As Valentine’s Day approaches, many couples will be planning to take their other half out on a romantic date night to celebrate.
But with bank balances still hurting after Christmas, the annual love-celebration can be a source of stress to those still pulling in the purse strings.
But there are dozens of cheap evenings out and meal deals on offer in Manchester, so couples won’t struggle to find something to do within their budget.
LatestDeals expert Tom Church said: ‘We often associate events such as Valentine's Day with feeling pressure to cough up the cash for an expensive meal or day out, but you don’t need to part with much of your money to have a good time.
“I’ve browsed menus and activities across Manchester to find you the cheapest prices, so you can take your date out without splashing too much cash.”
Here are 10 inexpensive date ideas in Manchester to show your partner you love them:
Manchester restaurant deals
Tibetan Kitchen - Meals Under £8, £1 Dumplings With 6 For £5 Deal
Located on Upper Chorlton Road in Stretford, this restaurant offers authentic Tibetan cuisine which easily caters to those on a budget.
The meat dishes are just £7.50 and you can choose from chicken, beef or pork. Vegetarians are also catered to, and you can try momos - steamed wheat flour dumplings for just £1 each or 6 for £5.
All dishes are served with basmati rice, ensuring even more bang for your buck. Customers have praised the amazing food and recommended the complimentary chai tea.
Ca Phe Viet - Feed Two For £10 Or Try High-Value Pho
Head down to trendy Ancoats and try out Ca Phe Viet on Oldham Road. You’ll want to take your date for lunch or an early dinner - as it’s not open after 5pm.
The signature dishes are the Pho, which are largely under £10. Alternatively, you can get a Vietnamese baguette for just £5, so if your budget is particularly tight you could get one each for a tenner.
Visitors are quick to praise this venue, describing it as a lovely place for lunch and ‘the best pho in Manchester’.
Rudy’s Neapolitan Pizza - 80p Crisps, £5.60 Pizza & £3.50 Tartufo
If you’re put off by the prices of restaurant pizza, let those worries fade away when you head into Rudy’s . Situated on Cotton Street in Ancoats, there’s plenty to choose from at a reasonable price.
All of the pizzas are under £10, and if you’re particularly strapped for cash you can go for the marinara pizza priced at just £5.60.
The tartufo is only £3.50 if you’re staying for dessert and you can grab a bowl of salted crisps for 80p - bargain!
Asmara Bella Restaurant - £4 Side Dishes, £8 Vegan Options
For some Ethiopian food in the Northern Quarter, you’ll want to try Asmara Bella on Port Street.
This restaurant is ideal for vegans on a budget, as you can get options for just £8 such as the Hamli - spinach cooked with olive oil, garlic and chilli - and the Alecha, which is a mild curry stew with cabbage.
Alternatively, many of the side dishes are £4 or under, so why not combine a few for a light bite to share on a budget?
Blue Bay - Stick To A £20 Budget, Try Starters Under £4
Head down to Blue Bay on Bury Old Road in Prestwich for a decently priced Indian meal.
Many of the dishes are just under or over £10, which means you can easily keep costs down by choosing smartly.
A range of Shashlik and Tikka dishes are £9.50 each, so you can easily stick to a £20 maximum spend with two of these meals in conjunction with water to drink.
If you have a little extra to spare, some of the starters - such as the onion bhaji, aloo pakora and vegetable samosa - are only £3.45, providing excellent value.
Cheap things to do in Manchester
Ping Pong At Twenty Twenty Two - £7 For 30 Minutes, £5 Cocktails
Open seven days a week, this trendy space in the Northern Quarter offers drinks and ping pong for those who don’t want to spend a fortune.
No booking is necessary and each table costs just £7 for a 30 minute session, enabling you to get a decent game for under a tenner.
There’s also late night darts, £5 cocktails on Wednesdays and more. As they describe it on their site - events like these are for people who have ‘champagne taste with lemonade pockets’!
Whitworth Art Gallery - Free Entry To Over 55,000 Artworks
If you’re looking to soak up some culture and sort out a date on the cheap, why not kill two birds with one stone by heading into Whitworth Art Gallery ?
Entry is free, and there are over 55,000 works of art with features including expanded gallery spaces, collections and a learning studio along with an outdoor schedule of events and communal gardens.
Located within The University of Manchester, this is the place for an interesting and refined day out.
Frog & Bucket Comedy Club - Tickets From £3 For A Fun-Filled Night Out
Locals will know that the Frog & Bucket Open Mic Night is the event which helped to propel Peter Kay, Johnny Vegas, Sarah Millican and more to stardom.
By browsing the event schedule carefully, you can bag tickets at a bargain price. For example, Beat the Frog on January 31 is only £7 a ticket, and if you’re a student it’s only £3 each.
There’s a huge range of live events on so have a look and take your pick.
NQ64 Arcade Bar - Free Entry, 15 Tokens For £7
Those who want flashbacks to their childhood can visit the NQ64 Arcade Bar to enjoy retro arcade games and classic consoles.
With locations in the Northern Quarter and Peter Street, you can choose where to enjoy Crazy Taxi, Guitar Hero Arcade, Nintendo 64, Gamecube, Pac-Man and more. It’s free to enter, and you can pay for games using tokens - a roll of 15 is only £7.
If you miss your classic PlayStation or want to challenge your date in a game featuring classic characters from The Simpsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and more, then this is the venue for you.
Matt & Phred's - Free Live Jazz Music, Happy Hour & Special Events
Booking in to see a gig is one thing, but being able to watch live music for free? That’s what you can do with Matt & Phred’s , a live music venue in the Northern Quarter which doesn’t require booking if you don’t mind standing.
Alternatively, you can call ahead to book a table. There are different events on every night of the week, with Happy Hours and free pizza and cocktail deals available.
On Valentine’s Day you can head down to a special Jazz Jam event led by Johnny Hunter featuring Nishla Smith so why not book ahead to ensure your wonderful, low-cost evening is sorted?
