City guide · England
First date ideas in Manchester: where to meet and how to get home
By The Fling Compass editorial team · Last checked
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Manchester's centre is compact. You can walk from Piccadilly to Deansgate in not much more than twenty minutes, so it's easy to pick a first-date spot that's close to a tram stop or a station for both of you.
Most people suggest the Northern Quarter first, and for good reason. But don't overlook the stretch around Peter Street and the Bridgewater Hall: it's busy, well lit and right by St Peter's Square tram stop.
Go early in the evening if you can. Weekend nights in the centre get louder as they go on, which is great for dancing and terrible for working out if you actually like someone.
Where to go in Manchester
Northern Quarter
Small independent bars and pubs on a tight grid of streets between Piccadilly Gardens and Ancoats. Lots of choice, lots of people about.
Deansgate and Peter Street
Bigger venues, hotel bars and the Bridgewater Hall, close to the Deansgate-Castlefield and St Peter's Square tram stops.
Oxford Street
Theatres, hotel bars and buses heading south towards the universities. Oxford Road station is at the bottom of the street.
Places for a first drink
Busy enough to feel relaxed, quiet enough to talk, and easy to leave. Check opening times on their own sites before you go.
- 01
Port Street Beer House
beer bar · Northern Quarter
A friendly beer house with a long list of cask and keg, on a quieter street a short walk from Piccadilly. Easy to find, easy to talk.
- 02
The Refuge
hotel bar and restaurant · Oxford Street
A big, handsome room inside the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel. Plenty of tables and plenty of people, and a hotel lobby next door if you need somewhere comfortable to wait for a cab.
- 03
Cloud 23
cocktail bar · Deansgate
On the 23rd floor of the Manchester Deansgate Hotel, with views over the city. It's a bit of an occasion, so it suits an early-evening first drink. Tables can be booked.
- 04
The Britons Protection
pub · Great Bridgewater Street
A Grade II-listed pub dating from 1806, with snug rooms off a tiled corridor, near Deansgate and the Bridgewater Hall. The small rooms make it easy to talk without feeling watched.
- 05
Albert's Schloss
beer hall and bar · Peter Street
Big, lively and always full. Good if you want a buzzy first drink with lots of people around, but it gets noisier as the night goes on, so go early if you want to talk.
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Getting home
Metrolink trams run until midnight every night and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. Late on a weekend the gap between trams stretches to about 24 minutes, so check the time before you order another round.
Plenty of bus routes run into the evening and some carry on well into the night. The Bee Network app has the times, and it's also where you'll find TravelSafe LiveChat, a 24/7 service staffed by people with Greater Manchester Police transport training.
There are two kinds of licensed cab. Hackney carriages can be hailed in the street or picked up from a rank. Private hire cars have to be booked before you travel, usually through an app, online or by phone. Never get into a private hire car you haven't booked.
If you're leaving the city by train, look up your last departure from Piccadilly or Victoria on National Rail before the night starts, not after.
Staying safe in Manchester
- Every tram stop has a help point and the network is covered by CCTV. If you're waiting for a late tram, stand near the help point rather than at the far end of the platform.
- Strut Safe, a volunteer support line, runs on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday evenings and can be reached through the Bee Network app if you want someone on the phone while you walk home.
- The Greater Manchester Combined Authority's Good Night Out guide lists safe places, help points and where to report problems. It's worth five minutes before you go.
- Meet inside the bar rather than at a landmark. Standing in a busy square scanning faces is awkward for both of you.
The full list is in our first-date safety checklist.
Get the UK first-date safety checklist
A one-page checklist for the night before, sent to your inbox. Free, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
First dates in Manchester: questions
What time is the last tram in Manchester?
Trams run until midnight every night and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. Exact times vary by stop, so check yours in the Bee Network app.
Is the Northern Quarter good for a first date?
For a drink, yes. It's packed with small bars, close to Piccadilly and there's always someone around. Saturdays get very busy, so a weeknight is calmer.
Can I flag down any taxi in Manchester?
Only hackney carriages. Private hire cars have to be booked before you travel, through an app, a website or by phone.