You've finally managed to get your friends and family together for one night, but your biggest task is still ahead: you need to know where to eat on your birthday in Manchester. Do you all share your food in a tapas bar like one big happy family, or spoil yourself with some fine dining? Whatever experience you want for the special day, the Northern Powerhouse can deliver, so check out our recommendations of the best birthday restaurants in Manchester and just have a good time.
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Perfect for a slick and sophisticated birthday meal in Manchester, this gorgeous restaurant offers stunning small plates inspired by Japanese and Mexican cuisine, alongside an array of eye-wateringly pretty cocktails.
Nestled in a grade II listed building in the bustling Northern Quarter, Cottonopolis Food & Liquor delivers on delicious Asian-inspired food washed down with wonderful Asian drinks. The menu offers small, tapas-style plates ranging from crab claws, sushi to Dim Sum, creating a more social restaurant experience for your party. And on the weekends they're open until 2am, meaning you can keep drinking sake with your friends until the early hours.
Knowing it's The Refinery guarantees two things: floor-to-ceiling window, feature lighting and industrial flares make it an interesting place to eat on your birthday, while the menu consistently delivers great dishes. Whether you're after small plates and mezze boards to share, or larger dishes like Wagyu burgers, superfood salads or hot smoked salmon, the choice and quality secure it as a good restaurant in Manchester for your birthday.
Revolucion De Cuba will inject a whole heap of fun into your birthday meal with its Latin-themed bar and food. The menu is packed with classic Latin dishes, like enchiladas, burritos, and chilli, alongside more general grilled steaks and fish. But to wash it all down, they offer a series of delicious cocktails, like frozen Granitas and classics like Mojitos. To give it an extra special birthday twist, their Cuban Tea Party offers a selection of quirky cocktail teapots to share. And, of course, once the sun goes down, they're ready to party!
Good time partying and delicious food collide in Revolution Deansgate Locks, making it an ideal restaurant for your birthday if you want to have fun night. While the venue is known for its wide range of vodka cocktails, they also offer a delicious menu to keep your bellies full. Then, as night descends, it turns into one of the biggest party destinations in Manchester.
Cain and Grain is exactly the place to go if you want a no-nonsense meal complimented with wonderful drinks. The ground floor 'Rib Joint' serves small sharing dishes or, you guessed it, ribs and other grilled dishes, while the bar will keep the flow of American beer going. Once you've washed down the Texan-inspired food, you can either make your way to the swanky The First Floor cocktail bar upstairs, or head down to The Liars Lounge for some tiki-inspired drinks, sorting out your entire birthday night out in one go.
By day, it's a great Manchester restaurant; by night, Gorilla opens up its doors as a 600 capacity live music and club venue! For your birthday meal in Manchester, you and your guests can feast on their menu that's packed with grilled favourites like chargrilled chicken and burgers, all while taking advantage of the discount drinks on their happy hour. Then as night descends, dance the night away in their club space – making an all-round great birthday celebration.
Sometimes all you need for your birthday meal is top quality food, and that's exactly what you get at Yu. Their dishes take inspiration from traditional Chinese cuisine, but update them with contemporary Cantonese twists. This traditional and modern fusion extends to the beautiful interiors, which evokes an Oriental design brought to the 21st Century with rich wood fittings and navy neon lights.
Treat yourself to a special birthday meal with 63 Degrees, who reinvent traditional French flavours with modern cuisine to create a delicious fine dining experience. The interiors are minimalist, with whitewashed walls and dark wooden furnishings, which will create the perfect environment for a sophisticated birthday dinner for you and your guests.
The James Martin is the signature restaurant at Manchester235 Casino and it certainly lives up to this title. Mixing in exposed red brickwork and industrial steel girders, it combines fine dining with a Manchester edge. The a la carte menu changes seasonally, but the produce is consistently supplied by renowned, local butchers, fishmongers, game dealers and farmers, making it a guaranteed great place to eat on your birthday in Manchester. When you've finished with your meal, the casino is waiting…
For a more sophisticated dinner birthday dinner in Manchester experience, try Rosso, a restaurant and bar situated in a gorgeous 116-year-old listed building. The menu is packed with favourites, ranging from pizza to steak to whole lobsters, while the drinks are a selection of specially chosen wines, spirits and cocktails. If you want to impress your friends on your birthday with great food and an even more fabulous interior, bring them to Rosso.
