With our selection of the top 13 city breaks in the UK, chosen by Rick Jordan, take a vacation filled with history, culture, and delicious cuisine.
There are so many sites in the UK to see, but so little time. For a long vacation, we've compiled the top UK city breaks to take in 2023, as chosen by the Condé Nast Traveller editors. Thankfully, the UK is dotted with different cities that are home to top-notch museums, some of the greatest restaurants and pubs in the world, adorable bakeries, lovely parks, and exquisite stores. Consider quick trips to eccentric Bristol or honey-hued Bath or fast-paced overnight stays in edgy Birmingham or artsy Manchester. Weekends in Edinburgh provide fantastic cuisine and a strong culture hit. To help organize your upcoming vacation as easily as possible, we've listed below the Traveller team's picks for where to stay when visiting one of our 13 favorite UK cities. Now all you have to do is choose which to do first.
In London for a week… I love this city!!!! ☔️ ☀️ ⛅️😅 🚶🏻♀️🚶🏻#London #CamdenTown #NottingHill #LondonBridge #PiccadillyCircus #ILoveLondon #UK #Thebest #mythirdtimehere pic.twitter.com/hIRDnZSGGo
— Bia B Maat (@bemblog) January 20, 2023
What is the finest UK city break?
The United Kingdom has 76 cities, including 55 in England, 8 in Scotland, 7 in Wales, and 6 in Northern Ireland. Here are our top 13 suggestions for a getaway. We enjoy visiting Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland, Belfast in Northern Ireland, Swansea in Wales, and other English cities like Bristol, Birmingham, and Bath.
1. Edinburgh
The lovely city
After almost two years of quiet, it's good to see that the pandemic hasn't stopped Edinburgh from wowing visitors. Theatres and venues are open again after a protracted period of closure, and the Gallery of Modern Art is displaying recent purchases including Dali's well-known lobster telephone and pieces by Sarah Lucas. The Palmerston, a West End bistro (whose owners formerly worked at Skye Gyngell's Spring and The Harwood Arms), serves delicious food that takes comfort foods like roast partridge and crispy pig's head croquettes to a whole new level. Meanwhile, Edinburgh veggie legend Henderson's has reopened at Bruntsfield Links and is doing wonderful things with vegetables like cauliflower, roasted carrots, pumpkin, and sage. At the Casablanca Cocktail Club at the House of Gods hotel on Cowgate, you may continue partying until the early hours. This excessively opulent establishment, owned by Glasgow-born hotelier Mike Baxter, is modeled after 1970s maximalism and makes Studio 54 appear like a community center. When the pubs shut at 11.30 p.m., Baxter announces, "After that, we're letting the celebration continue." The bar's trademark drink is a gin, pomegranate, hibiscus, and citrus concoction served with a silver straw in a Chanel No. 5 bottle. We're supposedly entering the Roaring Twenties, and I believe that to be the case. If this is the case, a dramatic city like Edinburgh may be the ideal setting to welcome them.
Where to stay: The Observatory House, owned by the Collective Art Gallery and positioned atop Calton Hill, is slated to be Edinburgh's most stunning Airbnb. There are works of art inside by modern Edinburgh artists Rachel Adams and Rabiya Choudhry, as well as a circular Gothic tower that offers 360-degree views of the city. A complex of stylish, kid-friendly serviced apartments called Cheval Old Town Chambers offers a more casual dining option called Luckenbooth's, which takes its name from the wooden booths that used to house The Royal Mile's stores. Gleneagles Townhouse, the small sister hotel and members club of adored Gleneagles in rural Perthshire is the city's most intriguing newcomer and wants to be where it's booming. See our choice of top hotels in Edinburgh for more information. From Lucy Sweet
2. Glasgow
The awakened city
Although Glasgow may not have the chiseled face of Edinburgh, its expansive outdoor areas, architecture, and frenetic nightlife may still win you over in 2023. There is optimism in the air because it performed well as the venue for the UN's climate change conference in November 2021. Glasgow is still thriving today with some innovative initiatives in the works because it was designed to withstand severe hits, even ones in the guise of Covid. A new multimillion-pound effort to revitalize the underutilized Clydeside is centered on SWG3, vast events, and arts facility in the west of the city. A rooftop restaurant, sculpture garden, and street-art-and-graffiti zone will change the neighborhood. According to SWG3 creator Andrew Fleming-Brown, "the night-time economy is still incredibly significant, but there is so much more daytime activity now." We are interested in growing space, communal gardens, workplaces, and food.
The importance of food and drink is equally prominent. (People used to want to be on the venue's guest list, adds Fleming-Brown, "but now they just want the cuisine.") A plethora of artisan bakeries and coffee businesses dispels the notion that people are sluggish and fond of deep-frying everything. The well-known West End restaurant Cail Bruich, where chef Lorna McNee turns Scottish vegetables into gold, received the city's first Michelin star in over two decades. Another West End gourmet hotspot is an ornately rebuilt Victorian garage on Vinicombe Street, which is now home to Southeast Asian favorite Ka Pao and is believed to be getting Glasgow seafood legendary Crabshakk as well. The old Fopp record store on Byres Road was taken up by Six by Nico around the corner. In the Southside, there is a new restaurant called Luchador. It is based on Mexican wrestling and has a speakeasy in the basement.
Then, of course, there is Finnieston, the dynamic neighborhood nearby the envisaged Clydeside development. The Kelvingrove Café, a cocktail and brunch restaurant providing DIY Bloody Mary kits, slap-up brunches, and wood-fired pizza, has recently undergone a significant renovation. Glasgow is the most honest, open, and welcoming city with a booming social scene, according to general manager Kirstie Addis. Although Edinburgh frequently overshadows it, it has much more to offer. From Lucy Sweet
Where to stay: The Voco Grand Central Hotel Glasgow is the only hotel in Glasgow that is so closely related to the city that two of its walls are actually from the Central Station. The accommodations' rooms are cozy and modern while still retaining just enough of their Victorian elegance (and eccentricities) to make them stand out from the crowd. Yotel Glasgow is tough to match for something cheap and cheerful in terms of price (low), convenience (high), and flair (quirky but fine if it is the kind of quirkiness that makes you happy).
3. Belfast
The city that appears most frequently on screens
Previously brilliant young people fled to larger cities, but today the same residents are propelling a wave of independent eateries, pop-ups, and artistic endeavors. Belfast, a relatively small city, is become more international while preserving its unique character. A Black Taxi Tour can help you get a taste of it, and ascending the formidable Cavehill in the rural park just outside of town will give you a new perspective on the city. Although numerous pub crawls have taken place in the Cathedral Quarter, there are other reasons to walk the streets. Try The John Hewitt, which has the name of a beloved local poet, The Duke of York with its painted walls, or the Sunflower. While eccentric deli Sawers is renowned for its cheese counter and traybakes, we prefer Rollerboy for its enhanced sausage rolls.
Belfast's suburbs have grown tremendously out from the city center. While Freight in East provides breakfast and themed evening meals with a view of CS Lewis Square, the home of a neighborhood market and skaters, Boundary Brewery in East ferments its specialty beers on-site. Bulbous bomboloni is available at the Bread and Banjo bakery on South Belfast's Ormeau Road, as vegan treats in the 387 café. A not-so-hidden delicacy, Fruit Shop Café's menu features locally-sourced delicacies like fermented rhubarb tonics, Bara Bakehouse sourdough, and aubergine galettes prepared with Cavehill wild garlic. It was founded by neighborhood eco-artists dedicated to grassroots agricultural efforts. The Chilli House, the Cuban Sandwich Factory, Madame Pho, and the freshly renovated Nora's Palace, which serves falafel the size of your head, are just a few of the international cuisines found in the Dublin Road and Botanic neighborhoods. Ora, a tapas restaurant by award-winning chef Marty Murphy, features natural wines and dishes such as pickled chili crab and Manchego Caesar tacos.
Belfast attracts location-hunters looking for a Netflix or Hollywood fix because of the thriving local film and TV industry (there were rumors of Nicole Kidman 'gramming her morning coffee outside the City Hall). Discover the great indie films at Queen's Film Theatre, modern art at Golden Thread Gallery, photography at Belfast Exposed, comedy and improv at Accidental Theatre and The Black Box, poetry readings at No Alibis bookstore, and yearly events like the electronic music and arts AVA Festival in September and the Belfast International Arts Festival in October. Belfast has preserved a counter-culture attitude that is founded in punk and a vibrant techno scene above all. Before visiting LGBTQ+ haven Kremlin, dress the part by perusing Young Savage's vintage store and stopping by Voodoo Soup for records. The city of Belfast moves to its beat. Through Anna Cafolla
Where to stay: The Harrison's 16 rooms, each with its personality and oozing character and fun from bathtubs in the beds, thick velvet curtains, and dramatic antique furnishings, are housed in an exquisitely renovated Victorian merchants' mansion. We also give the Bullitt Hotel high marks for being a trendy, up-and-coming hotel in the heart of the city that provides a no-nonsense, no-frills, yet nevertheless enjoyable and contemporary stay. See our selection of the top Belfast hotels for more information.
4. Bristol
The independent city
The Wave, a groundbreaking artificial surfing lagoon that spans 200 meters and generates more than 1,000 waves per hour, is Bristol's most notable attraction. The city has been actively exploring different scenes since it launched in 2018.
The inventive, vegetable-focused Root in Wapping Wharf is one of the best restaurants in Bristol. Vegetable Diva, a zero-waste café founded by local food nutritionist Sonya Devi-Clarke, serves dishes like beet bourguignon and citrus-and-fennel salad. Additionally, Bar 44 in Clifton has a Spanish theme, and Stokes Croft's Koocha Mezze Bar has a Persian-themed concept.
Aficionados flock to the Bristol Craft Beer Festival in June because Bristol is home to some of the top small-scale brewers in the UK. Making sure to stop by Bristol Museum & Art Gallery and Being Brunel Museum, which houses the great Victorian's last cigar and old dock office, are essential stops on any museum trip you plan. The Bristol Old Vic, which reopened in 2018 with a renovated lobby and a schedule, offers more spectacle. Author: Annabel Herrick
Accommodations: New boutique hotels include Avon Gorge in Clifton, which has a view of Bristol's iconic suspension bridge, and Artist Residence, which debuted in a former boot factory in 2021 and has locations in Oxfordshire, Penzance, and London.
5. Cambridge
The city's architecture
On the one hand, it's absurd to think that Cambridge will be more trendy in 2022 than it has ever been since, say, 1219, when a few ratbag scholar-monks who had just been expelled from Oxford set up camp on the banks of the River Cam. Cambridge is not known for being trendy. never has. never will. That type of place is not here.
On the other hand, there are two excellent reasons why Cambridge is now a convenient UK city break. The University Arms hotel, which was recently renovated by interior design guru Martin Brudnizki and architect John Simpson, is the first of these. Coincidentally, the Kettle's Yard gallery, a 10-minute walk from the hotel, reopened shortly after the University Arms following a significant expansion. It brings us to the second factor that will make 2023 the best year for tourists in Cambridge. With its remarkable collection of 20th-century British and European art, Kettle's Yard is one of the UK's most intimate, quirky, and moving exhibition venues. In some ways, it is even more magnificent than Cambridge itself. And not in the least bit trendy. Stephen King
Where to stay: Vaiva's stylish Victorian terrace off Mill Road makes the most of the light, uncluttered home by assembling a group of friends and hiring bikes to freewheel along the River Cam. Airbnb sleeps six people and has a sunny garden. The best hotel in the city to stay at is University Arms Hotel. The accommodations, especially the flagship suites named after notable Cambridge graduates, are fantastic, and Parker's Tavern, the lively, sexy, popular bar-restaurant combination on the ground level, is gorgeous.
6. Manchester
The city of foodies
Over the past few years, the city has improved its culinary scene. Recent openings include Mana, the former Noma chef Simon Martin's restaurant, and Dishoom, the four-story Ivy Spinningfields with a unique rooftop bar and distinct Asian cuisine. And Allotment, one of the region's most progressive vegan eateries, has relocated here from Stockport, a town nearby that has recently opened The Produce Hall in its Victorian market (and remains a foodie destination for the wonderful, tasting-menu-only When The Light Gets In).
Staying places: The Dakota Manchester hotel, clad in fashionable black near Piccadilly, with a truly sophisticated bar and restaurant with terrace views of the canal, and Ducie Street Warehouse, on the edge of the Northern Quarter, are two of the city's most recent big debuts. It is an ambitious facility with 166 apartments, including 8 penthouses with individual terraces, and is situated in a former commodities warehouse that also houses the Native Manchester hotel. See our list of the top hotels in Manchester for more information. Richard Jordan.
7. Newcastle
The riverside city's rebirth
Since the turn of the millennium, the city's Quayside, once a turbulent clank of coal and steamships, has become a reinvented riverbank for urban escapism. However, Ouseburn, formerly one of Newcastle's roughest, harshest industrial zones and home to a whaling port and a bleach factory, is where you should go if you want to catch the next wave of the city's revitalization. While remnants of the past still exist, it is now one of the city's neighborhoods that is changing the fastest. It is focused on the renowned Cluny music theater and Seven Stories, the nation's center for children's literature. The Ship offers some of Tyneside's best vegetarian food, the Kiln excels at breakfast, and the underground Brinkburn Street Bar & Kitchen serves up tiny plates such as vindaloo Scotch eggs and Hasselback potatoes along with more than a dozen cask beers. Additionally, try Anna Hedworth's outstanding Cook House for elegant eating with a twist.
Spanish culinary expert Kaltur has expanded its little tapas joint in High Bridge to include a restaurant on Dean Street in the city center. Another container community, the fantastic, is huddled on the other side of the Tyne in Gateshead. Featuring a bike café and open-fire cooking by The River Brew Co-Author: Harry Pearson
Where to stay: Book a room at the neighborhood boutique hotel Jesmond Dene House, which is housed inside a former manor.
8. Birmingham
The city of design
Britain's second city is experiencing a spectacular revival, and not just because Peaky Blinders is still a hit. Old factories have been turned into shopping centers and galleries, like the Odox, which is an artist-run space in a former brass workshop. With a gin and tonic from The Distillery next door, which has an open kitchen and pizza oven, you can view The Roundhouse, red-brick stables, and warehouses from the 19th century, as the National Trust transforms it into a canalside center.
However, Birmingham's vibrant street life, which is available year-round, is its finest feature. Take a stroll along the restored canal while exploring the eccentric stores and cafés in Digbeth, one of the city's trendiest neighborhoods, where highlights include Baked in Brick for pizza and The Clean Kilo supermarket for zero-waste goods.
The Oyster Club, a seafood restaurant by Adam Stokes, opened in April 2021 near the chef's Michelin-starred establishment, Adam's. Kuula Poké, Birmingham's first taste of Hawaii, debuted on a corner of the lovely Great Western Arcade. through William Cook
Where to stay: The Grand Hotel Birmingham is back to claim the title of a great hotel in the city after a 20-year absence to undertake a £50 million refurbishment.
9. Bath
The new city for foodies
The city has profited for decades from its connection to Jane Austen, its Georgian crescents, and the recently deep-cleaned Roman Baths that were given a Bill Bryson audio commentary. But just as Bristol's food scene has grown over the past few years and spread to other parts of the city, Bath is getting tired of Mrs. Bennet-themed scones and tea.
The best restaurants in Bath are embracing tapas and small plates, street food, supper clubs, vegan menus, and cooking classes. These restaurants range from the vegan Noya's Kitchen to the Vietnamese-inspired Chai Walla, whose supper club is frequently booked six months in advance. The Beckford bottle shop and the bar Beneath, which is located below the Botanist restaurant, are other notable local landmarks. A pioneer in the area was the Corkage wine bar, which now has a sibling. Other places include the Rosa Parks-founded Francis Gallery, whose interior decor was inspired by Korean ceramics, and the boutique Tivoli cinema, which has comfortable armchairs and sofas in which to watch movies.
Accommodations: The Gainsborough Bath Hotel, which debuted in 2015, continues to be the most eye-catching option, although additional initiatives are in the works. Taking over a honey-stoned Georgian terrace home on South Parade, Hotel Indigo recently opened. See our selection of the top Bath hotels for more information. Richard Jordan
10. Liverpool
The city of music
The Docks in Liverpool are still a thriving center for the arts. Liverpool Sound City was held at the neighboring Baltic Triangle in October 2021 following a successful 6 Music weekend, following Liverpool's year as UNESCO City of Music. Along with the haven for street food, Camp and Furnace, and unique pubs like Hobo Kiosk, this area is also thriving for digital and IT enterprises. The city will also play host to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.
Additionally, travel a mile and a half outside of the city to Granby Street in Toxteth, a street that the locals there redesigned in conjunction with Turner Prize-winning architectural group Assemble. The Granby Winter Garden debuted this spring, and the Granby Workshop sells innovative architectural ceramics. Two abandoned terraces were converted into a creative area with an urban indoor garden that extends toward the glass roof and houses artists-in-residence. For additional information, see our list of the top things to do in Liverpool. Jules Rogers
Where to stay: Aloft Liverpool, housed in the Grade II-listed Royal Insurance Building, is ideally situated close to Moorfields Railway Station and offers stylish accommodation with a view.
11. Brighton
The seaside-escape city
Brighton has had a certain cachet ever since the Prince Regent donned his woolly bathing suit here in the 18th century. Within the BN1 postcode, there are currently as many independently-minded hotels and pubs to be found as there are fish-and-chip shops and fortune-tellers, and a few recent new additions make the journey even more rewarding.
The Hanningtons Estate development in The Lanes offers upscale dining and shopping alternatives for Brighton residents. Particularly anticipated is The Flint House, a brand-new eatery from The Gingerman Group chef and hometown favorite Ben McKellar. Additionally, the Brighton Dome café on New Road, which is close by, will provide latté drinkers a public area to take in the energy of North Laine.
Where to stay: In Kemptown, the 12-room "self-service" hotel One Broad Street combines clean-eating urban style exposed brickwork and fake vegetation with a cutting-edge, digital-only strategy that lets guests choose the course of their mini-breaks. For further information, see our list of the top hotels in Brighton. Rubus Purdy
12. Dundee
The city of Scottish Renaissance
After the stunning waterside V&A, Scotland's first design museum opened, Dundee continued to rise to become one of the UK's must-visit cultural destinations.
The Newport waterfront restaurant serves delectable Scottish cuisine prepared by Masterchef champion Jamie Scott. From its windows, you can see stunning sunsets over the River Tay (and stay the night in one of its four bedrooms). Explore the town on one of the 300 new e-bikes that the city installed starting in July 2021. Look for the West Ward Works, a former print plant that produced DC Thomson's Beano and Dandy annuals and will host live performances, festivals, and exhibitions in addition to serving as a hub for designers, artists, and other creative workers and businesses.
Try the recently inaugurated Staybridge Suites, housed in a smartly renovated old jute mill, for accommodations. Author: Giovanna Dunmall
13. Swansea
Wales's art city
Swansea has subtly emerged as Wales' new cultural epicenter. At its center lies the city's high street, where vacant buildings have been transformed into thriving theaters and artist spaces. Elysium, an artist-led social company with more than 83 studio spaces, will move into a new permanent location in the summer of 2020, while local dynamo Jane Simpson, a Young British Artist from Swansea, curates insightful exhibits and lectures from the GS Artists gallery.
All summer long, there are performances at the Volcano Theatre in a former supermarket; you can spot it by the enormous Elizabeth Taylor mural outside. The excellent NAWR collective's experimental music and spoken word performances are also consistently intriguing and exhilarating. The Swansea Museum presents thought-provoking, immersive exhibits like the one on the asylum's history that was on display in the town's summer of 2020, and the recently completed £6 million restoration of the town's spectacular Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is driving one-off residencies. Jules Rogers
Where to stay: Swansea Beach is a 10-minute walk from this Plum Guide penthouse, which makes the most of its coastal views with floor-to-ceiling windows.