With the sun scheduled to make a timely - albeit brief - appearance this weekend - many of us will be heading to our nearest rooftop bar or restaurant terrace. And just in time for the good weather, the locations with the highest number of outdoor restaurants and bars have been revealed - and the winner might surprise you.
With an astonishing 346 restaurants, pubs and bars with outdoor dining and drinking facilities - compared to their population of 236,370 people, Oldham has more outdoor spots to enjoy than any other town or city in the UK. It's closely followed by Bath, Brighton, Dudley and Southampton, while Manchester has landed in tenth.
The data was pulled together by travel and hospitality experts Power EPOS who have been looking at where in the UK are 2023’s outdoor culture capitals based on six ranking factors. The factors range from the locations which have the highest number of Google searches for outdoor events and number of restaurants and pubs with outdoor seating, as well as blue cultural heritage plaques, amount of rainfall and sunshine hours and average temperature.
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Richard Goodall, hospitality expert and MD of hospitality brand, commented: "It’s exciting to see a mix of destinations in the top 10 outdoor culture capitals of the UK, especially with Newcastle coming in at 9th place. All of these destinations have something unique to offer for every type of person.
"There are so many smaller cities and towns that offer a different perspective outside of London and have also become big foodie spaces, such as Liverpool, over the last few years."
Whilst London has the most restaurants and bars with outdoor seating overall, in relation to the amount of places per 10,000 of the population - it’s Oldham that comes out top. And with 14.6 spots per 10,000 people - some impending good weather means residents and visitors to Oldham won’t be short of a pub garden to go to this weekend.
Having become a hotspot for outdoor dining in recent years, Oldham is said to be growing its number of cafes, bars, and restaurants offering outdoor seating. Add with spots such as the Italian Sul Lago and Molino Lounge - the later is ranked as the best-rated restaurant in the town with outdoor seating according to TripAdvisor - there's something for everyone.
Aside from the places with the most outdoor eating and drinking spots, the experts have also compiled a list of the Top 15 Outdoor Culture Capitals. Sadly neither Manchester or Oldham made the cut here, but the North is well represented by the likes of Liverpool, York and Newcastle.
Interestingly, in the category looking at the number of searches for outdoor events, the Greater Manchester boroughs of Stockport and Oldham both feature, while Manchester comes out top for best places for historical trails thanks to its 241 blue plaques.
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