Manchester’s beautiful Corn Exchange has built itself a reputation as one of the best places to sit and soak in the sunshine in the city centre.
Every summer when the sun beats down on our city, people flock to the Grade II-listed building and its range of brilliant restaurants and bars.
There are terraces perched outside the stunning architecture, perfectly positioned to soak in the sun from every side of the building.
And there’s loads of food on offer, from classic Italian to Greek to Vietnamese, with something to suit all tastes and dietary requirements.
From the Corn Exchange, you’re in a great people-watching spot, watching the bustling city go by with a cocktail or a wine in hand.
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You can sit with a view of Exchange Square, or the green spaces of Cathedral Gardens, or even the stunning architecture of the Manchester Cathedral.
The outdoor terraces have plenty of space for socialising in the sunshine, whether you’re looking for a casual lunch, a celebratory dinner, or an after-work gathering.
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The best restaurants and bars with outside space at the Corn Exchange in Manchester
Banyan
This huge, colourful bar, famed for its crowd-pleasing menu and its cocktail happy hour, has one of the biggest and busiest terraces of the lot.
On their massive menu, highlights include the Alpine chicken schnitzel served with house fries; the Revitalise bowl with halloumi, roast butternut squash, red and golden beets, avocado, tomato, roast peppers, quinoa and a superfood dressing; and then wash it down with a fruit bomb, mixing grenadine, cranberry, orange, and fruit jam.
Cosy Club
While its interior balcony looking over the atrium is a popular spot year-round, in the summer months you’ve got to visit the Cosy Club’s outdoor space.
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Here you can tuck in to dishes like sesame salmon with tamari and ginger teriyaki noodles, or a vegan cheeseburger.
Then they have loads of cocktails and mocktails on offer, like the refreshing Morning Cooler with lemon, elderflower and mint, finished with soda and cucumber.
Zizzi
A crowd favourite for good reason – this Italian restaurant group has delicious summer dishes on offer like hot-smoked salmon and pesto risotto, lentil ragu with sunblush tomatoes and spinach, and amazing sharing boards.
For drinks, they have a new range of coolers, like the Citrus and Pineapple Cooler.
The Real Greek
You’ll feel like you’ve been whisked away to Santorini with a visit to the Real Greek.
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Pull up a chair outside, grab a Mythos beer, and dive into a menu of authentic gyros and other Greek dishes.
Highlights include Chicken Monastiraki served with tzatziki, onion and tomatoes, and jackfruit gyros.
Salvi’s
Salvi’s outdoor restaurant space at the Corn Exchange.
A family-run favourite – Salvi’s offers a hearty and authentic taste of Italy.
Top picks here include Pasta Nonna Teresa with pancetta and pistachio pesto, and a mushroom, vegan parmesan and truffle oil risotto.
And how could you possibly refuse an Aperol spritz in the sunshine while you’re here?
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Vapiano
The Italian feasts continue in Vapiano, where you can dig in to dishes like Gamberetti e Spinaci (king prawns, onions, cream, Italian hard cheese, nutmeg, fresh spinach, cherry tomatoes and basil pesto) and the classic spicy number Penne All’arrabiata.
Their drink of the summer is a Strawberry and Ginger Crush – Everleaf Mountain aperitif, strawberry and ginger syrup, lime and ginger ale.
Pizza Express
Here’s an pizza you’ll be running across to the Corn Exchange for – Pizza Express’s BBQ Burnt Ends Pizza, topped with slow-cooked beef brisket with a hint of chipotle, sweet and smoky BBQ sauce, mozzarella and red onions, topped with roasted tomatoes and parsley.
There’s also a beetroot Buddha Bowl, with mixed grains, roasted and baby tomatoes, spinach, rocket, creamy hummus and spiced toasted seeds.
And if you’re looking for a delicious alcohol-free drink, grab one of their Naturally Pink Apple Juices.
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Tampopo
Another favourite of Manchester’s restaurant scene is Tampopo, which celebrates dishes from across south east Asia.
There’s Nasi Goreng Royale (wok-fried rice with chicken, charred green beans and red peppers, flavoured with chilli, garlic, lime leaf & crispy shallots, served with homemade sambal and a fried egg), and a Chilli Lemongrass Stir Fry (red peppers, red chillies, lemongrass and onions).
There are more refreshing coolers on the menu here – order a Lychee and Kiwi Cooler – fresh lychee juice & kiwi topped with sparkling apple, Thai basil and fresh lime.
Riva Blu
Sitting outside Riva Blu’s restaurant with a The Peach Thing cocktail (nectarine apéritif, Cocchi Rosa and Martini Bianco with Fever-Tree tonic) in hand is the peak summer vibe in Manchester.
Order yourself a Branzino Alla Scapece – pan-fried sea bass, fried courgette, mint, garlic and lemon sauce – or a Pizza Calabrese Vegana – Roasted pepper pesto, Calabrian chilli ve-du-ya, red onion, vegan mozzarella and fresh basil – and pretend you’re on the Amalfi coast.
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Sixes
Over on Cathedral Street now, and to Sixes, where you can hit balls in the cricket cages inside or soak up the sun from their outside space.
Top picks include the Delhi Smasher (crispy fried Delhi chicken, melted cheese, curry mayo, pickled red onion & smoked yoghurt) and the Sri Lankan Fielder (a vegan Symplicity burger, onion sambal, coronation mayo & vegan cheese).
Mowgli Street Food
We all love Mowgli for its punchy menu of Indian street food and curries, and sitting outside with dishes like their Monkey Wrap – an open roti wrap with tandoori chicken, pomegranate, spinach, mint, and homespun chutneys – just makes it even better.
There’s also the Holy Chow, a vegan showstopper that involves a spiced chickpea, potato, spinach, fresh ginger and mango curry served in a bread loaf.
Sip on a Mango Lassi and see why Indians are obsessed by the soft, rare Kesar Mangoes.
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Pho
Fancy a trip to Vietnam without the long flight? Get yourself to Pho and its outside restaurant space.
It’s not just hearty noodle soups here – though the Phở Xào tofu and mushroom is special.
There’s also barbecued meats, like the chicken rice bowl, where marinated chicken thigh is served on a bed of rice with loads of vegetables and herbs.
Delhi House Cafe
This inventive Indian restaurant serves one of our favourite curries in Manchester – Mom’s Buttered Chicken Tikka Masala has perfect tandoori-cooked chicken tikka in a rich creamy tomato sauce, served with Butter Naan.
Then there’s the Punjabi Palak Chole – chickpea & spinach simmered in spiced tomato & onion sauce, served with Tandoori Roti.
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For drinks, order a Bade Log – mango, mint, lemon & soda.
Inside Manchester’s newest Italian restaurant serving 70-year-old Calabrian recipes
Clementine Hall
A new restaurant inspired by Calabrese cooking has opened its doors in Manchester city centre.
Sometimes only a steaming hot bowl of homemade pasta will do, and you’ll find it at the new Pranzo Italian in abundance.
Located on King Street, slap bang in the centre of town, this light-drenched restaurant is set to become your go-to for authentic Italian cuisine.
Born in West Yorkshire, they opened their first restaurant in the spa town of Ilkley back in 2018 before quickly opening another location in Harrogate after Pranzo became inundated with hungry customers.
Images: The Manc
Fast forward to now, they have another site in York and now luckily for us, here in Manchester.
Inspired by founder Marco’s Italian heritage and his Nonna’s traditional Calabrese cooking, every single thing you’re served here is homemade.
From the fresh pasta and the rich sauces to the fluffy focaccia used to mop up said sauces, and not to forget the cherry gin used in the standout Sour Cherry Negroni.
Dishes here are as traditional and authentic as they get, using 70-year-old recipes that Marco learnt from his Nonna (who you’ll spot in old pictures proudly hung up around the restaurant).
Images: The Manc
On our visit, after indulging in couple of cocktails at the bar we kicked things off with a couple antipasti, because it really would be rude not to.
The arancino picante was a real standout, stuffed with spicy fennel sausage, smoked provola cheese and served on a bed of nduja cream.
This had everything you wanted in an arancini, crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside and served piping hot.
We recommend ordering the focaccia el aglio alongside it to dunk into the smoky nduja cream, a genius move if you ask us.
Images: The Manc
Now, onto the mains.
We ordered three of Pranzo’s specialist pastas and every single one was cooked to perfection. If you’re a fan of proper al dente pasta then trust us, you’re going to love this place.
The ragù di manzo features fresh mafalde pasta in a deeply savoury 4-hour beef shin sauce, and they definitely don’t skimp on the meat.
Showered in parmesan at the table, it’s a favourite on the menu for a reason. The reason? It’s nothing short of delicious.
Images: The Manc
We don’t know about you, but if burrata is on the menu then we’re ordering it with zero hestitation.
A lot of the pastas on the menu give you the choice of plonking a burrata on top, and we went for the nduja è salsiccia piccante.
The sauce is decadent and fiery, combining nduja with spicy fennel sausage, spinach and cream. The addition of the creamy burrata was another genius move, balancing out the spice perfectly.
Last but not least, and a personal favourite, was the scoglio seafood pasta.
This wasn’t just some pasta topped with a couple of prawns, this was absolutely packed full of juicy tiger prawns, mussels and squid – all perfectly cooked and tossed with garlic and cherry tomatoes in a silky sauce.
The recipe used for this one hasn’t changed in 70 years, and we’re glad that it hasn’t.
Images: The Manc
Elsewhere on the menu you’ll find seasonal specials such as your classic caesar salad and pan fried fish, as well as a selection of pizzas.
Of course it wouldn’t be an Italian feast without a tiramisu and this one hits all the right spots.
Indulgent with a punchy coffee flavour and almost cloud-like in texture, that’s a winning dessert if we’ve ever seen one.
The space, set across two floors, is light and airy whilst the service is top notch. But don’t just take our word for it, find out more about Pranzo and book your table here.
The independent Manchester gym that’s spent eight years getting the city’s office workers stronger
Daisy Jackson
In a city centre that has changed almost beyond recognition over the past eight years, one Manchester gym has stuck to a simple idea – getting people stronger shouldn’t have to take over their lives.
Tucked away on Kennedy Street, opposite Manchester Town Hall and just a short walk from St Peter’s Square tram stop, P1 Fitness Studio is celebrating its eighth year in business.
This local success story has been built by husband-and-wife team Peter and Abby, who wanted to build the kind of gym they actually wanted to train in themselves, after becoming increasingly frustrated with what they saw as the ‘normal gym scene’.
Their answer was to create something different: a smaller, calmer space where people could be coached properly, recognised when they walked through the door and actually enjoy coming to train.
Eight years later, Peter and Abby are still hands-on in the independently owned business, working alongside a coaching team of five.
Welcome to P1 Fitness, in Manchester city centre / Credit: The Manc Group
There is no franchise model or corporate head office. Just the same basic philosophy they started with in 2018, which seems to have resonated with a particular part of Manchester.
P1’s members are predominantly busy professionals – lawyers, architects, creatives, teachers, business owners and office workers – many of them in their 30s, 40s and beyond.
For people spending much of their working lives behind a desk, the proposition is deliberately straightforward – you don’t need to live in the gym to become stronger and healthier.
P1 believes two properly coached strength sessions a week can make a meaningful difference.
Sessions last 50 minutes and run throughout the working day, meaning members can train before work, at lunchtime or after work. There are showers, changing facilities, towels and toiletries too, making it possible to fit training around a working day rather than the other way round.
More recently, the studio has added an infrared sauna, giving members somewhere to recover and switch off before heading back to the office or home.
The independent Manchester gym that’s spent eight years getting the city’s office workers stronger / Credit: The Manc Group
P1 specialises in small group personal training, with a maximum of six people per coach.
Everyone follows a structured strength programme, but the coaching is adapted to the individual. Exercises, weights, and progressions can all be changed depending on someone’s ability, goals, injuries or simply how they’re feeling that day.
So someone picking up a barbell for the first time can train alongside somebody who has been lifting for years, without either being pushed through the same generic circuit.
It’s also not the kind of gym where you’ll see your own reflection staring back at you at every turn, because the focus is on becoming stronger and moving better, rather than how you look.
The idea is longevity – looking after your joints, maintaining muscle, building strength, and staying capable of doing the things you want to do outside the gym as you get older.
Or, in P1’s own words: “Built stronger to last longer.”
And there’s some impressive evidence that the approach has encouraged people to stay the course.
Based on its current schedule of roughly 75 coached sessions a week, P1 estimates it has delivered more than 31,000 coached sessions across its eight years.
Some of the people attending those sessions have been there since the doors first opened.
Rather than celebrating short-term transformations, P1 marks the less glamorous (but arguably more meaningful) milestones: members receive T-shirts when they reach 100, 250, and 500 training sessions.
That means there are members whose relationship with the studio is measured in hundreds of coached sessions and several years, rather than a six-week challenge.
And over time, the gym has become something more than somewhere to lift weights.
P1 increasingly describes itself as a ‘third space’ for Manchester professionals – somewhere between home and work where people can train, switch off, see familiar faces and feel part of a community.
People train alongside many of the same faces each week, and coaches get to know the people they’re working with.
There are socials, themed workouts, challenges, member celebrations and charity events to really build that P1 community – for example, members raised more than £1000 for Parkinson’s UK through a bake sale last year.
The business has also increasingly taken its philosophy beyond its own four walls, working with Manchester companies and corporate teams on strength training and health education, including sessions around women’s health, men’s health, nutrition and sustainable strength training.
P1 has won Best Strength Training Gym of the North West at the National Fitness Awards in 2023, 2024 and 2025, while also being shortlisted three times for the National Fitness Awards’ Functional Training Gym of the Year UK award.
But perhaps the more remarkable achievement is simply making it through the last eight years as an independent city-centre business.
Since P1 opened, Manchester has had to navigate Covid and lockdowns, the huge shift towards home and hybrid working, and the major redevelopment around Town Hall and St Peter’s Square.
The city centre around the studio has changed dramatically, but the basic idea inside P1 hasn’t. It’s not just a gym, but a third space with a barbell in the middle of it.
Find out more and book your first sessions with P1 in Manchester HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
16th June 2023 
