You can pack a lot into a weekend, especially when you’re in a city with as much to offer as Manchester.
From the indie bars of the Northern Quarter, to traditional shopping arcades Deansgate, the high-end luxury of New Cathedral Street and beyond, Manchester has loads going on – but where should you begin?
The Manc’s got your back.
With these unmissable highlights and local insights, you’re sure to have an unforgettable weekend in Manchester.
From the best brunch spots and late-night hangouts, to art galleries, and top shopping destinations, here’s our guide for making sure you get the absolute most out of your 48 hours in Manchester city centre.
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Where To Stay?
Native Manchester: Found in the Grade II listed Ducie Street Warehouse, Native aparthotel is a stone’s throw from Piccadilly train station and offers the best of inner-city luxury.
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It was the winner of The Sunday Times Best Hotel, North of England 2019, and boasts 162 luxury serviced apartments. Go on, treat yourself.
Prices from £131 per night.
Manchester South Hotel: Staying a little further out from the city centre can bring you big savings. Manchester South Hotel in Fallowfield is just 15 minutes from the city centre by car and less than half an hour by public transport.
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It offers guests light and airy rooms, free WiFi, and easy access to the rest of Manchester. With a bus stop just outside the hotel, it makes a great base for 48 hours of exploring.
Prices from £54 per night.
Friday Evening
Start your weekend right in Manchester’s lively Northern Quarter.
This vibrant neighbourhood has long been recognised as one of the city’s coolest hangouts – and you’ll see it at its best on a Friday night.
Grab a pre-dinner drink at El Capo, a buzzing South American bar and cantina that’s sure to get the party started with its amazing selection of 70 different types of tequila.
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If it’s a cocktail you’re after, we recommend the ‘Mezcal Mule’ (Montelobos Mezcal, agave, lemon, and ginger beer) for an innovative twist on a classic.
Work up an appetite by taking a stroll to spot some of the neighbourhood’s famous street art.
The art in the Northern Quarter is always changing, but the enormous blue tit mural on the side of a building in Newton Street is an iconic long-term fixture.
Credit: BAB | Unsplash (Louis Hansel)
When dinner calls, head over to BAB – a unique independent restaurant on Little Lever Street that offers mezze and “kebabs worth sitting down for” – think fresh flatbreads, moreish small plates, homemade marinades, and a serious commitment to big flavours.
In more of a pizza mood? We’ve got you covered.
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PLY lies in the heart of the Northern Quarter and serves some of Manchester’s best sourdough pizzas, along with a regularly refreshed range of craft beer, quality wine, and twists on classic cocktails.
When you’re fed and watered, head along to Matt and Phred’s – a jazz club and live music venue on Tib Street to dance the night away to their live jazz, funk and soul acts, or sip on a cocktail in the laid-back basement bar.
Not ready to call it a night? Then head down to Dusk ‘til Pawn – a nearby speakeasy bar with an enormous range of drinks on offer and open till 2am.
Fuel up for the day (and chase away any thoughts of a hangover) with a proper breakfast from one of the Northern Quarter’s best cafes.
We love Federal, Fig + Sparrow, and Foundation Coffee House for their French toast, granola pots, and vegan options, but if you’re after a hearty full-English, you can’t go wrong with Koffee Pot.
Spend the rest of the morning browsing some of the city’s best independent shops.
Find vintage treasures in Cow, Blue Rinse, and Pop Boutique, before popping into Oklahoma – an artsy boutique bursting at the seams with handmade jewellery, eclectic homeware, and unique gifts.
Continue your shopping spree with a quick tour of some of Manchester’s beloved record shops, as vinyl havens such as Piccadilly Records, Vinyl Exchange, and Eastern Bloc are essential stop-offs for any music junkie.
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If you feel yourself flagging, Eastern Bloc has a great coffee counter where you can get re-caffeinated ready for the rest of the day.
For lunch, head to Pollen, an airy bakery and cafe overlooking New Islington marina that has recently won Best Food and Drink Retailer at the Manchester Food and Drink Awards to indulge in one of the signature pastries for dessert.
If you’re in the mood for something a bit more hearty, neighbouring Sugo Pasta Kitchen offers amazing spreads of Southern Italian pasta dishes.
Continue your afternoon at Manchester Craft and Design Centre – a creative hub located in a Victorian former fish and poultry market building – where you can uncover hidden gems in the artists’ studios and purchase contemporary jewellery, ceramics, art, and more.
A must-see for bookworms, architecture enthusiasts and Harry Potter fans alike, the library was built in the 1890s and has been called “a real-life Hogwarts”, and the gift shop is well worth a visit too.
Credit: Sugo Pasta Kitchen | Unsplash (Chris Curry)
This impressive Grade II listed building received a £50m refurbishment in 2010 and is home to a huge collection of rare books.
Tick off another iconic Manchester building by finishing your afternoon in the shops of The Royal Exchange. From luxury boutiques to some of the world’s favourite high-street brands, the historic arcade has over 30 shops to choose from, as well as tempting coffee shops and tearooms.
Saturday Evening
Bundobust on Oxford Road is a great choice for dinner.
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This 150-seat restaurant is also home to Bundobust’s own brewery, able to produce 20,000 pints of beer a month, so you can sit under the huge glass ceiling and feast on the best Indian street food the city has to offer.
Kick off Saturday night at Albert’s Schloss – a Bavarian-style bar that bills itself as “a retreat from the modern world” – and expect impromptu live performances and tankards of Europe’s finest beer.
If you want to keep the party going, Deansgate Locks and Canal Street are two of Manchester’s best clubbing hotspots. From Lola Lo, a lively tiki bar on Deansgate Locks, to Via, one of Manchester’s favourite gay bars, there’s something on offer for every night owl.
If clubbing isn’t your thing, get a dose of culture at one of Manchester’s many theatres.
The Palace and the Opera House are two of the city’s main theatres, welcoming some of the biggest touring shows from the West End and beyond.
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Sunday Morning
Pick up a takeaway breakfast pastry from Trove bakery and stroll to Manchester Art Gallery for a morning exploring its collection of over 25,000 objects of fine art, sculpture and costume.
Not sure where to start?
The gallery is best known for its important Pre-Raphaelite collection, so ask one of the friendly staff members to point you in the right direction.
Sunday Afternoon
A Sunday afternoon in Manchester wouldn’t be complete without a great roast dinner, and the team at Trof have been cooking up a storm in the Northern Quarter for over ten years now, so they know what’s what when it comes to a great Sunday lunch.
Think free-range crispy pork belly, slow-roasted Lancashire beef, and some of the best roast potatoes around, and there’s great veggie options too.
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If you’ve got room for dessert, Trof’s sticky toffee pudding is the ultimate Sunday indulgence.
Credit: Trof / Lifestyle Commercial Photography / Sam Docker
The Science and Industry Museum traces the ideas and inventions that have shaped our world, from the Industrial Revolution to today and beyond, and the National Football Museum is the biggest football museum in the world, featuring iconic objects from sport history and exploring the importance of the beautiful game to the UK’s identity.
15 of the best burrito spots in Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
We would argue that burritos are one of the best food stuffs on the planet: first off, they’re like an all-in-one meal wrapped in a perfect, jam-packed and hopefully not so little package (cheeky). Two, they’re super filling, and there are literally tonnes of places to get them all over Greater Manchester.
Sounds like a good excuse for a round-up, don’t you think?
Burritos are pretty easy to do well; the real knack is finding out how to do them great. It’s very easy for them to turn into one homogenous mass of mush where only one main flavour stands out, but proper good burritos have layers – a solid foundation with top notes that stand out with each bite.
Are we overintellectualising what is essentially a mix of rice, beans, protein and some extras in a wrap? Maybe, but we’ve definitely had average ones and some of the best we’ve ever enjoyed at various places across Greater Manchester. Here are a dozen or so of them:
The best burritos in Manchester and beyond
1. Listo – Oxford St
First on the list, simply because I’m writing this thing, is my personal favourite: Listo Burrito. But make no mistake, it’s lots of people’s go-to as well – just look at the state of the queues they draw every day without fail. It’s been that way since they were known as Changos, and they’ve only got better since.
Whether you’re looking for a big, medium or naked version, I believe you won’t find a better lineup of meats, veggies, toppings, sides or sauces. The latter really can steal the show if you nail the right combos and flavours here also. The GOAT, at least in my humble opinion.
Next up is another contender for one, if not the best burritos in Manchester according to aficionados, and we can confirm we’ve polished off more than a few grande pork pibils here. It’s another one with lines every lunchtime and the kind of place where entire offices put in group orders. Naming no names…
Seriously though, Pancho’s Burritos aren’t just one of the best in its category: it’s one of our favourite places in the ever-thriving Arndale Market full stop, and that’s saying something. Wash it all down with a lovely Jarritos and you’ve got a regular work staple to have on your dinner break at least once a week.
Now, in at number three is technically part of a wider chain, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and you’ll just have to trust that we’ve eaten enough burritos to know what standard can compete with the big boys. Put it this way, a good 10% of our genetic make-up must be Mexican at this point.
Death Valley are a spin-off of the well-known Barburrito brand, which started right here in Manchester. Nevertheless, we still regularly turn to old faithfuls, and maybe we’re imagining it, but there seems to be extra care taken with their delivery-only burritos. Their California-style options are great.
This is probably one of our most regular takeaway orders on lazy nights in. Great value too. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
4. La Casita – Chorlton
Heading out of the city centre for the first time on this list but not all that far, a short tram ride is more than worth it to sample one of the best independents Chorlton has to offer: La Casita. Located along that gorgeous little run of restaurants and bars on Barlow Moor Road, it’s a bit of a stunner if you ask us.
Beautifully flavourful and affordable burritos plus plenty more from one of our favourite strips outside the city; they’re currently closed until further notice, but make sure to visit when they reopen. To be honest, we’d travel for a zesty margarita on that sun-soaked little patio bit every day of the week if we could.
A favourite of our Takeaways Champions king Dean, it sometimes seems mad to think Don Tacos started out life in humble pasty-loving Bolton back in 2016 before going on to become a beloved student outlier on the Curry Mile and ultimately one of the busiest food spots on Piccadilly Gardens.
Cut to nearly a whole decade later and this place has seriously levelled up with another colourful new premises in central Manchester and a bigger menu than ever, which does included burritos. The tacos might rightly steal the show here, but the burritos won’t let you down either.
Known for their tacos but also some of the best burritos in Manchester city centre and beyond. (Credit: The Manc Group)
6. Monsieur French Tacos – Oxford Road Corridor
Ok, we’re over a third of the way through this thing, so we’re going to mix things up a little by suggesting something that isn’t by no means traditional, but it certainly is tasty – us and the hordes of students certainly seem to think so.
The classic continental cuisine might not be the culture that comes to mind when you think of the masters of burritos, but in the same way that ‘Tex-Mex‘ scran just works, so does the Monsieur French Tacos take on big, cheesy, toasted tortillas. It’s junk food that’s become an instant hit with big crowds.
7. Casa Mexica – Oxford Rd Corridor
Sticking on Oxford Road (or rather just off), The Quardrangle’s Casa Mexica has been helping uni students get the most bang for their buck for years now, and maybe it’s recency bias, but it seems like they just keep getting better every time we go back.
With its colourful aesthetic and cosy interior that feels like you’re transported to a little corner of Mexico, we’d wager this is one of the best value for money burritos in Manchester, with fantastic plant-based options too. Our very own Thomas had his first experience here and said he’d go back for the staff alone.
Comfortably up there with one of the best places for burritos in Manchester, no doubt. (Credit: The Manc)
8. French Taco’o – Salford
From authentic Mexican back to experimental modern twists and another example of the ‘French taco’ trend, which in truth are closer to a burrito or a quesadilla that the street food staple that lends its name. Either way, the first time we tried was over on the edge of Salford and were blown away.
In truth, French Taco’o might look like many other unassuming takeaways you’ll find in Manchester or any city for that matter, but this place is quietly one of the best bits of fast food we’ve had in ages. They do plenty besides their version of a burrito, but how can you say no to one with chips, cheese and doner in?
If the last entry is the cheaper, greasier, but ever-delicious late-night option, then the burritos being served out of the new Salon Madre spin-off bar and pool hall attached to the main building is the elevated version of the very accessible staple.
Our only criticism of Madre‘s burritos the first time we tried them pre-Salon days was that the taste may have been incredible, but no rice in favour of more beans made for a slightly sloppy experience. However, they’ve continued to fine-tune their dishes since then, and the flavours are as good as ever.
Credit: The Manc
10. La Capilla – Stockport
Heading the furthest out into Greater Manchester that we’ve been yet, La Capilla Stockport can’t truly be counted as a hidden gem anymore because the locals definitely know how good it is, and so do we. We’ve heard the breakfast is good as well, but we’ve yet to experience it for ourselves (yet).
This little corner of the old marketplace used to be Blackshaws Kitchen and a Pure Innovations charity cafe before that, but now it’s serving some seriously lip-smacking contemporary Mexican dishes, including burritos. Just look at the lovely ‘leoparding’ on the crusty exterior of that wrap. Oof.
Heading back into the middle of 0161 now, one of the newest additions to the Manchester burrito climate is the Australian-founded multinational fast food franchise, who’ve already made a big splash with the debut in the city centre.
We’d consider this a brilliant starting point for anyone who doesn’t eat burritos all that often but also a really reliable spot for anyone who looking for a quick dine-and-dash place to grab one. Not only are they good value but they’ve done plenty of giveaways and offers since launching too. See what you think.
There’s one dangerously close to the office… (Credit: The Manc)
12. Sandinista – Central
In at number 12 on our list of the best burritos in Manchester is one that we’re afraid to say we’ve never grabbed a picture of ourselves – at least not one that we can safely share this the general public.
The reason for that is that this beloved late-night Latin American bar, as unbelievable as the food may be, is for unapologetic, rough and ready eats, so we’re usually in there getting irresponsibly drunk, and our hands would be far too shaky to do our jobs properly. ‘Keep calm and drink yourself silly at Sandinista.’
Brewski screams in at the baker’s dozen mark because, of course, they blood do. The absolute pinnacle of indulgent cheat food not just in Chorlton but arguably the entirety of Manchester, these oversized legends may not be the best for your calorie count, but they certainly leave us feeling fuller than most.
You might find ‘grande’ and extra-large burritos in plenty of places around the 10 boroughs, but we challenge you to find anywhere else that does super-sized stuffed-crust burritos that are quite literally as big as your head. They’re best served as part of a big ‘mate dates’ platter, but that’s just us.
14. Ancoats Tacos
We’re nearly the finish line now and we simply had to give a spot to an unsung hero of the Mexican street food scene, formerly known as Terra Tacos, which is currently undergoing a rebrand as we speak. Safe to say we can’t wait for a taste of what’s next.
Having gone from a trailer to serving as a pop-up in Urban Exchange, making deliveries to the nearby Cask site on New Islington Marina and now catering to big events and private hire, they’re an ambitious bunch, and you’d be a fool to sleep on their food. We see brilliant new burritos in their future.
Credit: The Manc
15. The Mexican – Fallowfield
Last but not least, we came across this one through nothing but sheer word of mouth from those still lucky enough to still be living the best days of their youth over in Fallowfield and having now tried for ourselves, we can confirm they aren’t half bad either.
We’ll confess that having a cute little kid as the resident presenter on your socials definitely scores you bonus points with us, but come on, if you can’t get behind for a local family business serving scran to the Manc masses, then who can you root for?
If you can’t find the burrito to suit your needs on this list, then please feel free to share your knowledge with us as soon as possible – we don’t mind being humbled with better suggestions.
Honourable mentions have to go to the likes of the OG Barburrito, Wrap It In over in Trafford Park – we don’t mind a no-nonsene Tortilla since there are so many of them around now either.
Guess we’ll just have to update this with another five when we get a second…
It goes without saying that this isn’t a comprehensive list of the best burritos across every corner of Greater Manchester, at least not yet, anyway. Nevertheless, it should be more than a good enough place to start. Happy eating!
You can get a mobile massage treatment in your office – just like us
Thomas Melia
We’d like to introduce you to the pioneering personalised service offering massage treatments on the move at practically any location including direct from your office– including to those of us here in Manchester.
In a world where you can get practically anything delivered straight to your door, it wasn’t going to be long until some genius invented a way to get a massage from the comfort of your own office.
Named ‘London’s first digital beauty concierge’, Ruuby have been pampering the nation’s capital for almost a decade before branching out to further locations.
The gorgeous set up provided by RuubyLook at that lovely branding on the towels.They did wonders with our otherwise plain downstairs office space. (Credit: The Manc Group)
In October 2024, the company expanded beyond its domestic reach in the likes of the capital, the Cotswolds and Surrey into Europe, making its first mark Switzerland: the perfect country for both luxury and essential beauty treatments with a tailored experience.
The month following saw the group moving up North and all the way to Manchester, where people can now book professional treatments best suited to them, right on their doorstep.
If you’re feeling scepticalstill, you can take it from us here at The Manc; we couldn’t tell you how relaxing and comforting these massages are.
There are a range of treatments available and we opted for two bespoke massages, a sports massage and a deep tissue massage.
Each experience is suited to your personal needs meaning each massage therapist will be able to fine-tune their relaxation abilities to what benefits you best.
After choosing the bespoke massage that I felt would work best for me, I went into this with no prior massage experience and I came out feeling taller, broader and more refreshed. Highly recommend.
Mid-day office massage? Yes, please.How relaxing. What a shame you have to go back to work after!Credit: The Manc Group
My masseuse guided me throughout the whole process and we soon discovered that I was able to tolerate much harder pressure than I thought which helped release tension I didn’t even know I had!
The same applies to how firm you’d like your session to be, as the masseuse can help with a brief overview of your time together, but the amount of pressure you like is down to personal preference.
It’s not just massages either: there’s everything from waxing, nails and hair to physio and IV drips; how about getting Marbella ready in less than an hour with a spray tan service set up wherever you are?
As Ruuby is a mobile and remote work environment, there are a number of at any time up and down the country, meaning your next beauty slot could be as little as an hour away, find out more HERE.
Rachel Kevern -
20th October 2021 
