Hidden gems in Manchester

“So glad I booked the walking tour with them. My guide was Gareth and my partner and I had a great time learning more about the city’s history. TBH, the 2 hours went by really fast.”

“Wayne is friendly and very professional. My newly revamped pond is lovely with very happy fish and frogs. I'm so thankful as he wouldn't normally have come this far north to Morecambe from Manchester. If you want him and you do want him, bribe him with a comfy bed and homemade dinners. You will have to drag him in though as he's a perfectionist and workaholic. Excuse the net, it's an unfortunate necessity for the heron and the fox.”

“Dani was amazing, very interactive, just the right amount of information given. It felt light and fun. Exactly what I like about walking tours. I definitely recommend her and would do the tour again upon return to Manchester.”

“Highly recommened!! Joe is a great guide with extensive knowledge of the music scene in Manchester, football as well as street art. Next time we are in Manchester we are definitley booking a tour with him again. Good English is required!”

“Joshua has been my window cleaner for over 4 years. He has done an excellent job every time and is extremely pleasant to deal with. Highly recommended. Richard”

“Great location. Lots of lovely places to eat and drink in walking distance. Very close to city centre. Couldn’t really be better in that respect. Despite being very busy location didn’t notice any noise. Property itself was exactly as pictured and what we were expecting. Very rustic vibes. Majority of what you would need is provided. Several comments made previously about codes - very clear to follow instructions sent and we had no bother with this. Few points though. Bed wasn’t the comfiest ever. Rather hard mattress. There wasn’t any toilet roll provided which is the first I’ve had that - there is a Sainsbury’s within 2 minute walk. There had clearly been a leak recently in the entrance hallway, which did mean there was some mould growing., with a rather bad smell. Could at times smell in flat especially when heating was on. Of note, there is quite a few stairs - we had no bother but just for people with limited mobility to be conscious of this. Great and proactive host.”

“Dishoom Spinningfields is one of my favourite restaurants in Manchester. When it first opened back in 2018, it was Dishoom’s first restaurant in Northern England, and since then they’ve set a remarkable standard of both food and service quality and certainly left me coming back for more. The interior is super impressive, cool and unique. Dishoom is based on the old Irani cafés in Bombay, and the interior is so large and feels like no other restaurant in the city. My go-to dishes are the Chicken Ruby with Basmati Rice and occasionally the Gunpowder Potatoes. The portion sizes are generous, and the rich spices of the curry are super good — it’s obvious they use great quality ingredients and seasonings. For drinks, again the selection is vast, with my favourites being the regular Chai and the Mango Lassi, which are both really good. There is always a staff member walking around topping up tap water, so you’ll never go thirsty. The pricing is a little high, but I feel it is worth it for the quality. Matka Holders can also roll a dice at the end of their meal to potentially earn everything for free, food and alcohol included, during certain times. This makes it all fun, being able to put the meal on the roll of a dice. Due to having an allergy, I can scan a QR code on the menu for the latest information, and all the staff members are well trained in dealing with allergies. They’re aware of coeliac disease and the danger of cross-contamination, and always keep my items separate from my friends’ when I dine in a group. Overall, this is one of the places to be in Manchester if you’re looking for good food with fantastic allergy awareness, overall ambience/vibes, food and service quality. It’s a place that you can go for a special occasion or even a quick lunch (although a lunch menu / meal-deal offer would make it even more enticing for sure!).”

“Really nice lil cafe, friendly staff, the coffee here is amaaaaazingly good a must try also the food looks top drawer!!! Chris and his partner the owners really nice down to earth people, if your in Uppermill pls go find this lovely lil hidden cafe entrance is on the front and go downstairs really well appointed estab sit on the river and forget about the daily grind also some under canope seating if the weather's not the best.”

“Really enjoyable Valentines meal here yesterday evening . Glass of champagne on the house on arrival, warm and romantic environment, tasty 3 course meal. Great mushroom starter, followed by sirloin steak and sticky toffee pudding,. Thank you Karen we had a lovely evening”

“A hidden gem. My son had his 5th birthday party there today and had a fantastic time. The staff (especially our party host and who l believe to be the manager) went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed and were so accommodating- nothing was too much trouble, nothing felt rushed and all the children looked like they were having a great time. Very reasonable prices too which is a bonus! will definitely be visiting there again soon.”

“I recently booked a holiday with Trailfinders through Sam Henderson, who pulled together a superb itinerary for my wife and me. We spent 5 nights at Hurawalhi Island Resort in the Maldives, 5 nights at the Peninsula Hotel in Bangkok, and 5 nights at JW Marriott Khao Lak, Phuket. Each centre was exactly what we needed in terms of quality, location, and value. Sam understood what we wanted from the trip, starting with something extra special in the Maldives in an overwater villa, moving into the bustle of Bangkok with comfort and convenience, and finishing with a relaxing beachfront stay in Thailand. He balanced price and quality well, and nothing felt over the top or under-delivered. The Trailfinders app was also a real bonus. It had everything in one place,flight details, transfers, hotel information, but also extras and handy notes. It was much easier than juggling bits of paper or trying to find email attachments on the go. What impressed me most was the smoothness of all the connections between centres with transfers from airports to hotels, the seaplane to Hurawalhi, and even the shuttle in Phuket were all seamless. Trailfinders clearly work with good in-country partners, and that makes a difference when you’re in unfamiliar places. Everything just clicked into place, and that took a lot of stress out of travelling. I’ve used Trailfinders before for multicentre stopovers, and they didn’t disappoint then, nor did they this time. No hidden agenda here, I’m simply chuffed with the service. Sam and the team at Trailfinders went beyond meeting expectations; they genuinely exceeded them. I’ll happily book through them again without hesitation.”

“A good place to have picnic or enjoy with friends. Feels so satisfying. Planning to visit in summer as well.”

“Lovely oasis of calm (no pun intended) in the midst of Heaton Park tucked away from the busier and noisier playground and lake areas. Good food, reasonably priced served by friendly staff. Well behaved dogs on leads welcome outdoors (not inside). And you can pick up some lovely plants from the garden centre on the way out!”

“We had a fantastic time at bottomless brunch! The drink and food selection was excellent — plenty of delicious options to choose from. The setting itself is lovely, relaxed, and perfect for a weekend treat. Our server, Jasmine, was absolutely brilliant — so attentive, friendly, and made sure we were well looked after from start to finish. We honestly couldn’t fault a single thing. Highly recommended!”

“Well worth £10 to enjoy a sunny* boat trip to Media City and back, with interesting commentary. *Sun not guaranteed”

“I asked Ryan's Italian to cater a works event in Manchester City centre and ordered 20 pizzas. The pizzas were delivered on time and hot. All night I was being asked where I ordered the pizzas from as everyone was loving them. Thank you very much for catering our event!”

“What a fantastic venue with welcoming and friendly staff. As soon as you walk in it feels like your own local as it’s so welcoming which is rare in a city. Music on Saturday afternoon was really fantastic - I'll defo be back here next time I’m in Manchester”

“Very unique and beautiful city. Shame that we only had a limited time to explore this place. Still worth having a bus Sightseeing tour.”

“Really lovely hairdressers. Felt at ease and welcome. Really pleased with my haircut.”

“Very pleased with my lovely eternity ring. Great service and communication with the lovely staff.”

“If I were to describe Manjaros in a nutshell, I'd say it was Nandos with a twist. There are a few different options from the traditional grilled chicken which are worth trying. The prices are steep, but the portions are very large and you need to have a very large appetite to finish your plate completely! You also get enough seating for large groups as well as proper table service with waiters and everything - something which really sets the experience apart. Look out for the excellent discounts that may pop up from time to time, making this place incredibly good value. If you enjoy this sort of cuisine, I suggest you give it a shot. It's well worth it. Oh, and it can get quite busy so to avoid disappointment make sure you call up and reserve a table before visiting.”

“The property management are always so friendly and helpful, there is often maintenance with shared facilities but they are always quick to act”

“Hayley is one very very knowledgeable woman. I've lived in Manchester for 16 years and didn't know half of the stuff we learnt on our walking trip. She makes you look up, down and all around. You've no idea what you've been missing. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.”

“Great location and a beautiful build.”

“I stayed at Premier Inn South - booked the shuttle for 0800 14th November. Driver arrived early - got everyone together & seated according to terminal requirements. Also took payment before setting off which saves a lot of messing about when dropping off. Got to my terminal & he gave me directions how to get to departures. I always use Club Cars but have to say on this occasion I was very satisfied with the excellent service”

“I had amazing work done by Adam on my knee, full coverup and I'm blown away by it. All of the other artists & customers are super friendly too- definitely recommend and I'll be back many more times”

“Excellent service really nice food would recommend”

“Very nice food would recommend great prices and extremely friendly service”