Bustling Salford Quays is home to many Manchester landmarks, including the Millennium Bridge and the Imperial War Museum North. Photo / Getty Images
Bustling Salford Quays is home to many Manchester landmarks, including the Millennium Bridge and the Imperial War Museum North. Photo / Getty Images
Venture north from London to the UK's second-largest city and experience Manchester's blend of superb museums, sporting history and cultural clout, writes Brett Atkinson.
What to see:
Manchester's heritage as the Industrial Revolution's most important city is showcased at the Science & Industry Museum, housed in historic buildings made of Manchester's signature red bricks, and sprawling across the former site of the Liverpool St railway station. Despite the emphasis on history, it's a proudly innovative institution, with interactive exhibits perfect for curious younger travellers and a contemporary focus on how sustainable and green technologies are influencing the future. Providing background to the impact of the Industrial Revolution, Manchester's People's Museum covers two fascinating centuries of history, arcing from the development of workers' rights and labour reform, through to more recent anti-racism and LGBTQ+ movements in society.
London's second largest city has history galore, plus plenty to see and do. Photo / Getty Images
Inside a spectacular quayside building designed by Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind, Imperial War Museum North is the companion institution to London's Imperial War Museum. The modern building's idiosyncratic structure, incorporating sloping floors, circuitous routes and even fluctuations in temperature, is designed to instil feelings of disorientation in visitors. Providing context to recent history's most challenging times, it's an essential part of a visit to Manchester.
Red or blue? If you've grown up as a football fan in Manchester, you've pledged allegiance to either Manchester United (the Red Devils) or to Manchester City (the Sky Blues). Tours of both teams' stadiums – Old Trafford for United and Etihad Stadium for City – are thrilling even if you're not a soccer fan, and include plenty of stories about Manchester footballing legends including George Best, Bobby Charlton and Cristiano Ronaldo. Sporting completists should schedule a visit to central Manchester's National Football Museum. Bring along your A-game to be competitive at the museum's family-friendly interactive Play Gallery games, including penalty taking and goalkeeping.
Music fans should book a guided tour exploring the city's musical heritage, with different Manchester Music Tours' experiences exploring the history and legacy of The Smiths, Oasis, The Stone Roses and Joy Division/New Order. Tours were designed by the late Craig Gill, drummer for the 1980s "Madchester" band the Inspiral Carpets, and include locations such as the red-brick facade of the Salford Lads Club, immortalised in an iconic photoshoot by The Smiths.
The city's vibrant Northern Quarter is one of the best spots to grab a craft beer and a bite to eat. Photo / Getty Images
Even if you don't know the difference between Roy's Rolls and the Rovers Return, there's no denying the cultural impact Coronation Street has had both in the UK and New Zealand. The world's longest-running TV soap – currently approaching 10,700 episodes - is filmed around Salford Quays near Imperial War Museum North. Ninety-minute guided tours of the show's iconic red-brick set run on Saturdays and Sundays.
Vegetarian Gujarati-style street food and craft beer is a perfect combination at Bundobust, originally established in neighbouring Leeds in 2014, but now also featuring at two Manchester locations. Bundobust's first Manchester opening is downstairs near Piccadilly Gardens and it's a 10-minute walk southeast to the new Bundobust, a much larger space incorporating a restaurant and their own brewery. The spicy okra fries go well with Bundobust's ginger- and chai marsala-infused porter.
Opened in 1858 as the fresh produce section of Manchester's historic Smithfield Market, Mackie Mayor was resurrected in 2017 as the city's best multi-cuisine food hall. Framed by 19th-century cast-iron arches, Mackie Mayor's nine cafes, bars and restaurants include the Tender Cow steakhouse, beers from the Blackjack brewery, and artisan coffee from J. Atkinson & Co, originally opened in nearby Lancaster in 1837. Other standout eating spots around the Northern Quarter and the trendy Ancoats precinct include Elnecot for shared plates reimagining traditional British classics – try the Scotch egg with wild garlic mayo or the Devon crab crumpets – and the city's best brunches and Sunday roasts at The Counter House.
Where to drink:
The classic British beverages of beer and gin continue to refresh modern Mancunians. Highlights of the city's craft beer scene include Cloudwater's industrial taproom, while the 1880s-era Marble Arch pub pours all of the Marble Brewery's crafty offerings. Yes, the floor does slope a little, so it's probably not the influence of a second or third pint. To check out Manchester's emerging wave of artisan gin, visit Three Little Words, a bar serving shrubs and cocktails made with gin from the adjacent Spirit of Manchester Distillery.
Where to stay:
Roomzzz's compact apartments and stylish suites enliven the heritage-listed Edwardian ambience of Manchester's historic Corn Exchange building. Restaurants, cafes and bars all share the same sprawling address, and it's a short walk to both Ancoats and the Northern Quarter.
Getting There:
Both Emirates (from Dubai) and Singapore Airlines have direct flights to Manchester, the most direct route for New Zealand travellers. From London, National Rail has frequent departures to Manchester (around three hours) and the journey by bus with National Express takes about five hours.
