Travel: It’s great Up North
BIG smoke BBC executives have turned their noses up at Salford but for ordinary folk the Manchester Suburb, and the Quays specifically, is just about spot on.
How many times have you fancied a weekend away and automatically looked up the West End show/London hotel combo?
If you’re anything like me it’s all too often.
So, fancying a change, my partner, Hannah, and I, took a trip up the M6 to see what the all the fuss was about.
On the itinerary for us was a night at the four star Ramada Hotel, a meal for two at a top restaurant, and two tickets to Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Les Miserables.
Salford Quays is located about one kilometre west of Manchester city centre and the same distance away to the east from the enormous Trafford Shopping Centre.
Football fans will know it as the home of Manchester United with Old Trafford dominating the skyline.
Despite being a stone’s throw from the city centre, the waterfront destination has a very relaxed feel to it, with its spacious layout and wide tree-lined walkways a world away from the hustle and bustle.
We took a ten minute leisurely stroll from our hotel to The Lowry where we were watching Gareth Gates in Les Mis.
Before the performance we dined at The Lime restaurant – a chic and trendy eatery home to pre theatre diners and fashionable pre-club drinkers.
I had scallops for starter, pan fried calf’s liver for main and delicious chocolate torte for desert.
Hannah had Asparagus and duck egg to start, goat’s cheese pappadelle for main and a vanilla crème brulee to finish.
Including drinks and coffee this came to just over £60. However, for those on a budget, Lime offers two courses for £13 and three courses for £19 as long as you choose from their set menu.
