CURRENT POPULATION: 441,000
% POP GROWTH: 2.5 %
CITY AREA: 115.65 KM2

CITY DENSITY: 3,815 INH/KM2
GDP PER CAPITA: €18,800
DIALLING CODE: +44

WITH FRIENDS
DIMITRI’S
1-3 CAMPFIELD AVENUE ARCADE
TEL. 0161 839 3319
Packed with customers and checked cloths, this contemporary Greek taverna offers hearty moussaka and mezze platters to share. Feta, hummus and mountains of parsley-rich salads are all fine choices alongside generous carafes of house wine.

ENTERTAINING A CLIENT
EVUNA
277 DEANSGATE
TEL. 0161 819 2752
Spanish wine, tapas and fish dishes are specialities of this central, bottle-lined haven. A favourite with the in-crowd, must-trys include Juan Gil’s captivating monastrell, citrussy, grilled seabass and the best café con leche in town.

CLOSING THE DEAL
SECOND FLOOR RESTAURANT
HARVEY NICHOLS, 21 CATHEDRAL STREET
TEL. 0161 828 8898
Executive chef Alison Seagrave trained under Jean-Christophe Novelli and she’s brought awards aplenty to this restaurant with views of Exchange Square. Specialising in modern British food – roasts, seasonal vegetables, local cheeses – three courses are well-paired with wine from the in-house store.

WITH FRIENDS
THE SALUTATION
12 HIGHER CHATHAM STREET
TEL. 0161 273 1416
The Sally, as it’s known locally, is tucked away behind Manchester Metropolitan University. One of Manchester’s traditional Victorian pubs, you’ll find real ale and hearty food plus a friendly Mancunian crowd. There are the occasional DJ and folk nights.

STYLE
TEMPUS BAR
THE PALACE HOTEL, OXFORD STREET TEL. 0161 288 1111 One of the city’s most exceptional edifices, The Palace Hotel was designed by Alfred Waterhouse in the 1890s. The Grade II listed building now houses the stunning Tempus Bar. Lofty as a cathedral, its ceiling and walls are covered in ornate coving and ochre tiling. The Grey Goose martini is worth the trip alone.

MUSIC
THE DEAF INSTITUTE
135 GROSVENOR STREET
TEL. 0161 276 9350
Kooky décor, including creaking lecture hall seating from its days as the real Deaf Institute, is definitely a draw. But the beers, stews and wine are good value too, particularly when the eclectic club nights are on, such as El Diablo’s Social Club and Chips With Everything.

VALUE
THE OX
71 LIVERPOOL ROAD
TEL. 0161 839 7740
This central inn has a selection of reasonably-priced rooms and lies just opposite the Museum of Science and Industry. With a popular gourmet restaurant downstairs and excellent tram, rail and road links for guests, the only thing missing is an onsite car park.

BUSINESS
CITY INN
1 AUBURN STREET
TEL. 0161 242 1000
Putting travellers’ needs ahead of showy looks, City Inn specialises in luxurious understated accommodation. Feather-soft bedding, integrated Apple entertainment systems, including Wi-Fi, Skype and Sky, plus floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic city views, come as standard in this central hotel.

BESPOKE
ABODE
107 PICCADILLY
TEL. 0161 244 5316
Housed in an ornate Victorian cotton merchant’s warehouse, this hotel offers topend accommodation in four types of room – comfortable, desirable, enviable and fabulous – but the draw is its restaurant. Michelin-starred chef, Michael Caines is behind the concept and the tasting menu is worth the price tag.

Manchester celebrates Christmas from November as market stalls from across Europe fill Albert and St Ann’s squares (www.manchester. gov.uk/markets). Fairy lights and parcels jangle overhead, while eating and drinking is good old-fashioned fun. And there are plenty of Christmas shopping opportunities too.

Manchester’s Imperial War Museum (www.iwm. org.uk) was designed by Daniel Libeskind and it’s a fine example of his radical work. Beside the old ship canal its soaring peaks are decked in silver cladding. Inside, the main hall houses memorabilia such as army playing cards and bombers as well as a sound and light display.

The Roman spa town of Buxton (www.visitbuxton. com) is famous for its mineral water, but there’s more to see. The opera house, tropical gardens and Pauper’s Pit theatre offer distractions while shoppers will enjoy Cavendish Arcade in the former spa baths. Maze-like bookshops, old wells and churches complete the picture.

The streets of Manchester conceal abandoned tunnels, bomb shelters and even canal docks below the urban sprawl. Most famous of these is a huge nuclear bunker beneath Piccadilly Gardens, but a new exhibition, Reality Hack: Hidden Manchester, which opens at Urbis (www.urbis. org.uk) in December, promises to reveal more.

WORDS BY RUTH ALLAN