We’re racking our brains to think where else in the city centre you might be able to find such a wealth of independent shops and restaurants, bars, butchers and bakeries. Not only that, but Great Northern Warehouse, on the corner of Deansgate and Peter Street, offers a wide range of entertainment too. There’s a cinema, a bowling alley, a comedy club and even somewhere you can let off steam with a round or two of axe throwing.
Guests can chill out with a good bottle of wine and a cheese board or get into the spirit with a full-on karaoke session at this ultimate dining and leisure destination. The Great Northern Warehouse is taking the stress out of planning Christmas activities this year by offering a wide range of delicious food offers and things to do.
Here’s what to expect from a visit or two:
The Alpine-themed pop up’s holiday style chalets have been set up both indoors and outdoors across Great Northern Square this year. This festive mini resort will be around until Sunday 9th January 2022. Each private hut comes complete with cosy furnishings, twinkling lights, live music sessions, delicious seasonal cocktails, and the chance to sing your heart out with your own festive karaoke experience. Read more HERE
Sing along with friends to Christmas classics whilst sipping a Bar Hutte special Bombardino cocktail, a hot rum and eggnog drink topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon. Book an exclusive Bar Hütte here.
------------
This cosy contemporary wine bar opened in July 2021 and is ideal for guests looking to host smaller office Christmas parties. Expect a hand-picked wine list, specially crafted cocktails and a crowd-pleasing beer selection.
Graze on top quality charcuterie and cheese boards or something from The Mews’ new hot food menu, featuring weekly changing soups and flatbreads. Enjoy inside or on its new fully sheltered and heated terrace. The Mews also offers gift vouchers making the perfect Christmas gift for wine and cheese lovers. Book a table at The Mews here.
---------
Looking for the perfect location for a family day out this Christmas? Lane 7 will not disappoint. The ten-pin bowling and all-round entertainment experience took over the former All Star Lanes site in May 2021 – see our gallery HERE.
Simply enjoy a drink in the bar, enjoy bowling sessions galore in one of the retro or neon lanes, or try your hand at interactive darts, shooting, beer pong or table football.
Guests can book a Christmas Party Package, which includes bowling, point blank shooting, a burger from residents Fat Hippo and a welcome drink on arrival – a fantastic deal to see everyone’s competitive side come out this Christmas! Book a spot here.
----------
Sometimes we want to Netflix and chill but other times a trip to the cinema is the best way to spend the evening. This Christmas, Great Northern’s Odeon is showing the likes of the highly anticipated James Bond’s No Time to Die and the blockbuster, Dune. Book a film viewing here.
---------
Christmas is all about indulgence, and Alex’s Bakery this lovely independent is the ideal hotspot to take a break from Christmas shopping or grab something to take home. Owner Alex Furlan and her team create freshly baked and fabulously decorated celebration cakes and the counters are always full of beautiful cupcakes and piles of delicious brownies and blondies in incredible flavours. New seasonal options include the indulgent Cinnamon Blondies Box or Chocolate Orange Cupcakes. Book a table here.
-----------
This is a fantastic venue to get in the diary this Christmas. With a seated private dining to full room event hire, the stylish venue’s festive menu offers a wide range of classic Christmas dishes including stuffed turkey breast, pancetta, black pudding bon bons and turkey sauce.
For people looking for an ideal spot for small bites and festive drinks, Impossible also offer a range of canapes including tater tots and filled Yorkshire puddings to enjoy with a festive cocktail. Book a table here.
-----------
Tick learning a new skill off the bucket list this year and enjoy a night at Whistle Punks – Urban Axe Throwing. Sessions take place under highly controlled (but still fun) conditions. Axes are only ever thrown down empty, enclosed lanes under the watchful eye of an experienced instructor who will be on hand to talk you through the best throwing techniques in your own netted lane (read more HERE.)
Book in for the family or make it a staff-do to remember and invite the colleagues down to the venue to get competitive and work up an appetite before a Christmas meal. Reserve a slot here.
---------
Here is where you can buy fresh top-quality meat for a delicious Christmas dinner - all free range and locally sourced, including Beef from Cheshire and Pork and Chicken from a single farm in Staffordshire. They sell their own range of sausages as well as lesser-known cuts like shin beef and oxtail which are perfect for winter stews and slow cooked curries. Friendly staff and owners are always on hand to answer questions and offer advice.
The Artisan style butchers, which opened at the end of June 2021, also offers a fantastic range of cheese, charcuterie, and other deli items, to make the perfect cheese board at home for the family. They even stock a few wines and beers (and there are some secret tables round the back if you’re keen to lose the crowds.) Find out more here.
-------------
For fans of live music and stand-up comedy, Lion’s Den is the perfect location to dance and laugh this Christmas. Surprise colleagues at one of its DJ parties, where visitors can enjoy a delicious selection of craft beers and real ales, with a pool table to relax around too. Book a reservation here.
-----------
Visitors looking to stock up on wine over the festive season should look no further than Evuna – One of Great Northern’s original tenants. Can’t decide between Rioja’s or Galicia’s? Evuna is the best place to find some boutique Spanish gems to enjoy now or to keep in the drink’s cabinet for over Christmas. To order visit here.
Evuna is conveniently located to slip in for a quick round of tapas and a glass of wine during the week, or a lively knees up with a few bottles of their delicious Naveran Brut Cava.
----------
3 Hands Deli
Want your Christmas cheese board to be the envy of your friends and family? Let the passionate and knowledgeable 3 Hands Deli team help you choose from a wide selection of cheeses, artisan crackers, small batch chutneys and other accompaniments. They also stock an excellent range of cured meats and freshly baked sourdough bread from onsite bakery Holy Grain. For more information visit HERE
---------
Head down to Platzki for some comforting polish dishes. Choose from the Karkowka, a roasted pork dish or the Kassler, a fried gammon dinner for main and if there’s still room for dessert, go for the decadent rhubarb cake. Any visit to Platzki isn’t complete without a bowl of their hand made speciality Pierogi, boiled flour dumplings with a variety of delicious fillings. Reserve a table HERE
--------
Get the gang together for a Christmas catch up this festive season at possibly Manchester’s best known burger place, Almost Famous. Choose from a range of hearty and maximum stacked burgers including the OG steak burger, which includes a double famous cheeseburger, wonder buttered steak, crispy chorizo and creamy blue cheese sauce. Book your table HERE
-------
For something completely different, those with an artistic flair can take part in a workshop at Art & Graft during the Christmas period. Guests can book onto a range of workshops including Abstract and Mixed media to Resin work. Book a workshop HERE
-------
Love chocolate? You might want to indulge in some new festive chocolate bars and treats at the award-winning, Dormouse Chocolates, who specialise in creating single estate chocolate made from bean-to-bar. These are very special chocolates indeed, with cocoa beans having been carefully sourced from individual plantations in various countries.
The Stollen Bar is a dark fruity chocolate with toasted almonds and sprinkled with dried cherries, while Get Stuffed is a playful take on Christmas stuffing with milk chocolate and sage candied pecans - Shop festive treats HERE
Deansgate residents can also post-Christmas presents for loved ones in their tenant mailboxes.
For more information on the Great Northern, including updates on individual brand opening dates and safety procedures, please visit HERE.
----------
A Catalan New Year at Tast
Tast on King Street are offering guests an opportunity to celebrate the New Year in a different way. Learn how Catalans say farewell to the year through this special tasting menu designed by multi-Michelin starred executive chef Paco Pérez in his very own creative style.
The seven course globally inspired extravaganza starts with a welcome glass of Cava followed by 'Hong Kong’ Oyster and New Year’s Wan Tong Soup. Diners can then feast on ‘Langoustine Tartar In Seabed’; Black Truffle Gnocchi in Périgord Sauce and Seasonal Mushrooms; Lemon Sole, Meniere and Gnocchi Sage; Duck Breast a L‘Orange and
Porto Sauce Chocolate Sahara to finish. This experience is available at £90 per person. Click HERE to find out more and to book.
-----------
Book your NYE table at Flawd!
Celebrate New Year's Eve at neighbourhood natural wine bar & bottle shop Flawd which opened on Islington Marina in September. Joseph Otway (former head chef of Stockport’s Where The Light Gets In), Richard Cossins (from Relæ in Copenhagen and Fera at Claridges in London) and Daniel Craig Martin have put together an evening of grower Champagne and British seafood at £25 per person.
There are three opportunities to join the party which starts from 4pm and goes on until 2am. Seatings are 6pm / 8:15pm / or 10:30pm-Late (Tables reserved at either 6pm or 8:15pm are required back in two hours.)
A bottle of Champagne is included within each table reservation made but walk-ins are welcome. Click HERE for more information and to book.
-----------
Spend New Year’s Eve in the gutter at Lane 7
You’ll be bowled over by Lane 7’s New Year’s Eve package. Book a lane for £200 and enjoy unlimited bowling for you and an unlimited number of friends, family or colleagues. The price includes a glass of fizz served on arrival and another one at midnight. The evening kicks off at 10pm, and there’s a DJ on all night until 2am close. More information on their opening times and Christmas packages and booking info can be found HERE.
---------