Why it’s now Manchester’s time to shine
Lively northern England gem is where fine food, warm locals and football go hand in hand
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND— There’s a joke about Londoners who visit Manchester — it’s said that when southerners visit this northern city, residents’ friendliness catches them off guard; if a Mancunian shop assistant says hello, the southerner in question will shrink away, scared that he’s about to fall victim to a hard sell, and if a Mancunian sits next to a Londoner on a tram when other seats are available, the nervous Londoner will clutch his bag that little bit tighter.
But anyone who knows the city will realize that’s simply how Mancunians are. It’s now easier than ever to explore Manchester, a beautiful northern gem threaded with grass-lined waterways — once the lifeblood of an industrial powerhouse. Canalside mills now house the city’s most sought-after apartments, and the ponies which pulled wool-laden barges along towpaths have been replaced by joggers and cyclists.
And since last November, a new water taxi service, WAXI, has also helped breathe new life into these waterways. It connects the city centre with key destinations such as the Football Museum, Old Trafford stadium and the Trafford Centre retail mecca.
I board my WAXI in the city centre and float along duck-filled canals to the high-tech Football Museum, where I channel my inner Ronaldo and kick footballs at wall-mounted pressure panels before admiring Pele’s World Cup shirt.
My rumbling stomach leads me to nearby Grand Pacific, one of the city’s newest restaurants. It’s an opulent affair — a beautiful, twisting staircase leads to a huge dining room filled with chandeliers, potted palms, and vast expanses of polished gold. This Grade II-listed building was previously a meeting place for poli- ticians, and Winston Churchill once addressed crowds from the building’s balcony. The menu is Asianthemed, with mains including lamb massaman curry and Szechuan sea bass. The cocktails are equally luxurious, the highlight being the Bacardi-based Grand Pineapple, served in a golden pineapple-shaped cup that customers can keep.
Another great way to explore the city is with Metrolink. Manchester’s tram system has tripled in size since it launched and is now the U.K.’s largest light-rail network. Its most recent expansion (a new city centre line) opened earlier this year.
Nearby destinations made more accessible include Rochdale, a small town famous for its historic woollen mills and as the birthplace of the late Gracie Fields, the singer who enjoyed huge success in North America and who was the first artist to play behind enemy lines in Berlin.
Rochdale is undergoing a huge regeneration, part of which was last year’s creation of the Gracie Fields heritage trail. It’s a network of sites associated with the singer, including her birthplace and the Regal Moon, the cinema-turned-pub where she sang for the public in 1938.
Water taxis and trams might well be making it easier to explore farther afield, but Manchester’s city centre hasn’t been forgotten. King St. is a prime example. Once regarded as the Bond St. of the North, and lined with designers such as DKNY and Tommy Hilfiger, several closures dimmed its appeal. But recent investment, primarily by restaurateurs, has transformed the area into Manchester’s foodie hot spot.
One of the latest openings is Suri, a beautiful Persian restaurant with a menu created by Guy Callister, formerly U.K. operations chef for Jamie Oliver’s restaurant group. Food is designed to share, and the menu is divided into three sections: Field is full of vegetable-based dishes, such as charcoal-roasted aubergine served with za’tar and sumac; Farm is for the meat lovers (don’t miss the spiced lamb shawarma with harissa yoghurt); and Waves is all about fish, with dishes including charcoal-roasted salmon with sesame dukkah.
Nearby, another new venture is generating an equal amount of enthusiasm. The sprawling Roxy Ball Room is a Day-Glo tribute to ball games. Step inside this sprawling, nightclub-like space and you’ll find walls covered with enormous murals (including a huge, neon tribute to Manchester band the Stone Roses), pool tables, a UV ping pong room, a beer pong area, a gardenlike restaurant (complete with astro-turf and fairy lights) and a bar.
I recommend the potent, vodkabased Pingstar Martini, but consume with caution if you’re dreaming of glory on the pool tables. Instead, raise a toast to the U.K.’s most vibrant city. Tamara Hinson was hosted by Marketing Manchester, which didn’t review or approve this story.