New on Confidential Guides: restaurants, bars, things to do, lifestyle and shopping

Diecast is a party venue and ‘creative neighbourhood’ five-minutes’ walk from Manchester Piccadilly station.

Almost Famous is a legend in its own lunchtime. Manchester’s original purveyor of OTT stacked dirty burgers and in-your-face attitude has now opened a fifth outpost in Withington.

During lunch hours there’s queues out the door with Mancs waiting to grab a dish from the ‘Main Ones’ menu. Choose your protein, how it’s cooked (sticky, or salt & pepper), and whether you want rice, chips or both to make up your box.

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. 

ManCoCo sits in the railway arches on Hewitt Street between HOME Arts Centre and the Castlefield Gallery. It’s not the easiest place to find but it’s worth the initial effort – we think they serve one of the smoothest and most aromatic coffees around. And it’s reasonably priced considering the city centre postcode.

If you like to stay somewhere that reflects the character and history of the city you’re in, Cow Hollow Hotel could be for you.

You’ll find Manchester’s Madre near KAMPUS on the Chorlton Street side of the complex. It’s the kind of place you’d visit with a groups of friends to enjoy good Mexican food, music and mezcal.

The Assheton Arms is a classic country pub – perfect for a stop off after a walk in the Ribble Valley. Given that its wine selection is so good, perhaps you should take advantage of the accommodation – many of the bedrooms have views of Pendle Hill – and turn lunch into a weekend getaway.

The Jacksonheim Boutique is the group name for a portfolio of luxury aparthotels and serviced apartments in some of the most popular locations in Manchester. If you’re looking for somewhere to stay with style, character, and all the comforts of a home-from-home, their range is your place to start.

If you want to go swimming at Sale Water Park, the safest way is with Openswim UK. They hold casual swimming sessions there four days a week in spring and summer, plus sessions throughout the winter. With regular water testing and lifeguards on standby, it’s a lot less risky than venturing in on your own.

The Wharf has one of the largest outdoor areas in Manchester and is it’s in Castlefield, the canalside views aren’t bad either.

Catch the Hope Valley line train from Piccadilly to this picturesque Peak District village for a dip in Hathersage Swimming Pool, a heated lido built in the 1930s.

Suki Suki is a Pan-Asian street food bar located on Deansgate under the arches of the Great Northern Warehouse.

Restaurant Örme is a quaint fine dining restaurant that seats 24 guests, situated on an inconspicuous street in Urmston. But, despite its small and humble stature, this is a restaurant that means business.

House of Vanity specialises in big, bouncy blowdries and drop-dead gorgeous beauty makeovers. Situated on John Dalton Street, this salon is the place to go for enhancing your natural beauty, or even completely transforming your look.

Oxa is the casual sister restaurant to the ground-breaking Restaurant 8 in Liverpool but it is by no means the poor relation.

Burnt Milk Hotel is the new face of wine drinking. Relaxed, unpretentious and with a great selection of natural wines as well as stellar coffee.

Nord is a real asset to Liverpool’s dining scene. Housed in a bit of an unlovely 1960s office block – the former HQ of Littlewoods – the building has had some serious TLC. Now the subtle décor has shades of Mad Men rather than The Fall And Rise of Reginald Perrin with pendant lights, earthy tones and a statement orange bar.

Said to be ‘changing the sarnie game one sando at a time’, Fat Pat’s is a popular lunchtime spot that Mancunians come far and wide for. 

Idli and dosas are as ubiquitous as chicken korma nowadays but Cheadle’s Indian street food restaurant Aamchi Mumbai still stands out from the crowd. 

Chef and co-owner Andrew Sheridan (who you might recognise from Great British Menu) has uprooted Restaurant 8 from Birmingham and returned to the city of his birth. It’s a tough blow for the Brummies; the restaurant had built up a mighty reputation in the city, being awarded three AA Rosettes. But it’s excellent news for Liverpool.

Riot Hearts isn’t your typical ‘run of the mill’ salon;  it’s an alternative, LGBTQIA+ inclusive hair studio located in the heart of Manchester city centre on Portland Street.

Idle Hands have a super-tight following – who helped by setting up a crowd-funding campaign in their honour when the chips were down – and, as a result, there’s a strong community focus at this coffee shop and kitchen, which started life on Piccadilly Station Approach in early 2015.

Housed in a Grade II Listed building with a neo-classical facade, Chester’s Opera Grill is a grand, 400-seater restaurant from Individual Restaurants (the team behind Piccolino and the Restaurant Bar and Grill).

Having worked with huge brands like Beauty Bay and celebrity icons like Ru Paul’s Drag Race superstar Tayce, Doll Parts are experts in the nail art world. 

Harvey Nichols Beauty Bazaar offers the full beauty experience over three floors.

Walkden Gardens is a very grown up sort of park. Like a mini RHS Bridgewater ran in partnership with the council and a band of loyal and dedicated volunteers.

Is it really a drunken night out in Manchester if you don’t (at least consider) heading to Fab Cafe? Or Fab Cafe Bar to use it’s never normally used full name.

The Lake District is almost as well-known for its fancy Michelin-star establishments as it is for its fells. The Yan is not quite like that. It’s a down-to-earth, hearty bistro. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth a visit, though. In fact, Grace Dent is a fan of its big flavours and so are we.

Located in the heart of Clitheroe, Holmes Mill is a bountiful food, drink and entertainment venue as well as a lovely place to stay in Lancashire. Featuring its own beer hall, bar & grill, hotel, food hall, bowling alley, cinema and much more, this former textiles mill is the gift that keeps on giving.

If you’re looking for a lesbian bar and club in Manchester, chances are you’ll find yourself at Vanilla. It’s been a fixture of the Gay Village since 1998 and has won various ‘best lesbian bar’ awards over the years.

Art Deco-style cocktail bar Hummingbird is one of Liverpool’s hippest spots for a chilled night out. 

Home Chinese sits on the edge of the Gay Village on Chorlton Street and prides itself on serving authentic Chinese cuisine including dim sum, Szechuan and Cantonese dishes.

Perched by the canal in the picturesque village of Diggle, near Oldham, Grandpa Greene’s is best known for its award-winning homemade ice cream. It’s also a warm and inviting licensed cafe with glass fronted terraces and indoor dining. 

Selling beautiful artisanal breads, sandwiches, pastries and other sweet treats, family bakery MOST has become a popular spot since it opened on Cross Street in Altrincham 2022.

Ortica brings the south of Italy to the south of Manchester, minus the meat and dairy. Their 100% vegan menu is served from breakfast through to evening, and includes bar snacks and aperitivo for those who want something light with drinks. House spritzes and negronis are served all day, as is Ortica’s selection of Italian wines.

This Manchester-born independent has been selling designer menswear in the city since 1990. It’s seen a lot of trends come and go in that time, and has always been there at the forefront of them. If you’re looking for young, confident clothing from high-end labels, this is your go-to.