Food and Drink in Manchester and the North

Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor

Last Updated 17 January 2020

Welcome to this month’s guide to the best Food and Drink in Manchester and the North. Christmas done, New Year’s Eve done, and it’s time to sort out the wheat from the chaff in 2020 across the North. Happily, many of the restaurants listed below have some excellent offers to see you through those cold January weeks. Don’t worry it’ll soon be spring, with summer close behind – but it’s far enough away that you don’t need to worry about being ‘beach body ready’ for another couple of months.

The restaurants below are all reliably high-quality and well worth a visit, or two, or five, over the next few weeks

In the meantime, why not work your way through this month’s edition of our food and drink guide to Manchester and the North. The weather might be cold and miserable, but the restaurants below are all reliably high-quality and well worth a visit, or two, or five, over the next few weeks.

Christmas done, New Year’s Eve done, and it’s time to sort out the wheat from the chaff in 2020 across the North

This month, we have Portuguese food in Ancoats, hearty fare next to Victoria Train Station, a brand new venue in Spinningfields, perfectly-formed Vietnamese cuisine at one of Manchester’s top-rated restaurants, brilliant breakfasts in Liverpool (as well as another stellar Merseyside restaurant), plus new menus and revamps from a host of other worthy inclusions.

Summer is far enough away that you don’t need to worry about being ‘beach body ready’ for another couple of months

So take a deep breath, check your bank balance and join us on a trip through the best places to eat across the North this month. This month’s guide to must-try Food and Drink in Manchester and the North covers everything from independent and fiercely authentic British food to high-end and near-experimental cuisine from all corners of the planet. Unbuckle your belt and prepare to enjoy a slap-up feed or two, or three, or four.

Here are our picks

1. Keith’s Food and Wine Bar

Ian Jones

Keith’s Food and Wine Bar, 107 Lark Lane, Liverpool, L17 8UR - Visit now

Start your day at Keith’s, grab a cup of tea and cake at Freida Mo’s, then finish off your day with an evening meal at Hafla Hafla. Thank me later.

Read more
2. Canto

Ian Jones

Canto, Fairbairn Unit A, Fairbairn Building, Henry Street, Manchester, M4 5DH - Visit now

Canto’s updated menu promises to beat away the sad, cold, dark, Manchester climate with a range of new, powerful dishes and the return of some familiar faces.

Read more
3. Six By Nico Manchester

Six By Nico

Six By Nico Manchester, 60 Spring Gardens, Manchester, M2 2BQ - Visit now

Six By Nico can do no wrong. Six courses, all excellent, with one or two courses up there with the very best in Manchester. If you haven’t yet been, this greatest hits menu is the ultimate way into fine fining that won’t dent your bank account.

Read more
4. Hawksmoor

Image courtesy of Marketing Manchester

Hawksmoor, 184-186 Deansgate, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M3 3WB - Visit now

Hawksmoor has a well-deserved reputation as Manchester’s best steakhouse, thanks to the atmosphere, decor and quality drinks, the bar should be recognised as one of the city’s best too.

Read more
5. BLVD Manchester

BLVD

BLVD Manchester, The Avenue North,, Manchester, M3 3BZ - Visit now

A newcomer on the Spinningfields scene, BLVD takes the spot previously occupied by Neighbourhood. BLVD (short for boulevard) has been around for a month now and fits in comfortably with the rest of the neighbourhood with its picture-perfect neon signs, pumping music and mysteriously dark décor.

Read more
6. Viet Shack Restaurant

Viet Shack

Viet Shack Restaurant, 65 Great Ancoats St, Manchester, M4 5AB - Visit now

Viet Shack started out as a hugely-popular street food stall before opening this restaurant in the city’s ‘trendiest’ district, Ancoats.

Read more
7. Madre Liverpool

Madre

Madre Liverpool, Atlantic Pavilion Albert Dock, 6, Liverpool, L3 4AE - Visit now

Madre Liverpool is the latest recruit to the Royal Albert Dock’s independent offerings, firmly establishing it as a location for great eateries.

Read more
8. Mamucium

Ian Jones

Mamucium, 6 Todd St, Manchester, M3 1WU - Visit now

If you’re looking for a filling dinner at a decent price, Mamucium do a fine job. The food hovers around the semi-high-end range, and most dishes look very pretty indeed, backed up with hearty seasonal flavours.

Read more