We’ve all done it – you go out for a spur of the moment meal and find yourself faced with huge waiting times to get a table at a restaurant, or waited an hour for a table or a seat in a pub only for the venue to clear out 10 minutes later.
But modern technology is on your side, and now Google has introduced a feature – only on its mobile site for now – predicting how busy restaurants and bars in Manchester will be. So if you’re an impatient sort or wondering when the best time is to try and get a table at some of the non-bookable spots in the city, read on.
The first northern outlet of the renowned London steakhouse group opened earlier this year and has been immensely popular from the word go. Lunchtimes and early evening are your best bet to get a table straight away, according to Google.
Another Manchester newbie, Iberica's highly-regarded tapas menu and stunningly-designed bar area keeps it busy. Fridays are slightly quieter, Google's stats suggest.
Bringing a taste of Paris to Manchester city centre, 63 Degrees prides itself on showcasing the best of French cuisine, including its signature chicken dish cooked slowly at 63 degrees (hence the name). Fridays seem to be significantly quieter than Saturdays.
Serving up an ever-changing menu of fresh sushi, Umezushi is one of the best places to enjoy Japanese dining in the city. As quite a cosy venue, it's often busy but it looks like Saturdays can be slightly quieter.
Solita
As they only take bookings for parties of six or more, if you’re out as a couple or with a few friends it can sometimes be a bit of a wait to get a table at Solita’s NQ restaurant – and it looks like the Google stats back that up. Try 5pm on a Friday or later on a Saturday (they're open til 11pm).
Port Street Beer House
There’s nothing worse than planning an evening enjoying few high quality beers, but then getting to Port Street and finding it’s at full capacity. Getting in early or after 9pm on a Saturday seems to be the trick, Google says.
With probably the best Belgian beer selection to be found in Greater Manchester, Salford's The New Oxford seems to be steadily busy on Saturdays but there are some spikes and quieter times on a Friday if you're after a seat.
New York-inspired NQ bar Kosmonaut gets busier as the evening progresses Google tells us, so get in early if you're aiming to bag a go on the ping pong table.
One of the city's best tiki bars, The Liars Club keeps its doors open til 4am on the weekends and is generally busy from midnight, according to Google, although it does quieten down from 2am on Saturdays.
See Time Out's guide to Manchester's best restaurants.