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.
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
Legendary musical CATS is coming to Manchester on its UK tour next year
Emily Sergeant
Legendary musical CATS will be taking to the stage here in Manchester next year.
A brand-new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s global sensation, CATS, will embark on a major UK tour from summer 2026 following an open-air residency at Regent Park in London – including dates at Manchester’s prestigious Palace Theatre in November.
Based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, CATS is one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history.
The show originally premiered at the New London Theatre in 1981, where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances.
Since its world premiere, the musical has been presented in more than 54 countries, translated into 23 languages, and has been seen by more than 77 million people worldwide – collecting a number of awards along the way.
Legendary musical CATS is coming to Manchester on its UK tour next year / Credit: Feast Creative
This new production of CATS is produced by Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, with Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals, as part of Drew McOnie’s second season as Artistic Director, and it marks the third Andrew Lloyd Webber title produced by the venue in the last decade.
Unfamiliar with the show? CATS tells the story of the Jellicle cats.
From Euston station to Victoria Grove, the strays and rebels of London gather under the Jellicle moon in the hope they’ll be the chosen one.
With a legendary score featuring well-known songs like Old Deuteronomy, Macavity: The Mystery Cat, TheJellicle Ball, and, of course, the chart-topping hit Memory, this brand-new production of CATS is gearing up to be one of the best theatrical events of 2026.
“I am very excited to see a totally new production of CATS back on the stage where it belongs,” creator Andrew Lloyd Webber said on the show’s return. “I can think of no-one better than Drew McOnie to bring a new vision to the world of the Jellicles.”
Casting and the full creative team is set to be announced in due course, as is the on-sale date and link for tickets, so keep your eyes peeled.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
City Centre
Cult Northern Quarter cafe Federal to give out 1,000 free coffees and pastries when it reopens this weekend
Emily Sergeant
Fancy getting your hands on one of the best cups of coffee in Manchester for free?
Manchester’s number one brunch spot, and the UK’s most popular independent cafe, Federal – which has three locations in the city, as well as soon to open in Leeds – is giving away 1,000 coffees this weekend to mark the reopening of its Northern Quarter site, which has been temporarily closed while undergoing refurbishment.
The Northern Quarter cafe first opened its doors in 2014, and after being open consistently for 10 years and being extremely busy in the process, it was time for a refresh.
The NQ site was known for always having people queuing up to get inside, and with the doors are finally being flung open to welcome customers back this weekend, and with free coffees and pastries on the cards, the queues are set to be resume.
Federal will be giving away free espresso drinks that use its Ozone Federal espresso blend – including lattes, flat whites, cappuccinos, and Batch brew for those who prefer their coffee black.
Federal is giving out 1,000 free coffees and pastries when it reopens in the NQ this weekend / Credit: The Manc Group
The cafe will also debut new autumn weekly specials, starting with a Biscoff Chai Latte from Sunday 18 October, which is described as being the ‘perfect cup of warm indulgent goodness’ for autumn.
Free Lovingly Artisan pastries will also be up for grabs for those super-early birds each morning.
Inside the NQ site following the refurbishment, the new interior has all the familiar Fed feels with a relaxed space filled with reclaimed furniture, plenty of greenery, and comfy banquet seating to create that laid-back and down-to-earth charm Federal is famous for.
Timber details and eye-catching signage bring warmth and personality, and tie in beautifully with the delicious menu of fresh food and drinks.
“We haven’t re-invented the wheel, this is all about making customers feel familiar and comfortable whilst improving the flow of the cafe and overall experience,” commented Federal’s Social Media and Marketing Manager, Emily Ribeiro, ahead of the reopening this weekend.
“We can’t wait to see all our loyal customers again and invite them to come and have a coffee on us and celebrate some of our favourite suppliers, who have supported us from day one.”
Federal’s Northern Quarter cafe, on Nicholas Croft, will officially be reopening this Friday 17 October from 7:30am, and will be giving away free coffees and pastries on each morning of the three-day weekend.
Daisy Jackson -
20th May 2022 
