City Centre

A guide to eating, drinking and shopping at The Royal Exchange Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 20th May 2022

The Royal Exchange building in Manchester has been a cornerstone of the city centre for hundreds of years.

Once a hub for trading cotton and textiles, the Grade II-listed building is now home to restaurants, cafes, independent retailers and big brands.

The Royal Exchange’s beautiful arcade is lined with everything from jewellers to menswear boutiques, while other operators face out onto the famous St Ann’s Square, Market Street, Old Bank Street, or Cross Street.

It’s a place to eat, drink and shop, for everything from a quick lunch to a leisurely afternoon tea with friends.

Here’s a guide to some of the places to check out at The Royal Exchange in Manchester.

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Image: The Royal Exchange Manchester

Sostrene Grene

Often dubbed ‘little Ikea’, Sostrene Grene is a popular Danish home and lifestyle store.

This is the perfect place to pick up affordable things for your home and garden, selling everything from furniture to party supplies to gardening gear to candles.

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The Whisky Shop

This decadent shop facing out onto Exchange Street is a haven for all things whisky.

The Whisky Shop is a specialist whisky retailer selling popular brands as well as rare bottles, plus glasses, decanters, and cocktail recipe books.

Image: Annie’s Manchester

Annie’s

This is one of Manchester’s cosiest and most traditional tearooms, serving finger sandwiches, scones, sponges and tarts and popular Afternoon Teas.

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It also happens to be owned by Coronation Street star Jennie McAlpine and her husband.

Arthur Kay Jewellers

Arthur Kay Jewellers has been in the Royal Exchange for more than 125 years, making it the oldest shop in the building.

Standing on the corner of Market Street and St Ann’s Square, the family-run business sells new and pre-owned jewellery and watches at affordable prices.

BBC Podcast host Adeola Patronne pictured at Jenny Jones Jewellery. The retailers helped get her glammed up for a shoot with @hoodrichuk and @footasylum. / Image: Jenny Jones Jewellery

Jenny Jones Jewellery

This jewellers is also one of The Royal Exchange’s staple stores, with more than 40 years of trade in the building, and is the longest standing shop in the building.

Jenny Jones Jewellery started life as an antiques stall, back when the basement of the building was a popular shopping centre for stalls and cafes.

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The Butcher’s Chop Shop

One of Manchester’s coolest barbers has taken up a unit in the arcade, creating a modern space with white tiled walls and a pink neon pig artwork.

Matt Bambroffe and Steve Ward, the pair behind the Butcher’s Chop Shop, also own Jersey Street Social Club in Ancoats.

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Sean Rayment Boutique

The Sean Rayment Boutique helps mums to pick out the perfect mother-of-the-bride or groom outfit.

It stocks a big range of designer wear, as well as fascinators, wedding hats and accessories, with staff on hand to offer help and advice.

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Image: The Royal Exchange Manchester

Hotel Chocolat

The Hotel Chocolat store in The Royal Exchange stocks a huge range of delicious chocolate gifts and treats.

It also has the Velvetiser for some of the best hot chocolate this side of Belgium, and sells ice creams for warmer days.

Lush

Manchester was the first city in the UK to get one of Lush’s ‘naked’ stores, where there’s no plastic and no packaging.

You’ll find all its usual amazing products, from bath bombs to solid shampoos, sold here.

Image: Lush Manchester
Image: Lush Manchester

Designer Exchange

Always lusted after a designer item but can’t face the prices?

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Designer Exchange buys and sells top-quality pre-owned designer goods, from handbags to watches to jewellery, with brands including Rolex and Cartier.

Lanigan & Hulme

For top-quality timeless fashion, it has to be Lanigan & Hulme in the Royal Exchange arcade.

The brand is famed for its premium menswear brands selling everything from suits to boots. They now do a classic womenswear range too

Image: Michael’s Coffee House UK

Michael’s Coffee House

You’ll often find happy customers sitting outside the arcade, sipping on specialty coffees and homemade cakes from Michael’s Coffee House.

The cafe right at the end of the arcade also sells homemade toasties, smoothies, soups, breakfasts and pastries.

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The Remedy Kitchen

Just because you might have dietary requirements, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the simple pleasures of cake.

The Remedy Kitchen is a free-from cafe specialising in a dairy-free, gluten-free and refined sugar-free menu.

To find out more and to start planning your day out at the Royal Exchange in Manchester, visit https://www.theroyalexchangemanchester.com/stores/

Feature image – The Royal Exchange Manchester

City Centre

Deansgate’s FREE three-day spring street festival is back at Great Northern Warehouse next month

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A three-day outdoor festival full of food, drink, and live music is returning to hidden city centre street in a couple of weeks time.

Back by popular demand for its fifth year in Manchester, after bursting onto the scene with huge success back in 2021, Great Northern Warehouse, has announced it’s hosting its three-day outdoor festival, Deansgate Mews Festival, once again in 2025 – with market traders, al fresco dining, and so much more on the lineup.

Just as the name suggests, the festival will take over Deansgate Mews – a hidden street nestled just above the city’s main thoroughfare, Deansgate – over the late May bank holiday weekend, and is completely free to attend.

Deansgate Mews Festival will celebrate all the eclectic independent food and drink businesses on the street.

Providing the sunshine shows its face, you’ll be able to pull up a pew and enjoy the finest wines, cocktails and sharing plates from The Mews, book a table with Another Hand, or dine out on impressive Thai dishes at Siam Smiles.

Sponsored by Manchester’s AO Arena, festival organisers say visitors should also expect to get stuck into a lively outdoor celebration of authentic grassroots music venues – with 40+ talented artists and creatives across four stages curated a number of renowned by live music venues, and recording and production studios in Manchester.

This year, there’s also a ‘Mini Mews Festival’ being added into the mix too.

Deansgate’s free three-day spring street festival is back at Great Northern Warehouse next month / Credit: Supplied

Taking place in Great Northern Warehouse‘s atrium space, and organised in partnership with Little Northerners, the Mini Mews Festival means families wanting to enjoy the all the festivities at the main event will also be able to entertain their children while they visit.

And in true Mancunian spirit, festival organisers will be collecting donations for Forever Manchester – the only charity that supports community groups and activity across Greater Manchester – over the three-day event.

Read more:

Deansgate Mews Festival is returning this late May bank holiday weekend, kicking off from Friday 23 and running through to Sunday 25 May.

Featured Image – Supplied

City Centre

A tasty festival celebrating all things tacos is taking place in Manchester next month

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Tacos from GRUB

Manchester is celebrating the start of May with tacos, tacos, and even more tacos, so make sure you’re hungry.

To coincide with both the early May bank holiday weekend, and of course the annual Mexican celebration Cinco De Mayo, Manchester‘s biggest street food and events space GRUB will be hosting its very-own festival dedicated to all things tacos.

The Green Quarter-based social hub will be bringing hungry Mancs two days of ‘tacos, tacos, and more tacos’ from midday onwards.

Five of the city’s very best street food traders, including El Piloto Tacos and Enchilady, will be cooking for you all weekend long, bringing their own authentic take on the humble taco, plus a feast of other specials to go alongside.

The massively-popular Nina’s Taco Truck, and Pez Tacos will also be pulling up at GRUB across the two days, so there’ll be plenty of choice.

And of course, we all need a sweet treat to finish things off, so GRUB favourite Munchie Mummy’s Kitchen will also be on site serving up a wide range of plant-based bakes to suit all tastes and dietary requirements.

To wash it all down, what would Cinco De Mayo be without a margarita?

A tasty tacos festival is taking place in Manchester next month / Credit: GRUB

For anyone that books a table in advance for GRUB’s Taco Fest, there’ll be buy one get one free on margaritas from the special pop-up margarita bar.

You can also expect craft beer, cocktails, special sodas and oft drinks, and great tunes blasting out across the beer garden, so now all we need to do is hope the Mexican-style sunshine graces Manchester with its presence.

Read more:

Taco Fest will be taking place from 12-8pm on Sunday 4 May, and 12-6pm on Cinco De Mayo itself, Monday 5 May – which is also bank holiday Monday.

GRUB’s themed food fairs are always busy, so big groups are advised to book in advance here.

Featured Image – GRUB

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