8 Things to do in Manchester, UK!
The perfect week in Manchester
Manchester is a fantastic city. It is a lot smaller than London, having only a third of the population of London and less than half of the square footage of London. But, there is definitely enough character to make up for the lost size!
Jordan and I spent a little over a week in Manchester and basically lived off of recommendations from friends and family for food, entertainment and things to do.
Manchester is very well known for its music scene, and Jordan and I were lucky to be housesitting for two musicians, so we made sure to ask them for their recommendations for the best places to go.
Devastatingly, there just wasn’t enough time to visit every recommendation from everyone, but I do feel that the things we did in Manchester gave us a very good impression of the city and city life.
Here are our recommendations of things to do in Manchester, our favorite things that we did over the week and a half we spent here!
1. Go to Cabaret at Albert Schloss
By far, my favorite thing we did in Manchester. The energy in this bar was unmatched for Cabaret. If you’ve never seen a cabaret, neither have I, there is no need to be stressed. At this bar, there are interactive singers and dancers in costume. They will sing a song and dance, simple as that. It does get a bit risqué, but the whole audience gets into the act and sings and dances along, all while having a great time!
If cabaret isn’t quite your style, Albert Schloss also offers different musical acts every. night. of. the. week. The other show that Jordan and I were interested in was Baby Grand Slam, which is where two artists and a pianist have the stage for the whole night and take requests from the audience for songs!
2. Visit the unique shops at Affleck’s Market
After visiting all of the markets in London, we knew we had to try to find a market in Manchester. Affleck’s certainly matched the quirky vibe that Manchester gives off.
At any given time there are about 60 independent vendors selling crystals, band posters, eclectic clothes and even the only cassette store in all of England. Jordan and I tried to check out every store, but the building is set up kind of like a maze, which honestly added to the interest.
Everything was brightly colored and intentional to leave an impact on you. Highly recommend coming here to support the local shops!
3. Go to a Jazz Night at Blues Kitchen
The music scene in Manchester is alive. There are lots of bars in Manchester from what Jordan and I saw that have live music, and really you can’t miss with any, but Jordan and I thoroughly enjoyed blues kitchen. The night before, we went to Albert Schloss, which was amazing and so lively. This, however, felt a little more underground and less like a dance club.
The drinks here are also amazing, Jordan and I each sipped on a drink while listening to very bluesy and jazzy music. I think this was a little bit more Jordan’s scene, so if you’re looking for more of a chill night, but still want to listen to music, this is definitely the place for you!
A bonus of Blues Kitchen is most nights they have specials on their drinks, so if you plan ahead to go you can get half priced cocktails, specials on margaritas and more!
4. Spend a day studying at John Rylands Library
John Ryland’s, built in 1899, is a beautiful neo-gothic late-victorian library. It is said to have inspired J.K. Rowling in the writing of Harry Potter, which is one of the main reasons we went, other than to admire the beautiful architecture.
While walking around, I certainly felt like I was in the halls of Hogwarts, so even if you don’t have any studying to do, it is well worth the visit. If you do have studying to do, there is more than enough space in the beautiful reading rooms, even having quiet nooks for distraction-free work.
5. Legendary Curry Mile
Manchester is known for its amazing curry, it was the main thing I was recommended in Manchester by multiple people! Curry mile is considered to be the largest concentration of South Asian food in the United Kingdom!
You will definitely find something delicious to eat on this road, the smells of it alone may be enough to satisfy you! Even if curry isn’t quite your style, they have many other options including kebabs and shawarma!
6. Visit the breathtaking Manchester Cathedral
If you re an architecture fanatic like me, Manchester Cathedral is not a place you can afford to miss. This cathedral, as with most, has its fair share of history and character. Obviously the stained glass windows are a striking detail, but the exterior of this cathedral juxtaposed with the village looking buildings that surround it, in the center of an industrial city is probably my favorite detail of the cathedral!
Plus, unlike other famous cathedrals, this one is completely free to enter. You can just walk in and appreciate the architecture, which was a nice change from the hour long wait to get into Westminster Abbey.
7. Get incredible and authentic Chinese food in China Town
Jordan and I were recommended a place called Noodle Alley by our hosts, and we are so glad we went! It was a relatively small restaurant, packed with people for dinner. Jordan and I were very lucky, we got one of the last tables in there!
Jordan tried to convince me to get pig ears and duck feet, which isn’t quite my style but it ensured me that this restaurant was nothing if not authentic. We both ended up getting a noodle based dish, mine soup based and Jordan’s dry. Both were so delicious, and huge portions! We both wound up needing to get a box for leftovers.
If any of the other restaurants in China Town are like Noodle Alley, you will have a hard time finding something that isn’t delicious!
8. Play Minigolf and go Bowling at Manchester Printworks
If you’re looking for a fun rainy-day activity in Manchester, Printwork’s is the place for you! They have all sorts of activities in here. Jordan and I played two rounds of minigolf (if you get to treetops mini golf before 12pm you get the second round of golf for free!) We also ended up watching a movie here the same day. There’s also bars, bowling and karaoke to keep you entertained for the full day.
Jordan was really excited to see the ceiling (I know…) but apparently it is the largest digital ceiling in Europe, which even I can admit was pretty cool to see!
If you go to Manchester, you are sure to have a great time, Jordan and I sure did!
I feel like I got to know Manchester a lot better than I knew London. London is just such a huge city, but Manchester is quite a bit smaller, and therefore I feel like we got to see a lot more of it!
Loved to hear about your visit to Manchester. Sounds like a significant city without the enormity of London. How can you lose with great food and music? Pig ears are worth the try - if only to find out what the fuss is about for our canine friends. Duck feet - I can only imagine - must be like chicken feet: a novelty that is tough to get into. But Manchester sounds like my kinda town - just like Chicago is the grittier, working-class, alternative to New York. Love the post!