We found ourselves with some free time in Manchester earlier this month, as we were down for burger eating at Grill On The Alley. With a few hours to kill we decided to join in with the new Blogger's Travel Guide which Think Money are currently creating; a UK town + city guide generated by the blogging community, featuring ways to spend a day for under £40.
Our idea was to visit a coffee shop, splash a little more on lunch, and then try to find something fun to do that wouldn't cost us a penny:
As we arrived in Manchester at a leisurely pace we headed straight for a light lunch at Jamie's Italian. Not wanting to stuff myself up for dinner, I had a small mushroom + avocado salad, Hollie got a couple of appetisers to herself, and we shared some ravioli nachos. Tasted great, but the size of my salad was a little small for my liking. Everything else was tip top though.
For both our meals + drinks our bill came to around £25. Find Jamie's Italian here.
We visited the newly opened Foundation Coffee House on Lever Street, in the Northern Quarter. There's been a bit of buzz around this place since it opened; for it's sheer size and its lean towards a more conscious lifestyle. The chap who started Foundation was frustrated with the lack of healthy foods options within coffee shops, so you'll find plenty to choose from here; Fairtrade coffee + tea, fresh juices, protein bars, nuts, but also cakes and the usual.
There's loads of workspace to set-up shop for a few hours, with plenty of natural light, and private meeting spaces. Coffee + cake cost us around £10 in total. Find Foundation Coffee House here.
It wouldn't be a trip to the city without hopping over to the Manchester Art Gallery. The gallery is full with both traditional and contemporary exhibitions and permanent fixture; we usually sway towards to contemporary exhibitions, which features lots of stuff from pop artists, furniture designers + modern installations.
Currently on; The Lost Gardens of Manchester, House Proud, and Summer Workshops for families. Free entry all year around. Find Manchester Art Gallery here.
Thanks for reading,
Mat.
Thanks for reading,
Mat.
