This covers the area in central Manchester north of Piccadilly Gardens and east of Bridge St and Princess St, served by Victoria railway station. It covers the locales of the Millennium Quarter and St. Ann's Square as well as the multi-million pound Arndale shopping centre.

After the devastation of the 1996 IRA bombing, the area around Exchange Square has been completely redesigned and rebuilt as the Millennium Quarter. The square is a juxtaposition of Manchester's industrial heritage with the height of modern art and architecture. The ultra-modern Urbis centre stands side-by-side with the medieval Cathedral and the renovated Corn Exchange shopping centre, once Manchester's corn exchange.

St. Ann's Square is the centre of Manchester's main shopping district. It is usually packed with shoppers and usually the odd one or two street entertainers. The Council holds many events in the square, including specialist markets and musical events.

The Northern Quarter (NQ) is a lively area north of the shopping area with a unique character with many small shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. Independent retailers are the norm here, and this is the place to get Mancunian music, street wear, vinyl or body art. The area is very lively and has its unique character. This character is spreading into the Ancoats area on the north side of the Ring Road.

Get in

By bus

Manchester's secondary bus station, Shudehill, is located in this area and receives most services from the North of the city. Piccadilly Gardens, which receives nearly every bus in central Manchester is a 15 minute walk away.

By tram

This area has several stops on Greater Manchester's Metrolink tram system. Market Street, Shudehill and Victoria all serve this area, with the latter being located within the train station of the same name.

By train

Manchester Victoria is the city's second largest railway station and is served predominantly by services from the North of England. The area is also served by Salford Central railway station, which is closer to the city centre than its name might suggest.

See

Manchester Cathedral

• 1 Manchester Cathedral, ☏ +44 161 835-4030, fax: +44 161 834-5397, peter.mellor@manchestercathedral.org. Cathedral Yard (Visitor Centre at 10 Cateaton Street, around the corner). Cathedral M-F 8AM-7PM, Sa 8AM-5PM, Su 8:30AM-7:30PM, check website for service times and events; Visitor Centre is open M-Sa 10AM-4:30PM, Su 11:30AM-4PM. One of the few surviving medieval buildings in Manchester, the cathedral is a beautiful, dark Gothic building inside and out. It has a modern interactive Visitor Centre built around the excavations of the medieval 'Hanging Bridge' with an excellent licensed restaurant and gift shop. Entry to all attractions is free.  
• 2 Chetham's School of Music & Library, Long Millgate, ☏ +44 161 834-7961, fax: +44 161 839-5797, librarian@chethams.org.uk. Library M-F 9AM-12:30PM, 1:30-4:30PM, closed Bank Holidays, call in advance; School is closed to general public. Chetham's is an independent private school of music and public library housed in the medieval priests' college next to the Cathedral. The library is the oldest public English library in the world. It is possible to look around without an appointment, but if you want to take a look at any of the collection, you will need to arrange this with the librarian beforehand. Free.  
• 3 The Frog and Bucket, 102 Oldham Street. The Frog & Bucket comedy club provides rib(bit)-tickling entertainment. 

Manchester's impressive Urbis centre (now the National Football Museum)

• 4 Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, ☏ +44 161 235-8888, fax: +44 161 235-8899. Tue-Sun 10AM-5PM and bank holidays except Christmas, New Year, and Good Friday. The principal wing is the work of Sir Charles Barry, also architect of the House of Parliament. Manchester's central art gallery is home to a huge collection of 19th-century and earlier works, including paintings by Canaletto, Constable, Turner, and Burne-Jones, as well as more complete collections by other artists. It has also been home to a number of original exhibitions over the last few years and the city's own art from all ages is well-represented within. There are important collections of world ceramics and English silver. Free.  
• 5 St. Ann's Church, St Ann Street, ☏ +44 161 834-0239, elindsay@fish.co.uk. (verger (parish office). Daily daytime, check website for service times. St. Ann's Church is the main parish church of Manchester and one of only two surviving Medieval churches in the city centre (the other is the cathedral). It is also a venue for many sacred and secular classical music events. A small shop selling books and gifts is open at all times except during services. Free.  
• 6 Royal Exchange, St. Ann's Square, ☏ +44 161 833-9833. M-Sa 9:30AM-late (depending on length of evening's performance). The neo-classical Royal Exchange was the commercial heart of Manchester's and therefore the world's cotton trade. The main trading hall, essentially a neo-Roman basilica, was at one time the largest commercial room in the world. It fell into disuse in the 1960s, but was rescued in the 1970s by the restoration of the building and the addition of an ultra-modern theatre in-the-round for Sir Robert D.H. Scott's '69 (now Royal Exchange) theatre Company. It stands in the centre of the main trading floor, squatting like an alien invader's spaceship, but is actually supported on the hall's load bearing columns. Ill-disposed members of the audience sitting in the theatre's surrounding on-stage banquette seats are well-placed to trip the actors up physically. Extensive wine merchant cellars have now been converted into a shopping centre and the wings surrounding the theatre hall contain offices and Barristers' chambers. Pop in during the day for a coffee or something stronger at the tranquil and elegant licensed cafe in the main hall: the entrance is up the stairs in St. Ann's Square or on Cross Street. As well as the wonderfully-restored interior and three dramatic coloured-glass domes, you can admire the trading board, which still shows the price of cotton around the world on the last day of trading in 1969. There is also a small, expensive craft shop inside. Free entry to theatre building, theatre tickets vary.  

Do

• 1 The Printworks, ☏ +44 871 230 5556, fax: +44 871 230 5557, info@theprintworks.com. Entrances on Withy Grove and Thomas Street. Attraction opening times vary. Originally the home of Manchester's newspaper offices, the Printworks is now a covered street where it's night time all day long. It is the home of several well-known restaurants including Hard Rock café Manchester (the only English Hard Rock outside of London) and drinking establishments, as well as a large Odeon cinema, home of Manchester's IMAX screen.  
• 2 Manchester Arena, Victoria Station, Hunts Bank, M3 1AR (National Rail and Metrolink: Victoria), ☏ +44 845 3370717, enquiries@manchester-arena.com. The largest indoor arena in Europe (21,000 capacity) hosts most of the world's most famous music and comedy acts, plus theatre and international boxing. (updated Jun 2018)
• 3 Cherry's Massage, 16 Little Lever Street, M1 1LN, ☏ +44 770 443 1030, toll-free: +44 161 228 7308. The weather in Manchester has somewhat of a notorious reputation. If rain doesn't allow exploration of the inner city, a massage may be a good alternative. Massages starting at £45 for 30 minutes, which should be sufficient to relax tensed muscles or pass time until the rain drifts by. Advance reservations recommended. £45. (updated May 2019)

Buy

• 1 Manchester Arndale. The multi-million pound Manchester Arndale shopping centre lies at the heart of Manchester's shopping district and offers retail therapy on a grand scale: from high fashion to high tech, it can all be found here.  

The Northern Quarter

• 2 Affleck's Palace, Church Street, Northern Quarter, ☏ +44 161 834-2039, fax: +44 161 839-9541, theboss@afflecks-palace.co.uk. M-F 10:30AM-6PM, Sa Su 10AM-6PM. Afflecks Palace is a shopping arcade in a five-story Victorian building, featuring a range of over 50 independent stalls catering to a young alternative crowd. It's a lot of fun: strange costumes, lots of goths, punks, and teenagers. 

Eat

• 1 The Angel Pub, 6 Angel Street, M4 4BQ, ☏ +44 161 833-4786. A traditional English pub just off the Rochdale road, Manchester city centre. The pub serves real ales, fine wines and highly acclaimed food prepared by award winning celebrity chef Robert Owen Brown. 
• Wagamamas, Printworks. One of the chain of Japanese restaurants popping up all over the country. Wagamama's serve the best ramen, ebi gyoza, and many other different Japanese cooked dishes... perfect with a hot flask of sake! 
• Hard Rock Cafe, Printworks.
• Wasabi, Printworks. Great sushi from the conveyor belt in a fun atmosphere. £7.95 for 6 dishes and miso soup or 3 dishes and a noodle/rice dish. £12.95 for 10 dishes and a miso soup. £14.95 for 10 dishes and a rice/noodle dish.. 
• Wing's Dai Pai Dong (in the Arndale Market and Food court). Set around a sushi counter, this eatery serves a variety of mainstream Cantonese (Hong Kong), Thai, and Japanese dishes. The Hong Kong style roasting dishes are particularly good value and well-made. Typically any mixture of Char Sui, Duck, Pork Belly, Jelly Fish, and Cold Cuts can be paired with Rice, Soup Noodle, or other fried noodles, typically for around £4.50 for a very large and filling bowl/plate. Teamed with a bottle of Asahi Beer, the bill per person will be well under £10. £10. 
• 2 Rozafa, 63 Princess St, M2 4EQ (Located near Albert Square and the Town Hall), ☏ +44 161 236-6389. A pleasant place to while away an hour or two, with very honest and tasty Greek food. 
• Tampopo, Corn Exchange, Exchange Sq. Offers good priced pan Asian food with quick, friendly service in a modern, clean restaurant environment. 
• Koreana Restaurant, 40a King St West. Long established and in the city centre just off Deansgate. A regular stop for Manchester United's Korean football star, Ji-Sung Park. 
• 3 Côte, 4-12 St Mary's Street, M3 2LB (Down the side of House of Fraser (Kendals)), ☏ +44 161 834-0945, manchester@cote-restaurants.co.uk. M-F 8AM-11PM, Sa 9AM - 11PM, Su 9AM - 10:30PM. A well-priced French brasserie with a wide selection of dishes, served in a pleasant setting. Be sure to get there before 7PM for the pre-theatre menu - 2 courses for £9.95. £10-30. 

Northern Quarter

• 4 Home Sweet Home, 49-51 Edge Street, Northern Quarter, M4 1HE, ☏ +44 161 244-9424, info@homesweethomenq.com. Home Sweet Home is a trendy hipster restaurant in the Northern Quarter. Don't come here if you want a quiet meal - it's busy and brash, but the food is great. All the food is loosely American and very tasty. Try the cheeseburger toastie or the humongous chicken and chorizo sandwich and wash it down with the Oreo milkshake. A meal for two with drinks will cost around £15. 
• 5 Little Aladdin Café, 72 High St (on the corner of Turner St, near Arndale centre). A tiny little curry house with real charm. They serve a range of delicious curries and kebabs for £3-£4. £3-4. 
• 6 Sweet Mandarin, 19 Copperas Street, Northern Quarter, ☏ +44 161 832-8848. Su-Th 5-10:30PM, F Sa 5-11PM. Authentic family-run Chinese restaurant. Excellent reputation and well established. Licensed. 

Ancoats

There are several restaurants and bars around Cutting Room Square in the centre of Ancoats.

Drink

• Tiger Lounge.

The Northern Quarter

• 1 Copacabana, Sevendale House, 7 Dale St, M1 1JA, ☏ +44 161 237-3441, info@copacabana-manchester.co.uk. Latino bar/club serving up salsa and sangria. 
• 2 Matt and Phreds, 64 Tib St, M4 1LW, ☏ +44 161 831-7002. Open until 2AM most nights. Good little tucked away jazz club! Also serves up good pizza. They have jazz bands every night except Mondays (when it's closed) at 10PM. There is free entry before 8PM. If you want to enjoy the jazz seated, seats have to be booked at least a few days beforehand. 
• 3 Night and Day Café, 26 Oldham St, M1 1JN, ☏ +44 161 236-1822. The venue to see bands before they make it big! Bands such as Oasis and Badly Drawn Boy have played here. Well worth a visit. Can be a little bit pokey inside, as it's not the biggest venue! 

Sleep

Budget

• 1 Hilton Chambers, 15 Hilton Street, M1 1JJ, ☏ +44 161 236-4414. A popular youth hostel which is part of the 2nd most popularly rated hostel chain worldwide. Their accommodations include 24-hour check in, wifi, a guest kitchen, TV, common area, and a continental breakfast included in the rate. They also have a BBQ on the rooftop deck. £15-25 for dorms, £45-70 for private rooms. 
• 2 Sachas Hotel, Tib Street Manchester. The Britannia Sachas is a popular hotel located near Manchester city centre. Its Tripadvisor reviews page makes for famously entertaining reading. From £26 for a single room. 
• 3 easyHotel, 33 Dale St, M1 2HF, ☏ +44 161 870 2899. £41. (updated Mar 2019)

Mid-range

• 4 The Mitre Hotel, 1-3 Cathedral Gates, M3 1SW, ☏ +44 161 834-4128, info@mitrehotel.co.uk. In the heart of the shopping district in Shambles Square, moments from the Arndale Centre and Victoria station, the Mitre Hotel offers pleasant accommodation in a period building. En-suite and shared bathroom tariffs available. £54-129. 
• 5 Cow Hollow Hotel, 57 Newton St M1 1ET, ☏ +44 161 228 7277. Victorian textile warehouse made over into a jazzy and avowedly cool hotel, rooms are small. No restaurant, lots nearby. No dogs. B&B double £100. (updated Aug 2020)

Splurge

• 6 The Lowry Hotel, 50 Dearmans Place, Chapel Wharf, ☏ +44 161 827-4000, fax: +44 161 827-4001, thelowryhotel@rfhotels.com. Five-star hotel - the best in Manchester. Rooms from £195. 

Connect

Routes through Victoria-Shopping District

Bury ← North Manchester ←

NW  SW

→ Spinningfields-Albert Square → Castlefield-Petersfield