Your festive guide to Rochdale Town Centre

Rochdale town centre is a thriving hub of shopping outlets, offering well-known brands as well as local independent stores. This wide variety of shops makes our beautiful town perfect for finding those unique gifts, meaning you can get all your festive shopping sorted in one fell swoop (and support your high street!).

From that tricky-to-buy-for dad to the sister who has everything and great gifts for little ones, the town centre boasts a huge variety of options across fashion, health and beauty, food and drink, lifestyle and much, much more.

For the fashion-conscious people in your life, there’s plenty of inspiration to be found in fabulous independent stores such as Buckley Menswear, End Boutique, Chantilly and Okeechobee as well as large retail chains including River Island, New Look, Marks & Spencer and H&M.

Visit Cheetham Street or the Baillie Street Quarter for a vibrant community of small independents, such as Number Ten gift shop.

To save money when you shop local, download the free 'LoyalFree' app to discover fantastic town centre offers.

After your Christmas shopping list is ticked off, why not treat yourself to a pit stop at one of the town’s tantalising cafes or restaurants? There is something for everyone, to suit every occasion, taste and budget, from rustic wine bars to historic pubs; Indian street food to authentic Italian cuisine; afternoon tea to gin trees!

The outdoor terrace at Bean Cafe at Rochdale Riverside is a firm favourite with visitors, providing a stylish, relaxing environment in which to enjoy lunch, fresh coffee and cake.

The Baum in Rochdale’s historic Toad Lane always turns heads with it’s enviable beer selection but now boasts a modern British menu and newly transformed walled beer garden, beautifully lit with festoon lights.

The Baum

The Medicine Tap retains its historic character and charm of the old central Post Office and offers a unique place to relax while enjoying the finest coffees, quality locally sourced food and a fabulous choice of ales.

The much improved and re-branded Baillie Street Quarter is home to Petit Bistro where you can find everything from bottomless brunches to club sandwiches and delicious hearty meals.

Petit Bistro

Above Petit Bistro is the fabulous Treehouse bar - the place for cocktails and rum. Just around the corner is La Mancha, offering authentic Spanish Tapas in a relaxed atmosphere.

Also in the Baillie Street Quarter is hidden gem, Vicolo Del Vino, a beautiful rustic wine bar combining real traditional Italian food with an array of specialist wine, beer and gin from around the world.

Vicolo Del Vino

Situated above Vicolo Del Vino, quirky micro pub The Pint Pot offers rotating cask ales, a fantastic range of bottled beers, wines and a light lunch and nibbles menu.

The delectable Heavenly Desserts, based at Rochdale Riverside, provides the very finest in sweet treats.

Street food and craft beer emporium, Bombay Brew, has a new menu of reinvented Indian classics alongside a fantastic beer selection and a dreamy cocktail list.

Bombay Brew

Located on South Parade in the former Union Bank of Manchester, is the impressive Mannerist bar and restaurant, offering an exciting cocktail menu and a fusion of Italian and American cuisine.

Crust and Nando's have recently opened at Rochdale Riverside and are proving incredibly popular. Loaded Burger with their signature "build your own" burgers are also set to open soon.

Other fantastic venues for lunch with friends or coffee and cake include Pudding Paradise, Cafe Grand Abaco, M&S Cafe, Costa (within Next) and the newly reopened Russells Cafe.

Hogarths offer a wide drinks menu and a large outdoor terrace with alpine ski hut seating, overlooked by a giant cockerel!

Next to Hogarths, lively Wetherspoons pub The Regal Moon remains a firm favourite. The Reed, just off Yorkshire Street, is a fun, friendly venue and the perfect place to start a night out.

The pedestrianised outdoor dining area on Packer Street is still proving popular post-lockdown, serving customers of The Flying Horse Hotel, The Empire, Yate’s and KoKo’s. The Flying Horse have a full diary of live bands, jam nights, sunday sessions, along with a huge range of real ales and homemade dishes.

Exciting new venues include house music bar The 13ar, micro pub D'Ale House and social hub and bar Hoochi Koochi, where you can enjoy everything from comedy nights to Northern Soul nights.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

• The Christmas Food and Artisan Fayre will be at Riverside on Saturday 4th December.

• A Family Festive tea with Father Christmas is taking place at the Medicine Tap on Tuesday 7th December. Booking is essential and the event will feature Christmas crafts, a photo opportunity with Santa and there will be a Christmas gift for every child.

• The Vegan Market returns to Rochdale Riverside on Saturday 18th December.

• There’s no need to wish for a white Christmas this year, when you can step into a Winter Wonderland in the inflatable snow globe! Large enough to fit up to 8 adults, it’s the perfect setting for a festive photo opportunity. The globe will be at Riverside on Saturday 4th & 18th December and at the Exchange Shopping Centre on Saturday 11th December.

• A special interactive post box has been installed at the Baillie Street entrance to the Wheatsheaf Centre. Parents and children can collect letter-writing kits from Bean (Riverside) to help ensure they get a reply from Father Christmas himself or they can get creative of prepare one themselves. Letters are sent to Father Christmas via special elf magic!!