Skof has a 16-course tasting menu Cristian Barnett How to sum up the 16-course tasting menu at Skof, one of the most exhilarating British fine-dining restaurants, near Victoria station? Let's just say that even the palate-cleanser — fermented brown rice sorbet with milk oolong tea oil — is worth raving about. Mixed pairings ranging from sour beers to gooseberry juice infused with tarragon are the way to go if you want to avoid a vicious hangover (tasting menus from ￡130; skofmanchester.co.uk). Higher Ground Higher Ground has a brilliant-value tasting menu RICHARD CARROLL Lunch at Higher Ground, near Piccadilly station, feels like a super-posh picnic. A map on the back of the brilliant-value tasting menu shows where the ingredients are sourced, many from the restaurant's Cinderwood farm in Cheshire. Expect hearty, nourishing combinations such as cured pork shoulder with radishes and whipped scallop roe (five-course tasting menu from ￡40; highergroundmcr.co.uk). Read more I'm a Manchester pub regular and these are the best six More great restaurants in Manchester My Manchester weekender, Soho House style Bar Shrimp The world should have more cocktail-and-seafood bars. Bar Shrimp, next to Higher Ground (and run by the same team) is leading the way. Drinks are sweet and fruity — don't miss the Lancaster, with vodka, tayberry, beetroot and lemon — and snacks range from scallop tartare to devilled eggs with brown crab. It's on New York Street, which is apt, as it feels very NYC (cocktails from ￡12; barshrimpmcr.co.uk). Morejoy at Exhibition A mini-food hall with three kitchens just off Deansgate, Exhibition is home to Morejoy, which dishes up fiery, smoky shaokao (Chinese barbecue). The duck heart and Yorkshire lamb leg skewers are fantastic night-out fuel; in fact, you could make a decent evening of it here, with DJs playing most nights. As its name suggests, the Sureshot Milson pale ale is a guaranteed hit (sharing plates from ￡6; exhibitionmcr.co.uk). Advertisement All recommendations within this article are informed by independent expert editorial opinion. This article contains affiliate links and links to our in-house travel agency, Times Holidays, all of which will earn us revenue. Where to stay Mollie's Mollie's has 128 rooms Fun, affordable motel At the first city-centre opening from the Mollie's motel brand, they know what you really want. Even standard doubles at this 128-roomer, in the former Granada Studios building in Castlefield, come with luxuries such as Dyson hairdryers, comfy Hypnos beds and Cowshed toiletries. Treat yourself to a suite, which start from ￡213 room only, and you'll get a Peloton exercise bike — entertaining, even if it's not normally your thing. At breakfast in Mollie's Diner downstairs the fun vibe extends to American-style dishes such as French toast with Oreo and coffee butter — arrive hungry (room-only doubles from ￡104). The Midland The Midland's art deco-style bar Landmark hotel in the city centre This imposing Edwardian baroque building was built by Midland Railway Co next to what was then the central train station. It retains the feel of a posh railway hotel, from the vast atrium to the art deco-style bar. The food is no doubt better these days, especially at Adam Reid at the French, where 11 courses with pairings explore the terroir of northwest England (from ￡215). Rooms are spacious and comfy if a little beige, but — given that it's 15 minutes' walk from Piccadilly — it's great value (room-only doubles from ￡127). Treehouse Hotel Treehouse Hotel has an arboreal theme Cool stay with next-level dining Central Manchester is full of personality-free hotels that cater to those simply needing somewhere to crash for the night; the Treehouse very much isn't that. Not everyone will take to its arboreal theme — spanning bird boxes, cuckoo clocks and tree-stump tables — but it certainly adds character to this 1970s brutalist block. The quilts and curtains contribute ample colour too. The food is the main draw: Pip, on the ground floor, does a mean Sunday roast; Sister Moon, on the 14th, serves southeast Asian-inspired seafood dishes with skyline views (room-only doubles from ￡184). Getting there and around Manchester has direct train links with most UK cities (two hours from London; about three from Bristol and Edinburgh). The city centre, including all sites mentioned here, is easily navigable on foot, though the Bee Network of trams and buses is reliable and affordable — tap your card to pay (single bus journeys from ￡2, tram rides from ￡1.40; tfgm.com). Advertisement Visit responsibly Make it a twin-city break with Liverpool, half an hour away by rail. Its two cathedrals — Liverpool Cathedral, a red-sandstone gothic behemoth (liverpoolcathedral.org.uk), and Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, a spaceship-like modernist masterpiece (liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk) — are an ideal (free) day out. Stay overnight at the grand, central Municipal Hotel & Spa, whose soaring clock tower you cannot miss (room-only doubles from ￡114; mgallery.accor.com). Huw Oliver was a guest of the Manchester tourist board ( marketingmanchester.com ). Take the train to Manchester Top stories 1 How Meghan has struggled in private since her very public marriage Celebrity 2 At 39, I was married to a good man. So why did I end things? Sex & Relationships 3 Marcus Wareing: Why I pulled out of working with Gordon Ramsay (again) Celebrity 4 My family are finding it difficult to talk about my cancer diagnosis Health & Fitness Top stories 1 Bank shares are booming. Here's why I won't be buying any Saving & Investing Inspired? Our in-house agency Times Holidays can help you book your own, fully customisable trips Travel Destinations UK England Manchester Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save Promoted Content Previous Article Next Article