Things To Do In Manchester

If you're not content with sitting in one of the city's plethora of cafes and bars watching the world go by, here're a few ideas for some great family days out.

The futuristic Imperial War Museum explores all aspects of war and how it has shaped the world in which we live. Admission to the museum is free and opening times are 10am to 6pm from March to October. In the winter months the museum closes an hour earlier at 5pm. For further details, call 0161 8364000 or visit www.iwm.org.uk.

No football aficionado or WAG wannabe could visit Manchester without a trip to Old Trafford Stadium. The home of Manchester United has to be admired even if you don't support the Red Devils. There is now a wonderful museum inside the stadium which will delight all football fans. Admission to the museum is £5.50 for adults and £3.75 for the children every day from 9.30am to 5pm. For more information, call 0870 4421994 or go to www.manutd.com

Or you could pay a visit to Urbis, an exciting state of the art museum that explores life in different cities of the world. It's without doubt one of the most popular attractions in the whole of the North West. Admission to the museum is free although entry to the temporary exhibitions is currently £5 for adults and £3 for the kids. Urbis opens from 10am to 6pm every day of the week. For further details, call 0161 6058200 or go to www.urbis.org.uk

A favourite with the History of Art students is Manchester Art Gallery - one of the best collections of art in the UK, if not the world. You'll need the whole day to absorb the sheer variety of displays and exhibitions. Admission is free and the gallery opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. For more information, call 0161 2358888 or go to www.manchestergalleries.org

Manchester's rich and celebrated cultural cockail has resulted in a great range of places to eat and drink. From Michelin-style gourmet to fresh local produce at speciality markets, or stylish venues for intimate occasions to boisterous funky hang-outs for a good, cheap meal with friends, there's something to from the most demanding taste-buds in Manchester.

You can eat your way around the world in Manchester, sampling everything from Armenian to Australian to African. There are all the sights and smells of Chinatown and Rusholme's infamous Curry Mile - popular with the students looking for a good feed after a night on the tiles. Up-market and traditional variations on Italian, Spanish and French are also in abundance - you don't have to dig deep to find a veritable host of International restaurants offering gourmet global fare and great opportunities for celebrity spotting!

Top Tips!

Many Rusholme restaurants offer a BYO policy so you can take your own drinks.

If you don't mind eating early look out for bargain pre-theatre meals.

On a budget? Visit the corner of Whitworth Street and Princess Street for Indian and Chinese buffets.

Check out We Love Local's Indian Restaurants in Manchester guide for more information on the best dining experience.

To find out more about the best Manchester Pubs, Manchester Bars and Manchester Cafes check out We Love Local.

Manchester's dedication to memorable nights out is the ultimate self-fulfilling prophecy. Its world famous nightlife attracts visitors from all over the UK and overseas. The club scene, originally made famous by the Haçienda, continues to draw crowds week in week out. For the more discerning muso, there's a stack of smaller, edgier live music venues offering you a chance to catch the next Smiths or Stone Roses. Catering for every demographic, Manchester really does boast the best night-life out of London.

To help you squeeze the best out of the city's rich offerings, organise your busy evening's plan of action around the city's distinctive neighbourhoods. Between them, they offer a heady mix of progressive fun, stylish innovation and a good old fashioned knees up. They're all different - and there really is something for everyone - try something different, you might surprise yourself!

The Northern Quarter is an ever-evolving maze of streets to the north and east of the city centre. The streets are a hive of activity for arty free thinkers, bohemian creative types and fans of the up and coming. The high concentration of independent clothes shops and live music venues and clubs - Matt and Phreds Jazz Club is just a plectrum flick away - have made it a longstanding lively hub for musicians, record labels, artists and fashion designers alike.

Fashionistas and the Glamourazzi need to hot foot it down to Deansgate where exclusive drinking establishments like Restaurant, Bar and Grill and Panacea are waiting to help them party with other A-Listers. It's a great area for spotting famous footballers and soap stars too. Deansgate Locks has reinvented its industrial past with its once-redundant railway arches and now houses contemporary bars like Loaf, which boasts cool DJs on Fridays and Saturdays.

Castlefield, on the city's west side, is Britain's first urban heritage park. The bars and restaurants that have built up around the Bridgewater Canal offer a stylish tribute to James Brindley's 19th-century engineering feat. The world-renowned Gay Village is loud and proud of its flamboyant reputation. Centred around Canal Street, you'll find exuberance at Queer or Taurus, and refinement at Velvet or AXM, and well into the wee hours. There's no exclusivity here, the area's open to anyone who likes to party til dawn!

Top Tips!

Visit Knott Fringe Bar just before you hit the cobbles of Castlefield, and choose from a wide range of continental beers.

Keep your eyes peeled for Socio Rehab, an intimate venue serving delicious cocktails - so exclusive, there's no sign!

Just off Oxford Road lies Pure Space, a multi-floor venue with a rooftop balcony to catch the summer sun - and a nightclub in the basement for dancing till dawn.

For those party-goers who are serious about their hair why not check out We Love Local's Manchester hairdressers guide.