Restaurants in Manchester

District Manchester, 60 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LE - Visit now

Quite simply, this is one of, if not the best restaurant to open in Manchester in years. District is the kind of place you’ll rave about for years.

Erst, 9 Murray St, Manchester, M4 5BN - Visit now

Erst utilise locally-sourced ingredients in such a way that the end result is effortlessly cutting edge, without resorting to gimmicks and elaborate laboratory equipment. While many up-and-coming restaurants are a mish-mash of ideas from all over the world, Erst is a truly Northern restaurant – full of dazzling ideas and the finest quality ingredients.

Ducie Street Warehouse, Ground Floor, Warehouse, Ducie St,, Manchester, M1 2TP - Visit now

When it comes to big spaces for food, drink and entertainment in Manchester, it’s hard to beat Ducie Street Warehouse.

Peru Perdu, The Cotton Factory, 74 Princess St, Manchester, M1 6JD, Manchester, M1 6JD - Visit now

The Edinburgh Castle Pub, Henry St &, Blossom St, Manchester, M4 5AW - Visit now

One of our favourite destinations in Ancoats, The Edinburgh Castle is everything this area needs. A modern pub with an authentic feel, it eschews the chrome and whistles of many of its near neighbours, offering a welcoming and traditional drinking area downstairs and a timeless, elegant dining space upstairs.

Nam Manchester, Unit 2, 33 Blossom St, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 6AJ - Visit now

Whether you’re interested in grabbing a satisfying bite to eat or experiencing some pitch-perfect sounds curated by Manchester’s best DJs in the forward-thinking downstairs space, Nam does the lot, and does it very, very well.

Black Friar, Blackfriars Rd, Salford, M3 7DH - Visit now

Black Friar pub is a rediscovered Salford treasure. It was left unused after a fire 15 years ago but has returned bigger and better, spearheaded by Ben Chaplin, previously of the excellent 20 Stories.

Delhi House Cafe, Corn Exchange, Exchange Square, Manchester, M4 3TR - Visit now

Delhi House Cafe proved to be the best addition to Manchester’s food scene in 2020 and remains so now. If you want authentic Indian food that always impresses, book now.

Wood Manchester, Jack Rosenthal Street, Manchester, M15 4RA - Visit now

Wood claim to be ‘unintimidating high end dining’ and this is precisely what you get – from location to decor, right down to the menu. With Masterchef winner Simon Wood at the helm, the food is exciting, forward-thinking but never over-complicated. Despite only opening a few months back, it already feels like part of the city’s furniture, with a steely-eyed focus on dishing out exciting plates that look and taste exquisite, all thanks to a team that are constantly coming up with fresh exciting ideas.

Gaucho Manchester, 2a St Mary’s Street, Manchester, M3 2LB - Visit now

Based in a converted Methodist church, Gaucho is one of the best-looking restaurants in Manchester, with a steak-heavy menu to match.

Scene Manchester, 4a Left Bank, Manchester, M3 3AN - Visit now

Not only is Scene easily one of the best-looking restaurants in Spinningfields, full of elegant light fixtures and exotic trinkets inspired by the Indian sub-continent, but long-term residents of Manchester should note they have the head chef of the much-missed Shimla Pinks, one of the city’s all-time greats when it comes to Indian food. Thankfully, the food at Scene is just as good, if not better. All the dishes are delicious and wonderfully uncomplicated. And that could be said about practically everything on the menu – each dish has been finessed into the best version of itself, never overpowered by spices, only enhanced. This is Indian food at its best.

Randall & Aubin Manchester, 64 Bridge St, Manchester, M3 3BN - Visit now

Enjoy some of their finest dishes at a bargain price (just £12.50 for a meal and drink from 12 noon to 7 pm). The courses on offer change on a daily basis, taking in everything from roast pork belly to chicken kiev, with a marvellous fish stew available on Fridays. It’s hard to think of a better deal in the city when it comes to quality and price.

Bundobust Manchester, 61 Piccadilly, Manchester, M1 2AG - Visit now

Since opening their restaurant on the edge of Piccadilly, the team behind Bundobust have built one hell of a buzz around Manchester. For the unaware, this underground restaurant serves up tapas-style small plates of vegetarian and vegan Indian food, along with an exhaustive – and somewhat exhausting – list of beers and craft ales. The food is exceptional, and pushes boundaries all over the place – expect to find mushy peas in there somewhere, alongside an Indo-Chinese sticky sauce you’ve always dreamed of.

Cottonopolis, 16 Newton Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 2AE - Visit now

The Northern Quarter has long had a reputation as the go-to place for late-night quick and trashy food, but things are changing. The whole area is developing at high-speed suggesting its restaurant scene will follow suit. Cottonopolis provides the first shot across the boughs, with its classy decor and high-quality Japanese food. The menu is divided into four different elements based on the cooking method for each item: ice, fire, steam and oil. It’s a gimmick but an inventive one, catering for a variety of palates whether they be healthy eaters, grazers or plain old gluttons.