Japanese restaurants in Manchester

Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor

The past few years have seen an explosion of restaurants in Manchester, taking in cuisine from all over the world. Japanese restaurants have proved particularly popular, with sushi and teppanyaki-style food available in all corners of the city. The only problem is choosing where to go first. Fear not, we’ve done the hard work for you. Here are the best five Japanese restaurants in Manchester.

Our top picks

Niwa Yakitori

Niwa Yakitori, 77 Dale St , Manchester , M1 2HG - Visit now

An intimate space, with a look, feel and soundtrack that brings that Tokyo-style backstreet cafe atmosphere to Manchester. The best Asian tasting menu in the city, and comes in at a remarkably pocket-friendly price point.

WakuWaku

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

Manchester’s WakuWaku is the UK’s only “2D” Japanese restaurant and one of a mere handful in the world – New York, Berlin and Singapore, at last count.

WakuWaku
Ian Jones

New Wave Ramen

New Wave Ramen, 16 Tib Lane, Manchester , M2 4JB - Visit now

A smart, modern-looking space, all high windows and great lighting, with people popping in and out all day to grab something to eat, and when it comes to drink and food, the quality is sky-high.

KAJI

KAJI, 64 Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 3BN - Visit now

KAJI is well known for its new-wave Japanese cuisine, thanks to one of the best sushi selections in the city, and Smith has done a fine job of merging his Ribble Valley nous with East Asian flavours.

Samsi

Samsi, 36-38 Whitworth St, Manchester , M1 3NR - Visit now

A Manchester mainstay for over 30 years, Samsi keeps things simple with reliable, lightly westernised Japanese food. From £9.99 sushi to crisp tempura, it’s quality without the fuss.

Samsi
Ian Jones

Yane

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

Tucked away in Chorlton, Yane brings quietly meticulous Japanese comfort food to South Manchester, serving donburi, kare and house-made pickles with serious attention to detail. Warm, unfussy and beautifully designed, it’s the kind of place that’ll keep you coming back.

Shoryu Ramen Manchester

Shoryu Ramen Manchester, 1 Piccadilly, Manchester, M1 1RG - Visit now

Shoryu are clearly doing something right. It’s by far the busiest space in Piccadilly Gardens’ restaurant sector, with delightfully helpful staff and some of the most well-made -not to mention most mouth-watering – Japanese dishes in the North.

Shoryu Ramen

Sexy Fish Manchester

Sexy Fish Manchester, 1 The Avenue, Deansgate, Manchester , M3 3AP - Visit now

Sexy Fish brings high-glamour dining to Manchester, with bold Japanese flavours, surrealist art and a seriously showy interior.

Teppanyaki Chinatown

Teppanyaki Chinatown, 58-60 George St, Manchester, M1 4HF - Visit now

The teppanyaki style of Japanese cooking has a chef using an iron griddle in front of diners, often performing theatrics to entertain the diners. Teppanyaki’s aim is to bring this long-established style of cooking back to its more credible and sophisticated roots. And it works.

Seafood Combo

Yuzu

Yuzu, 39 Faulkner Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 4EE - Visit now

Yuzu don’t do sushi but they do raw fish and rice, just not wrapped up for you – here they serve sashimi donburi-style, with the seafood fanned out over a bowl of lightly dressed rice and shaved radish. The rest of the small menu focuses on simple Japanese classics – fried tofu, udon noodles, rice bowls – executed well, with minimum fuss and one or two specials to keep things interesting.

Yuzu Manchester
Yuzu Manchester

Unagi Altrincham

Unagi Altrincham, 1A Central Way, Altrincham , WA14 1SB - Visit now

All neon lights and elegant design, with dedicated areas where the expert staff create sushi and some of the best cocktails in South Manchester. With just four options, the cocktail menu is small but each is touched by genius.

Suki Suki Street Food & Bar

Suki Suki Street Food & Bar, 227 Deansgate, Manchester , M3 4EN - Visit now

The kind of place you’ll head back to, again and again. The Pan-Asian menu is wide-ranging surprisingly affordable considering the city-centre location, connected to the ever-growing Great Northern Warehouse.

Mana

Mana, 42 Blossom St, Manchester, M4 6BF - Visit now

The summertime menu explores the parallels between Japan and Britain, combining intricate preparation with bold flavours from the local countryside and the UK seas.

Where to go in Manchester

Morning Glory - Coffee Cup
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Morning Glory

Morning Glory positions itself as a grab-and-go spot, with just 12 seats inside serving coffee, bagels and sweet treats.

Manchester
Gallery
Black Redstart Gallery

Black Redstart Gallery is located in the Northern Quarter and runs a busy programme of exhibitions from emerging and established artists.

Manchester
Gallery
texture mcr

Possibly one of the city’s most mysterious art galleries, texture is a small and perfectly-formed independent space in Ardwick.

Stevenson Square
Manchester
Stevenson Square

Stevenson Square, the central hub of bars and cafes in Northern Quarter. Home to some of the best bars in the city.

CUPRA City Garage DJ Decks
City Centre
Café or Coffee Shop
CUPRA City Garage

Already based in Paris, Mexico City, Sydney and Vienna, CUPRA’s international expansion is driven by culture as much as cars, and Manchester’s creative energy has clearly caught their attention.

Ancoats
Restaurant
Bruco

Bruco is a new restaurant in Ancoats, serving up stylish Italian small plates.

Samsi
Manchester
Restaurant
Samsi

Long-standing Japanese restaurant on Whitworth Street in Manchester with a pleasingly affordable menu.

Chorlton
Restaurant
Yane

Friendly neighbourhood restaurant in Chorlton, specialising in authentic Japanese cuisine such as donburi, katsu kare and traditional pickles, made in-house.

Manchester Visitor Guides

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.

Spas in the North West

If you find yourself in the North West of England looking for a spa day, look no further, check out our guide featuring our favourite spots.

Bars in Manchester

The best new bars in Manchester, plus some old favourites for good measure.

SB_BreweryTour- Distillery Two
Brewery Tours in Manchester

A growing number of breweries and independent tour operators now offer behind-the-scenes access to the city’s thriving beer scene.

Afternoon Tea in Manchester

The finest places in Manchester to sip Darjeeling, eat dainty finger sandwiches and slap extra clotted cream on a freshly baked scone.

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

Detail of an abstract sculpture, with burned materials and rusty chicken wire at the centre, with rusted metal bars bent around it.
Exhibitions in the North

Chocolate fountains, beautiful batiks and medieval marginalia - this month's supersized Exhibitions Guide has it all.

Literature Events in the North

The autumn leaves might be falling already, but the harvest is plentiful as the live literature scene gets back into the swing of things after a summer break...

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

This season’s theatre is gloriously eclectic: from radical cabaret and reinvented classics to new musicals and boundary-pushing performance.

Cinema in the North

This month we recommend a season of Film noir, cult Australian movies and a huge celebration of DIY community cinema.