Hands up if you’re always on the hunt for a happy hour Manchester – from drinks deals to cheap pints.
Oh yeah, that’s literally everyone.
Manchester is happy hour mad, with everything from discounted cocktails to BOGOF deals on frozen drinks to cheap bottles of wine.
Some of the best Manchester bars offer really decent after-work deals too, and there are even some offers that run at the weekends.
So we’ve gone ahead and rounded up the best Manchester happy hour deals around the city centre.
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And if you’re after more information on where to eat and drink around the city, visit our Manchester food and drink pages.
You can also see the latest events and things to do at our what’s on Manchester page, and all the late-night events you can get up to when happy hour’s over at our nightlife Manchester pages.
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Northern Quarter happy hours
Manchester Northern Quarter happy hours – Smithfield SocialManchester Northern Quarter happy hours – PublicHappy hour Manchester – Common
Here are some of the best we’ve found on our hunt for happy hours in Manchester.
Trof, Thomas Street
Monday to Friday, 4pm til 9pm
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£3.50 lager
£4 house spirit and mixer
£6 disco cocktails
£15 house wine
£21 bottle of fizz
Bay Horse Tavern, Thomas Street
Monday to Friday, 4pm til 8pm
£3.50 pints
£4 Guinness
Two for £12 cocktails
£5 Aperol Spritz
£6 doubles
Smithfield Social, Thomas Street
Monday to Friday, 4pm til 7pm
Two cocktails for £12
£4 pints of Guinness or Social pilsner
£20 bottles of prosecco for
£15 bottles of house wine
Common and Nell’s, Edge Street
Sunday to Thursday, 4pm til 7pm; all day Monday
£6.50 cocktails
£4.50 pints
£19 bottles of house wine
Friday and Saturday, 8pm til close
£6.50 cocktails
£2.50 shots
Turtle Bay, Oldham Street (and Oxford Road)
Sunday to Friday, 11am til 7pm and 9.30pm til close; Saturdays, 10am til 7pm and 9.30pm til close
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Two-for-one cocktails
The Lost Cat, Oldham Street
Every day, 5pm til 9pm
Buy one get one free on selected cocktails
Public, Stevenson Square
Whenever it rains, weekdays until 8pm
£6 daiquiris
£4 lager or wine
Flok, Stevenson Square
Monday to Thursday, all day till 7pm
£16 bottles of house wine
Two for £15 cocktails
Two for £9 mulled wine
Two for £8 house lager
The Pen & Pencil, Hilton Street
Monday to Friday, 4pm til 7pm
Two for £12 cocktails
£4.50 Amstel
£20 bottles of prosecco
£17 bottles of house wine
Ancoats happy hours
Manchester Ancoats happy hours – NamManchester Ancoats happy hours – Jane Eyre
Looking for happy hour Manchester? Ancoats has more than a few tricks up its sleeve for you.
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Ever since the redevelopment of Ancoats began, turning former warehouses into fancy apartments, the neighbourhood has attracted some brilliant restaurants and bars.
Here are the best Manchester happy hour deals in this blossoming neighbourhood of Ancoats.
Manchester Arndale’s Summer Scran Fest returns with the best foodie deals all month long
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Arndale’s Summer Scran Fest is back, and there’s some absolute foodie bargains to be had right across the shopping centre throughout the month.
Looking for the best foodie deals in Manchester city centre this summer?
Summer Scran Fest is back, bringing a month-long celebration of tasty food, refreshing drinks, and unbeatable offers over at Manchester Arndale.
It’s the Arndale’s annual food and drink festival, giving visitors exclusive access to limited-time offers, with a mix of high-street favourites, local foodie hotspots, and even leisure experiences taking part, meaning eating out in the city centre is more affordable ever – whether you’re here for lunch, fuelling a family day out, or just popping in for a mid-shop treat.
Running right through until 31 August, there’ll be discounts across 30+ restaurants, cafes, kiosks and leisure venues, all under one roof.
Manchester Arndale’s Summer Scran Fest has returned with the best foodie deals all month long / Credit: The Manc Group
This year’s lineup includes a balance of Manchester’s most-loved chains and local indies.
Think household names like McDonald’s, Krispy Kreme, and Subway taking part, alongside local gems like Archie’s, Michael’s Coffee House, and Coffee Break, as well as the Arndale’s newest residents like Wingstop and Joe & the Juice joining in the fun this year too.
Shoppers can expect everything from buy one get one free deals, up to 25% off menus, kids eat free promotions, and more exciting ways to save.
No matter whether you’re craving burgers, pizza, milkshakes, matcha, or something in between, Summer Scran Fest has your cravings (and your bank balance) covered.
As mentioned though, ‘scran’ might be in the name, but it’s not just foodie offers you can look forward to this month, as there’s also deals on at leisure venues too – including mini golf and burger combos, free drinks with gaming sessions, and plenty more to keep everyone entertained.
Summer Scran Fest is currently on at Manchester Arndale until 31 August, and you can find a full list of all the offers here.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Eats
Vanilli’s – the Manchester bakery and dessert spot that has carried on the tradition of an old Italian favourite
Danny Jones
Vanilli’s Cake Company is one of those names whose reach extends far and wide, with a history that goes way back into the past, and a deeper Greater Manchester heritage than you can imagine.
It’s one almost as rich as the desserts they’ve been making across the city centre and beyond for decades, but it also begins back in Italy.
Formerly San Marco Products, a fellow cult-favourite bakery, suppliers and catering company from way back, owner Sapna Kumar took over their old premises on Crown Industrial Estate over in Ancoats more than six years ago, and has been carrying on their sweet treat traditions ever since.
The difference these days is that it’s gone from more of an Italian ‘pasticceria’ to a Mancunian bakery with both local and Indian roots.
Born out of pregnancy cravings ahead of her third child, ironically, Vanilli’s Cake Co. went from an unfortunately timed passion project conceived on the cusp of the pandemic to a mainstay of Greater Manchester and North West markets and now part of a mini Manc empire in the making.
After taking control of the old commercial premises back in 2020, their understated but impressively high-output unit still has lots of regulars in the know coming in for the good stuff, but still operates somewhat under the radar.
Maybe that’s part of the reason their quality control has remained at such a high level: although they provide to plenty of vendors all across the city and wider region, they’ve never overextended themselves to the point that even the slightest of standards slips.
If you’ve met Sapna before – the charismatic matriarch behind this brand and others like spin-off Cake Bar Co. and most recently, Punjabee – you’ll know that she doesn’t do anything by half measures.
And yes, there are Vanilli’s desserts on sale here, too.
A familiar face at the likes of Foodie Friday and various other street food stalls across the 10 boroughs and even further afield, she’s been doing some of these events since the very outset.
Sadly, without going into too much detail, she admits that there have been instances where her generosity has been “taken advantage of on more than one occasion”, but they will never stop her continuing to offer a helping hand.
The difference this time, however, is that she’s not simply putting others before herself all the time anymore; the Manc mum who’s played mother to many through her work over the years is finally shouting about herself and her unsung but nevertheless dedicated and talented team more.
And not just a little bit, either (no half measures, remember?) – she proudly proclaims that not only does Vanilli’s serve up some of the most authentic traditional recipes, but she happily lays claim to whipping up “the best Manchester tart” you’ll find anywhere.
As for this location, specifically, she simply wants to give people like you a reminder that it’s been there for more than 30 years at this point
She’s also looking to rebuild support throughout the community by teaming up with local brands and creators moving forward. Again, it’s about time she finally got on the receiving end of ‘You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’, which sounds like it’s long overdue.
Having recently put on a speciality spread for us, showcasing not only the classic but some fresh new ideas and creative takes on familiar, we can assure you some very delicious things are coming from Vanilli’s throughout the rest of 2026.
So, if like Sapna, you love “indulging in the sweeter side of life”, give a Vanilli’s cake, pastry or one of their other tasty desserts soon.
Find all of these and more at Unit 8, Crown Industrial, Poland Street, M4 6BN. (Credit: The Manc)
Daisy Jackson -
15th August 2023 
