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 feel like it), with friends and family.
Ethiopian food is one of Manchester’s more prominent sub-Saharan cuisines, and affordable Northern Quarter restaurant Asmara Bella is one of the most quietly respected of the lot.
Come for the drinks, stay for the food. The new Head Of Steam in the Northern Quarter has messy, award-winning food from Salford superstars That Burger Place. We strongly, strongly recommend the chicken wings (and hot honey).
Sure, it’s a pub, but it’s a cut above typical pub grub. The newly revamped Horse & Jockey has a quality menu, designed for drop-in dining 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.
Butter Bird is a newly opened casual but stylish restaurant in Ancoats, based around the very delicious concept of tea-brined chicken.
The Head of Steam chugs into the Northern Quarter showcasing high-quality drinks, and cult burger smashers That Burger Thing manning the kitchen.
Eritrean & Ethiopian Restaurant in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, serving up traditional food from the Horn of Africa.
Humble restaurant on Curry Mile that serves superb quality food.
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.
Whether you’re a proud vegan or merely curious, let us guide you towards the best vegan food in Manchester.
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 city's best tasting menus.
Here are some of the best cafés and best coffee shops we’ve come across in Manchester. And cheerfully independent, in the main.
Manchester has a varied range of food halls that all do a great job of making hungry people happy. Here are our top picks.
Presenting the best walking tours in Manchester for history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and those looking to scratch beneath the surface of the city.
Manchester’s food and drink scene is thriving. Here are the recently-opened venues who are worth your pounds, shillings and pence.
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.
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.
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
Across Manchester and Salford, exhibitions are thinking hard about how things are made – and how materials carry stories.
This month’s theatre highlights span dystopian classics, political thrillers and bold new opera.
From underground festivals showcasing emerging talent to global icons unveiling new work, here are our latest live music highlights.
Spring is coming, at some point. As for now, it’s cold and grim so take our advice and shelter in a nice warm restaurant, pub or bar.
Step away from the usual. Tours and activities that spark curiosity, inspire creativity and offer something refreshingly different.
Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.
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.
