Guru/Manchester/Date ideas
Date ideas in Manchester
Cocktails in the Northern Quarter, a film at HOME, a canal-side table in Castlefield when the weather allows: Manchester is a good city for a second date.
14 picks that fit, best first. The order follows the live forecast and the time of day.
Mackie Mayor
Northern Quarter
A restored Victorian meat market turned food hall, with long tables and a dozen kitchens.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Good in the evening. On today.
- Under £10
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Northern Quarter
Northern Quarter
Record shops, street art, coffee and the bars that define a Manchester night out.
Mostly under cover. Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- In and out
- Half a day
- Fine in rain
HOME
First Street
Five cinema screens, two theatres and a free gallery under one roof.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Good in the evening.
- £10 to £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Gallery free; cinema and theatre ticketed
The Lowry
Salford Quays
Theatres, a free Lowry gallery and the quayside at MediaCity.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Gallery free; shows ticketed
The Bridgewater Hall
Lower Mosley Street
Home of the Hallé orchestra, with concerts most nights of the week.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Good in the evening.
- £10 to £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Chinatown
City centre
The second-biggest Chinatown in the UK, for dim sum, hotpot and late suppers.
Mostly under cover. Good in the evening.
- Under £10
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
Ancoats
Ancoats
Old mills turned into the city’s best neighbourhood for dinner and brunch.
Good in the evening.
- £10 to £25
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
John Rylands Library
Deansgate
A neo-Gothic cathedral of a library on Deansgate, free to walk around.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Manchester Art Gallery
City centre
Pre-Raphaelites, Lowry and a strong programme of contemporary shows, free, in the centre.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Castlefield and the canals
Castlefield
Roman fort, Victorian viaducts and canal basins with bars along the water.
Wet right now, so save this for a dry spell.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
The Whitworth
Whitworth Park
A glass-walled gallery that opens onto its own park, with a strong textile collection.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Free
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
- Good with kids
Chetham's Library
Cathedral Gardens
The oldest public library in the English-speaking world, where Marx and Engels worked.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Under £10
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Guided tours; book ahead
Manchester Craft and Design Centre
Northern Quarter
Two floors of makers’ studios in a Victorian fish market, free to browse.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Fletcher Moss Botanical Garden
Didsbury
Rock gardens and a riverside walk in Didsbury, the south side’s favourite Sunday.
Wet right now, so save this for a dry spell.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
Good to know
What is a good date idea in Manchester?
Cocktails in the Northern Quarter, a film at HOME, a canal-side table in Castlefield when the weather allows: Manchester is a good city for a second date. There are 14 ideas here, ranked for the conditions right now, with viewpoints pushed up around sunset and indoor picks pushed up when it rains.
Are there cheap date ideas in Manchester?
Plenty. Look for the "Free" and "Cheap" labels: galleries, viewpoints and walks make good first dates and cost little or nothing.