The 12 most underrated city breaks in the UK

The appeal of Sheffield for a city break is its duality. On one hand, you can stay in the city and soak up the culture, parks, and shops, while enjoying some of the most hotly tipped food and drink places in the UK. (I’d recommend gobbling up small plates and natural wine at The Pearl or swinging by the Rutland Arms for ale and the world’s greatest chip butty.) But, as the greenest city in the UK, you also have the Peak District right on your doorstep. Here you’ll find some of the most stunning views, walks and climbing places in the country. It really is a best of both worlds place to visit. 

📍 The best things to do in Sheffield

Time Out tip: If you can, plan your trip for festival-heavy October: there’s the killer electronic festival No Bounds, Sensoria’s mix of music and film, Off the Shelf’s literary offerings and Festival of the Mind’s inspiring talks. 

Just a couple of hours’ train ride away from most UK cities, York is a dream city break. Its vast history is best summed up by ancient Roman walls, Viking museums and contemporary arts venues, all coexisting together all under one (mostly sunny) roof. And with enough culture to work up your appetite, York is also an underrated paradise for foodies, gathering the freshest produce across Yorkshire and home to dozens of quality restaurants. 

📍 The best things to do in York

Time Out tip: The York Food Festival is held yearly in September. You’ll find a quarter of the crowds of the city’s famous Christmas market, but all the local buzz, food and crafts shops (plus endless free chocolate and booze samples).

Glasgow may have a reputation for grey skies and grey architecture, but the city’s affectionate nickname, the ‘dear green place’, paints a different picture. I can’t promise blue skies, but I can promise you’ll find umpteen leafy parks, all perfect for a morning stroll or an afternoon loll on the grass should the sun be shining. You’ll also find an art scene that punches well above its weight, impressive buildings ranging from the medieval to the modern, a thriving food scene and, for my money, some of the finest pubs in the UK. 

📍 The best things to do in Glasgow

Time Out tip: Speaking of its thriving food scene, one of the city’s best Italian restaurants – the Michelin-bib awarded Celentano’s in Cathedral Square – has opened up eight swish ensuite bedrooms. Tuck in, stay the night, then get on with exploring this beast of a city.

Forget ‘cold wet Tuesday nights’ in Stoke – the Potteries are easily worth an entire weekend (and much more) of your time. As a former Stoke City season ticket holder, I’ve spent countless weekends here and I’m always amazed it doesn’t get more visitors. Nationally-renowned pottery museums? Check. Six distinct city centres, each with their own identity? Aye, Stoke’s got that. Peerless access to nature, whether it be picture-perfect Trentham Lakes or the Staffordshire Moorlands and Peak District? All on the doorstep.

Time Out tip: Pop into London Road Oatcakes to try Stoke’s local baked delicacy made exactly as it’s supposed to be.

City or countryside? Forget the normal question facing mini-breakers: Salisbury delivers both. This pint-sized city – with a few good boozers to boot – is surrounded on all sides by the delectable natural beauty of Wiltshire. The greenery invades the town itself, most notably in the lovely area about the famous cathedral. Despite great restaurants like the Gallery Café at Fisherton Mill or the outside-town Pythouse Kitchen Garden, I somehow always end up lunching on the cathedral green with a picnic from Henderson’s Artisan Bakery.

Time out tip: Elongate your West Country trip by taking the train to Bath, along one of the prettiest stretches of train line in the UK.

Walking the riverside path that loops the steep-sided peninsula on which Durham sits, I never fail to be knocked out by the city’s lofty scale. The castle is impressive, but the cathedral, with its dizzying height and decorative pillars, reduces me to slack-jawed wonder (try to visit before Evensong when the choir is rehearsing). Saddler Street, with its bulging shopfronts and narrow alleys, and cobbled South Bailey, are fun to wander before exploring the artisan shops in Fowlers Yard. Outside the city centre, the Oriental Museum and Botanic Garden are unexpected delights. 

📍 The best things to do in Durham

Time Out tip: For a tempting yet affordable tasting menu meal try Coarse, tucked away in a courtyard, with a simple Scandi feel and big, inviting windows.

Dundee sure has suffered from a lot of hype in recent years, but, having lived a short bus journey away for the best part of four years, I’d argue it is completely justified. Much of the buzz has revolved around the now not-so-recent opening of the fantastic V&A Dundee, which has shown exhibitions on everything from the history of tartan to club culture. But this Scottish city also offers much more: a rich history, fantastic food and drink offerings, and a gateway to beautiful Fife. Here, you can hike the coastal path, stop off for fresh fish and chips in Anstruther, or head to the university town of St Andrews for a beach walk straight out of Chariots of Fife.

Time Out tip: If you’re feeling fancy, book yourself into The Peat Inn, a modern Scottish fine dining restaurant with rooms, just a half hour drive away. 

With its impressive Gothic cathedral and wonky, timber framed architecture, Canterbury may not be as edgy as nearby Margate, but it’s way more atmospheric. Café culture thrives and the pubs are another huge draw (don’t miss The Lady Luck for rock ‘n’ roll vibes and live music). The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge is a lesser-known highlight: a Victorian-era museum with an eclectic collection, including some surprising taxidermy. Don’t miss the forty-five-minute guided punt (the evening ghost tour is wonderfully chilling) along the River Stour.

📍 The best things to do in Canterbury

Time Out tip: Order a pint of Whitstable Bay beer and get cosy at 14th century pub, The Parrot: all low wooden beams and open fires.

The small but mighty city of Wells, in Somerset, is conveniently located between Bath and Bristol, making it easy enough to get to by train. There’s heaps to tick-off here. A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, Wells Cathedral is a must-see. Conquer your vertigo on a High Parts tour and marvel at the ingenuity of its mediaeval masons. Feet firmly on terra firma, explore the 14-acre moated gardens at the Bishop’s Palace: stunning whatever the season. For retail and foodie therapy, browse Wells’ bustling twice weekly market – a key location from cult film Hot Fuzz. I’d also recommend joining the crowds of locals in November to experience Wells Carnival, a spectacular West Country tradition.

📍 The best things to do in Wells

Time Out tip: Book a table at Root to savour its delicious, locally sourced ‘veg-led’ sharing menu. Team your tapas with a well-chosen sherry or Somerset cider.

I’m obsessed with Bristol. If anyone asks about it, I tell them it’s like all the best bits of London packed into one. There are world-class nightclubs, like Motion, Lakota and newly-opened The Prospect Building that host festival headliners on the regular; a thriving community of local restaurants (including the Michelin-starred Bulrush) and a whole strip of great shops, bars and music venues along Gloucester Road, which we’ve actually named one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods. Oh, and everything is pretty much within walking distance – if you can handle the hills.

📍 The best things to do in Bristol

Time Out tip: Had a heavy night out? Get yourself over to Biblos, which has been curing hangovers for as long as I can remember with its mouth-wateringly indulgent stuffed wraps. My order is a large VFC with deep-fried jerk seitan and a healthy dollop of Carib island sauce.

Liverpool has long been known for its nightlife, but with its food scene quickly establishing itself and heaps of cultural things to do, it’s well worth seeing what the city has to offer in daylight too. This is probably one of the best cities in the country for combining sophistication with revelry: spend the afternoon museum hopping then walk down to the Baltic Triangle for a bar crawl. Start your night out at Liverpool’s newest neighbourhood cocktail bar, Sister Ray – and if you’re still up for a late night after a few of their negronis, head down to 24 Kitchen Street for a reliable roster of resident local DJs.

📍 The best things to do in Liverpool

Time Out tip: Plan a trip in the pre-Christmas months to see Sefton Park in all of its autumnal glory. It’s also a great time to check out the The River of Light, a free annual art instalation on the Albert Dock featuring incredible illuminous displays, which runs from late October into November.

Blockbusters have always enticed tourists to visit on-screen locales – in the case of Bridgerton, the show skyrocketed Bath’s tourist footfall after the first two seasons were shot there. Already famous for the Roman baths and Jane Austen’s world — don’t miss the Jane Austen Centre and her former residence at 4 Sydney Place — Bath is the perfect city break as visitors can wander through Bridgerton’s filming locations, like the iconic Royal Crescent hotel and spa. Did you ever think you’d get to see Lady Danbury’s House IRL?

📍 The best things to do in Bath

Time Out tip: Before your visit, be sure to check out what’s on at The Bath Forum to plan a healthy dose of live music or comedy: it’s a beautiful, Grade II-listed old cinema which has hosted everyone from The Beatles to Paloma Faith.