On The Hush
Showcasing eye-catching, floral interiors, On The Hush provides a unique backdrop for your feasting. While surrounded by pretty blossoms and vibrant artwork, get stuck into bottomless brunches, Sunday roasts and juicy burgers.
Fancy grooving to jazz and disco while you dine? How about pairing up-market kebabs with a trip to the venue's hidden cocktail bar? Or, just maybe, a menu fusing Mexican and Japanese food is your jam? Whatever quirky happenings and unusual bites you're after, our lowdown on cool places to eat in Manchester has you covered.
Last edited by Lauren Cole
Last updated on 2nd December 2025
Showcasing eye-catching, floral interiors, On The Hush provides a unique backdrop for your feasting. While surrounded by pretty blossoms and vibrant artwork, get stuck into bottomless brunches, Sunday roasts and juicy burgers.
Bab BQ is not only one of the coolest and best restaurants in Manchester city centre, but it's also whipping up kebabs like you've never seen 'em before, including tikka masala salmon or chickpea shawarma. Round off your experience with a trip to the basement cocktail bar at this quirky joint.
Side Street is located in Spinningfields, making up part of the iconic ABC building. This stylish space features plush velvet sofas and pretty greenery, and you'll often find live music here as well - perfect for an intimate date night or catch up with friends.
There's an extensive cocktail menu to enjoy while you're here, as well as affordable picks for lunch or dinner. Think roasted stuffed squash, rotisserie chicken and even macaroni cheese, as well as sandwiches earlier in the day.
When you're on the hunt for cool places to eat street food in Manchester, GRUB should be your first port of call. There are bottomless brunches on Saturdays, as well as a load of other events accompanied by traders from around the world.
Thanks to everything from a shipping container dining space to sleek leather, rustic wood and foliage walls, Foundry Project is a pretty cool space to eat at. Alongside this, there's hangover-curing breakfast pizzas, killer happy hours and dripping burgers on the menu.
When in need of cool places to eat in Manchester city centre, Spinningfield's The Lawn Club is coming in hot with its alfresco offering. From bookable private pods to a pergola covered in foliage or a spacious, sunny lawn area, this spot has quirky covered. While munching your way through loaded fries, gourmet burgers or tantalising pizzas, you can sip on refreshing spritz cocktails from the outdoor bar as well.
After romantic restaurants in Manchester that still retain a quirky edge? Peter Street Kitchen isn't just a beautiful space to dine, as the menu is all kinds of different, bringing Mediterranean and Japanese small plates together as one. Wash it all down with sake-laced cocktails from the bar.
When in need of the best places to eat in Manchester that offer something a little different, Blues Kitchen is leading the pack. After dining on delights from the Deep South and quaffing bourbon-laced cocktails, stay late for the live music or DJs.
If you're searching for the best affordable restaurants in Manchester, then Mowgli has to be up there with their curries and traditional tiffin boxes. Chow down on these aromatic delights, all while surrounded by rustic and jungle gym-inspired decor.
Offering international small plates when the sun is up and turning into a late-night cocktail lounge once it goes down, BLVD is the ideal day-to-night destination. There's also live entertainment to keep you satisfied throughout.
It might not take you by surprise to see the Scottish purveyors of craft beer, BrewDog, make this list. As well as their stellar pints, you can expect a rooftop space, tacos and more at their cool hotel, Doghouse Manchester.
At Wynwood Lanes, you can take on all your friends at a few rounds on the lanes, before tucking into crowd-pleasing favourites. The menu features stacked pancakes covered in cream and berries, full English breakfasts, hearty burgers and a range of smoked dishes.
One of Manchester's coolest restaurants, Hello Oriental is found tucked away beneath Circle Square just off Oxford Road - complete with its very own supermarket, as well as a food court-style dining space. A range of Pan-East Asian food makes up the menu, from Korean ramen-carbonara fusion to bao, dim sum, Sichuan hot pot and soft shell crab burgers.
With venues in the Norther Quarter, Altrincham, Chorlton and Piccadilly areas, Nell's is a beloved pizza restaurant that serves New York-style slices and giant 14 or 22-inch pies. Expect casual interiors and a buzzing atmosphere, as well as regular DJ sets and other fun events.
Their exciting toppings range from chilli honey pepperoni to cashew cream with mushrooms, with nduja sauce or truffle mayo to dip your crusts in. There are scrumptious ice cream sandwiches for dessert, as well as cocktails for less than a tenner.
Nestled within the Corn Exchange, Cosy Club is a stylish restaurant bar that's inspired by 1970s glamour. The chic dining room boasts plush pink booths and cool, patterned wallpaper, with touches of gold and pretty plants dotted around the space. This is an all-day dining destination, offering everything from bottomless brunch to dinner.
There's all sorts to tuck into on their international menu, from masala chicken burgers to Thai green tofu curry or king prawn and cod linguine. They serve some pretty unique cocktails too - we recommend the Tiramisu martini for anyone with a sweet tooth.
While best known for fizzing, smoking and bubbling cocktails, The Alchemist is also a top choice for food. Some of the dishes come presented in a super theatrical style too, so you can be sure your pan-Asian fare and international plates are just as Instagrammable as the drinks.
Delving out pizza and other comforting plates, Flight Club has you covered for food. But what makes it so cool? This place is fairground-themed and dotted with high-tech oches, so you can play darts in a totally new way.
If only the coolest of plots will do? Crazy Pedro's is a pizza parlour with a difference, thanks to unique toppings like chicken 'n' waffles and a whole host of margs - frozen or otherwise. Our recommendation, though, is the bottomless brunch, where all food and drinks are unlimited.
Ancoats eatery Elnecot boasts a lovingly selected range of small plates, ones which are quirky to the core. Whether you go for Devon brown crab crumpets or king oyster mushrooms with charcoal, roasted yeast sauce, pickle and courgette, these dishes are sure to be like nothing you've ever had.
From disco tunes to the candyfloss-topped or bubble bath drinks, The Laundrette is one-of-a-kind. This Chorlton haunt revels in its offering of 'cocktails and carbs', which is surely a mantra we can all get behind.
Head to the Irani cafe-inspired space of Dishoom and you'll uncover one of the best restaurants around. These guys dish up Indian breakfasts (sausage, egg and bacon-stuffed naan rolls, anyone?) and classic curries paired with spiced cocktails.