Who said there's no such thing as a perfect date? Whether you like to keep 'em cool and casual or prefer Champagne with views, this city has the place for you.
From candlelit tables to intimate corners, pink interiors and sky-high tipples, these romantic bars in Manchester are guaranteed to have you falling head over heels.
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Located inside the iconic ABC Building, Side Street is a cosy bar, kitchen and social space that's ideal for date night. Think checkered floors, plush velvet sofas and pretty plants, all illuminated by intimate low lighting.
They offer some of the best cocktails in the business, as well as locally produced craft beer. Plus, you can munch on everything from grilled monkfish to rotisserie chicken and stuffed squash.
Vintage vibes and speakeasy styling make The Fitzgerald the perfect place for some drinks with your boo. Not only are there cocktails aplenty, but also live music and burlesque to boot, meaning entertainment is covered too.
Perched up on the 23rd floor of the legendary Beetham Tower, the oh-so-fancy Cloud 23 boasts the most epic panoramic views of Manchester's skyline. Enjoy creative cocktails, free-flowing brunch, tapas-style nibbles, and chic interiors while overlooking the beauty of the city.
From boozy high teas (Moët & Chandon, of course) to a range of original twists on classic cocktails, including pomegranate mojitos and a kiwi blancs, there's plenty to get stuck into at Grand Pacific Manchester. Topping it off? Those stunning interiors, of course, which are sure to impress you and your beau.
If your romantic outing also involves hitting up rooftop bars, be sure to not miss 20 Stories off your list. Not after their slap-up dinners? Then make your way over to the sky-high spot on Wednesdays, when they host regular live music sessions as the perfect accompaniment to their signature cocktails.
The Alchemist's New York Street, Spinningfields and MediaCityUK venues are some of the best romantic bars in Manchester and a staple for date night. With good reason. When you settle down for cocktails that fizz, smoke and pop across these moody interiors, you'll start to understand the hype.
Come Sundays, their sharing feast menu offers an indulgent platter of US-style bites. Think barbecue beans, buttermilk fried chicken, macaroni cheese and more - all for £20 per person.
El Gato Negro is a great place to hit up with your SO, thanks to its renowned tapas dishes and extensive wine menu. Oozing romantic vibes in its atmospheric dining room and on its rooftop terrace, this place will have you swooning over Spanish delicacies while sipping sangria.
Harking back to the golden age of cocktail making, Arcane is packed with exposed brick walls and Victorian detailing to make for a unique setting for couples drinks. Expect a range of classic libations and signatures across a relaxed setting.
Looking for a romantic drinking spot in Manchester? Blinker is about to become your new go-to. The brainchild of famed bar manager Dan Berger, this swanky den is decked out in up-cycled furniture and serves up a tipple menu filled with classic cocktails and seasonal delights made with locally sourced British ingredients.
Treat someone special to a meal and drinks at one of the most romantic restaurants in Manchester city centre with a great bar too: Tattu. A playground of blossoms, Asian-inspired interiors and unique Chinese plates provide the setting to eye each other up over the table.
Attention cocktail lovers. The Schofield brothers have opened up their classic cocktail haven, Schofield's Bar, in the heart of Manchester's city centre. Expect top-notch boozy concoctions made with the finest ingredients, such as scotch, vermouth, vodka, rose, and grapefruit.
On the hunt for romantic rooftop bars in Manchester? Head up to the gorgeous schmoozer at The Ivy Spinningfields, where the vibrant interiors are inspired by the countries featured on its pan-Asian menu. Whether you start out at the British brasserie downstairs or go straight for the booze, this beaut drinking and dining den won't disappoint.
Dimly lit and focussed on shaking up a quality list of dashing drinks, Speak in Code is quite the pick out of the best romantic cocktail bars in Manchester. Heralded for their mixes and their low glow, this city centre favourite is all about intimate sipping across a charming setting.
With Scandi-style interiors, communal tables and a leafy courtyard, Flawd has all the makings of a dreamy date night. There's plenty to fall in love with on the wine list too. We're talking low‑intervention bottles from some of the world's best small‑scale producers.
Run by a collective of restauranters with Michelin‑star credentials, it goes without saying that the food is off the charts too. As you make your way through a bottle or two, you can tuck into wonderful wood-fired creations and seasonal small plates designed to pair perfectly with every sip.
Across their New York Street, Spinningfields and MediaCity venues, the theatrical cocktail programme is the main event: drinks that arrive smoking, foaming, bubbling or changing colour, served in striking glassware.
Project Halcyon Distillery in Spinningfields is the most secretive and award-winning — tucked into the bottom floor of the historic Bonded Warehouse, beneath the cobbles of what was once the Coronation Street set near Old Granada Studios.
20 Stories is Manchester's most romantic rooftop bar — a sky-high spot with stunning panoramic views of the city, botanical interiors and a seasonally changing themed terrace that reinvents itself throughout the year.
For genuine intimacy — small spaces, low lighting, private nooks — three venues stand out. The Fitzgerald in the Northern Quarter is the most intimate mainstream option: a 1920s speakeasy with romantic corners designed for two, live jazz and blues every Thursday and a cocktail list that rewards slow, unhurried drinking.
