Native Places

Native Aparthotels & Apartments In London

cultureplex

How to spend Valentine’s weekend in Manchester

For the coupled up or just plain nostalgic, the Valentine’s Soultown Supper at Bierkeller is an immersive dining experience that takes you back to the 60s. Expect glittering costumes, live Motown and soul music, a three course meal and a banging dancefloor.

If a bit of friendly competition is more your style, head to Flight Club for a game or two of feathers. It’s darts, but with a souped up, 21st century spin, in a pub that’s more like a fairground. You have to see it to believe it. There are sharing plates, pizza paddles and signature drinks to be had, including boozy slushies and sharing trophy cocktails.

 

The refined and romantic

Dress to impress and take your date to Cottonopolis for drinks. The carefully curated menu includes beers, wines, spirits and cocktails, as well as flowering teas, sakes and bubbly, all served inside a magnificent Grade II listed building.

If you’re in the mood to wine and dine, try and snag a booth at Gusto. This gorgeously opulent Italian restaurant is both relaxed and romantic and they pull out all the stops for Valentine’s Day. You’ll be enjoying your meal under a canopy of fairy lights and there’ll be a special Pornstar Martini Cheesecake on the menu that’s not to be missed.

Of course, if you’d rather stay closer to home, you could always just nip downstairs to The Restaurant in Ducie Street Warehouse for their Valentine’s Day set menu. There’s nothing more romantic than sharing a sumptuous dinner, and their Chateaubriand and poached pear pavlova are specially made for two. If that doesn’t get you in a romantic mood, nothing will.

Book Valentine’s weekend in Native’s aparthotel in Manchester.

Monstrous Manchester: Halloween in the city

Get gothy at Manchester Metropolitan

Hosted by the university, the seventh annual Gothic Manchester Festival will follow the theme of Gothic Times. Spanning the whole of October, there’s a brilliant programme of eerie events across the city, like games, literature, performances, club nights and more.

Get tricked and treated across the city

If you’re brave enough, throw on your favourite Halloween costume and join Manchester’s Trick or Treat Trail. Pick up a map from the information point in Exchange Square and make sure you hit all the trick or treat houses scattered across the city centre. There’s a different character at each one, just waiting to greet (or maybe eat) you.

Get creeped out on New Cathedral Street

Enjoy a family-friendly freak show on at Grimm Rita’s Creepy Carnival. Full of street performers, sideshow stalls and a proper old fashioned helter-skelter, there’s also the Strolling Bones parade, led by Grimm Rita herself, taking you between the Carnival and Dr Mancenstein’s Castle.

Get the heebie-jeebies at Manchester Arndale

For something a little less scary, head to Manchester Arndale with the family, where Z Arts, the kids’ arts centre, will be hosting a taster of their exhibition A World Inside a Book – Gruffalos, Dragons and Other Creatures. Dedicated to the universally adored children’s author, Julia Donaldson, the show gives you the chance to meet some of her best-loved characters and enjoy a spellbinding storytelling session of classic favourite, Room on the Broom.

Want to see more of Manchester’s macabre side? There’s loads more going on over the Halloween season, and you can find all the details in the city’s full Halloween itinerary.

Book a spooky sojourn in Manchester.

Top 10 Manchester bars

Cocktails and gins with Japanese flair

Inspired by Manchester’s proud history in the cotton trade, Cottonopolis offers such a stunning menu of Japanese cocktails, beers, sakes and teas that you’ll simply have to come back to sample them all.

Must try: Drunken Life, Dreamy Death – an intoxicating mix of gin, bergamot and lemon verbena.

Ale, ale and more ale

Whether you’re a total novice or a proud Real Ale champion, you’re bound to find something in the Oast House’s Ale Inventory that’ll surprise you. There’s everything from IPA and lager to Trappist and dark varieties, and their Ale Masterclasses are legendary.

Must try: Brodie’s Prime Porter – a rich, dark brew with notes of dark chocolate and treacle.

Big Bavarian biers

If you’re looking for a place that takes its beer seriously, you’ve found it. At Albert’s Schloss, the team makes a weekly 1,500 mile round trip to the Urquell brewery in Prague to fill their tanks with the good stuff before serving it in Manchester’s very own Bier Palace.

Must try: The Manchester Rein – brewed right here in the city to Bavarian standards, using Munich malts.

Whimsical cocktails and bold beers

Fresh, young and quirky, The Font is fast becoming a Mancunian favourite. If you like your cocktails tooth-teasingly sweet, with rainbow ice and a unicorn horn, you’ve found your tribe. If you don’t, you’ll still find plenty to love on the beer menu.

Must try: The Unicorn Juice – a fruity frolic of bubble gum, rainbows and glitter.

Beer where it’s brewed

Most people find themselves at Seven Brothers for the first time while they’re waiting for a table at Rudy’s Pizza, but it’s well worth a visit in its own right. A family brewery through and through, here’s where you’ll find some of the best beers in town.

Must try: The Honeycomb Pale Ale, with its subtle hints of honey and proud Manchester heritage.

Experimental mixology

Whether it’s served in a hip flask, copper kettle or tea cup, the cocktails at The Alchemist are something to behold. With innovative mixes, ingredients you’ve never heard of (yet) and spectacular presentation, you’ll be Instagramming every round.

Must try: The Caviar One, simply for the joy of making your own rhubarb caviar to add to rhubarb gin and prosecco.

Beer and wine with Mancunian soul

Under the railway arches behind Piccadilly train station is Fairfield Social Club, home to the city’s newest food market, cider festivals, vegan delicacies and a fine list of wines, beers and cocktails to sample.

Must try: Anything from the new line of boozy sodas from local pop producer Steep Soda – we love the Tropical Crush, which is exclusive to Fairfield Social Club.

Booze with a side of live music

One of the Northern Quarter’s top gig spots is also one of its best bars. Matt & Phred’s has the feel of a real neighbourhood joint – albeit one that Jamie Cullum and Adele have played at. The bar is well stocked with classic cocktails, fine wines, beers and spirits – don’t miss the carefully selected bourbons that go brilliantly with the bar’s own wood-fired pizzas.

Must try: The happy hour deal – buy two alcoholic drinks and get a free pizza. A whole pizza. For free. Seriously.

Top-notch tequila

Take a detour from the Northern Quarter via Mexico City. At El Capo you’ll find terrific tapas, as well as South American-inspired cocktails, cervezas, wines and spirits, as well as one of the largest collections of tequila in the whole city.

Must try: Lady Marmalade, with its moreish mix of gin, peach liqueur and marmalade.

Bold Mexican blends

Mexico meets Vegas at Luck Lust Liquor & Burn, where you’ll find a huge range of bottled and canned craft beers and a cocktail menu packed with bold fresh fruit flavours. There’s also a killer happy hour, with £5 margaritas and £2 tequila shots – it’s not to be missed.

Must try: The paletas – Mexican ice lollies made with fresh fruit, doused in sparkling prosecco.

Fresh new flavours

Tucked away under the railway arches behind Piccadilly train station, GRUB is Manchester’s favourite street food festival. On Fridays and Saturdays there’s an incredible array of cuisine, but don’t miss the bar scene while you’re there. They have great selection of craft beers and ales, wines and cocktails, many of which you won’t have come across before.

Must try: Marble Mango – a local Kölsch-style brew by Marble Beers, packed full of juicy mango pulp.

 

Book a holiday apartment in Manchester and plan your next bar tour of the city.