Black Friar

Christmas 2025: The Black Friar has unveiled a full winter takeover, turning the pub into a festive miracle packed with more than 3,000 baubles, a Santa’s Workshop setup, seasonal menus and limited-edition Christmas cocktails created with Salford Rum. Families can drop letters to Santa for the chance of a gift, while the Winter Tavern is loaded with lights, presents and a bigger festive glow than any olde worlde halo.

Since it opened in 2021, I’ve recommended Black Friar more than any other restaurant in the city. Few places can serve dishes as wide-ranging as this, and maintain the kind of elegance and quality that makes broadsheet critics swoon while keeping things accessible and just plain fun. 

They’ve launched a new birthday menu curated by celebrated UK chef Ben Chaplin. This menu offers three courses for £33 (available Monday through Saturday) – if you’ve been mulling over a visit, now’s the time. 

This menu includes some Black Friar classics alongside some all-new creations, such as harissa-spiced lamb meatballs with mint yoghurt, toasted almonds and pomegranate; whole-line honey-glazed mackerel with horseradish new potatoes and radish salad; pork tomahawk and baked feta with grilled peaches, chorizo and peach jam; and Sicilian lemon tart with burnt buttermilk and lime sorbet.

We popped in ahead of the launch, and tried a few other of these plus some other wonderful dishes from the wider menu. The tomato and chilli arancini is a must-try from the Grazing section of the £33 menu, making great use of Grana Padano cheese, plus a delightfully unique basil mayonnaise. Also from the grazing menu, there’s sourdough baked locally by Half Dozen Other, with house-whipped butter (we tried a glorious sundried tomato-infused version). 

When it comes to big-occasion meals, The Black Friar is probably the best restaurant in Manchester (or Manchester-slash-Salford, if we’re being picky). The menu has enough choice to keep everyone happy, from your fussy uncle to your well-travelled niece, and the quality is sky-high.