• Added: 8th of September 2008
• Area: Manchester
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Manchester M13 9NS
0161 272 7779

ladyofshallots said
Little bar
Big Hands looks an awful lot better after dark, when it stops looking dark and dingy and becomes mysterious and effortlessly cool.

Every available wall is plastered with band posters which gives it a lived in and trendy feel. It's also a good clue to the fact that the music's usually pretty good, they have loads of live music, and it's often where bands playing at the Academy end up at the end of the night when everywhere else in the vicinity has stopped serving.

It's the kind of place with dark nooks and crannies that work well in the evening and it has a lived in, seen-it-all feel that makes for a relaxed but interesting atmosphere. It's a good counterbalance to minimalistic chic, sleek and shiny places. Worth a visit.

• Added: 8th of September 2008
• Area: Manchester
• Category: Events and Entertainment

Manchester M1 5WW
0161 615 0515

ladyofshallots said
Unusual theatre, and good bar
The Green Room is a good counterbalance to standard, MOR theatre. In my experience, this means that I've seen some great stuff and some other things that didn't quite work, but it's certainly never predictable.

I really like the bar. It's often quite quiet - not too busy and not too noisy, so it can be a really good place for a drink and a chat. They have a good range of drinks and good prices. The other real bonus is that if you go on a night where there's a big night on at the Ritz opposite you get to people watch the queue, which is great, because everybody's really dressed up!

• Added: 8th of September 2008
• Area: Manchester
• Category: Sports and Leisure

Manchester M11 4DQ

ladyofshallots said
On yer bike!
Manchester Velodrome is a great facility for everybody from novices to Olympians. You can go and have a taster session the velodrome yourself for £9 and you can hire bikes from them too if you haven't got one yourself. It's really good fun and if you enjoy it you can go to regular training sessions to improve on your skills.

You can also go and watch other people doing the hard work by going to the velodrome to watch events like the Cycling World Championships. It's really exciting seeing it live and the commentators explain the rules of each type of race so you don't need to be a cycling guru to enjoy it. There are loads of races in a session so there's plenty to see.

• Added: 8th of September 2008
• Area: Manchester
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

Manchester M4 1LG
0161 832 0777

ladyofshallots said
The love has gone
I used to really like the original Loves Saves the Day but I've gone off the new incarnation, mainly because it feels a bit of a rip-off. The coffee is nice and the cakes are ok, but they are expensive for the quality. The food is nice, but again, not brilliant. I think if the quality were a bit higher or the prices a bit lower I'd be happier, but I always come out feeling faintly disappointed and prefer other places now.

Having said that, the staff are always friendly and helpful.

• Added: 8th of September 2008
• Area: Manchester
• Category: Sightseeing and Attractions

Manchester M14

ladyofshallots said
Parktastic
Platt Fields Park is on Wilmslow Road between Rusholme and the shops in Fallowfield. It stretches back quite a long way, which is why it can fit in: open spaces for picnics, games of footie, space for kids to run around in, a sizeable boating lake with geese and ducks, a formal rose garden, wilder areas, football/basketball courts, a new BMX track, and kids' playgrounds.

There's also the Museum of Costume, near the Wilmslow Road entrance. It's only open one Saturday a month, but it has a good textiles collection if you like that kind of thing.

The park also hosts some brilliant events throughout the year. There's often a fireworks display and bonfire on 5th November and festivals and family events in the summer.

The park has an enthusiastic Friends group: http://www.plattfields.org/. Their website lists their activities and events coming up.

• Added: 5th of September 2008
• Area: Manchester
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Manchester M14 6XS

ladyofshallots said
Tuesday comedy night - XS Malarkey
XS Malarkey is the regular comedy night at Bar XS next to the Sainsburys in Fallowfield. It is well worth the visit as it's an unusual comedy club. It is run by compere/headmaster Toby Hadoke, which is always a good sign. He champions a policy of listening not chatting while the acts are on and most people do sit and listen.

This felt a bit strange compared to other comedy clubs I'd been to the first time I went because for the first few minutes it felt like a rowdy school assembly, with more beer. But this impression faded fast and I quickly started to appreciate the magic of going to a comedy club to listen to comics and have a quiet beer.

It really is a lovely lovely thing, XS Malarkey: a comedy club without that faint edge of fear that you might be singled out at the beginning of the evening and then mercilessly ripped to shreds by a succession of acts while you fail to think of any remotely amusing comeback. You could sit in the front row at XS Malarkey without fear - you might get a bit of a ribbing but the acts seem to stick to the same rules of courtly behaviour as the audience so there's never anything too cruel.

XS Malarkey is recommended to comedy veterans and novices alike. It's also a bargain: £5 for non-members and £2 for members (membership is £7 I think).

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Manchester
• Category: Restaurants

Manchester M2 5PF
0161 819 1966

ladyofshallots said
Tasty and quick
Tampopo, on Albert Square, is a good place to go for a quick meal at dinner or tea time. They do a really good set menu of a starter and main course for £7 before 7pm, which is excellent value. My favourites are probably the Vietnamese paper rolls and the Nonya curry but I've worked my way through most of the menu and have only had an uninspiring meal once (and I've lost count of how many times I've eaten here). The food is mainly noodle/rice/ramen based. If you can't decide on starters, the sharing platter for 2 is great, and I always order the kimchi (pickled cabbage stuff).

The food is cheap and tasty and it arrives quickly. There's a 20% student discount on some weekdays, which makes it an absolute bargain for students!

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Manchester
• Category: Food and Drink

Manchester M20 1LH
0161 4382000

ladyofshallots said
Good food, good prices
Shahir's comes up with some very tasty Indian food. The only problem is that I like the biryani so much I find it really hard to try other things off the menu. You can see the food being cooked, which is something I like in a takeaway, and the staff are really friendly and will make changes to dishes on the menu if you ask nicely.

The food isn't too greasy and it's nicely spiced. Prices are good value for the quality

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Manchester
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Manchester M20 2WS

ladyofshallots said
Trendy, but welcoming
I've always been a fan of The Railway, opposite the Metropolitan (both at the crossroads of Lapwing Lane and Burton Road) but was put off The Metropolitan because it seemed a bit trendy. The beer's also more expensive. It's a big old place, though it's split up into several different rooms or sections so it doesn't feel like you are in a vast hall once you're in there. It can get really busy, especially at weekends and this makes it really noisy.

On the plus side, the beer is good and a trendier clientele means that the wine is better than the Railway! It's a nice cosy pub for winter, and there is a beer garden outside. There's also a restaurant tucked away at the back.

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Manchester
• Category: Restaurants

Manchester M2 4DE
0161 237 9799

ladyofshallots said
Reliable Italian
The menu at Croma is fairly standard Italian, revolving around pizza and pasta. It's the same idea as Pizza Express and it does it well. The restaurant is nice inside, smart, welcoming and bustling. The food is reliable and tasty and good value. The staff are friendly and the service is good. Family friendly. It's not an original restaurant, but you don't always want to be surprised, do you? Croma has good food, good service, good atmosphere and good prices.

There's a branch in Chorlton too - the style is similar and there's a light and airy conservatory section at the back which is nice during the day.