Casual Dining in Manchester

Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor

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.

Our top picks

Yane

Yane, 516 Wilbraham Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, M21 9AW - Visit now

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 Cafe & Wine Bar

Kallos Cafe & Wine Bar, 3 Bankside Blvd, Salford , M3 7HD - Visit now

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

Chakalaka, 105a Oldham St, Manchester , M4 1LW - Visit now

Chakalaka is one of the Northern Quarter’s more unique restaurants, offering the very best of South African cuisine in an intimate, friendly space.

Chakalaka
Ian Jones

Pho Cue

Pho Cue, 52A Faulkner Street , Manchester, M1 4FH - Visit now

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 Manchester

Maray Manchester, 14 Brazennose St, Manchester , M2 6LW - Visit now

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

WakuWaku, 54 Portland St, Manchester, M1 4QU - Visit now

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.

WakuWaku
Ian Jones

Salt & Pepper

Salt & Pepper, 60-62 High St, Manchester, M4 1EA - Visit now

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.

Where to go in Manchester

Chorlton
Restaurant
Horse and Jockey Chorlton

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.

Tangerine
Chapel Street
Restaurant
Tangerine

Manchester’s latest must-visit multipurpose venue, offering top-level food, drinks and live shows.

Bar Posie
City Centre
Bar or Pub
Posie

A new cocktail bar from the crack team behind 10 Tib Lane and Henry C.

Manchester
Food hall
Kargo MKT

Mighty food hall in Salford Quays, with around twenty street food vendors, serving a huge range of cuisines.

Asap Coffee Interior/ Counter
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
ASAP Coffee

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.

Chinatown
Restaurant
Pho Cue

Family-run Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown. Prepare to queue for Pho Cue.

Manchester
Restaurant
Salt & Pepper

Chinese inspired British food in the centre of Manchester, backed up by plenty of well-deserved local hype.

Manchester Visitor Guides

Bars & Pubs

Pint of mild, limited-run natural wine or cocktail drowning in dry ice? You'll find them all in Manchester. But maybe not together

Tasting Menus in The North

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.

Vegan and Vegetarian Food

Whether you’re a proud vegan or merely curious, let us guide you towards the best vegan food in Manchester for Veganuary.

Manchester Restaurant Deals

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.

Sunday Roasts in Manchester

Looking for the finest roast dinners in Manchester? Look no further. We've picked out the very best Sunday dinners in the city.

UNITOM bookshop
Bookshops in Manchester

Manchester is a UNESCO City of Literature, so of course there are a few go-tos for books. Read our guide to discover the best places to pick them up.

Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Spotlight on

Walking Tours in Manchester by Jonathan Schofield

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

Culture Guides

Music in the North

Manchester’s closing out the year – and looking to the new one – with a run of gigs from some of the country’s best underground exports.

Exhibitions in the North

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.

Sepia image of a courtroom with the words 'Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird’
Theatre in the North

Winter brings a huge haul of seasonal shows, as well as productions that resolutely veer away from the fairy lights.

A performer in a bright red costume sits on a snowy stage set, holding a large snowball between their legs with a surprised expression. The colourful winter backdrop features snowflakes, hills, a snowman, and a traffic light with glowing lights.
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

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.

Food and Drink in the North

Hear ye, hear ye. Take some eating-out tips from our wintertime guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.