With the Manchester weather, maybe, hopefully, showing signs of improvement, al fresco pints and plates will no doubt be of increasingly high demand. Take a look through some of the best places you can pull up a chair up above the hustle and bustle of the city’s streets.
Offering stunning views of Manchester City Centre, the glitzy 20 Stories terrace sits under a canopy of trees drenched in atmospheric lighting, making it an ideal venue for those looking to add an extra dose of glamour to the evening.
Not many in town can beat Terrace’s rooftop bar when the afternoon sun drenches it, and its ultra-convenient location in the heart of the Northern Quarter only adds to the temptation once it hits 5pm on a Friday.
The newly-opened 4* Malmaison on Deansgate features the brand’s second UK Sora rooftop bar and restaurant. Seating 116 guests across its dining room and intimate terrace, which overlooks the town hall, guests can mix and match small plates from a selection of sushi, Robatayaki and Pan-Asian fusion style tapas dishes, and sip signature cocktails while taking in the striking view of the city.
While perhaps not strictly classed as a rooftop, maybe more an elevated terrace, Atlas makes it into the list all the same. You’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere in Manchester with a more impressive gin selection, with the bar stocking more than 570 different variations, making it the perfect choice for botanical fans.
Tre Ciccio, which you can visit in both Altrincham and Ramsbottom, is home to some of Greater Manchester’s best Neopolitan-style pizza. The slices always seem to taste that little bit better, too, when the restaurant’s retractable roofs are slid open on a sunny day and are accompanied by a refreshing spritz.
El Gato is a genuine Manchester institution at this point, and Chef Patron Simon Shaw’s celebrated take on traditional Spanish tapas has earned it all kinds of accolades, including the restaurant’s inclusion in the Michelin Guide. Upstairs, a cosy roof terrace overlooking King Street provides one of the city’s most delightful dining settings.
Honest Burgers has proved a major hit with its back-to-basics approach to the cuisine since opening up in Manchester a few years back. Upstairs, you’ll find a great little terrace that overlooks the liveliness, some may say chaos, of Bridge Street — it’s only small, so it’s worth booking ahead and requesting a seat up there should the weather permit.
It hasn’t taken long for Climat to cement itself as one of the go-to destinations for wine connoisseurs. With more than 400 bottles stocked in the cellar, incredible Parisian-inspired cooking, and a rooftop that offers mesmerising views out across Manchester, it’s not hard to understand any of its immediate success.
- Words:
- Wire Editor
- Published on:
- Tue 26 Mar 2024
Along with boasting one of the city’s best music venues, YES’ rooftop beer garden is a gorgeous spot to sip the afternoon and/or evening away. Pints of Amstel are less than £4 and the on-tap Negronis are sublime. Need we say more?