Crowd-pleasing Thai casual dining at Manchester’s Spinningfields.

Hunan, a Chinese restaurant in Manchester’s Chinatown, may be a bit off the beaten track – but it’s all the better for that.

Jamie’s Italian is located in Edwin Lutyens’ soaringly elegant Midland Bank, one of the city’s treasures. The menu’s full of crowd-pleasing choices, with a huge selection of pastas, mains and bruschettas, and an appealing kids menu.The drinks range is broad and deep, with wine, beer and cocktails for all tastes and budgets.

With a wide range of craft beers and its very own on-site microbrewery, Sheffield Tap is uniquely housed within a restored railway station.

What’s not to like at this craft brewery meets music venue?

An enormously popular restaurant and deli near Brunswick Dock and station.

Eat where the locals go in this hidden-away treat.

A family owned pub-restaurant near Sizergh

Sister restaurant to Simon Rogan’s two Michellin starred L’Enclume – more low key but just as tasty.

A no-nonsense Chinese with a warm atmosphere and great menu options.

Liverpool’s Albert Dock is a reliably great day or night out, and here’s what’s on offer there over the Christmas weeks.

The Cains Brewery closed in 2013 and is now the site of the Cains Brewery Village project.