Hotels near Ancoats

Ancoats was the first industrial suburb in the world, built around steam-powered cotton mills in the 1790s, and for most of the twentieth century it was derelict. The mills came back as flats after 2000 and the ground floors filled with restaurants. Cutting Room Square is the centre of it, with the Hallmark Chapel on one side and terrace seating spilling across the paving in summer. This is where Manchester eats now - wood-fired pizza, small plates, natural wine, a bakery queue that starts before nine.

Prices are city-centre normal rather than cheap: expect GBP 15 to GBP 20 for lunch and GBP 40 upwards for dinner with a drink. Weekend evenings need a reservation almost everywhere. Walk five minutes east and you reach New Islington Marina, which is quiet and largely residential.

Pro Tip: Book Ancoats for a Tuesday or Wednesday evening. The same kitchens run the same menus, tables open up at short notice, and you can usually walk in somewhere on Blossom Street without a booking.