Manchester might be an English city. But its culinary scene is on a global scale. Caribbean one night, Greek the next. Street food for lunch, fine dining for dinner. The city’s restaurants are thriving.
Here’s our guide to the best places to eat in Manchester. For city breakers and business deal makers. As hand picked by our local team at the city’s number one aparthotel (humble brag), Whitworth Locke.
Top restaurants in Manchester city centre.
See the best things to do in Manchester. Then check out the city’s best restaurants. If you’re heading into the centre, you’ll be spoilt for choice of where to eat. Here’s where's good to go with friends, colleagues and your next hot date.
Kala Bistro, King Street.
Best for: unpretentious, affordable food that looks and tastes top notch.
Chef Gary Usher has done it again. The straight talking owner of multiple northern eateries is known for his tongue in cheek tweets and impressive crowdfunding efforts. But it’s the simple yet glorious food we’re here for.
Kala Bistro’s menu is pretty straightforward. There’s a flat-iron steak, whipped goats cheese and truffle parmesan chips that's got us keen. And the ‘sweets’ section is worth saving room for. Sign us up for sticky toffee pudding sundae and honeycomb ice cream. With 3 courses for just £28, this is a restaurant you’ll wanna run to.
WOOD Manchester, First Street
Best for: cheese and chutney lovers who want a bite of everything.
Another renowned chef, another epic place to eat in Manchester. MasterChef winner, Simon Wood, serves classic flavours at his flagship restaurant in the heart of the city. The concept is simple. All the greatness of a fine dining experience, without the stereotypical fussiness. No suits required here.
The à la carte menu features a bunch of small and big plates to have solo or share. But what makes WOOD really stand out is their exclusive cheese lounge. Yep, you read that right. For £30 you can pair five courses of carefully selected cheeses with local chutneys, wine and beer. We can’t think of a better way to spend a weekday evening.
Healthy eating in Manchester
There’s no need to stay home if you’re sticking to a healthier diet. Manchester’s top restaurants have tons of nutritious options that are just as tasty and even more wholesome. Here’s a few of our favourites.
Pastan Manchester, Cross Street
Best for: delicious home cooked pasta you wouldn’t know was plant-based.
This isn’t pasta. This is Pastan. The family-owned restaurant turns your favourite Italian carb into a vegan-friendly menu. We’re talking carbonara, Cacio e Pepe, pumpkin butter tortellini and even mac and cheese. There’s also gluten-free options and nut-free dishes.
We’re not sure how they do it (although feel free to watch every move the cooks make from the open kitchen). But who cares. It tastes great and is better on the planet. The intimate space is also dog-friendly, so bring your pup and tuck into a bowl of the good stuff.
Go Falafel – Piccadilly, Newton Street
Best for: showing your colleagues where to get the best falafel in town.
If you like falafel, stick around. Go Falafel is a vegan restaurant serving wraps, salad boxes and flatbreads with fresh falafel and hummus. It’s the ultimate healthy lunch spot in central Manchester.
Upgrade your order with herby rice stuffed vine leaves and tabbouleh salad. Or get an extra boost of antioxidants and vitamins with a super fruity smoothie or cleansing juice. Don’t wanna go out? No problem. Order in to your Manchester Locke apartment via Deliveroo or Uber Eats.
Buffet restaurants in the city
Mancunians have an appetite for all-you-can-eat deals. And really, who doesn’t? If you’re hungry for more, don’t miss Manchester’s best buffet restaurants.
Azuma, Cavendish St
Best for: a cook-it-yourself eating challenge set in a Korean eatery.
A hidden gem with a huge offering. Azuma is a place for those whose eyes are as big as their stomachs. The Korean restaurant is known for hot pots and BBQ buffets. Both of which require a bit of DIY cooking.
Choose a built-in BBQ table and you’ll be left to your own devices with plates of pork belly, king prawns and chicken wings to get grilling. Eat as much as you can fresh off the hot plate topped with egg fried rice and mixed green veg.
Fazenda, Spinningfields
Best for: all-you-can-eat meat carved straight onto your plate.
South America really knows how to eat. Fine cuts of open-fire grilled meats are continuously brought to the table serving everything from honeyed pork collar to tender bottom sirloin. But you don’t have to cross the Atlantic to get a bite.
Inspired by the continent’s high-end city restaurants, Fazenda brings the interactive ‘Rodizio’ dining experience to Manchester. And you can eat as much as you want. As well as neverending meat skewers, there’s a help yourself Market Table for charcuterie, seafood and salads. Feeling full? Flip a double-sided card to signal you’re resting. Then turn it back to green when you’re ready to go again.
Some of our favourite places to eat in Manchester
Manchester’s been one of our homes for a while now. So we’ve eaten at a fair few nice restaurants over the years. Here’s the ones we go back to again and again.
Peru Perdu, Whitworth Locke, Civic Quarter
Best for: a surprising new go-to cuisine that’ll make you look super cultured.
Not everyone’s familiar with Peruvian food. But as soon as they get a taste, they come back for more. That’s our experience at Peru Perdu anyway, our very own all-day dining residency at Whitworth Locke.
Inspired by the authentic flavours of South America, our Peruvian eatery is a frequented hotspot for both locals and travellers. Pop in to tick Uruguayan Wet Aged steak off your foodie list. Pull up a chair at the Ceviche bar or share a few small plates with a round of Pisco Sours. There’s also recipe kits and fresh groceries to cook in the comfort of your Locke apartment, Peru Perdu style.
Samsi, Whitworth Street
Best for: showing off your chopstick skills as you share a sushi platter.
Samsi is a local institution. The Japanese restaurant has been loved by the city since 1993 and it’s still just as popular today. From the interiors to the menu, every element is truly authentic.
Slurp ramen amidst cherry blossom bonsais. Tuck into crispy tempura and seafood stew. And don’t miss the chance to sit ‘seiza’ style in authentic sunken seating areas, which according to tradition help to maintain good health and clear your mind. The perfect setting for matcha tea and miso soup.
Habesha Restaurant, Sackville Street
Best for: cheap and cheerful Ethiopian food you’ll have fun finding.
You might be confused when you get to Habesha. This lucky find sits among a street of nightclubs and bars, with the entrance disguised as a local kebab shop. But trust us, once you take the stairs and reach the first floor restaurant, you’ll be happy you committed.
Famously donned Manchester’s only Ethiopian restaurant, Habesha is all about the food. No-frills authentic dishes do the talking. Like Doro Wot, a tender chicken leg stewed in spiced pepper, and Awaze Tibs, spicy cubes of lamb in hot pepper sauce. At a tenner a main, it’s worth taking a chance on.
© Samsi
Sthan-M1, Princess Street
Best for: the best spiced lamb chops in the city.
When we fancy Indian food, we go to Sthan-M1. The recently opened Asian restaurant has all the classic dishes you could crave including lamb chops so good they’ve earned a 5 star rating. There’s also a mix of fusion foods including Indo-Chinese appetisers and a great selection of beer and cocktails to wash it all down with.
Take out or dine in for a glitzy experience. The atmosphere’s great, the bar’s pumping and the service is par to none. There’s even a dance floor for when curry nights turn into out out nights.
Giorgio, Portland Street
Best for: a guaranteed good night whether for a romantic meal or pre-theatre dinner.
Manchester’s longest-established Italian restaurant is a golden oldie. With a central location on Portland Street, it’s within walking distance of the Opera House, Palace Theatre and Bridgewater Hall making it popular with the theatre crowd.
You can expect a classic Italian menu at Giorgio with a few extra specials thrown in. There’s Neapolitan-style pizzas, pastas and risottos with grilled meats and fresh fish on offer too. It’s simple, but that’s why we love it.
Sthan-M1, Princess Street
Release your inner foodie at Whitworth Locke
Once you’re done wining and dining, Whitworth Locke is your place to unwind. Our Manchester aparthotel sits moments from the city centre in a former cotton factory. With 160 apartments to sleep, work and lounge about in.
Cook your food your way in your very own sleek kitchen with all the designer gear you need. Or head downstairs to our Peruvian-inspired restaurant and coffee house for small dishes, cocktails and caffeine. No matter how you eat, stay at Whitworth Locke.
Don’t miss our other UK guides including the best places to eat in Cambridge whilst staying at Turing Locke.
