Quirky Restaurants In Manchester

Grand Pacific is on our list of the best restaurants in Manchester city centre, thanks to its opulent dishes and handcrafted cocktails. Taking inspiration from the age of exploration, their bold menu showcases global flavours, while interiors feature wooden panelling, dimmed lighting and luxurious touches. 

If you're on the hunt for the best restaurants in Manchester offering up something a little different, Flight Club has your back. Date night with a twist? Food and fun with the crew? Boasting pizzas by the paddle, alcoholic slushies and one of the best darts experiences in the country, this tech-savvy gaming bar is sure to be a hit.

One of most fun restaurants with entertainment in Manchester, Albert's Schloss doesn't slow down for anyone or anything. Not only can you hunker down for huge meat dishes and even bigger Bavarian beer, but also table dancing, entertainment, in-house bands, cabaret and jaw-dropping antics almost every night.

Inspired by uber-luxe bars in New York, LA and Miami, this late-night party palace also serves up an international à la carte menu and bottomless meals. As for afters? You can nab yourself some hand-crafted cocktails or watch the live entertainment. 

A quirky NQ eatery with glowing neon signage, modern decor and a menu of innovative Mexican fare, El Capo is one of the best affordable restaurants in Manchester. Fill up on mouthwatering burritos, tacos and mezcal-laced sips to a soundtrack of live DJs at this cool spot. 

While we know that many would suggest you don't play with your food, this place does. One of the top quirky family restaurants in Manchester, Dog Bowl not only comes at you with burgers and American-inspired bites aplenty, but you can also close dinner with a go on their bowling lanes.

Spread across three floors, this is a bar, restaurant and immersive theatre experience in one venue. When you're not being dazzled by Impossible's performers or molecular cocktails, you can feast on delicious grill food in their dining area, before unearthing the hidden gin palace.

A list of Manchester's quirky restaurants isn't complete without the coolest kids in town, Cane and Grain. A wonderland for American-style drinking and dining, this place is a must for tucking into droolworthy burgers and ribs, before heading to the tiki bar or speakeasy on other floors.

One of the most unusual places to eat in Manchester city centre has to be The Lawn Club. This quirky restaurant bar will keep you fed and watered with handcrafted cocktails or scrumptious light bites, with bookable areas including comfy chairs, cosy greenhouses and private pods.

A restaurant, bar and gin distillery all in one? Three Little Words is not to be missed. Founded by the team behind Manchester Gin, this sleek hideaway is tucked away under the arches, offering cocktails, delicious food and the chance to distil your very own bottle of spirit.

Whipping up an eclectic mix of Japanese and Mexican small plates, Peter Street Kitchen is an unusual but quality restaurant. Topping it off? Their bar is mixing a range of signature cocktails to accompany their list of Champagne and sake.

With stained glass windows and bright yellow booths, Dishoom Manchester is a snazzy spot that combines the city's history with the culture of Bombay's Irani cafes. Set in a Grade-II listed hall, the restaurant has got a loyal following thanks to its innovative twists on Indian food.

Located on the corner of Cutting Room Square, Elnecot is serving up some incredible small plates. From a Manchester egg with piccalilli to sexy greens that might just change your life, the food should be enough to get you down. But, while you're there, why not dive into the cocktail selection too?

One of the most cool places to eat in Manchester's Northern Quarter, Trof is a staple for its easy-going vibes, delicious grub, unique interiors and purse-friendly prices. Swing by to mix with a buzzing crowd while grazing on daily specials served fresh from the kitchen. 

Starting life as a street food stall, Platzki is a slick Polish eatery that has gone from strength to strength. Expect queues at this Spinningfields spot, which serves up a weekly menu of goodies, including the likes of dumplings, slow-braised ribs and beetroot gnocchi.

There's a motorbike over the entrance, the food takes an American leaning and the bar serves up bourbon and whiskey; Bunny Jackson's is a unique restaurant through and through. When you're not munching through the menu, check out the live bands and karaoke nights.

From the upside down canoe suspended from the ceiling through to the experimental Mexican menu, Wolf at the Door is one quirky restaurant in the NQ. A haven for Mancunian foodies, this place serves drool-worthy tacos, bao buns and loaded fries starting at £1.

With a name like this, you just know Crazy Pedro's Pizza Parlour is doing its best to keep things cool and quirky. The Deansgate joint makes mouthwatering freshly-baked pizzas, which can be paired with incredible slushy cocktails and rounds of beer pong. 

Colourful, bright and bringing you the best that the Middle East has to offer, Comptoir Libanais shines in the casual restaurant department. Head on down for luscious Lebanese dining with a twist, as you can also purchase plenty of products from within the venue itself.

Menagerie is a former office block that's now fronting flower walls, suspended art and neon signs, making it one of the most romantic restaurants in Manchester. Stopping by for a meal? Make sure your phone is charged as this place is seriously Instagrammable. 

As the first English opening from Scottish chef Nico Simeone, Six by Nico is the unusual concept restaurant bringing affordable tasting menus to Manchester. From American diner through to fairy tale food, the space's theme changes often, meaning that multiple visits are a must.

Bringing a slice of sunny LA to Manchester, FoodWell is a unique concept restaurant based in Salford that fronts an all-day menu of healthy bites. The large warehouse space isn't just about food though, as it offers experiences like reggae yoga supper clubs and sensory high teas.

Recognisable by its golden interiors, Cottonopolis is one of the coolest places to eat in the city and certainly unusual. From their expertly mixed selection of cocktails down to the artistic sushi plates and swoon-worthy interiors, this former warehouse has had a real glow-up.