Get your teeth into it. Manchester's restaurant scene is one of the most buoyant in the country.

It’s all about variety as well - and variety is of course the spice of life. Legend tells that you can eat for 30 days without covering the same style of cuisine in the city. This is an alphabet soup of cooking starting off with Armenian and ending up with a number of vegetarian options.

Getting yourself through this month of dishes is a challenge many in the region happily accept. The city centre is, of course, the main focus and you couldn't do better than start with the Yang Sing in Manchester's busy Chinatown.

The Yang Sing is 30 years old and has been called by Times critic Jonathan Meades "the best Chinese restaurant in Europe".

Another area devoted to ethnic food is Rusholme, close to the university, where in a kilometre stretch of neon lit Wilmslow Road more than thirty establishments attract lovers of Indian food.

Of course you don't have to go to China or the sub-continent to taste the best. You'll find quality restaurants everywhere.

For traditional British cuisine visit Sam's Chophouse and for modern British try the Restaurant Bar and Grill, Simply Heathcotes, or The Lincoln.

For French try Howards Le Bouchon, The French Restaurant in the Crowne Plaza Midland Hotel or Le Mont in Urbis. Stock serves up tasty Italian food, while El Rincon provides lively and authentic Spanish fare.

Outside the city centre, visit The Lime Tree in West Didsbury for contemporary Italian cuisine. Further afield again there's Nutters in the hills above Rochdale, the White Hart in the hills above Oldham and the Michelin starred Juniper restaurant in Altrincham.

A stroll around the streets is an entertaining activity in its own right. Café culture has arrived and from Canal Street in the Gay Village to Deansgate Locks close to G-MEX herds of smart tables and chairs await the attention of customers who know how to enjoy life and take it easy.

One such cluster lies at the back of St Ann's Church. You can take your choice here between the glorious century year old tiled splendour of Mr Thomas's Chophouse or Cosmopolitan Spirit, the first Cosmopolitan magazine lifestyle venue to open in the UK.

For more information about Manchester and what it has to offer, visit www.visitmanchester.com.