Nights Out in Manchester

Going out in town can be expensive but the bars and clubs are classier, more relaxed and there tends to be a better atmosphere. There is a number of student nights, mainly on a Monday.

Deansgate

The top end of Deansgate, nearest to Market St, is popular with the after-work crowds and is at its busiest during weekends. This collection of pubs and bars are very trendy and can be expensive. You can sometimes see footballers at The Living Room and it's not uncommon to see a pop star or soap star staggering drunkenly. If you feel like a night out in Deansgate, then it might seem hard to choose where exactly to go, so here's some of the best places. For a premier night out, you might want to try RSVP, a spacious venue with reasonable drink prices. Walking towards Deansgate Locks, you'll come across Prohibition, just off Deansgate on St Mary's Street. Prohibition is a dark and sexy bar, with lots of cosy corners and comfy seating. The drinks are priced at about £3 and it has a chilled out atmosphere so definitely give it a go. Moon under Water is a huge, chilled out venue. It's so huge that it has been called the largest public house in Britain by the Guinness Book of World Records. It's based in a good looking building and most importantly, the drinks are cheap. It is a part of the Lloyds No.1 chain so it doesn't exceed expectations but is a great place for pre-drinks. It has the usual kind of clientele that you'd expect in a chain bar but has plenty of space, well suited to big groups.

Deansgate Locks

Deansgate Locks is another very popular part of town, just opposite Deansgate train station and Castlefield. Located on Whitworth Street West, it lights up the canal with clubs and bars built into the arches. Probably the biggest bar on the Locks is Loaf. It's very sophisticated and stylish, occupying two floors of the now infamous railway arches and there is a great student night on a Monday. Entry and drinks are cheap, and the music is pretty modern. Revolution bars are everywhere, and Deansgate Locks is no exception. This particular one occupies three floors and serves lots of lovely flavoured vodkas and tasty cocktails. At the locks, there is also the Comedy Store, where the drinks are a bit over-priced but the stand up acts are definitely worth a visit. Then there's the Sugar Lounge, where you used to be able to go celebrity spotting but it's not that popular with them anymore, they probably prefer the nearby Hilton hotel with its trendy sky bar. However its still expensive and can be difficult to get past the bouncers! The clubbers at Sugar Lounge tend to be of the good looking nature.

The Printworks

Formerly the Withy Grove Printing and Publishing House, The Printworks is Europe's first urban leisure and entertainment complex, it cost over £150 million and covers 350,000 square feet.It contains a number of restaurants, bars and clubs and a huge multiplex cinema. The Hard Rock Café is one of the biggest spaces in there, seating over 200 people and offering a contemporary menu and live stage music. It might not be the cheapest place to eat or drink but it has a unique atmosphere and is somewhere great for birthdays. A popular venue with students in the Printworks is Tiger Tiger. A three-floor, sophisticated spot, it provides an ideal backdrop to any night out, whether you want to chill out and sit on the comfy sofas and watch the world go by, or dance the night away. Although not always cheap, Tiger Tiger host a student night on Mondays called Vodka Island so drink prices are cheaper. There are lots of places to eat in the Printworks, including Nando's, Henry J Beans and Old Orleans. There is also Paparazzi and Norwegian Blue, a large, two storey affair with fairly cheap drinks and a small dance floor. Norwegian Blue also hosts a student night on a Monday but but is not recommended on the weekend! Another nice club is Opus which has 2 floors, its very popular with students and can get extra crowded, especially on a Thursday when they host an Asian student night called Kamasutra. Kamasutra is the place to seen if your an Asian student in Manchester, having said that it also welcomes other fun-loving students, the drinks are cheap and there's plenty of good R&B music. Sometimes they play host to some of the best DJ's around, recently DJ EZ has played a set there and MC Luck has also done the same. Also in the Printworks there is a cinema, that is the really impressive part of the Printworks. Formerly known as the Filmworks, it has now been taken over by Odeon and boasts of a huge multiplex, with exceedingly comfy chairs - the kind where you can lean back and relax and enjoy the film as if in the comfort of your own home.

Rest of City Centre

Another popular haunt with students is the Mtwo club on Peter Street near the central library. The best night for student is Wednesday when it can get seriously crowded due to the AU Social, when it gets full of good looking athletic people. They also play a good selection of music. Then there is the 5th Avenue club which offers the No.1 Indie experience in Manchester, so if Indie is your scene this is where you will need to go. 5th Avenue is on Princess St, a short walk from the North campus of Manchester uni. Another club for indie lovers is 42nd Street on Bootle Street just off of Deansgate.