Spinningfields

Spinningfields is an area in central Manchester which has been rising, becoming more popular and having a wider range of shops and restaurants of late. It is quite a nice area, with a large amount of places in Hardman Square in Spinningfields.
One negative to start with however, is the lift to get down always seems to be out of order when I visit, meaning wheelchairs, prams and the elderly may have to take the long way round.
Resturaunts and coffee shops here incldue It su, Pret A Manger, Zizzi, Costa, Giraffe, Nando’s, Hey Little Cupcake (independent store selling cupcakes including GF) and most of them have a gluten free menu too. Shops include Waitrose and WHsmith.
Spinningfields in all is quite a nice modern area, and is definitely worth a look at while in Manchester, as it is a nice place, and much cooler and more relaxing from the Arndale Center and the Manchester Arndale and it is also less busier, or at least it seems to be when I visit here.
Spinningfields is also home to some upper class shops, including an Armani shop and TM Lewin, as well as a «Little» Waitrose connivance store, previously mentioned.
Spinninfields has quite a posher, upper class feel to it, rather than most areas in Manchester, but still restaurants and shops seem to still be affordable for the Average working man, or at least most of them.
Spinningfields is a nice area, and a solid 3 stars but due to only having a small number of shops to restaurants ratio, and perhaps too many restaurants, as well as lift issues and a lack of a good train /​metrolink station (still within short walking distance of the city center), I still feel that sadly I can only give three stars for now.

Spinningfields is known as a very commercial area of Manchester — it’s a plethora of towering office blocks, Living Ventures restaurants, and people in suits looking busy. It’s not my usual hang-​out spot but, after changing jobs and finding myself situated in the area, it’s started to grow on me.
There’s a huge choice of bars and restaurants, with an increasingly ‘casual’ feel to them with the development of Leftbank. Iberica, Thaikhun, Fazenda, Oast House, and the Lawn Club can all be found in the central area, with Tattu, Scene, and Dockyard towards Leftbank. The Kitchens — the new street food concept, with 6 traders competing for a permanent unit and financial support — is also in this area, with the addition of a ‘boardwalk’ to increase the casual feel.
Events in Spinningfields are frequent, with the Pringle’s Summer Fest currently taking place across 4 weekends, providing live music and those all important free crisp samples. Hopefully the Manchester weather will continue to prove it knows what summer actually means as we can return to enjoy this each weekend!
The Avenue provides some very expensive and luxurious shopping options, though retail appears to be taking a back seat with the amount of new dining options coming in — and set to appear in the near future.
Photography is allowed on standard cameras but anything with equipment requires permission due to health & safety — important for any budding photographers out there!
Sign up for a Yellow Card to get a huge range of discounts from across Spinningfields, including The Kitchens, Physio Lounge, and Thaikhun.

Security stopped my overseas visitor taking photos, says it is private property, not very welcoming for visitors to Manchester is it?
See this from the MEN Evening news!

My hair salon is in spinning fields. And there’s lots of restaurants with all different themes. The avenues it in spinning fields high end shops but there is not much green space left as they are building on it all.

I love Spinningfields, its a great part of Manchesters City Centre, Its just off Deansgate and its very easy to get too from most places, It has everything from Great cafes, restaurants and shops, its more posh shops like Emporio Armani and All Saints. Its a lovely area to look around as well or chill out with friends in the great cafes and bars, i particular like the Oast House and Pret for the coffee fix, they also have film screenings in the Summer on the lawn on the large screen.

Spinningfields has gone from the sort of place 5 years ago where you’d say «oh, it’s happening in Spinningfields?!?» to «yeah, of course it’s going on in Spinningfields» such has been the transformation of the area from the monolithic collective of skyscrapers and high end boutique stores to family and fun friendly adventure playground.
Ok so the actual area is still the business district but over the past few years it’s doubled up as the «pop up» district with everything from a 3 month bowling alley, to the annual summer screen outdoors movie theatre, special ‘in town’ visiting shows and loads of bars with crazy concepts forming depending upon the season.
Currently with it leading up to Xmas, we have the ice skating rink, ultra cool and funky ‘Long bar’, Oast house extension and Christmas funfair on top of Christmas market stalls, food village and a load of the guys who regularly do Guerilla eats. What’s nice about this end of town is that it’s still quite tucked away so is the perfect place to avoid the mad weekend rushes at Albert square and get some shopping done at the stalls where it’s quiet enough to speak to the stallholders.
Bars such as Gaslamp, Oast House and Neukoln make this area a destination that’s starting to offer a bit more variety and a more chilled out feel than some of the more higher end/​less casual options in the area.
Looking forward to seeing what Spinningfields fully morphs into over the coming years but if you’re passing by then it’s always worth going in to see exactly what’s on.

A maze of towering glass structures, impossibly clean concrete, angular slabs, chain restaurants and coffee shops and a grassy mound where one can watch sport on a giant screen in summer or an ice rink, winter bar and miniature markets for the festive period. Welcome to Spinningfields. Meet me there indeed, as the slogan consistently tells us.
This riverside community has become known as Manchester’s Canary Wharf. Located here are banks such as RBS, Natwest and HSBC, the newspaper Manchester Evening News, a branch of Deloitte, all of which have offices above where the 9−5ers toil away. When they become overwhelmed with hunger there’s a Pret and an Eat waiting for them to yoink sandwiches and coffees from, or if they want a sit-​down meal they’ve got Nando’s, Carluccio’s, Gourmet Burger, Giraffe, Strada et al in residence. For an after work drink there’s the likes of Café Rouge and Ha Ha, and the patios overlooking the Irwell offer a great unwinding sun spot.
But Spinningfields isn’t all about the suits. It’s rapidly making a name for itself as a bit of an entertainment destination. Take the seasonal joys, like the cinema screen with its accompanying shack of a Giraffe bar, complete with deckchairs, or when it’s frozen solid, there’s mulled wine and hot donuts to be had at its very own Winter Wonderland. It boasts one of the greatest Japanese restaurants in Manchester, Samsi, right on the corner of RBS, and much as the yellow signs may seem cheesy, it is in fact a great place to meet up.
Spinningfields is also home to the Leftbank Apartments, giant luxury pads which overlook the river and are about as central as you can get, as Spinningfields is located just off Deansgate and Castlefield. It provides a nice shortcut for me between my local Sainsbury’s and town itself, and having worked there myself for a year I must say I enjoyed the culture and still do as a lowly freelancer, although I do feel a bit conspicuous walking around such a sharply dressed area in my leggings and Bear Paw boots. Never mind, I might power-​dress for jaunts through there just for the sake of it in future.
It’s insanely family friendly and there’s plenty of interest nearby, such as the John Rylands library juxtaposed against all that glass and steel. I do like Spinningfields and it’s my first stop for a summery glass of wine by the water. Do meet me there.

It maybe a little far away from the Northern Quater, a little walk, but once you get to Spinningfields you want to stay there a long time! It’s all brand new with new buildings, new styles and very very metallic and kind of futuristic. As mentioned by Alfie, you can say it’s like Manchester’s own Canary Wharf!
This place is very entertaining as well with many top notch restaurants opened up. I prefer going to the restaurants here because it never gets crazy busy and loud, but it the good level busy and you are assured of never really having to wait. A good meal with great surroundings where you can actually talk without stressing your voice. Strada, Zizzi, GBK, Giraffe and many more adorn this area.
It also has a big ground which is amazingly laid out for great picnics during the coming Spring. Winters are not too lonely either with merry-​go rounds and things to do like the big Ice skating rink! It’s great fun to skate and also watch friends fall over and over again!
A great enjoyable desitination at any time of the year without bearing the rush and annoyance!

In contrast to the other Unilocalers here, I have not found myself overly impressed with Spinningfields. The place is pretty much a purpose built lunchtime and post-​work play area for the people based in the offices surrounding the development. While this is all well and good and completely necessary I do feel that the area itself has very little to offer the outside visitor.
There seems to be very few selling points here except that everything is very close (all housed in identical angular monstrosities) and that there are a few select restaurants which are not available elsewhere in the city, Giraffe for example (and frankly if this is your only reason for visiting, don’t bother.) I understand that there are to be extra shops and other premises opened in the near future but as it stands (except as a site for the winter ice rink) Spinningfields, for me, lacks any appeal.
I also really dislike the implied mateyness of those ‘going out with the boys; catching her eye; result’ posters they have up.

Today I walked through Spinningfields and it began to excite me. Revellers in the sun began to draft in the Spinningfields deck chairs and well, revel. Last year I enjoyed Grease for the very first time courtesty of Spinningfields and now I’m just the more excited like a kid in a sweet shop, waiting for Screenfields to be back and for me to just stroll on down and enjoy.
Spinningfields has always been described as dead empty and something out of the way and to some, unheard of. Enter me into the equation and you’ll be gutted you’ve missed out. The Spinningfields card is amazing allowing you lots of offers such as 50% or 2 for 1 or other exciting deals on the range of restaurants on the complex. If I lived in one of the actual flats on Spinningfields I’d be a elephant. But then again there’s the Pure gym at £16 a month ²⁴⁄₇. Amazing.
Spinningfields has a bit of everything to please everyone and that’s why I love it. Would like to see something other than the chain type restaurant here but I’m happy nonetheless. Let’s hope Screenfields is back soon.

I’m going to run with that Canary Wharf of the North thing, its got a great ring to it. Anyway Spinningfields is well worth a visit, and the previous reviews have hit the nail on the head. My motivation for doing a review myself is to give you a warning, be careful when you decide to go along!
In the week its bustling and fun, full of people having a happy time on their lunch breaks, coffee breaks, tea breaks and dinner breaks. Do they do any work? But at the weekends Spinningfields comes to an absolute standstill. Only a few of the businesses remain open and those are sparsely populated.
Also not mentioned is their star attraction, Samsi, the Japanese and Sushi restaurant, which is up there with the best I have ever been to, and features a conveyor belt delivering sushi to your table.
Fans of modern architecture should definitely pay it a visit, and though its in complete contrast to the eighteenth and nineteenth century appeal of Castlefields, Petersfields and the Southern end of Deansgate, this ultra-​modern glass mélange is very much as impressive.
Also keep an eye out for events and seasonal fun such as ice skating and fairs.

Spinningfields, I’d call it the Canary Wharf of the north if it was up to me. Not only does it rhyme it is pretty accurate description in my eyes. Big tall glass buildings, lots of business predator types and ton after ton of high end chain eating establishments. Spinningfields is a nice gambit where you can wander around taking in the almost surgical architecture and ridiculously cleanness of it compared to the rest of Manchester. Trees are perfectly aligned, grass is kept neat and everything is of a high quality building material of some variety. Some of spinningfields is still a construction site however. But I’m just happy I’ve finally got somewhere I can plonk my expensive business and go and do expensive things from a day to day basis, in the north.

Just you wait. Spinningfields is the kind of area where fun can be planned. Its just not entirely ready yet.
They had a summer of Big Screen events — sports like Wimbledon and films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show — which is now over. Yet it is these kind of free ‘events’ where it is much more fun to all go together to watch than sit separately in our little boxes, sorry houses, and chat on facebook about them. They even showed the Last Night of the Proms this month with none of this paying to get in nonsense as in Hyde Park, as my mother would say.
Last Christmas, we went down and had an hour on their ice rink which was good if a little small. At least it took over the responsibility for making us fall over like loons after the outdoor pop up ice rink at Piccadilly Gardens stopped popping up. Next up in October they are holding the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair (£5 to get in) where you can go and support some independent textiles, jewellery and interiors designers.
It is these kinds of events plus things like free gigs that give this new glass mini-​city some heart. The restaurants are all standard chains — Carluccio’s that kind of thing and the shops on the fabulously titled The Avenue opening next year will be Armani, Mulberry, Flannels. Yet the events programme retains its own charm. We may just yet be saying Meet Me in Spinningfields — despite the awful cutesy posters not because of them.