The most romantic day of the year (or the most tiresome, depending how loved-up you are) is almost upon us, and Manchester is ready for another Valentine’s Day.
Whether you’re looking for the ultimate in luxury dinners, or just something a bit more casual you can do with a few mates, there’s no escaping the love season.
On the higher end of things, there are set menus with views of the city, wine tasting tours, and luxury spa packages with dinner thrown in.
Or if you’re more of a casual cupid, you can go for bottomless tacos, heart-shaped cookies, or tequila disguised as a love potion.
You can even go and sculpt a p*nis out of clay, if that floats your boat…
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Platzki, Great Northern
One of Manchester’s most delightful little restaurants, Platzki is a perfect Valentine’s spot for foodies.
They’re doing a traditional Polish feast this year exclusively on 14 February.
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For £50 per person, you can have confit duck pierogis (or beetroot and goat’s cheese) and a choice of main courses including Kaszotto (pearl barley risotto) and Sarna (thinly-sliced venison steak) served with homemade dumplings.
Evelyn’s, Northern Quarter
Evelyn’s in the Northern Quarter in ManchesterSteak at Evelyn’s in the Northern Quarter in Manchester
Evelyn’s is a real neighbourhood spot, always full of groups of mates nattering over brunch or couples sipping wine in the candlelight.
They’re doing a Valentine’s Day menu where, for £45 per head, you get a selection of snacks to share, a small plate and a main from the grill each, and a pudding per person, plus a glass of champagne on arrival.
Down on Oxford Road there’s Zouk, one of the best curry houses in Manchester, who love an excuse for a good party.
The restaurant is doing a special Valentine’s Day feast, which includes a ‘lovers sharing platter’ with Pubjabi lollipops oyster pakoras, tandoori grilled prawns and samosa chaat, then a choice of curries, and a selection of hand-made desserts.
And if you’d rather be on the other side of the kitchen, you can do the Valentine’s cooking class on 17 February.
Late-night cookies served warm straight from the oven – it’s no wonder that Insomnia Cookies has been a roaring success from day one and has already managed to open three sites in Manchester since first arriving here last summer.
For Valentine’s Day, you can order special gigantic heart-shaped red velvet cookies, or mini ones that come with a pot of vanilla frosting for dipping in.
And you can order an extra treat with The Sweet Beats – a six-piece brass band you can book to serenade your sweetheart on their doorstep.
To be in with a chance of having the brass band-o-gram rock up with your red velvet heart-shaped cookie, just pre-order via insomniacookies.co.uk by 8 February and select 14 February as your delivery date.
Tattu, Spinningfields
Tattu in manchester has been bathed in red for Valentine’s Day. Credit: The Manc GroupTattu’s Elixir of Love cocktail for Valentine’s Day 2024
Manchester’s beautiful Chinese restaurant Tattu has been bathed in red ahead of Valentine’s Day, turning its pink cherry blossom tree extra-romantic.
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For the special occasion, they’ll be serving up a limited-edition sharing cocktail called the Elixir of Love, a partnership with Laurent Perrier.
Each cocktail comes with a small red envelope, which will contain a golden ticket for one of three spcial gifts.
It’s running alongside their Lunar New Year celebrations too, so there’s plenty of banquets and feasting menus to try. Book here.
Madre, Kampus
Madre at Kampus is doing date night right with bottomless tacos. Because nothing screams romance like indigestion.
For £35 per person, diners on 14 February can stuff themselves silly with the restaurant’s excellent Mexican tacos, with fillings including Pollo Asada, Cochinita Pibil, Birria, Hongos Asada or Brussels.
If you like to go BIG on Valentine’s Day, 20 Stories is the place to do it – it’s a beautiful restaurant with unrivalled views across Manchester.
This year they’re doing a four-course menu of canapes, starter, main and dessert, with dishes including seared scallops, treacle-cured beef, and dark chocolate marquis.
Manchester’s most notorious pizza join – where the margs and the slices flow until the early hours – has gone all soppy on us for Valentine’s Day 2024.
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Crazy Pedro’s is doing a £35 bundle that includes a massive calzone, two drinks, and ‘love potion’ (that’s tequila, apparently).
They’re even promising fancy table cloths, silver service, fizz, and even cutlery. Email [email protected] to book your spot.
Big Licks, Liverpool Road
There’s a bargain afoot with all that romance down on Liverpool Road, and it’s one that burger fans will want to get involved with.
Big Licks is serving up the ‘perfect date night’ – two desserts and two shakes for only £20.
And if you eat in, you can get two burgers and two fries for £20 too.
Rosa’s Thai, the brilliant little restaurant on Deansgate, will be giving diners a chance to win a free sweet treat for Valentine’s Day.
Guests will be invited to draw a card from a deck of cards – if they pull out a Heart, they’ll be given a free Thai dessert or a bubble tea.
Rosa’s is also urging groups of friends to join in the fun, not just couples.
The Lawn Club, Spinningfields
The Lawn Club in Manchester has heart-shaped pizzas on its Valentine’s Day menu.
Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s or Galentine’s this year, The Lawn Club’s got a little something to suit you.
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Their ‘Love on the Lawn’ deal includes two heart-shaped pizzas with two sides and two drinks, for £25 each.
Or the Galentine’s Bottomless Bunch event on 17 February comes with a soundtrack of heartbreak anthems and 90 minutes of bottomless drinks, including a Valentine’s special cocktail.
Manchester Wine Tours, city centre
If your dream Valentine’s Day date is more glasses of hearty Beaujolais than heart-shaped balloons, then the Manchester Wine Tour might be the perfect shout for the big day.
You and your chosen date (or mate) will head out in a small group from 3pm on Friday 16 February.
Then over the course of four hours, you’ll walk between several venues in Manchester city centre, drinking at least six different wines with elite snacks and learning a bit along the way too.
Manchester’s beautiful city centre boutique hotel King Street Townhouse will have a range of experiences for Valentine’s Day.
There’s a special dinner-for-two with a dedicated menu and bottle of wine per couple, an exclusive Valentine’s spa experience (which includes a hot stone massage, use of the thermal suite, and a two-course meal with champagne), and romantic film screenings in their secret cinema.
If you’re staying overnight too, King Street Townhouse have loads of special room packages to enhance your stay.
Ducie Street Warehouse has a couple of things on for Valentine’s Day – including the return of its ‘Sexy Sculpt’ event.
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You can mould your own p*nis-shaped decoration out of clay, with supervision from the lovely pottery experts at Cork & Clay.
They’ll also have a delivery of Half Dozen Other’s special Red Croissant with a passion fruit crème filling available to pick up from Ducie Street Warehouse on the day.
Refuge at the Kimpton Clocktower
The Winter Gardens at the Kimpton Clocktower
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Kimpton Clocktower is opening up its beautiful Winter Gardens to diners for the first time.
The huge space has a giant glass ceiling and is full of trees, making it one of Manchester’s prettiest venues.
Diners will be able to enjoy a delicious tasting menu, made up of small sharing plates and hearty pies made using the finest from local ingredients, as well as an extensive cocktail list.
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Suki Suki, Great Northern
Suki Suki in Manchester
You can find your soy-mate (geddit… geddit) at Suki Suki, a brilliant pan-Asian restaurant on Deansgate, this year.
For just £30 each, you’ll get a three-course set menu and a glass of prosecco, and their deal is running from 13 to 15 February.
Dishes will include classic salt and pepper seasoned ribs, and honey and chilli-glazed pork belly. It’s all delicious.
Tributes pour in for chairman of Manchester City’s ‘Cheadle Blues’ supporters club, Tommy Muir
Danny Jones
Tributes are pouring in following the death of Tommy Muir, the long-standing chairman of Manchester City’s ‘Cheadle Blues’ supporters club, at the age of 71.
News of Muir’s death broke on Thursday, 21 November, with countless Man City fans learning of his tragic passing online and proceeding to pay their respects.
The Cheadle Branch boss, lifelong supporter and well-known club figure is said to have died following a period of illness, with a member of the popular Bluemoon Forum claiming he suffered from the progressive disease pulmonary fibrosis for some time.
Numerous messages of sadness, love and support have been shared on social media already.
Sad to hear the news that Tommy Muir has died. A wonderful person who first helped me with my research decades ago. A dedicated MCFC fan. My thoughts are with his family and friends. https://t.co/8rLcL10N2Ipic.twitter.com/dkEmCSU1vl
Just heard a top blue Tommy Muir has passed away. Met Tommy years ago, he helped me out with tickets down the years, we shared a few laughs and pints. He gave me this plaque after he rescued it from Maine Road and is something I'll always treasure. RIP Tommy #trueblue 💙⚽ pic.twitter.com/jfbFLfZCKS
By all accounts, Muir will be remembered as a much-loved leader of City’s Cheadle Branch, as well as a generous character with a great sense of humour.
There are countless messages from people who know him from the local area or through helping sort spare tickets for matchdays and as the familiar face around Maine Road back in the day and on the bus to the Etihad Stadium for many years.
Tommy was also one of the official supporters group members who were treated to a visit by Man City themselves, naming him honorary Life Vice President of the Official Supporters Club and bringing the Treble trophies to his doorstep back in July 2023.
Muir, an ex-Royal Mail worker, also served as the landlord of The Kenilworth pub back in Cheadle, Stockport, where fans would regularly meet pre-match before heading to watch the game.
Local author and historian of Manchester sport, Gary James, wrote on Facebook: “I’ve just seen this news… Sad to hear the news that Tommy Muir has died. A wonderful person who first helped me with my research decades ago. A dedicated MCFC fan. My thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Speaking to The Manc, General Secretary of City’s Official Supporters Club, Kevin Parker told us: Tommy was a blue through and through and 100% committed to The Supporters Club at Cheadle and its members.
“I have known Tommy for over 30 years and no one deserved the recent success the club has had more than him. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him and fondly remembered. He will still be watching our wonderful club from the Blue Stands in the Sky telling anyone who disrespects his Club to ‘do one'”
Known to so many throughout the fan base, even supporters who never met him personally have been sharing their condolences on various platforms. Those who knew him well have nothing but heartwarming memories to share.
Fan forums like Bluemoon have been awash with people mourning Muir’s passing. One person told the story of meeting him at the age of 17 and following him when moved to The George and Dragon pub – another popular City haunt before games.
Another wrote: “I got to know Tommy when I joined the Cheadle Supporters branch. Tommy loved being branch secretary. He was absolutely dedicated to his position as branch secretary […] The branch meetings were serious affairs, getting through what had to be discussed, but in between was humour and laughter brought about by Tommy.
“Tommy had a huge sense of humour, and his one-liners were famous amongst the branch members, which would have everyone laughing throughout the meetings. The coach trips to the away games were never dull. They were always full of cheer, drinking, laughter, and City songs.”
“Keep on watching your beloved City from above. Rest in peace, Tommy.”
Losses like this within a fan base are always tough to take. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends, the Cheadle Branch and all the Blues whose lives he touched. RIP Tommy Muir.
A look at Embassy Village as construction on Manchester’s homeless housing project begins
Danny Jones
Work has officially begun on Manchester’s long-rumoured Embassy Village, a new living quarters designed specifically to house the local homeless community.
Set to be the largest purpose-built village of its kind in the UK, the hope is to provide short to medium-term housing for up to 40 rough sleepers in the Greater Manchester area.
Planning permission for the £4 million project proposed by the Embassy Charity was handed down back in 2021 and enabling works have been gradually taking place, with the land now fully prepped for construction to begin.
Officially breaking ground on Tuesday, 19 November, developers and regeneration specialists Peel Waters shared the first images from the site as well as concept artwork for what the district will look like once completed.
Construction begins to build the UK’s largest purpose-built village for rough sleepers @EmbassyVillage 🏗️🏡 Over 50 organisations are working together to transform our site below 22 railway arches into high-quality homes for 40 homeless men Full story herehttps://t.co/xoXfURTLGkpic.twitter.com/fn8GixYsxR
The 4.5-acre brownfield site sits beneath 22 railway arches just off the Egerton Street Bridge near Castlefield and the bustling Regent Road which heads towards Salford. Although it was initially said rooms would be made from shipping containers, the units will now be proper purpose-built structures.
Designed to house homeless and vulnerable people living in and around Manchester within individual units, Embassy Village is a joint non-profit venture by both Peel Waters and well-known property company Capital&Centric.
Contractor Vermont Group will be taking on the construction for free, with around 50 organisations offering their services pro bono, including AEW Architects, Planit and Jon Matthews Architects, who helped design the living quarters and wider communal space from the ground up.
Aiming to create a genuinely beneficial community environment, with those staying there able to access green spaces, mini-allotment plots, sports facilities; counselling services, laundry rooms, computer spaces and tonnes more, they’ve come a long way from offering tour bus beds to the homeless.
Residents will also start off on the right path towards getting back on their feet and those staying there will be required to carry out six hours of training per week in things like shopping, cooking, budgeting and other key life skills.
Substance abuse was only mentioned as a contributing cause by 22% of respondents, highlighting the reality that homelessness trauma exacerbates addiction for many. In fact, homelessness is a major contributing factor to substance abuse. pic.twitter.com/DeEB7VhAiC
Speaking on the first day of proper construction, Peel Waters‘ director James Whittaker said: “Today’s launch event is an important milestone, marking years of hard work and collaboration to deliver the UK’s first purpose-built community village…”
He went on to thank all of those who have backed the plans so far, including Greater Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham, who has already applauded it as a “fantastic idea.”
With several local organisations either offering their help for free or contribute by donating to the project, the speed at which work can now move is increasing and it is expected that the 24 homes, as well as the central ‘village hall’ space, will be finished within the next 10 months.
The aim is for Embassy Village to be completed in its entirety by the end of 2025 and with more and more businesses being invited to help with the development along the way, the amount of resources and manpower is only looking like it will increase with approximately £1m still needed to fully bring it to life.
Cooperating with the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, which specialises in helping the homeless through its ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, Embassy are now working on finding long-term funding for the village’s operational costs once it is up and running.
Another key benefactor is The Moulding Foundation, an organisation dedicated to alleviating social inequalities, who donated £3.5m to support the village’s construction.
Co-founder, Jodie Moulding, told Prolific North: “For most people, access to housing, healthcare, and education is a given – but for others, it is a privilege…
“It has taken an unbelievable amount of time, effort, and energy to get to this point, so finally breaking ground is a huge milestone for everyone involved in bringing Embassy Village to life.”
As for Embassy themselves the charity’s director, Sid Williams, added: “Special thanks go to Matt and Jodie Moulding for their financial backing and the teams at Peel Waters, Capital&Centric, the Mayor’s Charity and Manchester City Council for making this happen.”