Whether you’re meeting up with mates, planning an office party for the ages or simply ducking out of the human gridlock for a restorative mug of steaming mulled wine, several of Manchester’s best-loved bars, restaurants and events spaces invite festive revellers to enjoy a selection of enchanting, fairy-lit outdoor winter gardens, fur-lined teepees and heated yuletide yurts throughout the Christmas season.
Featuring everything from signature cocktails and sumptuous dining to late-night live music and alpine parties, here are some of the best cosy outdoor spots around Manchester this Christmas.
Back for another year of opulent yet intimate festive fun, The Lawn Club has unveiled an après-ski disco yurt in partnership with Ciroc. Promising the ultimate spot for spectacular parties and exclusive cocktails, the elegant heated space features shimmering lights, cosy blankets and a dedicated yurt menu priced at just £25pp.
Whether it’s a bottomless brunch or a warming break from the shopping frenzy, book your slot via the link below.
Billed as ‘one of Manchester’s most atmospheric winter venues’, longstanding yuletide favourite The Oast House reintroduces the blissfully cost Spinningfields retreat for 2023 with fire pits, fur throws and fairy lights, as well as an array of seasonal cocktails, an achingly decadent Christmas menu and live late-night music throughout the season.
Situated between their Public Bar and Dining Room, Refuge’s inimitable Winter Garden brings the outside indoors with a gorgeously appointed Christmas courtyard sheltered beneath the glass dome of the main atrium.
From Fri 24 Nov to Fri 23 Dec, groups of 8 or more can try the dedicated Festive Feasting menu every Monday to Saturday. For £40 per person, the Refuge kitchen serves bacon-wrapped turkey ballotine, honey-glazed pigs in blankets and brussels sprouts sprinkled with pancetta alongside crushed parsnips, Vimto red cabbage, roast potatoes and Muscovado-glazed carrots.
Fully covered and bedecked in rugs, furs, flickering candles and roaring fires, The Black Friar’s award-winning garden has transformed into a medieval Winter Tavern where visitors can escape the frigid streets and enjoy classic cocktails and unrivalled festive cheer. From Mon 20 Nov, the historic Salford haunt offers a sumptuous Christmas menu featuring Cheshire Turkey Ballotine, truffle fries, pork chipolatas and apple crumble (available from Mon 20 Nov).
For group celebrations, guests can book one of the brand new Winter Cabins, handmade by Pod Folks in partnership with Estrella Dam, and settle in for a free 90-minute private pub experience from 12pm-9pm on weekdays and 12-10pm every weekend.
Returning for another year, Salt Dog Slims’ ‘Grown Up Grotto’ supplies limitless winter indulgence with a new festive cocktail menu, lavish decorations and non-stop festive tunes until Christmas Eve.
For £10 per person, guests receive a welcome drink, Santa hat, mince pies, Christmas crackers and more across 90 minutes.
Bookings are going fast, so secure your spot using the link below.
Ahead of its hotly anticipated launch in Angel Park Meadows next spring, Fairfield Social Club hosts a Christmas pop-up featuring some of Manchester’s most beloved institutions. With space for 250 revellers alongside a secret garden and a Christmas tree shop, the month-long celebration offers some of the best food and drink in the city including pints from Blackjack Beers, hot drinks from Foundation Coffee and barbecue from Isit Kitchen, alongside Ben Saunders’ renowned Queer Art Market and the return of Oklahoma.
The Fairfield Social Club winter pop-up will take place over the first three weekends of December opening 4pm – 10pm Fridays and 12pm – 10pm on Saturdays. Children and dogs are welcome at all times.
Inspired by the chic alpine party chalets dotted around some of Europe’s best ski resorts, The Great Northern’s beloved pop-up Bar Hütte returns to provide Manchester’s most unique festive experience from Thu 9 Nov.
Whether it’s an intimate date night, an all-out office party or a memorable get-together among friends, the urban après-ski resort offers a season-long extravaganza of live music, irresistible cocktails, karaoke pods, children’s activities, festive masterclasses and even a dedicated party lodge, where groups of 10-20 can enjoy a night of exclusive entertainment for £190.
Running until Sat 30 Dec, Diecast’s Winterhood series brings Christmas to Ducie Street’s creative party venue with a ‘Fairytale of New York’ Brooklyn Beer Hall on the main factory floor, tinsel-laden rum caravans, a sparkling winter garden, a Christmas night market packed with vintage stalls and even cornershop karaoke.
Book your table using the link below and enjoy an all-time festive knees-up with £6 frozen daiquiris on offer throughout the night.
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Mon 13 Nov 2023
Open until New Year’s Eve, Ramona and The Firehouse’s Winter Village transforms the Northern Quarter into a sprawling wonderland of unrivalled scale, with fairylit teepees, tequila log cabins and alpine huts – each with their own fireplace – as well as a slate of seasonal cocktails, mulled wine by the barrel and a host of riotous parties and live music performances.