The best places in Manchester to take your parents

Let's face it, deep down your parents think that leaving home was the biggest mistake you ever made and you should probably just transfer to the uni in your hometown. This is why them coming to visit you is so important, if they spend too much time in your house in Fallow they will definitely spot the black mould and the fag butts and you will have failed your mission of proving that you're an actual, real life grown up.

To prove that you are skilled at adulting you need to take them to interesting, culturally significant places: art galleries, restaurants, museums. Not a trip round the Arndale and an obligatory cupboard restocking in Sainsbury's.

Here is a list of the best places to take them.

Fallow Cafe

Near 256, Fallow Cafe is a cute little cafe/ bar/ music venue that has loads of menu choices and the best Oreo milkshakes ever. This is great if your mum or dad have come by train and can't be arsed to get the bus anywhere. It is a good place to take your parents because it reflects the aspects of student life you want them to know about, kind of scruffy but has it's shit together. It gets pretty packed on a weekend so get there early to get a table that isn't outside or by the toilets.

The perfect poached egg.

The Lowry

The Lowry is an art gallery in Salford celebrating the work of L. S. Lowry and his connection to Salford. There's a permanent exhibition of Lowry's paintings and drawings which is the largect collection of his work in the world. It's close to Media City and has great views of the Salford Quays. The gallery is part of a larger venue which has a cinema and a theatre. Did I mention it's free?

The National Football Museum

Manchester is the home to two of the best football teams in the country if not the world, so naturally the National Football Museum is in our great city. This one is for the more sport-orientated families, but great for history buffs too as it has a great collection of football artefacts from around the world and covers the history of the nation's favourite sport. Again, this museum is free so there's no excuse not to find out how Pickles the dog saved the 1966 World Cup.

The Whitworth Gallery

The Whitworth is great because its so close to uni and it's pretty quick to walk around so doesn't take up much time that could be used guilt-tripping your dad in to buying you all the Taste the Difference ready meals you can fit into a basket. AGAIN. FREE.

The Etihad Stadium

For selected games you can get ridiculously cheap tickets for Man City games at both the MMU and UoM Students' Unions. Manchester United also do cheaper tickets but they're still pretty pricy. Don't tell your parents how cheap they were and they'll think that you've become so great at budgeting that you can afford to splurge on tickets that are usually forty odd quid.

Pity I'm a Spurs fan otherwise this would have been a great moment.

There's loads of great places in Manchester, but these are the safest bet if you want to try and reassure your parents that you actually know what you're doing and that moving to a strange new city isn't too scary.