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Food and Drink in the North

Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor

It’s officially autumn, the heating’s back on, and that can only mean one thing: time to get out there and eat some hearty grub. It’s important to bulk up to get through those cold nights. That’s what the boffins at Eating HQ told us, anyway.

With that in mind, we’re all about those big satisfying meals, including finely tuned countryside servings, glitzy Asian food, excellent small plates out in Stalybridge, Sunday roasts (of all stripes) and more.

So join us as we dive headfirst into the best places to eat and drink in this, the greatest of UK regions. Think of your taste buds and start planning your next four weeks around this month’s food and drink guide to Manchester and the North.

Our top picks

Where The Light Gets In

Where The Light Gets In, 7 Rostron Brow, Stockport, SK1 1JY - Visit now

Where The Light Gets In is one of the North’s most singular restaurants. It’s upscale dining you can’t find anywhere else.

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Gladstone Barber & Bistro

Gladstone Barber & Bistro, Unit 3, Pattern House, Castle St, Stalybridge, SK15 1NX - Visit now

There are a bunch of decent Middle Eastern-style restaurants in Manchester and its surrounding areas, but Gladstone takes things to a new level. All bases are covered: friendly atmosphere, great drinks, superb food.

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The Chequers Inn

The Chequers Inn, Froggatt Edge, A625, Calver, Froggatt, Hope Valley , Derbyshire , S32 3ZJ - Visit now

The Chequers Inn is the Peak District at its best. A fine mix of modern and tradition, welcoming as it gets and with food that’s more than a match for the many nearby beauty spots.

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Vermilion

Vermilion, Lord N St, Hulme Hall Lane, Manchester, M40 8AD - Visit now

Vermilion isn’t a shy, retiring type of restaurant – it’s bold, glam and sometimes silly.

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Pho Cue

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

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

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GRUB Manchester

GRUB Manchester, 50 Red Bank, Cheetham Hill, Manchester, M4 4HF - Visit now

Sad news, guys. GRUB, Manchester’s most prominent independent street food fair and social hub, is closing its Red Bank site after five years.

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Seconds Carvery at Freight Island

Seconds Carvery at Freight Island, Ticket Hall, Freight Island, 11 Baring St, Manchester, M1 2PZ - Visit now

The Mayfield institution is delivering the ultimate Sunday roast, one that’s a million miles from the sad old carveries that dominated the Sunday food landscape at the end of the last century.

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Sunday Roasts in Manchester

Clear the next few Sundays from your calendar and get booking. Manchester has some of the finest roast dinners in the North, and we’re here to help you discover the one that’s most up your street.

Find out more

More food and drink events

Walking Tour Stock imagery
Until
ActivityCity Centre
The Manchester Music Walkabout

Manchester’s famous musical legacy comes to life in this walking tour around the city, which will take you from the 1960s to the present day.

From £25.00
Love Lane Brewery Exterior
Until
TourBaltic Triangle
Love Lane & Higsons Brewery Tour Experience!

Every weekend in Liverpool’s buzzing Baltic Triangle, Love Lane Brewery invites visitors behind the scenes for an hour-long tour through its striking, industrial space. Housed in a converted rubber factory,

From £25.00
Craft Beer Tour Around Manchester
Until
ActivityManchester
Craft Beer Tour Manchester

Join Craft Beer Tour Manchester for a journey through some of the cities best local breweries and artisanal beer serving bars. Discover the personality of Manchester’s beer through a diverse

From £45
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Image by Jonathan Schofield.
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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.

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Food and Drink in the North

Chinatown
Restaurant
Pho Cue

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

HOME Manchester
Manchester
Theatre
HOME Manchester

Offering a packed schedule of events and things to do, HOME Manchester is one of the city’s leading hubs for arts and culture.

A table with a view of Liverpool at the fine dining restaurant Panoramic 34
Liverpool
Restaurant
Panoramic 34

Panoramic 34 boasts ceiling to floor windows with a breathtaking 360 degree aspect, but there’s plenty more to get giddy about than just the views.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
The Briton’s Protection

Standing on the corner of a junction opposite The Bridgewater Hall, The Briton’s Protection is Manchester’s oldest pub. It has occupied the same spot since 1795, going under the equally

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Things to do in Manchester
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Burnley's Singing Ringing Tree
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Culture Guides

Cinema in the North

A host of Halloween horrors, experimental shorts, plus pioneering black British cinema make our October Cinema Guide.

Wisp Press Image
Music in the North

From corrupted shoegaze to experimental electronica, post-hardcore to Indian classical, these are the shows that should be on your radar.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Theatre this month bursts with contrasts - from bold new writing and Black History Month highlights to contemporary arts and reimagined classics.

Exhibitions in the North

Galleries around the North are gearing up for a new season of exhibitions - from iconic art prizes to smaller, artist-led gems.

Poet Helen Mort.
Literature Events in the North

One to add to your TBR pile, our latest round-up is a bumper edition and features some amazing events in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and beyond...