Best Places for a Date in Manchester

Whether you're out to impress someone you'd had the hots for for ages, looking to chill with your favourite somebody or simply seeking somewhere to spend two hours with that Tinder random who's worn you down, we've got the best date spots covered

Article by The Skinny | 14 Feb 2017

Date places to impress

(aka the place for that someone you really fancy)

The Refuge

Manchester’s fanciest new hangout, replete with glittering bar and a fairylight festooned Winter Garden, looks like it could be a location from a Baz Luhrmann movie. Add to the fab decor a healthy selection of tap beers, a heavenly cocktail list and a globe-trotting menu from the minds behind Volta (another fine date place – see below) and you’ve the ideal arena in which to spend some quality time with someone special. Oxford Street, Manchester, M60 7HA @TheRefugeMcr

Mr Cooper's House & Garden


image: Paul Adams

If you’re truly out to impress, the most logical Midland Hotel restaurant to choose would be the uber-posh French, but we much prefer the vibe of its sister bistro, with its interior vertical gardens and kickass cocktails. The Midland Hotel, Peter St, Manchester M60 2DS @MrCoopersHouse

El Gato Negro

Tapas so good it might fool you and your date into thinking you’re in Madrid, combined with a whip-smart wine list, all served up in one of town’s best looking bars make El Gato Negro a no-brainer for those looking to impress their date. Also, there’s no better way to discover if you and your companion are compatible than trying to order half a dozen small plates to share. Can you really have intimate relations with someone who doesn’t dig Kalamata olive? The answer is a resounding no! 52 King St, Manchester, M2 4LY @ElGatoNegroFood

Bistro 1847

Are you vegan? Are you trying to impress a vegan? If the answer to either of those questions is yes, then hightail it down to Bistro 1847, where you’ll find some of the most creative vegetarian food in Manchester. You can also impress your date by dropping into conversation that the restaurant is named in honour of the year the Vegetarian Society, which still has its headquarters in nearby Cheshire, was founded. If that bit of knowledge doesn’t make your non-meat-eating date go weak at the knees, we don’t know what will. 58 Mosley St, Manchester, M2 3LQ @1847manchester

See also: Albert's Shed (for great food followed by a stroll along the canal), Hawksmoor (for the meat lovers), Hispi (for tasty world Tapas) and Australasia (if you’re into that kind of thing)

Date places for a chilled date

(aka the place for a regular date night or date with someone just you kind of fancy)

Rudy's

Rudy’s speciality is Neapolitan-style pizza that’s soft, light and smothered in the kind of tangy tomato sauce your grandma used to make (if your grandmother was Italian and really good at making sauce). In other words, it’s the best pizza in Manchester – hands down. You might have to wait for a table – Rudy’s don’t take bookings and they’re almost always busy – but that just gives you more time to get to know your dinner partner better. 9 Cotton St, Manchester, M4 5BF @rudyspizzamcr

Volta

The coolest bar in south Manchester also serves up some of the finest grub in this part of town. Owned by DJs the Unabombers, the globe-trotting menu is inspired by the pair’s life travelling around the world playing parties. Late night drinks, supper, brunch – all date bases are covered by its inventive menu. The wine list is a doozy, too. 167 Burton Rd, Manchester, M20 2LN @Voltamanchester

HOME


image: Paul Karalius

This is an obvious one, right? Dinner and a movie, the classic date night. But done wrong – McDonalds and the latest Michael Bay flick, for example – and this tried and tested formula can still fail you. With HOME, a good date is guaranteed. The food – lots of sharing boards, tasty salads and feather-light pizzas – is heavenly and so are the movies, an exquisitely curated selection of the latest arthouse and indie cinema with classics, forgotten gems and underground oddities peppered throughout the programme. Even if you’ve little in common with your date, the films should keep you talking late into the night. 2, Tony Wilson Place, First St, Manchester, M15 4FN @home_mcr

Smithfield Market Tavern

Now this is what we call a chilled date. Invite your bae (or future bae) out for some great craft ale, pull out one of the Smithfield’s battered, dog-eared board games and while away an evening with someone you really enjoy spending time with. If you get peckish, share a pork pie – but lay off the pickled eggs if you insist on keeping it romantic. 37 Swan St, Manchester M4 5JZ @TheSmithfieldNQ

See also: Leaf (for fine tea and good vibes), San Carlos (for chic but relaxed Italian), Grey’s Larder (for super relaxed and hearty food), Umezushi (for kickass sushi) and Salut (go rinse its wine vending machine together)

Date place for a random date

(for dates with that Tinder weirdo who's worn you down)

Twenty Twenty Two

If your date gets a bit too flirty you can always suggest a game of ping pong to keep a 9ft by 5ft rectangle of plywood between you. 20 Dale St, Manchester M1 1EZ @TTTMCR

Kosmonaut

That back room is made for people on Tinder dates. 10 Tariff St, Manchester M1 2FF @kosmonautmcr

Castle Hotel

Take your date to a grungy gig in this bar’s great back room, and if they turn out to not be too much of a bellend, join them for a few drinks in their cosy bar. The same formula works at the Castle’s sister bar Gullivers. 66 Oldham St, Manchester, M4 1LE @thecastlehotel

Hold Fast


image: Sam Huddleston

Liven up the small talk with some of Hold Fast’s retro gaming consoles. If you can defeat Dr Robotnik as Sonic and Tails, maybe you’re made for each other. 50 Newton St, Manchester, M1 2EA @holdfastbar

Port St Beer House

If the chat dries up you can always talk about how great the beers are. 39-41 Port St, Manchester, M1 2EQ @portstreetbeer

The Pilcrow

Well secluded so you won't awkwardly bump into any of your friends. Redfern St, Manchester, M4 4AH @ThePilcrowPub