New on Guides: Sexy Fish, ‘The Burbs, Old Fire Station Cafe and more

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.

The Dakota Manchester describes itself as Manchester’s best hotel. We’re not getting into that debate but we will say it’s the city’s most glam.

Designed by Amanda Rosa and owned by Ken McCullough, it’s low-lit and brooding, in a stylish, noirish way.

The original Manchester dive bar, Big Hands is a rock n roll institution and the site of many messy nights out. 

L.S. Lowry used to be a regular visitor to Buile Hill Park, and Frances Hodgson Burnett is thought to have written The Secret Garden here. So it’s no wonder it’s included on English Heritage’s Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.

The ‘Burbs is exactly the sort of informal neighbourhood spot you want round the corner from your house.

Based in the unit of Stanley Square that was once home to Sale Food Hall, Canteena Bar & Grill is serving up hearty Modern British meals in a food hall-style setting.

Chaos Karts puts you in the driving seat of an immersive augmented reality experience, bringing real-life karting and gaming together.

Defunct red phone boxes are always being re-purposed as mini libraries, homes for defibrillators, or, in this case, an entrance to a cocktail bar.

From the traditional British landmark, you’ll be led to a modern drinking den with fluorescent brights and glitterballs.

The Fitzgerald, appropriately enough, channels those Great Gatsby vibes with its vintage stylings, and its 1920s glassware sets off the cocktails beautifully.

Gulliver’s World is a theme park that’s perfect for smallsters. It has rollercoasters and upside-downy things for tweens but these stomach-churners are vastly outnumbered by gentle planes, water rides, teacups and rollercoasters of the introductory variety.

Haigh Woodland Park is a good mix of cultivated prettiness and ancient woodland with plenty of things to do.

Heaton Hops is a bar and bottle shop in Heaton Moor. The fridges are packed with bottles and cans from breweries across the North and further afield. Despite its relatively small size, you’ll also find eight keg lines and two traditional cask pumps.

Beloved Leeds ramen hotspot House of Fu opened on Portland Street in October 2023. This Japanese restaurant and bar is renowned for its nourishing bowls of ramen, its small plates – and its karaoke booths.

Kargo MKT is a huge food hall in Salford Quays where 20 different street food traders ply their trade. With a waterfront terrace and a party atmosphere, it’s one of the most popular places in the neighbourhood which, until recently, has never exactly been spoilt for choice with dining destinations.

Where does a guy go when he wants a full-on glow-up, the kind normally only reserved for the fairer sex? We suggest he start at King Street Grooming – a barbers and ‘bro-tox’ spa that takes advantage of all the recent advances in aesthetics treatments and tailors them for a mainly male clientele.

Without Night & Day Cafe, the Northern Quarter as we know it probably wouldn’t exist. It was places like this, jazz club Matt and Phreds, and Factory Records-owned Dry Bar that kickstarted the area’s reputation for art, music, and banging nights out – and the apartment boom that followed.

North Taproom: Circle Square is the Manchester outpost of the beloved North Bar in Leeds. It specialises in craft beer with cold beers in fancy cans, perfectly conditioned cask and even Negroni on tap.

The O2 Manchester Ritz on Whitworth Street has seen better days but it still knocks most venues out of the water when it comes to hosting gig nights.

Pray Tell is a neighbourhood bar in Stanley Square, Sale. It’s the sort of place that all towns and suburbs need – casual and relaxed yet good looking and with a drinks selection that doesn’t make you feel like you’re making do by not going out out.

The Reach at Piccadilly is part of the Marriott’s upmarket Tribute Portfolio collection, meaning it looks and feels more like a chic boutique hotel than an international chain. The characterful interior design sets the tone: you’ll find hints of Manchester’s industrial past in the furnishings in the lobby and in the hotel’s well-regarded restaurant and bar, Lock 84.

Sexy Fish is no mere minnow in the UK dining scene. It’s brought to you by Caprice Holdings, the group behind some of London’s most glam dining spots. Think of it as more of a humongous mermaid – beautiful and ever so slightly improbable.

Spooky World comes in three strengths of spookiness. There’s Fun by Day which is all smiling pumpkins and friendly ghosts for small children. Then, there’s Spooky at Night for age ten and over which is basically a diluted version of the main event: Scary at Night.

Tudor house and garden Rufford Old Hall has all the classic features of a National Trust day out. Beautiful gardens, grand buildings, a tea room complete with homemade cakes… and as such it makes for a lovely day out in all weathers.

The Old Fire Station is a café, bar, bakery and brewery tap with a real community feel. It’s a part of the University of Salford but it’s open to everyone.

Waku Waku highlights a generational gap. You could say it’s just like going for lunch in that A-Ha video or you could say it’s a cool 2D café inspired by manga and anime. Whichever.