It’s January again – and that means a whole raft of fantastic deals, discounts and offers at bars and restaurants across Manchester.
Whether you’re in the mood for some birria tacos or have a real case for sushi, what better way to sweeten the deal than a terrific discount paired with it?
There’s pretty much no need to pay full price anywhere in town over the coming months, with prices slashed across the city and deals galore all over Manchester.
We’ve gone hunting all over town to find you the biggest and tastiest bargains out there.
Read on for all the January deals you need to know about in Manchester in 2025.
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The best January food and drink deals in Greater Manchester
Piccadilly
Food at Beeswing.Madre in Manchester has a great deal for January 2025.Credit: The Manc Eats
Zambrero – Piccadilly Gardens
What is it: Mexican food chain started in Australia, serving up burritos, naked bowls, snacks and more.
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The deal: £10 meal deal which includes a burrito, drink and a side of tortilla chips for just £10. On offer all throughout the month and available at their new location on Cross Street as well.
Beeswing – Kampus
What is it: A charming wine bar tucked upstairs at Kampus, that serves brilliant tapas dishes and charcuterie boards.
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The deal: 50% off food all day every day excluding 3pm-close on Saturdays.
Madre – Kampus
What is it: The city’s favourite Mexican joint, serving fantastic tacos, burritos, meats, margs, and loads more, in a beautiful leafy space off Kampus.
The deal: 50% off tacos, Sunday to Thursday.
Lock 84 – Ducie Street
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What is it: A sleek new canal-side restaurant and bar within the new The Reach at Piccadilly Hotel, serving an innovative menu showcasing some of Manchester’s best independent producers, such as Worker Bee Coffee, BrewTea, The Salford Rum Company, and Seven Brothers.
The deal: 50% off food and drink, every day from the All Day Menu. Bookings must be made in advance HERE.
Ducie Street Warehouse – Ducie Street
What is it: A HUGE space that’s as popular for laptop surfers as it is for a great cocktail before a night out, plus there’s a full evening menu that celebrates social dining.
The deal: 50% off food on the evening menu, every Tuesday to Friday from 5-9pm.
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Spinningfields / St John’s
Premium sashimi at Sexy Fish Manchester.Tattu in Manchester has announced its January 2025 offer. Credit: The Manc Group
The Trading Route – Goods Yard
What is it: A brand-new beer hall and rotisserie chicken restaurant, from the teams behind Trof, Manchester Union Lager and The Wandering Palate.
The deal: 50% off rotisserie chicken Sunday to Thursday, throughout January when you book online.
Sexy Fish – Spinningfields
What is it: The high-end Asian restaurant that started out in Mayfair before making its way to Manchester, serving up top-quality sushi, sashimi, seafood, and other Japanese-inspired dishes.
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The deal: A £28 two-course all-day set menu throughout January (usually £48). You can book HERE.
Tattu – Spinningfields
What is it: This sleek restaurant provides Mancs with a chance to experience modern Chinese cuisine in a luxurious dining setting.
The deal: 30% off food only from 2 January to 31 January, excluding Friday evenings and Saturdays. This offer accommodates up to eight guests and can only be used via this booking link HERE.
Banyan, Spinningfields and Corn Exchange
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What is it: One of those Manchester venues that cater for everyone with a diverse all-day dining menu and great deals on cocktails, even when it’s not January.
The deal: 10 different dishes for just £10 all month long, including pad Thai, Korean fried chicken burgers, and chicken shawarma flatbreads.
Central
Tampopo Manchester has announced its January 2025 deal.Maray in Manchester has loads of plant-based options.
Almost Famous – Great Northern Warehouse
What is it: The OG dirty burger gaff in Manchester which started out in the Northern Quarter and has gone on to build a real empire. Big portions, crazy combos, creative cocktails, great desserts and more.
The deal: 50% off all burgers, meaning you can grab one of the options for as little as £6. All month long barring Saturdays. Available at Great Northern and NQ. Book HERE.
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El Gato Negro– King Street
What is it: One of the best tapas restaurants in Manchester, started by chef Simon Shaw, serving up authentic tapas and Spanish small plates.
The deal:Three tapas dishes for £20 all day Sunday-Thursday and 12-4pm every Friday all month long. You can reserve a table HERE.
Maray – Lincoln Square
What is it: Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and North African-influenced restaurant specialising in small plates, sharers and more, including some of the best vegetarian and vegan food in town.
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The deal: ‘Green January’ – 50% off all vegetarian and vegan Monday-Thursdaythroughout January (desserts and drinks not included). Available now for tables of up to 7.
Black Cat Club – King Street
What is it: Activity bar and social food spot from the same team behind El Gato, serving up fantastic sharing food, drinks and cocktails, as well as live sports, music and DJs.
The deal: £5 food and drink on selected items – crispy cauliflower, chicken bites and margarita cocktails – to be enjoyed alongside interactive shuffleboard or Flyby Darts. Book in now.
Tampopo – Albert Square and Corn Exchange
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What is it: A long-standing South East-Asian restaurant loved for its street food-inspired small plates, curries and noodles, spanning Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and beyond.
The deal: 30% off small plates all day every day throughout January.
The Alchemist – New York Street, Spinningfields, and MediaCity
What is it: A decades-old cocktail bar where every drink is presented like a science experiment – also serves brunches, lunches, dinner and small plates.
The deal: 20% off cocktails and 25% off food when you sign up for their 20/25 sale HERE.
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King Street Townhouse – Booth Street
What is it: One of the city’s very best boutique hotels, with a charming and traditional tavern and tearoom space on the ground floor.
The deal: A January set menu available 12-6:30pm daily, with two courses for £28 or three for £33.
Rajdoot – Albert Square
What is it: One of the city’s oldest restaurants, Rajdoot is a family-run spot proudly serving authentic North Indian curries since 1966.
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The deal: 30% off the entire food bill when using the code JAN30 upon booking – available Tuesday to Thursday until 30 January (groups of six or less).
Society – Barbirolli Square
What is it: A brilliant street food hall home to a burger joint, pizzeria, Korean street food and more, with LOADS of beer taps thanks to its partnership with Vocation Brewery.
The deal: 7″ pizza and a side for £10 at Noi Quattro, Monday to Friday, 12-3pm; Burger and fries for £12.50 at Slap and Pickle, Monday to Thursday; Chicken or vegan katsu special for £10 at Manzoku, 12-3pm every day; Korean fried chicken lunch deal with fried Mandu dumplings from Yoki Social for £13.99.
Ancoats
Canto has discounts and deals on its tapas in January 2025.Indian Affair in Ancoats also has a deal for Jan 2025.
Canto– Cutting Room Square
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What is it: Popular Mediterranean tapas bar and social dining space in the heart of one of Manchester’s trendiest neighbourhoods.
The deal: The usual ‘Tipsy Tapas’ returns on Fridays and Saturdays as per usual – priced at £40 per person for three dishes and a mix and match of drinks for 90 minutes – as well as 30% off all food items and sangria all day Tuesday-Thursday throughout January.
Ancoats Deli – Murray Street
What is it: Neighbourhood delicatessen, cafe and bar located down a cosy little cobbled side street in the heart of Ancoats. Fresh, seasonal and artisanal produce, baked goods, sundries as well as excellent wine.
The deal: £5 wine from 5-7pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays – perfect to pair with cheese plates.
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Indian Affair – Blossoms Street
What is it: The second site opened by the cherished Chorlton curry house and modern Dilli-style food spot. North Indian dishes cooked to the very best standard right here in Manchester.
The deal: 25% off the entire food menu, Sunday-Thursday, from 5 to 30 January – available at both locations. Book HERE.
Elnecot – Cutting Room Square
What is it: A brilliant little brunch spot (and dinner, and lunch, and drinks, and a bit of everything really) that’s one of the original and best Ancoats restaurants.
The deal: 30% off your total bill throughout January, Monday to Saturday, when you book in advance and use the code ‘JANUARY30‘.
Northern Quarter
Super Awesome Deluxe has announced its January 2025 deals.Nell’s Pizza at Kampus and in the Northern Quarter.
Smithfield Social, Thomas Street
What is it: A popular, casual little spot from morning (brunches and coffees) til night (great cocktails and small plates).
The deal: 50% off the all-day menu Monday to Friday, 12 noon til 9pm – book HERE.
New Century – Sadler’s Yard
What is it: One of the city’s newest (and coolest) food halls, with some great local names in the kitchens and a retro gig venue upstairs.
The deal: 25% of your entire bill when you book Wednesday to Friday, plus a happy hour all month with £4 house lager and £5 Guinness.
Boogalu – Tariff Street
What is it: A cool little taco, tapas and cocktail spot, with entire platters of different birria tacos and loads more vibrant Mexican bites.
The deal: 50% off food throughout January, plus £7 cocktails on Monday to Thursday.
Birria Brothers – Oldham Street
What is it: A proper outrageous Birria-style taco joint that moved in with Koffee Pot last year.
The deal: 25% off Monday to Thursday in January.
Chakalaka– Oldham Street
What is it: South African bar and kitchen, famous for its Happy Hour, big portions, weekly discounts and all-around good vibes.
The deal: 50% off mains from open till close Sunday to Thursday from 2-31 January. Happy Hour (two cocktails for £11 between 4-7pm on Tuesdays) – is also extended from Mon-Thurs. Book HERE.
Rewind NQ– Oldham Street
What is it: Late-night bar formerly known as Blockbusters and themed around the famous video store. Great tunes too.
The deal: Happy Hour for full opening hours from Wednesday to Sunday: 2 for £11 on cocktails, £6 frozen cocktails, 2 for £9 on all house pints, £10 Prosecco, bottles of wine for £19 and mix and match on three bottles of beer. £2 hot dogs too.
Nell’s at Common – Edge Street
What is it: A beloved Manchester-born and bred New York-style pizza brand serving slices and full pies from one of the best bars in all of NQ.
The deal: Half-price pizza when you book in at any Nell’s location (Common, Kampus, The Beagle and their new site in Altrincham). Available Sunday-Thursday for the whole of January.
Super Awesome Deluxe – Thomas Street
What is it: Manchester’s newest burger joint by the team behind Almost Famous, only this time they’re serving up just three highly-perfected smashed patty recipes.
The deal: 25% off all three burger options throughout January (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays).
Wilson’s Social – Oldham Street
What is it: An approachable and sizeable neighbourhood bar and restaurant that stands on the corner in the heart of the Northern Quarter.
The deal: 50% off food throughout January (2 – 31 January), every day, but must pre-book HERE or via email.
What is it: A brilliant steak restaurant with top-notch service, which is frequently named the best restaurant in Manchester.
The deal: Rump steak and a side for £19.50, with five sides to choose from – available Monday to Thursday, 12-3pm and 5-6pm; and Fridays and Saturdays, 12-3pm.
Medlock Canteen – Deansgate Square
What is it: One of 2024’s best new openings, Medlock Canteen is inspired by both American diners and Parisian bistros – it has its own rotisserie chicken oven and a menu stuffed with delicious bites and great breakfasts.
The deal: 50% off, Monday to Thursday.
Blacklock – Peter Street
What is it: One of Manchester’s newest and most luxurious steak and chop houses, straight from its award-winning, multi-site success in London.
The deal: ‘Butcher Price Mondays’ will see customers able to enjoy prime cuts of meat like porterhouse, prime rib steaks and more for the same price you would pay at your local butcher’s. Booking recommended.
Dishoom – Bridge Street
What is it: Unquestionably one of the best Indian restaurants in all of Greater Manchester, serving up classic Bombay comfort food and elevated modern takes on traditional dishes.
The deal: Free breakfast naans for anyone who dines in the afternoon or evening. You’ll be given a voucher after your meal which can be used between 8-11:45am from Monday to Friday throughout January. You can book for next month now.
Rosa’s Thai, Deansgate
What is it: A solid little Thai restaurant on Deansgate, serving authentic takes on curries, rice dishes and noodles from across Thailand.
The deal: A free homemade Thai iced drink (other drink options available) when you order one of their spicy three-chilli dishes.
Manahatta, Deansgate
What is it:A glitzy little bar and restaurant famed for its boozy brunches, all inspired by (you guessed it) Manhattan.
The deal: 50% off food when you pre-book to dine, available Sunday to Friday throughout January.
Oxford Road Corridor
House of Fu in Manchester has loads of January 2025 deals.Bundobust is giving away 2500 ‘Lunch Express’ meals
Bundobust – St. James
What is it: A fully fledged veggie eatery serving up some traditional Indian cuisine that really packs a punch. Bundo is always a good call.
The deal: Bundobust is giving away 2500 free ‘Lunch Express’ dishes this January with the main batch of free food going to the first 100 people queuing outside the restaurant across all locations in Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool. Then from 7 until 31 January, there will be 25 free lunch spots every weekday to get your hands on.
House of Fu – Portland Street
What is it: Big bowls of ramen and noodles, delicious small plates, plus great frozen cocktails and karaoke rooms, all in a colourful two-storey spot in the heart of town.
The deal: £10 ramen and rice bowls, 11.30am – 6.30pm Monday to Friday, plus loads of giveaways including a trip to Tokyo (scratch cards handed out every time you dine).
Zouk – Chester Street
What is it: Comfortably one of Manchester’s best and most popular Indian restaurants, famed for its traditional Indian and Pakistani grill dishes and curries.
The deal: Loads of free prizes – every diner will spin the wheel of fortune to win things like free curries, discounts, drinks and mystery prizes. Available when dining 12-7pm on weekdays in January. You can bookHERE.
Hello Oriental – Circle Square
What is it: A super stylish, underground pan-Asian food hall serving up absolutely tonnes of options, from fried chicken, pho and bao buns, to sushi, dim sum, street food favourites and more.
The deal: 20% off across the entire menu throughout the month and starting from as early as 27 December for Hello Oriental subscribers. You can sign up for the exclusive discount HERE. They’re also opening a new venue in the Trafford Centre by mid-Jan, so you can make the most of it there too.
Victoria
New Century is offering money off your entire bill.A brilliant happy hour is part of their Manchester January deals.
New Century – NOMA/Sadler’s Yard
What it is: Popular food hall, bar and music venue offering a wide range of options and different cuisines – the perfect place to meet before a gig upstairs.
The deal: 25% off your entire bill between 12-7pm from Wednesday to Friday when you booked ahead. Vendors participating include Parmogeddon, PLY Pizza Loves You, Banh Vi, Koi Fusion and Good Things.
Also offering happy hour deals including £4 house larger, IPA, cider or medium house wine, as well as £5 Guinness. The happy hour will run 4-7pm on the same days as well as on Sundays.
The Real Greek – Corn Exchange
What it is: Exactly what it says on the tin, it’s a Greek restaurant bringing flavours of Greek and eastern Mediterranean cuisine – yum.
The deal: In honour of ‘Veganuary’, this establishment is treating diners to their ‘Vegan Plate’ for only £12 this month starting from 1 January until 31 January. Perfect for vegans and anyone partaking in the meat-free month challenge.
The restaurant and bar closures that shocked Manchester in 2024
Danny Jones
A sad reality of the world of hospitality is that while we often have loads of fabulous new openings to celebrate, there is also a steady stream of restaurant and bar closures in Manchester.
It’s been another year of blistering food and drink highs and devastating lows, saying goodbye to several very high-profile businesses as 2024 ticked along.
Closures included enormous celeb-studded venues, much-loved independent restaurants and bakeries, the likes of the long-standing Church Street Markets and some of the finest dining establishments in all of Greater Manchester.
We haven’t included them all on this list (a notable absence is Sakkusamba, which shut down to rebrand as Raft, then Raft shut back down to rebrand as Sakkusamba again – you can read all about that weird situation HERE), because that would just be a little depressing.
But below you’ll find a list of the restaurant and bar closures that shocked Manchester city centre and beyond in 2024.
13 Greater Manchester restaurants and bars that closed in 2024
Greens – Didsbury and Sale
2024 was only two days old when celebrity chef Simon Rimmer announced the closure of his vegetarian restaurant, Greens, in Didsbury.
It had been part of the suburb’s restaurant scene for more than 30 years but was ultimately felled by rising costs, including a rent increase of a whopping 35%.
Rimmer kept the sister site over in Sale up and running, but not for long – that also closed in September.
His restaurant portfolio includes Rudy’s and Albert’s Schloss, but the loss of Greens was a real blow to Greater Manchester.
Cottonopolis, then Lamb of Tartary – Northern Quarter
The site reopened under the same team as Lamb of Tartary, a beautiful pub and restaurant inspired by the success of its sister site, the very successful Edinburgh Castle over in Ancoats.
Sadly, Lamb of Tartary wasn’t long for this world either, and that quietly shut down in September after only six months.
Who will try and take on this landmark unit next, we wonder?
Trove – Ancoats and Levenshulme
Credit: The Manc Group
One of Manchester’s original independent bakeries shut down in the summer of 2024 after a turbulent few months.
Trove had started life in Levenshulme where it was quickly hailed as one of the region’s best neighbourhood food spots, then it branched out to Ancoats with a cafe too.
But both shut down in dramatic fashion in June, with the modern Ancoats site repossessed by landlords.
They finally broke their silence on the closures a few days later with an emotional statement that said: “We have been struggling mentally, physically and financially for a while.”
Formerly known as Luck, Lust, Liquor and Burn, the popular Northern Quarter bar and restaurant is sadly just the former in general now after closing back in August 2024.
The Mexican food spot and late-night watering hole was known not only for delicious and pretty affordable scran with Californian influences but also for one of the best happy hours in town.
It may have started out as a spin-off courtesy of, Almost Famous, but it truly grew to take on a life, reputation and style of its own for just over a decade.
Sadly, it wasn’t to last forever and while they didn’t provide much detail as to what caused the closure, we can assume they were facing the same challenges most local businesses have been in recent years. They bowed with one final happy, messy and very emotional hour – thanks for the memories.
Speaking of Almost Famous, the dirty burger masters still have a wonderful empire here in Greater Manchester and, indeed across the North but one spot did sadly have to admit defeat.
Their Withington outpost started off so good and looked to be not only one of their most handy locations for students and those on the outskirts of the city, but the room itself had undoubtedly the unique aesthetic they’d stumbled across to date.
As pretty as the room and as reliable as the food always is, opening during a cost-of-living crisis was never going to be easy and they came out to thank their loyal customers on multiple occasions for helping to keep going.
Sadly, they couldn’t feasibly keep going and though AF remains 0161’s most iconic burger joint, the Withy experiment didn’t work out – fingers crossed they get another go at it again in the future.
Rigatoni’s (formerly SUD and Sugo before that) – Ancoats, Sale and city centre
Another closure saga was the unfortunate story of Rigatoni’s, once considered one of the best Italian restaurants in all of the boroughs during its days as Sugo Pasta Kitchen before having to change its name to SUD following a rather confusing lawsuit threat.
As if all that wasn’t enough, the pasta specialists then suffered four closures across Greater Manchester and ended up undergoing another rebrand to relaunch as Rigatoni’s in December of 2023.
However, it seems whatever name they went by, they just couldn’t make it work and sadly Rigatoni’s went on to shut its restaurants in Ancoats, Sale AND in Exhibition food hall, leaving only Altrincham behind.
You can backtrack through the full sequence of events HERE and see what it’s now become down below:
Another one that hit us hard over the past 12 months was the news of Manchester city centre’s beloved Pie and Ale closing its doors after a little over a decade.
The NQ cult favourite was known for its legendary pie and pint for a tenner deal, years of unique takes on pastry-encased flavour combinations, a great booze selection across the board and being of the best-kept secrets when it came to finding a quieter pub to watch live sport.
It was quite comfortable one of the best places to grab a pie in Manchester and a relatively cheap day/night out in general and its closure back in April was a tough one for lots of locals to take.
If you ever visited, you’ll know how cool a spot it was.
Stretford Food Hall – Chester Rd
Heading over towards Trafford direction, the Food Hall that was attached to Stretford Mall was another frustrating closure at the start of last year, especially given the somewhat recent refurb a few years prior.
On the outside, things may have looked like they were on the up to many but, truth be told, the space had been struggling ever since the pandemic. Businessman Mital Morar opened the Food Hall back in 2019 but by February 2024, he confessed it had “no more left in the tank”.
At the heart of the regenerated Stretford Strip that looked to be thriving at the start of 2020, it housed plenty of popular local vendors including What’s Your Beef?, Egg & Co., Cloudwater Brewery and more.
The Food Hall might be kaput but you can still enjoy Stretford Canteen at least. (Credit: The Manc Group)
PLY – Northern Quarter
From one that had the potential to build a local renaissance around to a city centre institution that students are still mourning to this day, PLY closing marked what felt like the end of an era.
Once the toast of Lever Street just off the corner of Stevenson Square, PLY could always guarantee you three things: cheap and tasty pizza, reasonably priced drinks and a good time.
That being said, it didn’t take long for it to reopen as something new and fairly different – you can read all about it below – and you can still enjoy the fantastic flavours from their stand in New Century Hall.
Manchester, pay attention: The Salmon of Knowledge has some wisdom to bestow upon you — mainly how to pour a proper Guinness and have a grand auld time. 🇮🇪☘️
Sonata, a jazz and piano bar in Manchester, has announced its closure. Credit: The Manc Group
Another hidden gem that quietly closed its doors last year was the late-night piano and cabaret hideaway known as Sonata.
It may never have been the most bustling bar or well-known live entertainment venue in Manchester, but for the die-hards that made it home on so many weekends and what would otherwise have been boring an evening after work, it was a real wound to see it close its doors after a couple of years.
With an entrance off St Ann’s Alley that was marked with a glowing sign and a lightbulb, it felt like a real local secret, and despite building up a loyal following through its New York-style live music nights, Sonata shut down citing ‘near-impossible challenges in the current climate’. See more HERE.
WOOD – First/Jack Rosenthal Street
Celebrity chef and former MasterChef champion Simon Wood shocked Manchester when he announced the closure of his flagship restaurant, WOOD.
Wood has remained one of Greater Manchester’s most-renowned chefs for the past decade, not to mention a huge advocate for supporting the hospitality industry, especially post-Covid and during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Sharing an emotional post on Instagram, he wrote: “Sadly with COVID rent arrears now being demanded by our landlord and an increasingly difficult marketplace, energy increases, ingredient costs and soon-to-be spiralling business rates we just cannot make this work.”
Local gem and one of Greater Manchester’s very best food spots, The Thirsty Korean, closed its Chorlton restaurant after five years when its lease came to an end.
It had hit headlines only months before its closure when Sacha Lord chose to publicly celebrate a series of local business, paying everyone’s bill there for one night only (with suitably long queues…)
Confirming the closure of the Manchester Road spot via Instagram, owner Eunji Noh wrote: “I love you, loved you lots and will love you. Hope to see you soon and let’s celebrate our beautiful and cheerful end of The Thirsty Korean!
“Please stay with us and don’t forget about us. Find me and I will be here with big arms opened to hug you all.”
Black Dog Ballroom – Northern Quarter
Long-standing Northern Quarter bar Black Dog Ballroom sadly and quietly closed for business back in January 2024, after a decade and a half as one of Manchester’s favourite nightlife hotspots.
The rumblings of the Black Dog’s closure slipped somewhat under the radar but were all but confirmed when the city centre bar and pool hall’s website updated to simply read: ‘Black Dog Ballroom is now closed’.
The site has now become Definitely Maybe, an Oasis-themed bar that even has drinks inspired by the Gallagher brothers.
Five of the best alcohol-free bars in Manchester you can enjoy this Dry January
Danny Jones
Listen, quite of a few us here at The Manc are giving Dry January a go again this year and if there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s that it isn’t always the alcohol that we miss but more the feeling of sitting around a bar with your mates, drink in hand and talking rubbish, not a care in the world.
These days, alcohol-free stuff is getting pretty good and if you’re having a good enough time chatting away with you and yours, be it your partner, a loved one, your bestie or otherwise, you’ll be surprised how quickly you forget there’s you’re gulping down a zero or low-alcohol alternative.
Whether it’s a wheaty bottle of Erdinger, a cold pint of Lucky Saint, a fruity mocktail or even a crisp 0% gin and tonic, they all quench your thirst just as good as the real thing, only without any damage to your health and without the hangover the next morning.
We’re not going to pretend we don’t love a few beers at the weekend or a vino after a long day, but Dry Jan is a positive challenge we can all get behind and it doesn’t have to mean staying in or saying bye to the pub — so here’s five Manchester bars that do alcohol-free or low percentage booze really well.
Five zero-percent and alcohol-free friendly bars in Manchester
1. Hinterland – Northern Quarter
Opening up back in June 2024, Hinterland is currently Manchester’s only permanent and purpose-built alcohol-free bar and cafe, and while the place might be booze they’ve certainly added a real cosiness and creativity to the space. Oh yeah, it also happens tp be tucked away under the Buddhist Centre.
Roomy and with no reservations needed, dog-friendly, not to mention serving fresh cakes, bakes and a fully-fledged food menu from vegan heroes, Wholesome Junkies – who are now the main vendors of the basement bar – this place has grown pretty quickly.
It’s also become a vital community corner for those trying to come off drink, already in recovery or even just the sober-curious, as they host numerous events throughout the year to help people learn more about zero-alcohol living as well as socialise and meet new people on similar journeys. A wonderful spot.
Hinterland is currently one of the only true alcohol-free bars in Manchester (Credit: The Manc Group)
2. Feel Good Club – Northern Quarter
Next up is a place that’s been at the forefront of wellbeing culture in the region since it first opened in 2020, came back fighting after an unfortunate break-in and has been serving up Mancs, healthy food, non-alcoholic bevs that will knock your socks off and nothing but good vibes ever since.
Located just on the corner of Hilton Street in the NQ, where it’s fair to say you’ll find some of Manchester’s very best pubs and bars, the regular crowds and easily enticed newcomers Feel Good Club pulls in will never make you feel like you’re missing out or should have wandered in elsewhere.
You can come in here for a tipple if you want but, honestly, there’s nothing like enjoying something off their all-day lunch and brunch menu followed by a ‘sober dolly’, ‘sober elton’ or one of their regularly rotating zero-alcohol cans of IPA. They even published their debut book, A guide to feeling good and being okay with it when you’re not in 2022 and do their own merch. Look good feel good and all that.
Feel Good Club has all the best bits of a bar, cafe and hangout spot only you can do it all alcohol-free. (Credit: Feel Good Club/Instagram)
3. New Century – Victoria
In at number three is one of the city centre‘s best new food vendor halls, bars and entertainment venues, which just so happens to be doing a very good deal to kick off the year too, which they’ve appropriately dubbed ‘Dry Scranuary’.
We’re talking about New Century over in the heart of the regenerated NOMA district and not only is the ground floor of this big open-plan venue the perfect place for you and a bunch of mates to pile into and have a bite, but they’re also giving you an extra incentive to do so whilst staying off the sauce.
Throughout all of January, you can get a free non-alcoholic beverage with any main all-day from Wednesday to Sunday and, hey, you can always head upstairs for a gig afterwards as well. Sold.
Now, if you fancy sipping and savouring something fancy whilst still feeling like you’re treating yourself to something a bit posh and special as somewhat of a reward for another day of Dry Jan down, why not do it at a bar that’s been named best in the UK two years running and one of the best in the world?
Schofield’s is the kind of place where you’re not going in to get drunk in the first place: you’re there to take in the atmosphere and aesthetic, appreciate the immaculate service and admire the expertly made drinks. Lucky for you, they have an entire menu packed with non-alcoholic concoctions.
Stylised as their ‘Temperance’ selection, you can enjoy everything from a colourful Club Tropicana to a classic Virgin Mary or even a ‘Frosty Toddy’: honey, ginger, lemon and soda. Sweet, simple and sublime. If there’s anyone who can make a drink that doesn’t need any alcohol in it, it’s these wizards.
The fifth and final entry on our whistle-stop tour of Manchester bars that are great at low percentage and alcohol-free libations is the one and only Zouk Tea Bar and Grill over on Chester Street.
Serving up some of the best Indian and Pakistani food you’ll find in any of the 10 boroughs, not to mention a firm favourite amongst almost everyone in the office, this popular restaurant situated just off the Oxford Road Corridor doesn’t just serve up banging food but some of the best mocktails you’ll find.
With five different types of mojito – including their much-loved ‘special’ – cosmos, daiquiris, pina coladas and our personal preference, the ‘Summer of 69’ (mango and pineapple juice with passion fruit, lime and a shot of grenadine), there’s something for everyone. The perfect kind of refreshment to pair with mounds of bottomless Zouk curry or brunch. Might as well whilst you’re there.
Not strictly a bar but Zouk are just as skilled at alcohol-free as they are their cuisine. (Credit: The Manc Group)
As always with these lists, this is just a taste of the low and alcohol-free options Manchester has to offer these days as Britain continues to reassess its bar and binge culture.
For starters, places like the Printworks have such a healthy selection of mocktails, low and no-alcohol drinks at the likes of O’Neills, Bierkeller, Hard Rock Cafe, Boom Battle Bar and more that you’d never had to walk for more than a few yards between tipples. They’re even offering £20 off through their app.
Other honourable mentions have to go to the likes of the award-winning brains behind Blinker Bar, the stylish but unpretentious cocktails specialists at Stray, the charming Parisian-inspired drinks at The Daisy, the marvellous mocktail menu at Etçi Mehmet and so many others.
But a month goes by in a flash and we didn’t want to ram a load of bars down your throat, so this handful should do you just fine. Instead of making Dry January feel like a slog or a chore, let’s keep that lovely feeling of having a social drink going and remember it’s about who’s cheersing the glass, not what’s in it.
Lastly, we couldn’t talk about alcohol-free bars without touching on the pop-up that arguably started it all: LoveFrom, which sadly announced its closure back in July 2024.
But fear not, founder Karl Considine says the one-time Kampus resident has insisted they will be back in the near future and we can only thank people like Karl for getting the ball rolling when it comes to the alcohol-free bar scene here in Manchester city centre.
If you’re looking to make the most of your visits to bars and restaurants around Greater Manchester in January, you can find all the best deals down below.
Best of luck for the rest of Dry Jan and whether you’re counting down the days to that first drop or turning over a new leaf, we know you can do it.
Danny Jones -
31st December 2024 
