Top chef Kevin Tickle is the brains behind one of the Lake District’s most impressive Michelin-starred restaurants. This is a meal for the ages – effortless and unconventional, in equal measure. A must for inquiring dining minds.

Scranchester’s tours are a highlight of Manchester’s food landscape. Running from January to March to tie in with Chinese New Year, host Rob explores Chinatown.

Head to the up-and-coming St John’s district for an alternative Manchester Christmas market from the well-seasoned team behind Grub.

Pho Cue. Say it out loud. Naughty, right? Not as wickedly delicious as their barbecued lemongrass lamb chops though.

The Black Bull has levelled up since our last trip out to Sedbergh in late 2023. For starters, the fine dining side has its own entity, as well it should. Welcome to Tsuchi (‘soil’ in Japanese, wholesomely).

Posie is an elegant new cocktail bar from the team behind such excellent venues as 10 Tib Lane and Chorlton’s Henry C.

Chotto Matte is the snazzy Manchester outpost of the globe-straddling Japanese-meets-Peruvian restaurant brand.

The Chequers Inn sits beneath Froggatt Edge in the Hope Valley, near to some of the UK’s most scenic walking routes. It’s a classic Peak District pub that dates back to the 16th century, when it served flagons of ale to grave robbers, the owners proudly claim. Nowadays, it serves craft beer to ex-ravers and ramblers. Plus ça change.

The latest must-visit multipurpose venue in Manchester (or is it Salford?), offering top-level food, drinks and live shows.

Everything’s coming up Stalybridge. Out there on the eastern edge of Manchester, this pretty market town is home to one of the region’s most exciting food and drink (and haircut) destinations.

Yes, Gladstone is a three-piece treat: barber, bistro and bar. More alliteration? Buzzy, bustling, brilliant.

Vermilion is something else. It doesn’t just look far out, the kitchen serves up some of the most memorable dishes this side of an Indiana Jones adventure.

San Carlo’s King Street venue has been around for decades. Two of them. The head bods opened this King Street branch back in 2005, when Manchester was much more mini, and the credit crunch was a twinkle in Tony Blair’s eye.

Head to the Horn of Africa, with bright, colourful Ethiopian and Eritrean food courtesy of House Of Habesha. Our visit takes place shortly after New Year for those countries, which falls on September 11, and means it’s actually 2018 according to their calendar. (Mental note: warn them that some crazy stuff is about to go down in a couple of years.)

Hear that? The holidays are coming, the holidays are coming. Time to eat, drink and be merry for Christmas 2025.

Hankering for luxury multi-course restaurants in Manchester? Look no further. Feast your eyes on the best tasting menus in the city.