The secret Manchester city centre sun-trap that's going to be packed this summer

A staggering £1bn is being spent to transform the area that was once home to Granada Studios

Our start to spring has already been marked by glorious sunshine, unseasonably warm temperatures and post-work drinks in the sun.

You would think it was the height of summer in Manchester with office workers, day-trippers and families on Easter break heading straight to Manchester's green spaces, squares and pedestrianised streets to soak up the rays, have a bite to eat or enjoy a post-work pint.

Fortunately, the weather is set to continue for the next few days at least.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday are forecast to see maximum temperatures between 18C and 20C across the region - before a change comes on Sunday.

Forecasters warn that ‘temperatures are likely to return closer to normal’ as we enter the middle of April, so it’s a good idea to make the most of the sunshine while it lasts, or at least bookmark some suggestions of where to head when the sun reappears.

One of the best way to do that is with a visit to one of the city’s beer gardens or public spaces, which always come to life when the sun is pouring down on them.

There’s lots of locations for a refreshing after-work drink throughout the city, and we have a few favourites but as the city continues to change and develop, new venues and spaces emerge for people to make the most of the beautiful weather.

If you had asked any Mancunian a year or so ago for directions to St. John’s neighbourhood you would have been met with a few baffled looks.

And while it was once home to Granada Studios, after ITV and the BBC moved to Salford Quays, there was little reason to go.

However, more than £1bn is being spent to transform the area, and its already home to a number of top-tier arrivals, buzzing start-ups, and out-there concepts.

The £280m Aviva Studios opened here in 2023, residents live in a 36-storey ‘co-living’ apartment tower, Soho House will occupy the old Granada Studios building, and TV production has returned with ABC and Versa Studios.

It's literally a few minutes over the road from Spinningfields which was developed by Allied London two decades ago, and now they're turning their hand to St. John's.

And while there's plans for more to come including big plans for Bonded Warehouse that sits on Grape Street, at present the square next to Aviva Studios already boasts two restaurants and bars - New Zealand-inspired brunch spot Caravan and Trading Route a taproom and rotisserie concept.

If you cut through from Spinningfields to get across to Aviva Studios or Liverpool Road and Castlefield - the latter of which is a more obvious selection for a post-work tipple - you may not have given St John's too much thought.

But with the arrival of good weather these past few weeks, this emerging public space, business hub and food and drink destination, has started to come into its own.

At the end of last summer, Caravan, an all-day restaurant and bar opened its doors serving up brunch staples, speciality coffee and an impressive array of cocktails.

This year, they're able to make the most of the spring and summer, and now the large floor-to-ceiling windows have been swung open, the rattan-style outdoor table and chairs assembled, and customers have started requesting a seat al fresco.

The brunch menu includes everything from fresh fruit and grain bowls to fry ups, all elevated with globally-inspired flavours such as house favourite Korean-style buttermilk fried chicken and fried jalapeño cornbread with fried egg and chilli butter.

Likewise, their neighbours Trading Route, which was established by Trof, Manchester Union Brewery and Monton haunt Wandering Palate, landed late last year and they've been making hay while the suns shines and popped some benches outside in the sun-trap square.

The new venue venue on Goods Yard Street, which sits the shadows of Spinningfields and Deansgate, but luckily gets a good dose of sunshine, nods to some of Europe’s finest beer halls.

Offering ice cold beers, fine wines, hot chicken and ‘a luxury larder of expertly sourced goods’, the venture opened its doors in December and has established itself as “The Home of The Foam”.

Serving as a lagerhouse for Manchester Union, with drinks available straight from their Ardwick-based brewery, their continental-style beers offer a ‘full and frothy’ head served via custom-made Tübinger glasses.

There's also alcohol-free options from Cloudwater and Chance, alongside a wine selection, bottled cocktails and made-to-order creations like a French Martini and a Ginger Sailor.

Open from dawn until dusk, the bar also features a purpose-built rotisserie where people can order crisp whole and half chicken that’s carved to order and fresh from the oven.

Both bask in the natural light throughout the day with plenty of seating options which means everyone from tourists and day-trippers, to co-workers and office types can grab a seat and make the most of the warmer weather in a lesser-known part of the city centre.

Goods Yard Street, Manchester, M3 3BP