An evening at Musu is more than a mere meal; it’s up there with the top culinary experiences Manchester has to offer. For summer, Chef Patron Michael Shaw and his team have created a twelve-course tasting menu that delivers the spirit of Japan across four cooking styles: edomae, izakaya, teppan and kaiseki.

A meal at Northcote isn’t just a great example of fine dining in the North, it’s one of the most impressive sensory experiences in the UK. Everything is designed to induce a sense of awe – the presentation of the food, the perfectly paired wines, the sheer inventiveness of the ideas, and most memorably of all, the way the flavours combine to create something entirely new and original yet also familiar. If you consider yourself a food-lover, or even just a food-liker, you owe it to yourself to visit here at least once.

L’Enclume may hold the unofficial title of the North’s finest restaurant at the moment, but not only does Moor Hall more than match up in the food stakes, it also boasts a richer, more fascinating history.

In just a couple of years, Forest Side has become one of Cumbria’s most outstanding restaurants. Suitably, considering his surname, Kevin Tickle’s tasting menu brims over with sheer fun – full of lively colours and playful imagery that enhance the brilliance of each dish. This is more than matched by the front-of-house, who are some of the most engaging and entertaining waiting staff in the North of England.

Is Adam Reid at The French better than his predecessor Simon Rogan at The French? Well, the food is as stunning as ever but the overall experience tips the balance in the new boy’s favour. Adam has a better grasp on what makes Manchester tick, making things less fussy, more relaxed, and, at times, gloriously silly.

Everything you heard about Where The Light Gets In is true. It’s a remarkable experience – and indeed ‘experience’ describes it far better than a simple meal. It’s certainly not a standard tasting menu, there’s an Einstein-style level of thought and detail backing up every course. You won’t leave bloated and heavy, but with a mind fizzing with ideas and a curiosity about what, if any, other restaurants can match up.

The Art School’s tasting menu differs from most, in that rather than a series of tiny plates the dishes are fewer in number but gradually increase in size and intensity, reaching a crescendo with the masterpiece plate of Galloway beef – easily one of the top ten dishes in the North. The experience doesn’t come cheap but event dining of this quality rarely does.

Arras might be named after a French city, but the cooking isn’t especially Gallic. Rather it’s a combination of truly out-there ideas applied to largely-British ingredients, to make something far beyond the average meal out but never to the detriment of flavour. Arras is something very special indeed, and if you want to keep your tastebuds ahead of the curve this is worth a visit – but make it soon before the rest of the North catches on.

Rafters isn’t the kind of place you stop by for a quick bite to eat. It’s an experience that requires an entire evening, taking in elements of theatre and ideas and cooking techniques up there with Simon Rogan. It’s a credit to Sheffield, and food lovers of the North should make it a priority visit.

The name L’Enclume is a byword for upscale fine dining in the North, and recent years have seen a steady procession of its chefs leaving the nest and launching their own cutting-edge restaurants. The food at all these places is no less than remarkable, and the original still stands tall.