Some might say Manchester, or 'Manchest o' as pronounced by the locals, is the home of attitude, the swagger, music, fashion and all things nightlife. In fact, they could be right. Manchester can probably be credited with being the first city outside of London to bring cool to the masses and set the standard for many of England's cities. However, long gone are the days of The Hacienda and fake ID and now Manchester is studded with stylish bars, clubs and restaurants. With the Northern Quarter, Deansgate & Deansgate Locks, The Triangle and The Printworks there are more places to go than you can squeeze into a weekend.

To eat, you'll find everything from the prawn sandwich to the sticky kebab with your favourite chillisauce. To drink, there's everything from funkily lit bottle bars to your boozers' boozers. And for the early hours, there's loads of club nights and no shortage of cheese. Manchester has recently been proclaimed the pride of the Commonwealth by hosting the games and quite rightly so. It's definitely a place to paint red... or sky blue.