Manchester Entertainment

  1. Bar Centro

    A Northern Quarter stalwart, very popular with the bohemian crowd precisely because it doesn't try to be. Great beer, nice staff and a better-than-average bar menu (mains around £5 to around £8 ) make this one of the choice spots in the area.

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  2. Britons Protection

    Whisky - 200 different kinds of it - is the beverage of choice at this liver-threatening, proper English pub that also does Tudor-style meals (boar, venison and the like; mains around £7 ). An old-fashioned boozer, no fancy stuff.

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  3. Club V

    White leather sofas and club nights with names like Angel Deelite and Venus don't always augur well if you're looking for some really good music, but this little basement club defies all expectations with its devotion to garage and funky house.

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  4. Dukes 92

    Castlefield's best pub, housed in converted stables that once belonged to the duke of Bridgewater, has comfy, deep sofas inside and plenty of seating outside, overlooking lock 92 of the Rochdale Canal - hence the name. If it's sunny, there's no better spot to enjoy a pint of ale.

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  5. Kro 2

    Kro Bar's younger brother is next to the BBC. It's closer to the city but not quite as classy as the original.

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  6. Lass O'Gowrie

    A Victorian classic off Princess St that brews its own beer in the basement. It's a favourite with students, old-timers and a clique of BBC employees who work just across the street in the Beeb's Manchester HQ. It also does good-value bar meals (mains around £6 ).

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  7. Old Wellington Inn

    The Old Wellington Inn, one of the oldest buildings in the city, was severely damaged twice by bombing, in 1940 and then in 1996, but this irrepressible Tudor pub still manages to stay on its feet. It's a Manchester institution and a lovely spot for a pint of genuine ale, particularly when it's sunny outside.

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  8. Peveril of the Peak

    If you're tired of 'olde worlde' chain pubs this is the place for a quiet ale. Make sure you stop for a moment and admire its beautiful green tiled facade: it's a wonderful relic of the Georgian era, remodelled with great attention to original fittings at the turn of the century. It's named after the stagecoach that once made the regular run to London.

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  9. Ra!n

    A rival to Dukes 92 for best outdoor drinking, indoors Ra!n is both trendy new-style bar and old-fashioned boozer. Whatever your mood, you'll find the right ambience in this former umbrella factory.

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  10. Sankeys

    Long queues and derelict surrounds make Sankeys a destination for the dedicated clubber; the venue stands in the middle of the industrial wasteland that is Ancoats. Tribal Sessions on Friday nights is regarded as a classic club night and Saturday night also sees a superb selection of techno, uplifting house and other quality electronica.

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  12. Socio Rehab

    Tiny, supercool and boasting one of the best cocktail menus in town, this terrific bar is the kind that will make you think you're onto a really good secret. You kind of are.

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  13. South

    An excellent basement club to kick off the weekend: Friday night is Rock'n'Roll Bar, featuring everything from Ibrahim Ferrer to Northern Soul; and Saturday is Disco Rescue, which is more of the same eclectic mix of alternative and dance.

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  14. Temple of Convenience

    This tiny basement bar with a capacity of about 30 has a great jukebox and a fine selection of spirits, all crammed into a converted public toilet. Hardly your bog-standard pub.

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