 A recent-ish addition to the hotels in the city (it opened in 2007), Abode, is notable for its basement restaurant, masterminded by the Michelin-starred chef, Michael Caines. It scooped Restaurant of the Year in the 2008 Manchester Food & Drink Festival awards (www.foodanddrinkfestival.com/awards) and a nomination for 'Chef of the Year' for Ian Matfin's culinary creations in 2009.
South Manchester's Isinglass is one of the city's most impressive restaurants. The name refers to the gelatin-like substance made from fish bladders used to clarify beer and wine – but don’t let that put you off. There are two dining rooms in this Victorian townhouse which was once used as a bakery. Original fixtures surround the diner including the iron cooking range, the high ceilings, wood floors and traditional fireplaces. Salad leaves from Chat Moss, rich Dunham Massey ice-cream, meat from Knutsford. The menu pays tribute to traditional British dishes, with the likes of venison toad-in-the-hole, wilted kale, Cumberland gravy and mash, but there’s nothing old-fashioned about the cooking. Prices are impressively low.
 Vying for the title of Manchester’s best new eatery are Aumbry – both the restaurant itself and chef Mary-Ellen McTague have won accolades; Mark Addy – the latest venture from chef Robert Owen Brown, whose food is already the stuff of legend among Manchester foodies; and An Outlet – housed inside a beautifully converted warehouse, it specialises in simple but well-sourced deli food and drinks in a relaxed atmosphere.
Croma is our favourite pizza restaurant in Manchester. The décor is classy, prices reasonable (£5-7) and the toppings are inventive. We share the Greek and Roasted Vegetable pizzas every time as they are so good.
Clarence Street, near the Town Hall or there is a branch in the southern suburb Chorlton
 By and large the rule is DON'T eat on the Curry Mile. However, Anands Vegetarian Deli is a simple and cheap curry café in the Northern Quarter, unlike a lot of the Curry Mile the food here is much better. It’s all vegetarian and serves authentic Gujurati and South Indian dishes including lots of street food items like Pani Puri, samosas, vada and many different snacks. The owner is friendly and will help you figure out what to order. 217 Wilmslow Road, Rusholme (take one of the many buses down Oxford Road from the city centre)
Comedy Store Located on Deansgate Locks and stuffed between achingly fashionable bars is the Comedy Store, one of the bigger comedy clubs in town. Initially the Comedy Store was regarded warily by Mancunian comedians and promoters who feared it might ruin trade for the smaller operations but instead it’s done a lot to encourage local talent, rather than just hosting out-of-town comedians. Another factor in the Comedy Store’s success is the theatre-style banked seating which lets you watch a show with a minimum of interruptions.
 The Frog and Bucket At the far end of Oldham Street lies this staunchly independent house of comedy. They have a strong tradition of encouraging local new acts through their Monday night ‘Beat The Frog’ events (which follow the traditional 'be funny or be removed' format). When you hear that previous participants have included Dave Gorman, Peter Kay, Caroline Aherne and Johnny Vegas you realise that this is a place with serious pedigree.
Manchester is famous for its music scene and if you were to choose one place to explore it I’  d go
for Night and Day. All the big Mancunian bands played here in their early days and it’s a good place to see up and coming bands without paying a fortune (about £6). Atmosphere, tremendous sound and, more often than not, genuinely deferential crowds. Its tiny, tiny size makes for an intimacy from which the musicians like to draw, very Manchester.
Oldham Street, Northern Quarter
 Cloud 23 – the swanky bar that’s on the 23rd floor of Beetham Tower – lets you see Manchester in a whole new light. Floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides reveal not just the city but also half of the Northwest to boot. The best time to go is dusk, when the twinkling lights of the metropolis below are laid out like a bejewelled carpet – but the dwindling natural light means you can still spot major landmarks and the hills beyond. An oval plate of glass in the floor also gives a view back down to terra firma – after much jumping up and down on it, we can assure you that it’s perfectly safe.
Tiger Tiger is the ultimate place to party on a Saturday. Set in the heart of Manchester and open fro  m 12 noon – 3am, inside you'll find individually styled bars, restaurant and karaoke.
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