The essential guide to the best places to shop, eat and relax in Manchester. Find the best restaurants, cinemas and nightlife spots along with general need-to-know information including shopping hours and going out tips.

Mancunians have a passion for fashion and the city that got rich from textiles now boasts some of the best designer and independent clothes stores in the country. The revamp of the Corn Exchange has created Triangle, a stylish shopping space with an eclectic selection of upmarket stores. Exchange Square in the Millennium Quarter is home to department stores Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. King Street, between Deansgate and Spring Gardens, is partly pedestrianised with top-end designer stores. Bridge Street has all the big high street names while

The Designer Outlet, located next to The Lowry in Salford Quays, consists of more than 80 stores selling all the top brands at up to 50 per cent off the R.R.P.

The Northern Quarter (Oldham Street) is the best place to head for vintage wear, jewellery, independent record and book shops.

Standard opening hours are Monday to Saturday 9am-5.30pm. Many stores also open on Sundays.

The Trafford Centre, just outside the city, is Greater Manchester's premier shopping mall, which opens 10am-10pm on week days.

Manchester offers an almost overwhelming choice of pubs, clubs and bars, from the very chic to the very laid-back. The in-crowd flock to Deansgate Locks on the city outskirts near Deansgate Sation. Here, cool little bars cluster under the arches of the railway bridge. The Quays also offers sophisticated venues and the city centre is filled with traditional pubs, smart cafés and trendy new bars. For laid-back evenings, the boho Northern Quarter is the place to head for and of Manchester's 150 clubs, the offering here is among the most cutting edge. The best late night watering holes can be found in the Gay Village.

World-famous entertainers of pop and rock come to the Manchester Evening News Arena. The Bridgewater Hall, home to the Halle and BBC Philharmonic, features classical music with a complimentary programme of world music. Dubbed the 'West End of the North', The Palace and Opera House is the venue for opera, ballet and hit musicals. The Royal Exchange, The Library Theatre and the two theatres of The Lowry present the best classical and contemporary drama.

Pubs shut at 11pm every day except Sunday when they close at 10.30pm. Bars in Soho have late licences (until 1pm or 2pm) while most clubs stay open until 6am or later.

Bars serve drinks until around 1am and shut around 2am. Bar staff do not expect tips. Clubs stay open much later. Manchester's clubbing scene is very fashionable and vodka cocktails and local ales are in vogue.

Manchester's food and drink scene is the most buoyant and boisterous in the country. The city centre is crammed with restaurants of modern British and international flavours, posh nosh and moderately priced eateries and is also home to Chinatown.

Café culture has arrived and from Canal Street in the Gay Village to Deansgate Locks close to G-Mex, pavements are awash with smart tables and chairs during the summer months. Castlefield also has some of the best outdoor bars and cafés.

The famous Curry Mile - a one-mile stretch of Wilmslow Road in Rusholme, has more than 30 Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi restaurants. Indian sweetshops and supermarkets also offer ethnic delights and this neon-lit quarter delivers plenty of buzz.

Standard opening hours are 12pm-3pm and 7pm-10pm daily.

Where service is not included in the bill, tips of 10 per cent are standard. Upmarket restaurants require advance booking, cost around £40 per head (for three courses including wine) and the dress code is smart-casual.

Modern French food is served in this seriously chic dining room situated in the Urbis museum complex. The walls are glass offering stunning views across Manchester's skyline.

This award-winning restaurant (Restaurant of the Year 2004 in Manchester Food and Drink Awards) serves classic and modern British cuisine and the ingredients are locally sourced wherever possible.

Marco Pierre White's star dining room of the north serves a wide selection of imaginative brasserie-style dishes in an atmospheric setting overlooking the river.

A national chain delivering the whole package: laughs, eats, drinks and a post-show disco!

Situated in the Manchester suburb of West Didsbury, this hot new restaurant has already picked up awards for its eclectic mix of cuisines served in an unpretentious, stylish atmosphere.

Do express enthusiasm for the arrival of Harvey Nichols' department store (opened in 2003). Do accept invitations to go out for drinks after hours (an important part of the working culture). Don't compare Manchester with Birmingham - Mancunians like to feel they are the UK's second city and not its third! Don't try to do any Mancunian accents - they are sick to death of bad imitations.

9am-5.30pm Monday to Friday although in practice most companies work longer hours, especially in finance.

Maritime, advertising and media, life sciences and construction.

The business district is situated near the waterfront in Water Street, Castle Street and Dale Street for financial services, media and advertising. The city centre is home to service industries.