Essential Liverpool, Manchester & Leeds: What to See, Eat, Drink and Do in North England

Even if you’ve never been, you know the North of England. This is the home of the Industrial Revolution, the Fab Four, Manchester United and Liverpool FC football clubs, and “Wuthering Heights.”

It’s a place that boasts rugged, breathtakingly beautiful countryside and cities that burst with excitement — and none more so than Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester, each of them proudly Northern.

Leeds

Do

Like the city that created it, Leeds Town Hall is no dusty relic. This classical 1850s structure is one of the U.K.’s most striking civic buildings, and it is used for a host of different purposes, from concerts and comedy to an excellent annual beer festival, the Leeds International Beer Festival.

Across the city, you’ll find The Royal Armouries, a national collection of arms and armor. Don’t miss Henry VIII’s actual tournament armor.

See

Leeds is full of magnificent buildings, but the Corn Exchange is perhaps its finest; this oval-shaped, domed structure is now home to some of the city’s finest small shops.

Out of town, The Dales, with its deep valleys and dry-stone walls, is not to be missed.

Eat

Leeds has a rich and varied food scene, belying its traditional reputation as a place for great fish and chips but not much else.

Bundobust is absolutely unmissable for those who love vegetarian Gujurat-style Indian food (and those who think they don’t); The Man Behind The Curtain, meanwhile, offers inventive and exciting Michelin-Star cooking.

Drink

Craft beer is everywhere now in the U.K., but the nations’ first craft beer is said to be brewed in Leeds, and North Bar is still one of the best places for a drink in the country. For a cocktail, try the Liverpool classic Café Tabac, and keep the night going with an excellent espresso martini.

Liverpool

Do

Liverpool boasts two cathedrals, but it is the Anglican version that takes the breath away. Built during the 20th century, it’s the biggest cathedral in the U.K. Not far away you’ll find The Royal Albert Dock, a marvelous 19th-century collection of dock buildings and warehouses.

See

Liverpool has not one but two great football clubs: Everton and Liverpool. Their grounds are separated by Stanley Park in the north of the city center, and both can be visited for tours — although, of course, match day is best of all. Fans of the Fab Four, meanwhile, won’t want to miss the Magical Beatles Museum.

Eat

With its magnificent tree-festooned interior and superb Indian small plates, Mowgli Street Food on Water Street has become a well-deserved local favorite. For high-end British cooking, head for Wreckfish Bistro for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Drink

Liverpool’s pubs buzz with life and humor, but few have as much natural charisma as the The Philharmonic Dining Rooms, built in the late 19th century. (Gents shouldn’t miss the chance to use the Grade 1-listed men’s toilets — they get a LOT of hype).

Just down the road, the Roscoe Head is more down-to-earth but equally worth visiting.

Manchester

Do

Manchester has spent the past 40 years producing some of the world’s best music; at Piccadilly Records, founded in 1978, you can get to the heart of this passion for pop.

For a change of pace, try the Imperial War Museum North, where you’ll hear powerful stories about the impact of war on ordinary people’s lives.

See

Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, is worth visiting any time of the year — and not far away you’ll find Old Trafford cricket ground, one of the U.K.’s most significant shrines to England’s summer game.

At the Science and Industry Museum, you can learn about some of the people and ideas that have shaped this city and the world — like Alan Turing, the father of the modern computer, who did much of his most important work while at Manchester University.

Eat

Mackie Mayor is the place to go if you struggle when deciding what to eat; this 19th-century market hosts many of the city’s finest street-food purveyors, from tacos to pizza, via all manner of other delicious treats.

In the Spinningfields neighborhood, you’ll find Pot Kettle Black, home to the city’s best vegan brownie.

Drink

Marble is one of the U.K.’s longest-established craft breweries, and The Marble Arch — a 19th-century, street-corner pub — was its original home. With its gorgeous tiles and cask ales, it’s not to be missed. The Richmond Tea Rooms, meanwhile, offers a superb afternoon tea at any time of the day.