We’ve loads of suggestions for things to do on Mother’s Day in and around Manchester, from beautiful bars to country pubs to restaurants for reminiscing in and everything in between. There’s even some cheap (or free) attractions thrown in our top picks list below. Shhh … she’ll never know.
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Spinningfields
20 Stories
Manchester’s highest – and possibly finest – restaurant, bar and terrace. D&D London’s flagship Manchester restaurant, 20 Stories was the opening of 2018. Floor to ceiling windows (and a huge, outdoor terrace, the same size as the entire restaurant floor), afford breathtaking views of the city and surrounding countryside, while the menu offers modern British, seasonal dishes.
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Book Now Knutsford
The Bells of Peover
There’s a story behind the American and British flags that fly over the entrance to The Bells of Peover, a country dining pub in a village south of Knutsford.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
The Black Friar
The Black Friar stood empty and unloved for almost 20 years before reopening in summer 2021 after a substantial renovation project. Now a modern British restaurant and a traditional pub, it has two distinct settings with menus to match.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
Bottega
With its floor-to-ceiling views over Exchange Square and chic Selfridges setting, Bottega is a stylish spot for cocktails, lunch or dinner.
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Book Now Prestbury
The Bridge
Located in a Grade II Listed building from 1626, The Bridge is full of charm, whether you’re going for a weekend away or Sunday lunch. This hotel and restaurant sits on the banks of the River Bollin in the picturesque Cheshire village of Prestbury, and has been newly refurbished.
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Book Now Heaton Moor
The ‘Burbs
The ‘Burbs is exactly the sort of informal neighbourhood spot you want round the corner from your house.
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Manchester City Centre
Chez Mal Brasserie
Chez Mal Brasserie Manchester sells exactly the sort of European classics you might expect from a well-thought of boutique hotel chain. It’s not exactly full of surprises but everything is executed with a certain flair that doesn’t feel formulaic.
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Book Now Levenshulme
Cibus
Once a stall at Levy Market, then a pop-up pizzeria above Fred’s Ale House, Cibus took baby steps to get to where it is today – a fully-fledged and much-praised Italian restaurant and bar on Levenshulme high street.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
Climat
On the rooftop of Blackfriars House, Climat is a simply exceptional dining experience owned and operated by the team behind Covino in Chester, who have established a reputation as a wine-led restaurant with a focus on changing menus and a passion for wine.
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Book Now Northern Quarter
Dakota Grill Manchester
Dakota Grill Manchester is the work of former Malmaison owner, Ken McCollough and it is as dark-hued and handsome as the successful boutique hotel chain. It’s an inviting place with flickering candlelight, very retro-sexy – sure to be the setting for many a first date.
The focus at Dakota is on steaks which are very good – all grass-fed, 28 day-aged, hand-cut Aberdeenshire beef cooked over hot coals.
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Ardwick
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House
Visitors to Elizabeth Gaskell’s House can explore the author’s home where she wrote most of her novels such as North and South and Cranford.
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Romiley
Etherow Country Park
If you want a woodland walk complete with den-making, wildlife, picnic spots, and beautiful views, Etherow Country Park on the edge of Stockport ticks the boxes.
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Manchester City Centre
Everyman Manchester St John’s
With its red velvet seats, waiter service, and ultra stylish bar and cafe, Everyman Manchester St John’s is a far cry from your local multiplex. This deluxe cinema chain is expanding across the UK and now has two venues in Greater Manchester (the other is in Altrincham).
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
Evuna Manchester Deansgate
October 2003 saw the first of the four Evunas open, grabbing a prime position on Deansgate and a reputation for being a go-to place for Spanish cuisine. Plenty of exposed brick, wine-lined walls and low, dark lighting all add to the atmosphere, perfect for cosying up over those authentic small plates.
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Didsbury
Fletcher Moss
Fletcher Moss has four outdoor, floodlit clay tennis courts which are open to everyone and accessibly priced.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
The Fountain House
The Fountain House is the newest lodger of the Gothic-arched Memorial Hall sitting one corner of Albert Square, and its modern old-fashioned surrounds and plentiful portions of proper pub grub – mostly British but with a little European inspiration – do the imposing building proud.
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Tarporley
Fox & Barrel
The Fox & Barrel is a traditional Cheshire country pub with seasonal food, a good wine list and some very good gin too. For the most part, it offers exactly what you’d expect and a bit more – cracking Sunday roasts, an open fire with snug seating, handpumps on the bar and tables on the terrace.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
Gaucho Manchester
For many people, Argentinian restaurant Gaucho Manchester is the destination in the city for very good steak paired with very good wine. Housed in a converted Methodist church on Deansgate, with an open kitchen, and the original church organ still in-situ, it’s also known as one of Manchester’s best-looking spaces for dining.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
Grand Pacific
Grand Pacific is the work of Living Ventures and it easily outshines its sibling venues in terms of pure glamour. Not in a big chandeliers, glass and chrome Spinningfields way, but with a decadent blend of colonial Raffles-style grandeur and some of the best of the city’s Victorian architecture.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
Gusto Italian Manchester
Gusto Italian Manchester may be the jewel in ever-expanding chain’s crown, even if the menu is the same everywhere from Heswall to Edinburgh. It’s a very polished affair with a definite Art Deco feel. This is a place that seems designed for good times and the service is slick.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
Harmony and Serenity Spa at Manchester Piccadilly Hotel
A popular option for a good-value spa break, the Harmony and Serenity Spa is known for its relaxation room, thermal suite, and six treatment rooms.
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Manchester City Centre
HOME
With five cinemas, two theatres, a bookshop, and over 500 sqm of gallery space, HOME is one of Manchester’s biggest and most dynamic arts venues.
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Book Now Trafford Park
iFLY Manchester Indoor Skydiving
If you like the idea of skydiving but not so much the idea of jumping out of a plane, this could be for you. At iFLY Manchester Indoor Skydiving, you get the weightless, flying experience without having to launch yourself off anything – the wind lifts you up rather than gravity pulling you down.
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Spinningfields
John Rylands Research Institute and Library
It’s part of the University of Manchester but you don’t have to be a scholar to enjoy this inspiring space. In fact, John Rylands Library was built to give the people of Manchester a place where they could read, create and wonder.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
King Street Townhouse Gym & Spa
The King Street Townhouse Gym & Spa opened at this boutique luxury hotel in 2022, making it one of Manchester city centre’s newest spas.
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Book Now Manchester
The Laureate Restaurant
So named because of Manchester University’s 25 Nobel laureates, The Laureate Restaurant is a large and luxurious space located on one of the higher floors of Manchester’s Hyatt Regency Hotel.
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Stockport
Lyme Park
Lyme Park is a huge estate with a Medieval herd of red deer, stunning views and a handsome Regency house.
Now a National Trust property, Lyme Park has something for visitors of all ages. Jane Austen fans may know it best as Pemberley, the home of Mr Darcy, where he emerges dripping wet from the lake in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
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Northern Quarter
Mackie Mayor
Mackie Mayor is a cosmopolitan food hall located in an 1858 Grade II listed market building on the edge of Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
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Manchester City Centre
Manchester Art Gallery
Mosey down Mosley Street between Piccadilly Gardens and St Peter’s Square, and you can’t miss the Greek columns that flank the front of Manchester Art Gallery. It’s one of Manchester’s most visited cultural attractions thanks to its central location and extensive collection of historical and contemporary art.
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Oxford Road
Manchester Museum
Manchester Museum reopened in February 2023 following a £15m transformation to make it more inclusive and more imaginative in how it tells its stories.
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Spinningfields
Manchester River Cruises
Want to fall in love with your city all over again? Take a boat tour from Manchester River Cruises, and you’ll see its iconic views from a new and surprising perspective.
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Green Quarter
New Century
Opened in the summer of 2022 after a hefty refurb which transformed the tired-looking New Century Hall of the mid-twentieth century into a newfangled music and dining destination in Manchester’s trendy NOMA district.
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Castlefield
Paws Yoga
Two things that are guaranteed to release endorphins: puppies and yoga. Paws Yoga combines the two, and was the first yoga class of this kind to touch down in Manchester.
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Book Now Northern Quarter
The Pen & Pencil
The Pen and Pencil is the Northern Quarter’s cool all-day hangout, modelled on the New York bar of the same name popular with the city’s journalists and ad men in the 1950s and 1960s. It has a reputation for great cocktails, quality food and an atmosphere that makes it stand out from nearby imitators.
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Book Now Didsbury
Piccolino Didsbury
With its large alfresco terrace, complete with a fully retractable roof, Piccolino Didsbury is perfectly located for an Aperol Spritz in the sun or a full three-course meal inspired by the diverse cuisine from all of Italy’s regions.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
Rena Spa at The Midland
The Rena Spa at The Midland Hotel is many local people’s first-choice for a spa day in the city centre, and for good reason.
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Book Now Worsley
RHS Garden Bridgewater
The 2021 opening of this new 154-acre garden was greeted with much excitement and long queues, and rightly so. Once a derelict and overgrown site, it’s now a major visitor attraction with plenty to offer all year round.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
Riva Blu Manchester | Corn Exchange
From the same team behind Piccolino, Riva Blu Manchester aims to bring a little bit of La Dolce Vita to The Corn Exchange. With a sleek cocktail bar, open kitchen, and alfresco terrace, it’s styled on the high-society glamour of the 1960s, and “modern Italian” cuisine is the name of the game.
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Gay Village
Richmond Tea Rooms
If this isn’t an excuse to pop on your best frock (or bib’n’tucker), we don’t know what is. An award-winning Alice In Wonderland-themed dining experience is just asking for a bit of dress-up, especially when there’s finger food and afternoon tea for the taking.
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Book Now Alderley Edge
San Carlo Alderley Edge
The latest addition to the San Carlo family is the impressive £3 million Alderley Edge restaurant, boasting a sunlit dining terrace with a retractable roof and open flame fireplace.
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Manchester City Centre
The Spa & Gym at The Edwardian Manchester
If you’re looking for high-end luxury from your spa day or gym membership, The Spa & Gym at The Edwardian Manchester might be for you. Spread over an entire floor of this stylish Radisson hotel, it’s one of Manchester’s best-looking spa destinations, thanks to its soothing combination of natural oak, glass and marble, and its gorgeous aquamarine swimming pool.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
Whistle Punks
Hearing the thud of axes can be a little unnerving as you leave the cinema in the Great Northern – especially after a slasher film – but the axe throwing at Whistle Punks is about letting off steam not cutting off limbs.
It’s competitive and a bit like darts really, only you’re throwing whacking great axes at the target instead. A bullseye with an axe is very satisfying indeed.