Levenshulme, Manchester

Creative Tourist

Located halfway between Manchester and Stockport, for many people Levenshulme is just another place their bus travels through on the way to and from work. But here’s a quick history lesson. Did you know that Norman Foster drew inspiration from Levy’s local library when he was planning a refurbishment of New York Public Library? Legend also has it that that Dick Turpin travelled through Levenshulme and stopped off at the Blue Bell Inn for a half. And did you know that Arthur Lowe (yes, Captain Mainwaring from Dad’s Army) went to school in the area?

Which is all well and good, but back in the present day it’s also useful for you to know which shops, bars and cafes are worth your while to get off the bus for. Stockport Road is the main road in Levenshulme: here you’ll find arts-forward drinking holes such as The Talleyrand, top restaurants like Station South, plus perfect little indie cafés and bakeries like Trove.

Every Saturday between March and October Levenshulme Market, a community-run social enterprise with a variety of stalls every week, pops-up next to the train station. There’s also Bankley Studios just off Stockport Road, home to 30 artists working across a range of art forms from textiles to sculpture. Look out for their yearly Open Studios event so that you can see inside the studios yourself. Finally, don’t miss the ‘Street with No Name’, on the way to the station; although the street is 160+ years old and 77 yards long, it has never been given an official name, so the street sign commemorates this fact.

Our top picks

Levenshulme Market

Levenshulme Market, Stockport Road (junction with Albert Rd), Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 3AB

Within Levenshulme Market, Sellers vary from street food stalls to vintage and modern fashion, independent artists and jewellery makers to artisanal ice cream and coffee sellers. No matter your taste there is guaranteed to be something for you.

Image courtesy of Levenshulme Market

Station South

Station South, 975-977 Stockport Rd, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 3NP - Visit now

Station South serves as the perfect pick-me-up after a chilly morning walk along the Fallowfield Loop, whether you’re looking for a breakfast muffin (complete with perfectly cooked hash brown) or that classic Victorian dish, kedgeree, spruced up for 2023. Oh, and the baked goods are things of beauty.

Ian Jones

Bopcap Books

Bopcap Books, Old Police Station, 963 Stockport Road, Manchester, M19 3NP - Visit now

Run out of Levenshulme Antiques Village in the Old Town Hall, This indie bookseller Offering a carefully curated collection of previously owned books and ephemera complete with a vinyl soundtrack. Specialising in art, photography, design, fashion, architecture, cult literature and more, you’re bound to find something to suit your reading/gifting tastes here.

Bopcap Books
Image courtesy Bopcap Books

Trove Levenshulme

Trove Levenshulme, 1032 Stockport Road, Levenshulme, Greater Manchester, M19 3WX - Visit now

Levenshulme eatery Trove remains a firm favourite with weekend breakfast crowds and weekday café hawks alike, and with good reason; their food is simple, and wonderful. Importantly, it fills but doesn’t impregnate you with a debilitating food baby, like some other breakfast stops

Gaijin Dumpling House

Gaijin Dumpling House, 948 Stockport Rd, Manchester , M19 3NN - Visit now

Gaijin Dumpling House sits at the heart of Levenshulme’s main strip, serving up remarkably good steamed dumplings and innovative versions of classic East Asian dishes. It’s an intimate space with less than a dozen tables and no drinks licence – but you can bring your own booze in. Phew.

Ian Jones

The Talleyrand, Levenshulme

The Talleyrand, Levenshulme, 1030 Stockport Road, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 3WX - Visit now

Helping to make Levenshulme a destination in its own right, this warm and welcoming bar mixes the traditional boozer with a European-style beer-café, hosting artist-ran STOCK Gallery in the back room and everything from gigs, theatre, screenings and more in the front.

Jandol Lebanese Restaurant

Jandol Lebanese Restaurant, 861 Stockport Rd , Levenshulme, M19 3PW - Visit now

As well as being a brilliant restaurant, Jandol also sells a glorious range of sweets, including Turkish delight and more baklava than you’ve ever seen in your life. The owners are a delight, the food is hearty, wholesome and pleasingly affordable and the whole experience is a joy from start to gut-busting finish. What’s not to love?

Jandol Lebanese Restaurant
Ian Jones

Isca Wines

Isca Wines, 825 Stockport Rd, Levenshulme, M19 3PN - Visit now

Isca Wine is an intimate and well-stocked wine bar at the heart of Levenshulme where you can try a range of specialist organic wines, including delicious lesser-known orange wine, which is worth a visit in its own right. Isca Wine also plays host to a range of quality workshops and food-based events including supper clubs.

Isca Wine

Bankley Studios and Gallery Manchester

Bankley Studios and Gallery Manchester, Bankley Street, Manchester, M19 3PP - Visit now

This is an artist-run gallery space and artists studios, currently hosting over 30 artists in residence working across a range of disciplines including painting, textiles, photography, installation, sculpture and ceramics.

Bankley Studios and Gallery Manchester
Bankley Studios and Gallery Manchester

Cibus Pizza

Cibus Pizza, 847 - 849 Stockport Rd, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 3PW - Visit now

Let’s be clear, Cibus is about a lot more than pizza. The menu at this Italian restaurant offers up a host of dishes, from the top of the boot-shaped peninsula to the bottom, and it goes a lot further than the usual suspects.

Ian Jones

Levenshulme Antiques Village

Levenshulme Antiques Village, 965 Stockport Rd, Manchester, M19 3NP - Visit now

The Antiques Village in Levenshulme is a regional hypermarket where many dealers buy and sell antiques, pre-war and vintage furniture, fireplaces and collectables.

Levenshulme Antiques Village

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