Manchester hotel restaurant The Refuge is serving a roast for you AND your dog
Pet-friendly hotel Kimpton Clocktower also provides a full pet setup in the room, with a pet tuckbox, pet guide to the best dog-friendly places to visit, toys and treats
A hotel restaurant in Manchester is serving up Sunday roast dinners for dogs and we are completely obsessed.
Award-winning eatery and bar The Refuge, located inside the pet-friendly Kimpton Clocktower Hotel on Oxford Road, is already highly-rated for its Sunday roasts but it’s about to get even more popular after adding a new ‘roast bowl’ for pets to its Sunday menu.
Introduced as part of the venue’s new spring food menu overhaul, four-legged friends now have their own answer to The Refuge’s legendary Sunday dinner – allowing them to dine in style alongside their owners.
Comprised of a mini roast, the new pet ‘roast bowl’ features a selection of meat, veggies, and a dash of pet-friendly gravy (no onions or garlic to worry about here).
Image: The Refuge
Image: The Refuge
Owners, meanwhile, are also in for a treat with the choice between a traditional roast or one of The Refuge’s famous sharing platters (a mixture of grass-fed rump of Lancashire beef and half a roast Cumbrian chicken plus trimmings, with the option to add-on a lamb shawarma shepherd’s pie for an extra £9).
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All roast platters are served with thyme and salt roast potatoes, glazed carrot, seasonal greens, Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese and pan gravy, whilst individual roasts come with roast potatoes, gravy, Yorkshire pudding and a selection of vegetables.
Vegans are also welcome, with a plant-based Sunday dinner option of vegan wellington, roasted celeriac, duxelles, red onion, kale and potato.
Speaking on the new menus, Stephanie McIver, General Manager of The Refuge said: “The new menus at The Refuge are a fresh and inventive take on feasting and sharing with friends and family.
“We welcome anyone and everyone to our dining space and we expect the new additions will be highlights for all our guests this season.
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“At The Refuge we extend our invitation to dogs which is a continuation of Kimpton Clocktower Hotel’s dog-friendly policy, making all dogs welcome alongside their human guest counterparts and offering dogs their very own Sunday roast dinner.”
Image: The Refuge
Image: The Refuge
Guests with pets are encouraged to book a PAWfect stay at Kimpon Clocktower Hotel to enjoy an overnight stay with breakfast, along with a full pet setup in the room, a pet tuckbox, pet guide to the best dog-friendly places to visit and a toy and treat or two.
Pets at Klimpton Clocktower Hotel are welcome to stay with their owners for free, with no extra charge placed on the room.
For more information on The Refuge and to book a table visit here. Guests looking to order a Dog roast bowl are encouraged to make this request when booking a reservation at The Refuge.
Featured image – The Refuge
City Centre
Where to watch the 2026 World Cup in Manchester
Danny Jones
The 2026 World Cup is undoubtedly the biggest sporting event happening this year, and for those still wondering where is best to watch it, there are plenty of places in Manchester to make sure you don’t miss a second of the action.
We’re not going to get carried away and declare this as ‘England’s year’, but let’s just say we’ve got a very good squad and a head coach who has won some of the biggest footballing trophies on the planet.
That being said, we have every reason to feel positive, especially with so many great Manc pubs, bars and more screening the World Cup games.
So, let’s not drag this out like a long VAR any check: here are 26 of the best places to watch the 2026 World Cup in Manchester city centre and beyond…
26 top places to watch the World Cup in and around Manchester
1. The Grosvenor – Oxford Road Corridor
Up first on our list is the old Footage pub, which these days has been updated to The Grosvenor. They’re teaming up with Fireball for a big fan zone, including everything from free shots of that famous cinnamon whisky and other giveaways to quizzes, games and more. Grab your tickets now.
One of Manchester’s biggest and best new food halls and bars, House of Social, is also hosting its first-ever big tournament viewing party, with five big screens being installed. Standard entry is free, while seated (£15) comes with a free drink included and a comfortable view of the action, and VIP (£30) tickets come with £15 to spend on food, too. In addition to pre and post-match parties with live music and even a margarita truck out in the garden section, not to mention the terrace benches with heated canopies, this one is a great package all-around. Tickets are right HERE.
In at number three, we’ve got The Faraday over in the Northern Quarter (formerly Seven Sins, for anyone unaware), which has all the games you could need – and we don’t just mean the ones up on the telly. They’ve got pool, shuffleboard, darts, and more, not to mention live music throughout the week.
Rounding off our top four (the Champions League spots, if you will) is the very impressive space set up by Boundary over at The Union on Manchester Metropolitan University’s campus. Not just for students, this is much more than a uni bar: besides the pub itself, they’ve turned the gig and club room into a huge fan zone, with live DJ sets, super cheap drinks, and even 10p off Carling EVERY time England scores. Say no more; book your spot for the Three Lions games HERE.
Darts and pool on offerHUGE screensFree Jubels, anyone?…Credit: The Manc Group
6. Definitely Maybe – NQ
Next up, we have Manchester’s dedicated Oasis pub, Definitely Maybe, also over in NQ. You may associate this place more with Britpop and/or pre- and post-gig vibes, but the brilliant Afflecks music bar also has three large screens in the main room, not to mention tables and regular standing tickets available. Food and drinks packages will also be available, and there’s even a Green Room that can host private screenings of up to 60 guests. Reserve your spot now.
Number six is, of course, the now-famous Road to Victory, which returns for every big international competition. Having been at multiple places before landing at Manchester’s AO Arena, it’s now a bigger party than ever, with smoke machines, confetti cannons, giveaways, and interactive stuff for supporters to fill the break, just to name a few highlights. As close to being in the stadium itself as most will get this June and July – sign up HERE.
8. Victoria Baths – Chorlton-on-Medlock
From Road to Victory (RtV) to ‘Victory at the Baths’, over Chorlton way, is also holding a big fan zone for the latest international tournament. We don’t need to tell you how stunning a space this will be to watch ‘the beautiful game’, but it will also have some of the best acoustics in the business when those goals go in, the limbs go up, and the pints are sent flying. Find out more and grab your tickets while you can.
9. Freight Island – Mayfield
Similarly, their old neighbours at Depot Mayfield are bringing back their own building-wide watchalong party, ‘We Are Football Festival’. Operating in partnership with 4TheFans, the fan park specialists return for World Cup 2026, with several big rooms to be made the most of. You can find out all you need to know down below.
One entry on the list that may surprise you is Zouk Tea Bar and Grill over at The Quadrangle, just off Oxford Rd. Now, it goes without saying that there’ll be some unreal Indian and Pakistani scran being served up here over the summer, as there is every single day, but they’re also putting up big screens for select games over the next month or so. Book your table with food starting from £29 per person HERE.
Now, we thought we’d lump a few of these into one, because St John’s – just off Deansgate and behind Spinningfields – is gradually becoming one of the fastest-growing districts in central Manchester city centre, not least of all thanks to the brilliant food and drink scene over in this small slice of the city. With Trading Route, Courts Club, Stables Tavern and now ‘The Green’ all helping create a great atmosphere ahead of this year’s sporting summer, food, drink, and pure vibes will be in full flow.
Find out what they’ve got on right through until August.
12. O’Malleys – Central
Heading over to O’Malleys on Portland Street, right in the heart of the city centre, we may be bursting with some great Irish bars and pubs in Manchester at the moment, but O’Malleys MCR undoubtedly has some of the cheapest pints and value for money across the board. They’re doing free entry throughout, and they’re showing every single game, so you don’t just have to be backing British teams.
Heading toward the outskirts for a spell, Hotel Football, which sits in the shadow of Old Trafford, is obviously a footy-obsessed venue from start to finish, but this isn’t just limited to Man United affairs. This World Cup, they’re showing every England game and even offering special stay-overs, with dinner, as well as bed and breakfast included. Find all the options HERE.
This package comes with a stadium view and tour of Man United’s Carrington complex (Credit: Supplied)
14. GRUB On The Docks – Salford Quays
As we cross the halfway point, and since we’ve strayed just beyond the city centre, we thought we’d shout out the fantastic festival feel being set up for GRUB On The Docks over at MediaCityUK. Formerly known as BOX on the Docks, this new-look outdoor leisure and live entertainment hub will hopefully serve as the perfect suntrap, not to mention there’ll be plenty of boxes showing the football itself.
Any place offering free fan zones gets a big thumbs up from us, and fortunately, we already know plenty of people heading back to Nell’s for World Cup watchalongs. Nell’s Pizza and frozen cocktails speak for themselves, but in case you weren’t aware, they have a big projector up at their Kampus location, as well as screens at their other sites, such as Common, The Beagle, and over in Salford Quays, too
The Manchester Blues Kitchen site just off Deansgate is another one that we can vouch for when it comes not only to watching the biggest sporting fixtures, having watched the Super Bowl there every year for the past half a decade, but also the footy – in fact, we watched the last Euros final in there and while the result was gutting, the night overall was excellent. It’s first-come, first-served, and their latest Southern-inspired food menu feels like the perfect fit for the North American tournament.
Credit: The Manc
17. Society – Central
Another food and beer hall, Society, is another ideal spot to watch the World Cup in Manchester this summer. Not only do you have rows and rows of tables and benches to seat fans, multiple kitchens to choose from, and a great selection of locally-brewed bevs, but you’ve also got the outside area to hopefully soak up sun, suds, and energy from the crowd during the breaks. Hopefully, we’ll be at least 1-0 up in most matches by the time the whistle blows for half-time.
Beloved Manc bar and nightclub ‘JBs’ is bringing their dedicated England fan zone back for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and if you spent any time during the last edition, you’ll know the atmosphere in here is great. Complete with shiny new booths, multiple screens, a DJ booth and more, the ‘Clubhouse’ upstairs is well worth a go for a game or two. Find ticket prices and all their other events listed HERE.
Credit: The Manc
19. The Lawn Club – Spinningfields
Heading back over towards Spinningfields direction, Lawn Club on Hardman Square is another great alternative for World Cup screenings, especially as you’ve got the indoor hut, complete with cocktail deals, AND the roomy beer garden outside. For those who haven’t stumbled across it before, here’s a better idea of how it’s going to look based on previous years:
Holding viewing parties for the 2026 World Cup at their two flagship homes – the taproom and their first-ever beerhouse, Seven Brothers are also offering bookings, from just you and your partner, to big private hire for groups of mates and work colleagues. Spaces for England’s first game against Croatia on Wednesday, 17 June, are already filling up, so email either venue to reserve your spot ASAP.
Credit: Supplied
21. 11 Central – Salford Quays
Speaking of the Seven Bros Brewing Co., another one of their brands over at Quayside in MediaCity is another place that will be showing all England games, at the very least, throughout the 2026 World Cup. This still relatively new Salford Quays spot may go overlooked in foodie terms at times because of Central Bay next door, but one thing they do better than their neighbours is live sport on the box.
No. 22 is the brilliant Black Cat Club, brought to you by the same team behind the Michelin-recommended El Gato Negro and Canto tapas restaurants on King Street and Cutting Room Square, respectively. To toast this year’s tournament and the last time England won the World Cup, they’re serving up a ‘Geoff Hirst’ deal, where you can grab three small plates for £19.66, or four-pint pitchers of Black Cat Lager, Red Stripe or Moretti for the same price. Here are all of their packages.
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Credit: Press shot (supplied via Black Cat Club)
23. Dirty O’Sullivans – Albert Square
From Mediterranean influences to more Gaelic goodness, another recently opened Manc Irish bar is also offering great deals for this year’s World Cup, including giving away 1,000 FREE pints to those who pre-book their table at this increasingly popular pub just off the corner of Albert Square. Sort yours HERE.
As we approach the final minutes of this round-up, if you will, we thought we’d throw in another favourite gaming and activity bar of ours in the form of Electric Shuffle. You can pay either £25 or £50 as a deposit, redeemable off your bill at the end when putting your name down, and you don’t have to book. a shuffleboard table to be in the room – though why wouldn’t you? Bookings are live now.
25. Diecast – Piccadilly East
Our penultimate pick of the bunch, we couldn’t complete this squad selection without giving a nod to Diecast over towards Back Piccadilly and the edge of Ancoats. A previous RtV host, this massive Manchester drinking hall, beer garden, gig and club venue is still well-equipped to hold a big World Cup watch party all of its own. Although all early bird tickets have already sold out, general admission is still on sale for just a tenner, so don’t wait around.
26. Albert Hall – Peter Street
If we’re in extra time, we can’t think of many better places that stressful eleventh hour than Manchester’s iconic Albert Hall; in fact, we have done almost exactly that for the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024, and we promise you we made some unforgettable memories in here no matter how it all ended. They’re keeping things simple here: £5 entry, and the first 100 get a free pint – tickets can be found HERE.
New ‘immersive’ cat cafe, pet lifestyle shop, and groomers to open in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A new one-stop pet lifestyle shop, grooming parlour, and ‘immersive’ cat cafe is set to open in Manchester city centre.
Set to open this autumn down at popular co-living development Square Gardens, LollipawsClub will offer a wide range of services including professional grooming and styling, a pet bakery, and an immersive cat cafe experience, as well as offering a range of pet products including cat and dog food, freeze-dried treats, and lots of toys.
LollipawsClub’s imminent arrival is said to mark a ‘key milestone’ for Square Gardens and the wider First Street community as a whole, as it completes the ground-floor retail offering, with all six commercial units now let.
Developers want Square Gardens to be a neighbourhood hub blending independent food and drink, with everyday essentials and specialist services.
A new ‘immersive’ cat cafe, pet lifestyle shop, and groomers is opening in Manchester later this year / Credit: Supplied
LollipawsClub will join the likes of Asda Express, and East Asian supermarket and restaurant, Seol & Tokyo, an alongside Thai-Chinese restaurant, Yaowarat, and new coffee shop, Ty Blawd – both of which are due to open this summer.
CGIs of what the new pet lifestyle store an cafe will look like when it opens have been revealed.
“We are thrilled to be joining the Square Gardens community this autumn,” commented Ruby Zhou, who is the Founder of LollipawsClub.
LollipawsClub is set to open this autumn down at Square Gardens, / Credit: Supplied | Mateusz Sobczak
“We regularly host engaging, pet-focused events and would be delighted for you to join us. Through everything we do, we aim to create an enjoyable and distinctive experience, making life with pets more comfortable, easy, and joyful.”
John Clegg, who is Head of Property Management at Downing – the developers of Square Gardens – added: “LollipawsClub completes the commercial lineup at Square Gardens, and from the outset, our ambition was to create a neighbourhood with its own identity, somewhere residents and the wider community actively choose to spend time.
Georgina Pellant -
3rd April 2023 
