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Food & Drink
EATING OUT MANCHESTER
You can find Manchester restaurants offering nearly any cuisine from around the world, including Caribbean, Eastern, Chinese and Indian food, reflecting the cultural diversity of the city.
In terms of finding a Chinese restaurant in Manchester, Chinatown, in the city centre right next to Piccadilly bus station, has a huge selection. Based around the Chinese Arch which date back to the 1970s, the area has since become a Chinese cultural centre specialising in Chinese medicine, Asian food supermarkets, restaurants and takeaways. At around £8 for a main Chinatown is reasonably priced and offers good quality. If you are feeling really hungry try the No.1 Oriental Buffet Bar on Whitworth street, offering all you can eat for around £10
Attracting a huge number of visitors from both the Greater Manchester area and the rest of the UK, the Curry Mile in Rusholme, situated just south of the university along oxford road, is a must see for any curry fan in Manchester, offering reasonably priced, good quality food at any one of the many restaurants. Lal Qila is a favourite, with dishes slightly more expensive than most but still around £7 for a main, or for something a little different, try King Cobra offering Indian and Sri Lankan dishes.
South of Manchester, and only a 20 minute bus journey from the city centre along the busiest bus route in Europe, Didsbury offers a number of great restaurants along the main street (and bus route) including Casa Tapas with a set tapas menu for less than £15, and Fellicini's offering excellent Italian food, though booking is recommended even in the week as demand is high. Other restaurants in Didsbury include Est Est Est and Café Rouge, as well as a further tapas bar, so turning up and wandering around until something takes your fancy is always possible!
To try out any of the many other cuisines on offer in Manchester, or for more information on any of the above, ManchesterOnline offers a restaurant search at this webpage with options for price, area and cuisine.
BARS MANCHESTER
Manchester has a number of main areas to drink and relax, each offering a different experience.
- Deansgate Locks Situated near the city centre, this is one of the most fashionable places to drink with footballer sightings a regular occurrence! A good place to go for a vibrant atmosphere in the week, even when the students have all gone home for the summer!
- The Printworks Right in the heart of the city, 5 minutes walk from Piccadilly, the printworks offers a good mix of olde worlde pubs and chain bars, such as Tiger Tiger and Hardrock Café.
- Canal Street and The Gay Village Manchester's Gay Village is without doubt the liveliest area of the city and this is reflected by the number of pubs, bars and clubs dotted around Canal Street. The area was celebrated in the Queer As Folk television drama and boasts some of the busiest bars in Manchester. Canal Street is normally busy twenty fours a day and boasts a unique atmosphere that has to be experienced regardless of your sexuality.
- Fallowfield The main student area in Manchester, offering cheap places to drink until late. This area is usually very busy but tends to be somewhat empty in the summer as all the students have gone home.
- Northern Quarter 5 minutes walk from Piccadilly north of the centre, the northern quarter is where musicians and artists hang out, offering excellent live music particularly at Matt and Phred's Jazz bar. The northern quarter is a little pricier than some areas, but offers a great atmosphere.
Bars near the university include Kro and Kro 2 offering good drinks and excellent food along oxford road, as well as The Hogshead 5 minutes walk from the university which offers cheap beer and food, and there is always the union which offers even cheaper beer, and pizzas all day long.
For further information on bars check this website which gives details of areas to visit and many of the bars.