Sometimes a meal should just be that: a meal. Simple but still great and well worth your hard-earned quids.
Save the Michelin star airs and graces for another time, this guide is all about those drop-in, quick bite (or long, lazy meals if you so wish), with friends and family.
In Japanese, Yane – or rather, 屋根 – means roof, as in the roof of the owner’s home. It fits. There’s a family-style feel here, where the welcome is warm and friendly and the food is unfussy but meticulous, all at the same time.
Kallos is as kallos does. In ancient Greek, it means beauty, and from top to bottom – food to drinks, venue to service – it looks and feels stunning.
Chakalaka is one of the Northern Quarter’s more unique restaurants, offering the very best of South African cuisine in an intimate, friendly space.
In an area packed with excellent restaurants, Pho Cue stands proud. It might not be the showiest place on the block, but, name aside, greatness doesn’t have to mean gobby too.
Maray never disappoints. Its menu is full of loosely Levantine creations that seem simple but have fascinating hidden depths. It’s the kind of place you can pop in for one, two, hell, five or six dishes, and feel like you’ve experienced something special.
WakuWaku in a nutshell: easy on the eye, with drinks and dishes that more than live up to the looks. Kawaii meets washoku, all the way down.
This is fast food that you can choose to be light on oil and fat – classic street food, served up in vibe-appropriate foldable boxes. And don’t stop there. Salt & Pepper’s menu has some of the best dine-and-dash dishes in Manchester. Try one, try them all.
Chorlton’s magnificent Horse and Jockey has had an almighty do-over, transforming it into one of South Manchester’s top must-visit drinking and dining destinations.
A new alternative Manchester Christmas market from the well-seasoned team behind our street food faves Grub.
Manchester’s latest must-visit multipurpose venue, offering top-level food, drinks and live shows.
A new cocktail bar from the crack team behind 10 Tib Lane and Henry C.
Longstanding Italian restaurant in the snazzy bit of Manchester.
Snazzy Manchester outpost of the globe-straddling Japanese-meets-Peruvian restaurant brand.
Wholesome Ethiopian and Eritrean food courtesy of this fast-growing street food vendor.
Mighty food hall in Salford Quays, with around twenty street food vendors, serving a huge range of cuisines.
If you’re looking for quality coffee and a decadent brunch in a setting that nails the Northern Quarter brief, you’d struggle to do better than ASAP Coffee.
Upmarket family-run restaurant with an impressive Middle Eastern menu, plus an on-site barber.
Chinese inspired British food in the centre of Manchester, backed up by plenty of well-deserved local hype.
Here are some of the best cafés and best coffee shops we’ve come across in Manchester – independents (almost) all.
Manchester's restaurants are bending over backwards to create deals that take the sting out of eating out. Here are the best of the bunch for January.
The world's at your fingertips with free history, art, science and creative capers for all ages in Manchester.
Manchester has a varied range of food halls that all do a great job of making hungry people happy. Here are our top picks.
Pint of mild, limited-run natural wine or cocktail drowning in dry ice? You'll find them all in Manchester. But maybe not together
Hankering for luxury multi-course restaurants in Manchester? Look no further. Feast your eyes on the best tasting menus in the city.
Looking for the finest luxury multi-course restaurants in Manchester? Look no further. We've picked out the very best tasting menus in the city.
Whether you’re a proud vegan or merely curious, let us guide you towards the best vegan food in Manchester for Veganuary.
Looking for the finest roast dinners in Manchester? Look no further. We've picked out the very best Sunday dinners in the city.
Fancy some Japanese food? We've uncovered the five best restaurants in Manchester.
Presenting the best walking tours in Manchester for history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and those looking to scratch beneath the surface of the city.
Take me there
This season, exhibitions across the North West feel attuned to the world beneath the world – the forces and stories shaping how we see, feel and imagine.
Manchester’s starting the new year with a run of gigs from some of the country’s best underground exports.
Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.
Step away from the usual. Tours and activities that spark curiosity, inspire creativity and offer something refreshingly different.
Theatre across the North West splits between festive escape and sharp, urgent work exploring politics, power and resistance.
There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.
Hear ye, hear ye. Take some eating-out tips from our wintertime guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.
