Didsbury

Didsbury is a mile and a half long, two miles south of the city centre, and feels like a separate town. Burton Road in West Didsbury is the dining strip: The Metropolitan for Sunday roast, Folk for coffee and wine, Hispi (Gary Usher's) for seasonal small plates, Sugo's Didsbury outpost, and Volta for pan-Asian plates. The village itself has Beech Road and the beautiful Grade II-listed St James' Church. Three good pubs sit within a minute of each other, plus The Art of Tea for the best coffee south of the Mersey. Fletcher Moss Gardens is a 21-acre public park with a famous botanical garden, bowling greens and a cafe serving proper scones. Families move here. Musicians live here. Trams on the Metrolink run every eight minutes to St Peter's Square.