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
‘Damn fine’ burger and steak restaurant Meatworks set to open at Circle Square
Thomas Melia
A brand-new modern steak house is openings its doors in Manchester next month, and Meatworks has chosen Circle Square as the perfect location for its flagship UK restaurant.
Famed and respected for being burger specialists, they’re also the same team behind the hugely successful smash burger Boo and Midlands butchery, Halal Editions.
The new 52-cover casual restaurant space will be offering traditional burger patties and smash burgers, merging them with some incredible and unique flavours.
That’s alongside delicious steaks, and if you weren’t hungry enough already, their signature small plates like cheeseburger dumplings and slow-cooked short rib pancakes.
Manchester’s newest steakhouse is bringing some extraordinary offers with them too as guests can grab ‘Lunchtime value specials’ which includes a smash burger and fries for just £10.
It’s going to become everyone’s go-to as not only does it cater to the fast-paced grab-and-go eating habits of the Manchester public, the evening brings a more relaxed dinner setting.
Meatworks will be an alcohol-free restaurant but the drink menu features mocktails like the kiwi mojito to the lychee and lemongrass mocktail.
The inside of Manchester’s newest steak joint ‘Meatworks’. Credit: Supplied
The landmark neighbourhood, from Bruntwood SciTech and Vita Group, is in the heart of Manchester’s Oxford Road Corridor and centred around the beautiful Symphony Park.
Meatworks joins this rapidly-growing neighbourhood alongside Onda Pasta Bar, North Tap Room, Federal Cafe Bar, Detroit Slims, Ambers and Doug’s, who all take up residence in this site.
Charlotte Wild, Head of Retail & Leisure for Bruntwood SciTech, shared: “Meatworks represents yet another fantastic new reason to visit Circle Square.
“After an extraordinary year of new openings in 2024 we’ve built a vibrant community of hospitality innovators here on the Oxford Road Corridor, and it’s great to kick off 2025 with another great addition to the community.
“This independent, quality steak house and eatery will fit perfectly into the destination and we can’t wait to welcome them.”
Meatworks are shouting out about their ‘Damn fine burgers’ at Circle Square. Credit: Supplied
Jake Atkinson, Head of Food & Beverage for Vita Group, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Meatworks to Circle Square. Known for their exceptional cuts, bold flavours, and attention to detail.
“Their arrival enhances the diverse dining scene at Circle Square, and we’re excited for Manchester to enjoy a new experience.”
Mohammed Suleman from Meatworks added: “We’re thrilled to be opening Meatworks and share our passion for great food with the people of Manchester. Burgers and high quality meats are in our DNA and we’re excited to bring our expertise to Circle Square and its growing community.
“The destination is the perfect location for our first opening in the city. We promise to offer bold flavours and innovative dishes and can’t wait to welcome our first customers.”
Meatworks is set to open on 5 February at Circle Square and will be open from Tuesday to Sunday between 12pm to 11pm every week with both walk-ins and bookings welcome.
A provocative Donald Trump painting has appeared in Manchester city centre
Danny Jones
Following the recent US presidential election, a controversial new painting featuring Donald Trump has appeared in a Manchester city centre shop window.
Popping up in a small and largely empty outlet on Deansgate, the striking political cartoon is now one of the first sights you see heading down the main strip from the Castlefield direction and is already turning heads.
Created by acclaimed Manchester artist Michael J Browne – who is known for recent works such as a collaborative exhibition with Eric Cantona at the National Football Museum – the piece is quickly gaining attention and resulting in plenty of discussion as intended.
Entitled America First – Trump, Putin, China, it is now on display in the window of a ground floor unit of Great Northern Warehouse.
We don’t think the construction work was part of the plan but there’s some ironic about it. (Credit: The Manc Group)
Known for blending Renaissance-inspired techniques with modern social and political themes, as per an official press release, his new large-scale oil painting “dives into the dynamics of power and ego, up against sacrifice.”
As you can see, the piece features a hulking green Donald Trump attached to a crucifix, concealing a sacrificial Jesus, framed by an American flag and a flock of sheep in the background. To the right, Vladimir Putin appears as a modern John the Baptist, quoting “I must decrease, so he can increase”.
Meanwhile, a modern Chinese couple in traditional Han clothing represents “an element of China’s old tradition, with a quote reserved for its royal dynasties ‘Mandate of Heaven'” with scorched earth around them pointing towards the continued environmental destruction of the modern world.
Taking six weeks to complete, Deansgate‘s provocative Trump painting was actually started way back in March 2024 and was also inspired by Browne’s last piece of work.
Having previously spotlighted the Black Panthers movement in mid-1960s America in For 30 pieces of silver, his follow-up is another commentary on power and could be described as a high-end political cartoon like those drawn in newspapers for centuries.
For 30 pieces of silver features both Trump and Putin, as well as Chinese leader Xi Jinping. (Michael J Browne 2023)
Also drawing inspiration from the ‘Isenheim Altarpiece’ – a widely-admired German Renaissance masterpiece depicting suffering and redemption – this time the Moss Side artist has managed to weave together biblical allegory with current affairs and global geopolitics.
Commenting on the rather stark imagery, Michael says “It’s superimposed power, aggressiveness. Removing God’s Grace! […] The pursuit of power is leaving destruction in its wake—socially, politically, and environmentally.”
Taking cues from ‘Saint Anthony’s fire’, (a disease now referred to as ergotism that is often depicted as a very religious plague), the feeling of skin being on fire is transferred to the landscape itself; “The pursuit of power is leaving destruction in its wake—socially, politically, and environmentally“, he adds.
Michael also coincidentally painted bullets and used shells around Trump’s feet months before the former 45th and now returning 47th US President narrowly survived an assassination attempt on his campaign trail.
America First – Trump, Putin, China can be checked out in full public view on the corner of Great Northern in Deansgate as we speak.
Information for viewers will accompany the painting which is also available for purchase.
Based over at GRIT Studios who have two Greater Manchester locations along with several other local artists, you can find out more about Michael’s work HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
20th May 2022 
