Welcome

So this is it, my first blog post and what better way to start this whole new adventure than with a birthday night out! We had been planning this night for a few weeks, and it started on Saturday afternoon with the Christmas markets in Manchester. They seemed to be even larger and busier this year and you could smell the Glühwein and Bratwurst all around the city center. After a few failed attempts to buy a drink on the markets, we eventually retired to the Ape and Apple pub for a thirst-quenching pint! This Holt's pub has recently been done up, and while it does look smarter now, it has perhaps lost a bit of the soul that it had before. 'Rehydrated' it was on to the cocktails in Revolucion De Cuba where it was 2-4-1 Happy Hour, meaning it would be rude not to have a few rounds. I would have to recommend the Orange Spiced Mojito which managed to taste both tropical and autumnal at the same time!

Classic Daquiri and a Mai Tai

Orange Spiced Mojito and Mojito Royale

We had a table booked in Artisan, one of the new restaurants in the Manchester Spinningfields development. We had eaten here before and this second visit was just as good. To start we had Smoked Sardines and Baked Camembert and for the mains we both went for their pizzas: Duck and Orange and New York Deli. Apologies for the quality of the photos, but by this point the cocktails and wine were starting to take effect. We finished up with coffees having eaten far too much!

It was then time to stagger walk to the last train back home and our much needed beds! Sunday was a very very quiet day involving lots of glasses of water and painkillers!