If it happens to be sunny on your Manchester hen party or stag do, then check out our guide to the best beer gardens in Manchester

It’s not that often that the sun really shines in Manchester, but if you’re lucky enough to be blessed with sun on your hen or stag weekend, you’ll certainly want to catch a glass of wine or a beer in the sun inbetween your activities! We’ve cherry-picked some of our favourite Manchester city centre beer gardens so you’re not stuck.

1. Dukes 92

                      image source: ilovemanchester.com

Dukes 92 is the place to be when the sun is shining and it’s easy to see why. A beautiful setting in the historic part of Castlefield, the bar is situated right next to the Bridgewater canal and overlooks the Castlefield basin.

The food is second to none for bar and pub food (and they have just won an award). You can order delicious large pizza sharing boards that easily feed up to 4 so they’re perfect for hen and stag parties. And their chicken wing buckets are delicious and perfect for sharing.

With plenty of outside seating, the bar can hold larger groups and is therefore perfect for a stag or hen party. Manchester celebrities have also been spotted in this popular haunt.

2. Epernay champagne bar

           image source: drinkmanchester.co.uk

If you’re after a classy bar with an ambient and sophisticated decor, then Epernay offers all this along with comfy seating on an outside terrace. The terrace area is not particularly large and so it may be more suited to smaller groups on a classy hen party. Manchester really does have a best kept secret in this bar, as their website suggests.

3. RBG cocktail bar

                          image source: manchesterbars.com

Set on the edge of the bohemian Northern Quarter and The Green Quarter, RBG cocktail bar offers a touch of class with the summer sun. It’s right next to the MEN arena and so it’s perfectly suited to those who are planning to include a music or comedy gig as part of their hen or stag party weekend in Manchester. With a sun-trap terrace and stylish cocktails and draught beers on offer, this bar is a lovely place to top up your tan.

4. Black Dog Ballroom NWS

                      image source: blackdogballroom.co.uk

This bar offers an eclectic mix of furniture with pool tables galore and a large rooftop terrace. Enjoy a stag pool tournament and beer in the sun - the perfect start before your stag night. Manchester Oxford Road Station is also close by and so it is an ideal first meeting point. 

5. Deansgate Locks

                       image source: prideofmanchester.com

Along the locks, you’ll find plenty of bars where there are small drinking areas outside overlooking the canal. From Vodka Revolution to Baa Bar and Sakura, there’s something for everyone here. This area is also a really popular night-life area for stag and hen parties in Manchester so you can check out the area before your night out if you wish!

6. Sinclair’s Oyster Bar

                     image source: mancunianwave.blogspot.com

Sinclair’s Oyster Bar is set in the heart of Manchester City Centre, just behind Selfridges and boasts a large seating area outside. The building is one of the oldest in Manchester and you’ll find one of the cheapest prices for beers in the city centre here! It offers a wide range of traditional beers, ales and spirits and a typically English food menu. This is certainly one to be checked out by Stag Parties! Manchester bars do not get much more authentic that than this.

So enjoy some of the best beer gardens in Manchester and if you’ve felt the need to read this, then you can sit back smugly in the knowledge that you’ve arranged your hen or stag do in Manchester on one of the few weekends it really shines!

Hard Rock Cafe Release New Stag and Hen Menu

One of Stag and Hen Manchester's favourite eateries has released a new and updated menu for all you stags and hens to enjoy. We take a look at the venue here and the new menu itself.

Situated at the hen and stag party hotspot the Printworks is the largest Hard Rock Cafe in the United Kingdom. Stag and Hen Manchester have for a good number of years now have been working with this food and live music mecca to provide Manchester Stag Parties and Manchester Hen Parties with an evening meal out to remember.



Emma, Caroline and the team of experienced Chefs have updated our menu that we can offer to stags and hens recently to make it , and we didnt think it possible, even more delicious and good value. THe new menu is as follows:-

Starter -
3 Tupelos or Side House Salad

Choice of Entree-
Legendary Burger
Veggie Burger
Hard Rock Cheeseburger or Bacon Cheeseburger
Greek Salad with Shrimp
Full Rack of Bar Bar-B-Que Ribs
Grilled Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon
New York Strip Steak
Hickory Bar-B-Que Chicken
Twisted Mac & Cheese

Dessert -

Chocolate Cake or Mini Desserts

Choice of Beverage -
Coffee, Tea, or Soft Drink

Ideally situated to head off to the Birdcage, Tiger Tiger or even the other venues in the Printworks areas with our Q jump passes whether stag or hen it definitely the place for your meal on a Manchester Stag Night or Manchester Hen Night out!

Premier League Fixtures Released - Info For Manchester Stag and Hen Party Planners

Unfortunately it is that time of the year again where the fixtures for next season's Premier League campaign have been announced. As usual we have had a look at them and are getting you the info you need when planning your Manchester Stag Party and Manchester Hen Party between August 2012 and May 2013.

You may ask what the impact of the Premier League fixtures are? Well put simply when Manchester United are playing at home at Old Trafford the hotels and some apartment complexes in the city centre know that automatically they will fill with the influx of football fans and therefore increase prices and institute minimum stay requirements.
Stag and Hen Manchester can combat this with its relationships with a number of accommodation providers and allocations they provide us but due to demand are not always able to offer city centre accommodation and as a result our advice is where possible avoid a weekend where Manchester United are playing at home when picking the dates for your Manchester Stag Weekend or Manchester Hen Weekend.
You can find our dates on our Stag, Hen and Mixed accommodation pages but we also include them below. (NB the Manchester Derby is included as despite it being played at Manchester City it still causes the same issue)
If you have any questions or enquiries be they about these weekends or not then do get in touch and we can talk you through your best options on email or over the phone.

Manchester United v Fulham  -  Saturday 25th August

Manchester United v Wigan - Saturday 15th September

Manchester United v Spurs - Saturday 29th September

Manchester United v Stoke - Saturday 20th October

Manchester United v Arsenal - Saturday 3rd November

Manchester United v QPR - Saturday 24th November

Manchester United v West Ham - Tuesday 27th November

Manchester City v Manchester United - Saturday 8th December

Manchester United v Sunderland - Saturday 15th December

Manchester United v Newcastle - Wednesday 26th December

Manchester United v West Brom - Saturday 29th December

Manchester United v Liverpool - Saturday 12th January

Manchester United v Southampton - Tuesday 29th January

Manchester United v Everton - Saturday 9th February

Manchester United v Norwich - Saturday 2nd March

Manchester United v Reading - Saturday 16th March

Manchester United v Manchester City - Saturday 6th April

Manchester United v Aston Villa - Saturday 20th April

Manchester United v Chelsea - Saturday 4th May

Manchester United v Swansea - Sunday 12th May

The Wheel of Manchester loses its Home After April

A favourite of the team at Stag and Hen Manchester and a popular activity on Manchester Stag and Hen parties - The Wheel of Manchester- has had to be removed from our site today. :-(

The reason why we have had to remove the Wheel of Manchester from our site is because come early April the Wheel is being dismantled from its current position in Exchange Square to make way for events planned over the Summer and the Olympics and currently has no new home agreed.

We have close links to the team behind the Wheel though and will be keeping in touch to make sure that the moment a new site is found and a date for it to return to the city is agreed we can return it to our site and offer it as Manchester stag party activity or Manchester hen party activity.

NB If you have a booking with us currently for the Wheel prior to April this will of course still happen but if you have any concerns whatsoever then do get in touch and we will be happy to answer any queries

In the meantime if you are looking for those views of Manchester that you do not get at ground level then we suggest either heading to Cloud 23 cocktail bar twenty three floors up the Hilton or if your group is larger then 15 asking us about a private dinner at the hugely popular Sky Lounge.

Regards

Mike
Stag and Hen Manchester

2012 Olympics - Will Manchester see an impact for Stag and Hen Weekends?

So for those of you that have been living in a bubble for the last year or so the Olympics the centre piece of world sport comes to the United Kingdom and in particular London in 2012. The games are scheduled to last a couple of weeks between the 27th July – 12th August 2012. The question is what impact will that have on stags and hens planning to book time in Manchester for their last nights and weekends of freedom next year?

Well although slightly early still the team at Stag and Hen Manchester have been looking at things and thought you all might appreciate a blog on the subject so here we go.

Do any Olympic Sports happen in Manchester?

Despite being well renowned as being the home of British cycling and other sports like Squash the only sport scheduled to happen in Manchester during the Olympics is what the city is most famous for and that is Football.

Football will be a major feature of the Olympic programme at London 2012. Beginning with group matches and ending with a knockout phase, the competition will offer all the drama that fans have come to expect from major international tournaments. There will be two medal events at London 2012, one for men’s teams and one for women.

As the Olympic football tournaments are scheduled to happen at 6 stadiums around the country the whole of the two tournaments will not happen at Old Trafford in Manchester but there are 7 days during the Olympics where football will happen at the home of Manchester United.

They are as follows:-

Thursday 26th July 2012 – 5-9.45pm

Sunday 29th July 2012 – 12-4.45pm

Tuesday 31st July 2012 – 5.15pm – 7.15pm

Wednesday 1st August 2012 – 5-7pm

Saturday 4th August 2012 – 12-2pm

Monday 6th August 2012 – 7.45pm - 9.45pm

Tuesday 7th August 2012 – 7.45pm - 9.45pm

These games will cause an increase in visitors to the city as the stadium can hold 75,000 people but we are already working with our partners hotels and apartment providers in Manchester to nullify any impact on those stags and hens looking at a Manchester Stag Party or Manchester Hen Party on the two weekends where there is a game being played.

Interesting Facts on Olympic Football

- Football was introduced as a medal sport at the 1908 Olympic Games.

- Great Britain won the first gold medal

- The sport has featured at every Olympic Games since, with the exception of Los Angeles 1932

- Keep an eye out for the return of a Great Britain team this year.

- Stag and Hen Manchester is going with tickets to all games at Old Trafford J

Will Manchester See an Increase in Visitors During the Olympics?

All answers to this question point to yes as those visiting London for the games look to explore a country they might not have seen before and with Manchester only a few hours away by train or plane and well known as the UK’s unofficial second city. City centre bosses, hoteliers and ourselves all expect increased demand on the weekends during the games. This means that we will be looking to hold some hotel rooms with you lovely stags and hens in mind.

What Weekends Will See an Effect?

27-29th July 2012

3-5th August 2012

10-12th August 2012

We expect weekends before and after the Games to see an effect but that will be minimal.

Are any teams basing themselves in Manchester?

At time of writing no team is basing themselves in Manchester meaning no impact from an influx of athletes , officials and supporters.

Will there be Olympic Fan Events happening in the city?

Although not scheduled just yet we would strongly suggest that there will be a series of events to mark the Olympics if you are visiting Manchester during the Games and we will release details of those on our Twitter and Facebook pages and via our emailing as soon as we are aware of them.

I am trying to organise a Manchester Stag Weekend or Manchester Hen Weekend during the Olympics – What do I do now?

Our best advice is to put an enquiry in with us now and ask us to hold some hotel rooms for you – Once we have done that you can find out final numbers safe in the knowledge you won’t suffer due to any increased demand for hotel rooms. You can take your time deciding what to do on the day and then pay us a deposit when you are ready to book and are happy with the personal Stag Party or Hen Party proposal Stag and Hen Manchester has sent you.

As the meerkat from compare the market would say – Simples! J

We will continually be assessing the impact the 2012 Olympic Games will have and will update you as we progress further towards the Games themselves. IF you have any questions in the meantime do get in touch!

Kind Regards

Stag and Hen Manchester Team