Rooftops in Manchester: red brick and glass towers seen from above
The great city of the North of England
Some 260 kilometres north-west of London, Manchester has nearly 580,000 inhabitants and lies at the heart of a conurbation of more than two and a half million people, which includes its neighbour Salford, on the other side of the Irwell. The city centre stretches along the east bank of the river, in a basin bordered to the north and east by the Pennines. A flagship city of the Industrial Revolution, nicknamed “Cottonopolis” in the 19th century for its cotton industry, it has since turned to services and culture, and its nightlife includes many bars and clubs.
A skyline of brick and glass
Mancunian architecture blends the ubiquitous red brick of its warehouses and former cotton mills, Victorian buildings and contemporary skyscrapers. On Albert Square, the neo-Gothic Town Hall, completed in 1877, raises its clock tower above the centre. To the south, Castlefield, once the site of the Roman fort of Mamucium and where the Bridgewater Canal ends, lines up canals, railway viaducts and converted warehouses, a stone's throw from the Beetham Tower, 169 metres high with 47 storeys. West of Deansgate, the Spinningfields business district stretches all the way to the Irwell.
Where to rise above Manchester
Spinningfields and the south of Deansgate
At the top of the No.1 Spinningfields tower, 20 Stories brings together a British restaurant, a cocktail bar and a large tree-lined terrace that opens onto a 360-degree panorama. Close by, on the top floor of the Pavilion, The Ivy on the Roof, formerly the Roof Garden at The Ivy Spinningfields, sets up a winter garden under a glass roof. Further south, Cloud 23 occupies the 23rd floor of the Beetham Tower: a fully glazed bar, open to everyone and not just to hotel guests. At its foot, The Deansgate pub, opened in the 19th century, hides two sheltered, heated terraces on its roof, facing the glass towers.
Around the Town Hall and King Street
On the roof of the No.1 St Michael's development, between Deansgate and Albert Square, Chotto Matte serves Nikkei cuisine, a meeting of Japan and Peru, with a terrace under a retractable roof and a bar stocking more than 200 tequilas and mezcals. A few streets away, Sora, on the roof of the Malmaison Deansgate, pairs sushi and cocktails on a terrace facing the Town Hall. On King Street, El Gato Negro serves its tapas in a three-storey house topped by a terrace under a retractable roof.
Food and cocktails up high
For every budget
Prices are shown in pounds sterling. Expect to pay £11 to £13 for a cocktail at El Gato Negro, £12 to £14.50 at the Mexican bar of Chotto Matte, £12.45 to £14.95 at The Ivy on the Roof, £14 at Sora, £13 to £17 at Cloud 23 and £16 to £19 at 20 Stories. At The Deansgate, draught beer takes centre stage. As for food, you can go from El Gato Negro's tapas to Sora's sushi and Chotto Matte's robata grills, from The Ivy's British classics to the seasonal cooking of 20 Stories, and from Cloud 23's afternoon teas to The Deansgate's Sunday roast.
A rooftop for every occasion
As a couple or with friends
For a romantic evening, Cloud 23 and 20 Stories bank on the panorama, The Ivy on the Roof on its winter-garden setting. With friends, the terrace at El Gato Negro lends itself to shared tapas, the DJs at Chotto Matte and Sora liven up the evenings, and The Deansgate welcomes beer and football fans in a pub atmosphere.
Getting around easily
The centre is easy to explore on foot and by Metrolink tram. The St Peter's Square stop serves Chotto Matte, Sora and El Gato Negro; Deansgate-Castlefield serves Cloud 23 and The Deansgate. Deansgate and Salford Central stations are close to 20 Stories and The Ivy on the Roof.
Tips for making the most of Manchester's rooftops
Choosing your time and booking
With an oceanic climate and regular rain all year round, Manchester's rooftops have planned ahead with glazed rooms, glass roofs, retractable roofs and heaters, and most of them are open all year. Book for dinner, especially at 20 Stories, Chotto Matte and Sora, and for a table by the windows at Cloud 23; on the other hand, the terrace tables at El Gato Negro and the open-air tables at 20 Stories cannot be booked. Some venues close early in the week, such as Chotto Matte on Mondays and Sora on Mondays and Tuesdays: check the opening hours before you go, and head up at the end of the day to watch the city light up.
Photo : Anthony O'Neil / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0