Sitting in a Grade II-listed former Mill on Pollard Street, Hope Mill brings exciting fringe theatre productions to Manchester’s thriving live theatre scene. The kind of risk-taking venture we love.

Canto is a stalwart of Ancoats’ Cutting Room Square, with an ever-growing reputation based on its inspired take on Mediterranean tapas.

KERB has the lot. It’s a neighbourhood natural wine store and bar with an online delivery service plus the occasional exhibition by talented local artists.

Ancoats’ most iconic building, this Grade-II listed church was recently renovated by the Halle Orchestra to be used as a venue and rehearsal space.

A beautiful small plates restaurant in Ancoats, serving an elegant selection of bright, imaginative Mediterranean food, taking in flatbread, pasta, antipasto, carne, seafood and more.

Mana is the proud owner of Manchester’s first Michelin star since 1977. With chef and co-owner Simon Martin (who cut his teeth at Noma, food fans) at the helm, this is a hugely-respected fine-dining restaurant, and a must for gourmands visiting Ancoats.

Mana might have won the Michelin star, but while that’s more a destination event for those with deep pockets, Erst is the true heart of Ancoats – a neighbourhood restaurant with delightfully friendly staff, affordable small plates and a wine list for everyone from the amateur drinker to true boffins.

Whether you’re a die-hard comedy fan or just after a spontaneous night out, there’s something here for everyone. Open 7 nights a week.

Flawd is one of Ancoats’ most exciting young venues, offering beautifully prepared small plates alongside a range of natural wine that rivals any other in the city.

Ancoats’s go-to LGBTQ+ hangout, Social Refuge is more than just a café, housing a bookshop championing a platform to authors and thinkers who may not receive as much attention in mainstream bookshops.

Founded in 2015 by Jim Morgan and his partner Kate Wilson, you’ll find Rudy’s Pizza in cities all over England these days. But there can only be one original…

Started by artisan baker Russell Goodwin, Companio Bakery sells freshly-baked bread from a small unit in Manchester’s Ancoats. They are open Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9am to 3pm, and then from 4pm to 6pm at Victoria Train Station where homeward bound commuters snaffle up any remaining bread.

The Edinburgh Castle has a new executive chef in Shaun Moffat. Born in South Africa, Shaun has concocted an all-new menu that lives up to the high standards of this great restaurant, and then some.

Ancoats General Store serves the local community as a (largely) sustainability-focussed convenience store. They also play host to rotating street food venders, creative workshops run by makers or local brands, events, plant stalls and more.

The Jane Eyre bills itself as a neighbourhood bar, but it’s much more than that. This Ancoats venue has an impeccable reputation, with the kind of word-of-mouth hype money can’t buy. Why? Because the food and drink options here are as first-rate as it gets.

The Horsfall is a venue and programme of activity building on the work of 42nd Street, an innovative Greater Manchester young people’s mental health charity.

The sister venue to the original Cask on Liverpool Road. Situated in one of the many, many new-builds in Ancoats and New Islington, Cask Ancoats doesn’t retain much of the original’s shabby chic, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing and the beer choice is brilliant.