Romantic bars and restaurants in Manchester that are perfect for Valentine’s Day
From fine dining restaurants with views across the city, to intimate neighbourhood bistros and underground cocktail bars, if you're stuck for date inspiration this Valentine's we've got you covered.
With Valentine’s Day in Manchester fast approaching, the city’s restaurants and bars are turning on the charm to create some serious romantic settings.
With so many great restaurants, if you’re looking to take your other half out to eat you are quite literally spoilt for choice.
For those lost in a sea of menus and wondering where to book, we thought we’d help make things a little bit easier by recommending some of our favourite romantic restaurants in Manchester and a few other popular date night spots to help get you started.
Keep reading to discover our top picks for where to take your date in Manchester this Valentine’s Day.
Musu, Bridge Street
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
If you’re looking to impress your date with sleek settings, flawless service and a touch of glamour, Bridge Street’s latest arrival should be just the ticket.
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New Japanese restaurant Musu offers a contemporary interpretation of Japanese dishes currently not seen outside of London, serving specially created 7 and 11 course tasting menus with wine pairings, as well as a traditional ‘chef’s choice’ experience at its six-seat Omakase counter.
The menu is divided into three sections – Sentaku, Kaiseki and Omakase – and diners can also order dishes a la carte style.
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Drinks-wise, look forward to a mixture of classic cocktails, Japanese sakes and whiskies, as well as a specially chosen list of wines handpicked by house sommelier Ivan Milchev.
Opened by the team behind the Michelin-recommended Corvena in Chester just before Christmas, it boasts a stunning wine list (the name nods to the importance of weather in creating incredible wines) as well as some reportedly ‘genius’ dishes on its menu.
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Serving a mixture of small and large plates, it also has one of the best panoramic views of the city skyline – looking down across Manchester from the restaurant’s perch on Blackfriars, especially at sunset, is pretty romantic.
A charming little 26-cover bistro clinging to an A road in the south Manchester neighbourhood of Sale, it’s not just the name that makes this restaurant a perfect choice for a romantic date.
Serving up some critically acclaimed British and European food with a beautiful hand-picked selection of wines, find rich and comforting dishes like lamb ragu gnocchi, baked bone marrow with truffle, and 32-day dry-aged red Hereford beef on its regularly-changing a la carte menu.
As for pudding? Tuck into the likes of popcorn and white chocolate posset with salted caramel, or enjoy a peanut butter pie with candied peanuts and a warming glass of Pedro Ximinez.
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Hawksmoor, Deansgate
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Not many London brands successfully make the move up to Manchester, but one that has done it with aplomb is premium British steakhouse Hawksmoor.
It’s pricey but worth it, with a stunning wood-paneled cocktail bar (and mouthwatering bar of burgers and pickles menu) available next to the restaurant to help you get your date off to a flying start.
Serving the very best dry-aged beef, sustainable seafood and seasonal farm produce from the UK, steaks come out beautifully blackened and charred thanks to its Josper grill whilst sides are indulgent (typically laden with rich cheese, nutmeg and cream).
The aforementioned cocktail list is excellent, as is the wine list. All around a 10/10 spot with friendly service to boot.
The Sparrows, Green Quarter
Mix and match pierogi at The Sparrows. / Image: The Manc Eats
The Sparrows signature dish, spatzle. / Image: The Manc Eats
One of the best restaurants in Manchester by a long shot, it is run by a married couple – with Polish-born Kasia Hitchcock positioned out front and her chef-partner Franco Concli working away busily in the back.
Spatzle (pictured above) is the house specialty, said to mirror sparrows in flight – hence the restaurant’s name. It’s best eaten with a simple sauce of butter and sage, but there are numerous sauce options – plus countless European dumplings, a fine sake selection and an organic wine list.
The hushed, sleek interiors, meanwhile, will have you convinced you’re somewhere in New York – not on the back streets of the Green Quarter.
A visit to The Oystercatcher requires a trip out to Chorlton, but it’s well worth it to taste some of the best fish on offer in the city – often chargrilled in the josper oven for added flavour.
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Getting a good seafood menu together is challenging in a city as landlocked as Manchester, and the lists change weekly at the restaurant in reflection of this.
Oysters dressed with shallot mignonette tend to be a mainstay, whilst a sample menu lists the likes of black sea bream, scallops, monkfish, seabass, sea trout, mussels and crab.
Sides are ordered separately, with choices like fennel gratin, chargrilled broccoli, hispi cabbage, triple cooked chips and more.
10 Tib Lane, Tib Lane
Image: 10 Tib Lane
Image: 10 Tib Lane
With sultry low lighting, quality cocktails, £1 oysters and plenty of tucked-away seating spread over three floors, 10 Tib Lane could’ve been made for date night.
Serving a tantalising small plates menu alongside some beautiful low-intervention wines, its Cumbrae oysters with mignonette are a must-order to get your date night going.
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Followed up with the likes of steak tartare, lamb sweetbreads, duck in port sauce, bone marrow and pommes anna, and charred hispi cabbage in shallot sauce, foodies should be in absolute heaven.
Erst, Ancoats
Raw scallop, radish & bergamot at Erst. / Image: Erst
Beetroot, ajo blanco & green chilli. One of Erst’s longest standing dishes (and a must order). / Image: Erst
Another award-winning, Michelin-recommended eatery, this time from the team behind the Levenshulme (and now also Ancoats) bakeries, Trove.
Open Tuesday to Saturday, with its concrete floors and relatively sparse settings, it’s the food here more than the restaurant’s decor that makes Erst so romantic.
A love of fermentation and pickling has clearly passed from one sibling’s kitchen into another. Plates here are ordered to share, with a list of 10 to choose from.
Each designed simply to showcase the natural flavours of the produce, order as many as you can muster then tuck in with a good bottle of natural wine on the side.
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Bar San Juan, Chorlton
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
This teeny tiny tapas bar in Chorlton is a treasured local gem, and for good reason.
Named Manchester’s Neighbourhood Venue of the Year at the 2022 Manchester Food and Drink Awards, this cosy little slice of Spain on Beech Road is as unassuming as it is full of European charm.
From the warmth of San Juan’s staff, for whom nothing is too much trouble, to its impeccable dishes, it’s easy to see how this cosy neighbourhood spot is so beloved. If you’re after an intimate date with top-notch food, you cannot go wrong here.
Home to some of the best pasta in Greater Manchester, you do have to schlep all the way out to Denton for it – but if incredible Italian food is part of your partner’s love language then trust us, it’ll be worth it.
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By day, Ornella’s is very much a tiny deli cafe with room for just 12 diners at once. By night, the combination of the small space, low lighting and mouthwatering dishes make it a pasta lover’s paradise.
Dish-wise, think plump lobster ravioli, butter-drenched crispy sage and hazelnut spinach ricotta ravioli, and carbonara bucatini liberally doused in pepper and egg yolk, with crisp flecks of guanciale on top – all freshly made on-site by hand that day.
The Edinburgh Castle pub has stood in the heart of Ancoats since 1811 and is one of the area’s most popular hangouts.
Lovingly refurbished by the team behind Cottonopolis, it now has South African born chef Shaun Moffat at the helm overseeing some magic on its bar and restaurant menus.
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Downstairs it’s all cosy pub vibes with a good pint of Guinness and outrageously tempting chip butties.
Head upstairs, though, and you’ll discover a beautiful modern restaurant with views across Ancoats and a gorgeous menu so committed to local produce that its chefs reportedly don’t even cook with pepper.
Flawd, Ancoats marina
Image: Flawd
Image: Flawd
Sitting right on the waterside next to Ancoats Marina, if good wine and small plates is your love language then Flawd is an absolute must visit – even if you just pop in for a glass before heading on for a swanky dinner elsewhere.
With views across the water, you’ll find a knowledgeable team pouring gorgeous low intervention wines in a casual but romantic, laid-back setting that feels more European than Manchester usually does.
Plates comes from acclaimed chef Joseph Otway, using their own organic produce grown on the team’s sustainable farm Cinderwood Market Garden in Cheshire.
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Sterling, Spring Gardens
Image: Sterling Bar
Image: Sterling Bar
Nestled in an old bank vault in the basement of Gary Neville’s Stock Exchange Hotel, this swanky new bar from the accomplished Schofield brothers oozes charm and seduction.
With dark wood panneled walls, low lighting, sensory cocktails and table service, plus small plates to keep you going through the drinks, it’s a great place to enjoy some romantic drinks on a date – and there are even hotel rooms upstairs.
20 Stories, Spinningfields
Image: 20 Stories
Image: 20 Stories
It feels like this Spinningfields rooftop restaurant needs no introduction at this point, but we’re going to do it anyway.
A glamorous establishment with a huge, heated outdoor terrace, it sits right at the top of the No.1 Spinningfields building overlooking the swanky glass towers of the business district from its position on high.
Long favoured for romantic date night thanks to its breathtaking views of the Manchester skyline, this swanky restaurant’s menu is not to be sniffed at either with a selection of delicious modern British dishes on offer.
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Evelyn’s, Northern Quarter
Image: Evelyn’s
If you’re afterr more of a laid-back eatery with a casual setting, Evelyn’s is a great choice – offering a mixed menu of small plates that can be ordered to share or larger ones to enjoy alone.
A popular Manchester cafe by day, at night it comes alive in a whole new way, the restaurant lit up romantically with plants trailing down from hangers above your head.
Evelyn’s also boasts a ‘secret’ bar below, The Daisy, where you can sneak off with your date afterward to enjoy a few cocktails (or wines) in a romantic setting.
El Gato Negro, King Street
The chef’s table at El Gato Negro in Manchester gives you a direct view of the chefs as they work. / Image: El Gato Negro
This AA Rosette and Michelin-recommended restaurant on King Street is a fail-safe date option in our (humble) opinion.
Serving up a mix of tapas dishes split into sections like fish and shellfish, meat, charcuterie, vegetables and para picar, tuck into the likes of Catalan bread, Padron peppers, salt cod croquettas and Morcilla scotch eggs.
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Alongside a great wine and cocktail list, El Gato is also known for its sherry and vermouth selection – and both make a great complement to this style of dining.
For an ultra-romantic twist, if you love the idea of having a bit of theatre whilst you eat you can opt to sit at the chef’s table which faces directly into the kitchen.
If you ask us, romance doesn’t have to be all white tablecloths and rose petals – sometimes it’s more fun to get stuck in and share a curry with your loved one.
Since it opened in Manchester with queues out the door, Dishoom has remained one of the city’s most popular curry houses whilst maintaining an elusive, sultry feel – thanks, in part, to its setting within the city’s stunning former Masonic Hall.
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Nestle up in one of its many beautiful corners on Valentine’s Day, with walk-ins always welcome.
Where’s your favourite romantic restaurant in Manchester? Let us know via Instagram at @themanceats.
Feature image – 20 Stories
Manchester
Price of Manchester Village Pride 2026 tickets confirmed as wristbands go on sale
Emily Sergeant
Wristbands for Pride in Manchester this summer officially go on sale today.
Following last week’s announcement that the iconic Manchester Pride celebrations would, in fact, be returning in 2026 thanks to the creation of Manchester Village Pride CIC, today marks a ‘landmark’ moment as wristbands go on sale, helping to rebuild and reclaim what has always been once of the city’s most important events.
Early bird wristbands are now on sale at just £25, plus booking fee, offering community members access to four days of ‘safe and responsible’ celebrations.
This is set to include a ‘diverse’ programme of events that build on some of the best-loved elements of previous years – a Pride Parade, candle-lit vigil, party with performance and music across various stages, as well as talks, exhibitions, and community activities.
Manchester Pride is returning in 2026 / Credit: The Manc Group | Manchester Pride
Once early bird wristbands sell out, then general release wristbands will go on sale priced at £30 plus booking fee for the full weekend, or £20 plus booking fee for individual day passes.
Options for those on low-income, or those that require additional support, will also be available too.
Under the new direction of Manchester Village Pride CIC, all funds raised through the sale of wristbands and passes will enable the safe delivery of the Summer Bank Holiday Weekend event, and will support LGBTQ+ charities, grassroots organisations, and vital community services.
Any surplus funds will then be legally locked in for public benefit, and a ‘transparency dashboard’ on the Manchester Village Pride CIC website will be updated regularly to show ticket sales, costs, and projected charitable surplus.
Manchester Village Pride CIC has so far received £120,000 in loans from Village venues, which it says reflects the ‘determination’ of local LGBTQ+ businesses to safeguard Pride and ensure it remains rooted in the community that created it.
However, despite this, funds from wristband sales are now required to help start planning and organising the event properly.
“Naturally, given the failure of Manchester Pride Ltd and ongoing impact that this has had on charities, artists, and businesses within our community, we know that everything we do is going to be scrutinised,” admitted Carl Austin-Behan, who is one of the founding board members and spokesperson for Manchester Village Pride CIC.
“We are ready to meet that head on with clear open book management, direct and clear language when providing updates, and radical transparency about any funding.
Wristbands have officially gone on sale for 2026’s event this morning / Credit: Manchester Pride
“In the spirit of this transparency, we do need to be clear that we need people to purchase a wristband or day pass.
“Over Pride weekend, the Village becomes a large-scale live event space, with outdoor stages, performances, and street bars. A ticketed entry system allows us to meet essential safety, security, and government licensing requirements, manage crowd numbers responsibly, and provide appropriate stewarding, medical, and welfare support.
“Without this approach, venues would not be legally permitted to host stages or outdoor bars, and the Village simply couldn’t operate in the way people expect during Pride weekend.
“This is not about restricting access, it’s about keeping people safe, protecting our venues, and ensuring Manchester Village Pride can happen responsibly.”
Manchester Village Pride 2026 will take place over August Bank Holiday weekend between Friday 28 and Monday 31 August.
Where to watch Super Bowl LX in Manchester
Danny Jones
Game day is fast approaching, and with the NFL scene getting bigger and bigger in the UK each year, more and more Mancs are left wondering where to watch the Super Bowl in Manchester.
With six-time Championship winners, the New England Patriots, set to take on the Seattle Seahawks – a resurgent side who have only won just one Super Bowl in their history – it’s all set up to be a fully blown blitz from the off.
Luckily, there are a whole host of sports bars in the city centre that will be showing Super Bowl LIX right through, so you don’t have to miss a minute of the action – all four hours or so of it.
Yes, it’s a long, old night (usually wrapping up around 3am here in the UK), but that’s part of why people love it, and if you’re still undecided as to where to go, here are a dozen places you can hunker down with some good grub and plenty of pints to watch it.
13 of the best places showing the Super Bowl in Manchester
1. The Blues Kitchen – Deansgate
We’ve spent the last three years watching it from here, so we vouch for the vibes. (Credit: The Manc)
First up on our list is the place we spend the Super Bowl pretty much every year: Blues Kitchen just off Deansgate, which promises big screens, live music, American BBQ favourites and more from 9pm.
With food and drinks served until late to keep you going throughout the long night, you’ll have an absolute ball. Book HERE.
2. BOX – Deansgate
BOX Bar opened on Deansgate back in 2021 and has quickly become one of the most popular places to watch any sport in town, and it’s not hard to see why.
With massive pitchers and steins of booze, a banging food menu built for shuffleboard at the back and screens on almost every wall, including a massive NBA-style jumbotron screen, you won’t miss a second of the action. This one always fills up quickly, so book now if you don’t want to miss out.
3. O’Malley’s – Portland Street
Ideal gameday scoops and scran. (Credit: Supplied)
As one of the only pubs in Manchester that regularly stays up this late – and by that we mean 4am – keeping eyes open until the early hours is child’s play for these lot, so similarly, it’s no surprise that the Irish bar is showing the Super Bowl.
One of many recent green and gold additions to the city that’s obsession with Guinness and all things Gaelic only seems to be growing, O’Malley’s, you can book your spot to watch both the Bowl and the Six Nations right HERE.
4. Black Cat Club
If you’ve never been to Black Cat Club before, then what are you playing at? They’ve got interactive darts, high-tech shuffleboard, foosball tables, and with the El Gato Negro team having spawned their food menu, you’re guaranteed a solid lineup of gameday goodies inspired by proper NFL tailgates.
They’re coming up on their second birthday very soon, and we think giving Mancs a first real taste of a proper sporting all-nighter is the perfect way to celebrate. You can find out more and how to book HERE.
Given that students are typically the ones who don’t tend to worry about sleeping/waking up at any particular time, it’d be rude not to put a regular uni haunt and Manc nightlife favourite, The Courtyard, on this list.
Not only is this one of the cheapest places for a night in town, possibly the country, but it’s yet another prime location to watch the sport. You are never, we repeat, NEVER too old for Courtyard, and it never disappoints when there are sports fans in.
Another all-time classic Manchester sports bar, The Directors’ Box, just off St Peter’s Square in the city centre, has plenty of pints, an absolutely mint menu full of sharing platters perfect for watching the game with your mates, as well as a pool table to keep you occupied during the breaks.
They’re even putting on a special menu just for the game. This is another one that packs out fast, so book now while you still can.
The Brotherhood of Pastimes and Pursuits is another tried and tested favourite come any matchday, and the team over there does a great job of building a proper atmosphere across their two floors when it comes to the Super Bowl.
It’s a great post-work spot any day of the week, let alone when there are big events on like this. Food, pints, pool, table tennis and more. 10/10, no notes from us. Reserve your table now
8. Tib St Tavern – Northern Quarter
Credit: The Manc Group
No list of Manchester sports bars would be complete without Tib Street Tavern, one of the most popular in NQ or the city centre in general, for that matter.
With booths for you and all your mates to pile into, massive screens filling the walls and solid grub, this place is packed out noon till night, so give ’em a ring on 0161 834 1600 to sort your seat whilst you still can. They also completed a refurb not too long ago, so you’ll be comfier than ever this year.
Nothing like the Bowl at Bunny’s. If you’ve ever been in this beloved wing-stop and rock-themed watering hole for an NFL game, you know that this place is pretty much the perfect place to be.
Arguably the best dive bar on the planet (it’s us, we’re arguing it), and not just because the wings start from 30p, there’s no bookings – you just rock up and try your luck and hope for laces out. Say no more.
10. Albert Hall – Peter Street
Following the success of their England watchalongs for the Euros and World Cups, Albert Hall is going all fan park once again for Super Bowl Sunday 2026. With plenty of room and a very big screen, it’s set to be the ideal place to watch SBLX, from the gridiron carnage to the halftime show.
It’s just a tenner for entry, and once again, besides a top sound system and big HD telly, there’ll be pitchers of beer, hot dogs and all the essentials required for a proper American sports party. Find out more down below.
If you popped into Brickhouse for the World Cup or even the Six Nations, you’ll know the bar, club, rooftop terrace, and pool hall are really killing it when it comes to live sports at the minute – especially with tickets to dedicated fan zones for just a fiver.
Kicking off from 8pm and spreading across two of the three floors, this is one of the best places to grab a slice of pizza and a pint while watching the game. Better yet, their increasingly popular fan zone is absolutely free; you just need to email [email protected] or ring 0161 236 4899.
Last on our list is another cult favourite amongst NQ frequent flyers, as not only do Shack MCR specialise in all the very best kinds of food you want whilst watching live sport – wings, fries, burgers, nachos, etc. – but they’re even serving up special Super Bowl platters for the occasion.
They’ll be serving scran until 1:30 in the morning, and although all the private booths have already sold out, there are still some tables left for Sunday, 11 February, so book yours now.
Last but not least, lucky number 13 (yeah, we’re glass-half-full kind of people) on this year’s list of Super Bowl screenings in Manchester for 2026 is veteran Aussie sports bar, Walkabout.
With Bierkeller and Shooters across the way having sadly closed, this is now the longest-standing boozer of its kind in Printworks, and they also love a late night,
Of course, it goes without saying that if we could chuck every one of our city’s wonderful pubs and sports bars on this list, then we would, but we’d be here forever.
That being said, a literal dozen places to watch the big game in Manchester city centre should be more than enough to get you started — now it’s down to you to make sure you plan out the perfect Super Bowl Sunday for LX 2026. Just make sure you’ve got your arse in a seat before that first touchdown.
Get lots of sleep this week because you’re going to need it!
Oh, and if you’ve also been wondering where to watch American football’s forefather, the best rugby union tournament in the land is underway, and there are plenty of places showing it in town.
Georgina Pellant -
8th February 2024 
