Best Restaurants In Manchester

Manchester's dining footprint has grown exponentially in recent years, with cuisine types and Michelin stars popping up weekly. But where to pin for a great meal in the city? Whether you're a diner that needs to be catered to with a luxury tasting menu or want affordable meals with flavour, from Deansgate to the NQ, there's something out there for everyone (but we can help a little too). We've created a guide to the top restaurants in Manchester, so get your knife and fork ready; you're in for a feast.

Last edited by Izzah Kazi

Last updated on 14th March 2024




Australasia

Among the best romantic restaurants in Manchester is Australasia, who are fronting sushi, pan-Asian dishes and some pretty swoon-worthy interiors. This gorgeous subterranean venue in Deansgate utilises European techniques underpinned by Pacific Rim flavors, showcased through an array of sushi, small plates, and main dishes; we're talking seared teriyaki beef rump topped with sweet soy and spring onion, Toban djan chicken breast with roast sesame sauce, and breaded panko chicken leg as well as Japanese curried korokke. From snapping pics across the gorgeous space to tucking into decadent desserts, it's a a dining experience truly worthy of this list.

Foundry Project Manchester

Looking for the best restaurants in Manchester's Northern Quarter? Thanks to their bottomless brunches, juicy burgers and pizzas fronting a variety of toppings, from carbonara to nduja, Foundry Project should be on the top of your list. Head over for a spot of 'beer food' a.k.a delish small plates like pulled chilli beef tacos, sesame chicken wings, katsu halloumi fries, and hash brown nachos. Better yet, their affordable cocktails are perfect for washing down all that grub. We'd recommend guzzling down flavoursome cocktails like the Juniper Bloom mixed with Bombay sapphire gin, peach liqueur, cranberry, apple and lime.

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James Martin Restaurant

Looking for fancy restaurants in Manchester? Named in The Sunday Times' Top 100 Restaurants, Award-winning James Martin Restaurant in Deansgate combines expertly crafted British fare with plush interiors. Expect a beautifully designed historic dining roam boasting industrial touches, a vintage feel and a varied menu crafted using fresh produce or local ingredients. Make your way to this stunning venue and indulge in goodies like slow-roast rump of beef served with red wine gravy and Thai spice Cornish crab risotto.

Peter Street Kitchen

Set Menu 3 Plates £28 and 9 other offers

Peter Street Kitchen is the only one out of the best romantic restaurants in Manchester that's fusing elegant Japanese dishes with bold Mexican flavours. Set in the grand Grade-II listed 19th-century Free Trade Hall, its interiors are as beaut as the food, sporting a mix of white furnishings, lanterns and big stone pillars. This award-winning eatery boasts a beautifully presented and balanced menu filled with goodies like grilled lobster gyoza tacos, yellowfin tuna sashimi ribbons and sliced ribeye served with truffle and wasabi butter. Feelin' fancy? Try out the curated Omakase, a six-course tasting menu crafted on the day by their talented chefs.

Don Giovanni

Pre-Theatre Menu | 2 course £23.95 | 3 course £27.95 and 2 other offers

With 35 years under its belt, Don Giovanni is surely one of the best Italian restaurants in Manchester. This sleek Oxford Street stalwart offers a fine dining experience, dishing up exquisite plates of pasta, beautiful steaks and artisan booze. Boasting floor to ceiling windows that overlook St Peter's Square and a stunning open kitchen, here you can watch the chefs whip up fresh, quality ingredients into mouthwatering dishes like ravioli aragosta in lobster sauce and filleti di branzino. Having earned multiple accolades, it's no wonder why their commitment to authentic Italian flavors is so impressive. 

20 Stories

Rooftop restaurant 20 Stories is an absolute beauty and well deserving of a place in our guide. Whether you fancy boozy afternoon teas, dinner with live music or just to stare out across the city while you eat, this Hardman Square venue has you covered with the best. A sky-high destination perched atop the 19th floor of No.1 Spinningfields, this glamorous joint offers sweeping views of the city. The menu features delicacies like seared halibut loin served with squash, barley and tarragon butter, as well as chocolate torta caprese and raspberry sorbet.

Mowgli Corn Exchange

Coming top of the list out of the best affordable restaurants in Manchester is Indian eatery, Mowgli. The Corn Exchange hideaway is a mecca of curries and cocktails that guarantees a filling, flavourful meal, with plenty of bang for your buck. A snug space filled with cool canteen-style bench booths and plenty of fairy lights, this restaurant is located just a stone's throw from Selfridges and serves tapas-style goodies like Agra ginger chicken, tea steeped chickpeas as well as Goan fish curry in trendy tiffins.

Hawksmoor Manchester

Housed in a former Victorian courthouse, Hawksmoor is a truly stunning place to eat. The swanky Deansgate destination has received national praise for its massive Sunday roast sharing boards, though dinner is just as delicious, with plenty of meaty cuts to choose from. If you're feeling particularly hungry and (fancy), opt for the 1kg chateaubriand with a side of beef dripping fries and Tunworth mash. But if you're looking for something a bit more modest, go for a delish rib-eye steak or a juicy Hawksmoor hamburger served with with Ogleshield or Stichelton cheese. Split into different sections, the restaurant also has a separate bar where you can sip luxe cocktails, like the Clear Carré with gin, pisco and Cocchi Americano or the gin sour layered Golden Hour mixed with jasmine, late harvest wine and sparkling moscato.

Piccolino - Didsbury

Piccolino in Didsbury and the city centre have all your favourite Italian meals waiting for you to devour. Venture over to this contemporary space for upscale meals, including classics ranging from grilled seafood to pizza, pasta and steak prepared in an open kitchen. The perfect place for a weekend lunch with friends, the menu at this airy Lapwing Lane joint features delicacies like taglioni al tartufo, bistecca all fiortentina and beef ragù lasagne.

Grand Pacific Manchester

It's not just the gorgeous vaulted ceiling and opulent chandeliers that make Grand Pacific part of the best restaurants in Manchester city centre, they're also serving up a variety of sushi, main meals and more, including a unique twist on afternoon tea. Combining the magnificence of colonial Raffles with the best of Victorian architecture, Grand Pacific is located in the former Grade II-listed Manchester Reform Club building. Perfect for a romantic date out with your beau, the menu is a blend of beautifully presented Pan-Asian plates, with goodies like tempura Szechuan sea bass, lamb massaman roti and tuna tataki with mango sambal on offer.

Thaikhun Street Buffet

KIDS EAT FREE

Delicious food? Check. Great atmosphere? Check. Wallet-friendly? Double Check. Split between a cosy bar and a bustling dining area, Thaikhun Street Buffet located in The Orient in The Trafford Centre is a 'tycoon' of taste, boasting street-food-inspired soups and grilled delights straight out of Bangkok's playbook such as chicken tamarind, massaman curry and crispy pork belly. Munch on an unlimited supply of dishes, whether you're in the mood for a full feast or just a nibble of everything. Win, win!

Gaucho Manchester

Bringing South American flavours to the heart of Manny, Gaucho is an internationally acclaimed steakhouse serving the finest cuts of prime, grass-fed beef in a lavish setting decked out with cowhide decor and designer furnishings across a renovated church. This split-level Deansgate hotspot offers meaty well-aged cuts like ancho, lomo, cuadril and churrasco served with an array of marinades, sauces and sides to satisfy all your carnivorous desires. Revel in the swanky Art-Deco inspired space sporting glittering chandeliers as you watch the chefs showcase their expertise in the open-kitchen and take in all the beefy fragrances heading your way.

MUSU Manchester

New to the scene at the end of 2022, MUSU has brought top-notch Japanese fine dining to our city. Helmed as a multi-sensory dining experience, at this swish joint, you can expect tasting menus aplenty; all paired with premium sake, cocktails, whiskies and other fine wines. From miso black cod to sushi and A5 truffle wagyu beef, Chef patron Michael Shaw has got luxury covered with his brilliantly presented dishes made with the most immaculate ingredients.

Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay

One of the best restaurants in Manchester for 2024, Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay is the much-anticipated pan-Asian venue from the Scottish Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur himself. Located in a gorgeous Art Deco building at the top of King Street, the restaurant spans three floors and is designed by Russell Sage Studio. Not only is there a sultry look inspired by 1930s Tokyo's drinking dens, but also bao, sushi, robata-grilled dishes and more to match. Get ready for a gastronomic adventure like no other featuring lip-smacking delights like Korean spiced black cod, sirloin weeping tiger and the famous Lucky Cat bonito fried duck leg bao cooked up by culinary wizards Gordon Ramsay and executive head chef Andre Camilo.

Elnecot

Polished concrete floors, an open kitchen and floor-to-ceiling windows give Ancoats' Elnecot a lively, communal and industrial feel - something which extends to its menu. Watch the chefs sizzle away in the kitchen, knocking up a delicious range of sharing plates and main dishes like Lancashire beignets made with miso and jalapeno crème fraiche, crispy Yorkshire pork belly served with coral lentil dahl, double ferment soy and furikake as well as cinderwood squash mochi. Plus, this airy hotspot also does a banging Sunday roast with goodies like slow-cooked shoulder of Yorkshire lamb along with lemon, thyme, and butter roasted chicken on offer.

The Ivy Spinningfields

A swanky rooftop bar, pan-Asian restaurant and British brasserie all-in-one, The Ivy Spinningfields is a hot three-in-one dining destination located within the The Pavilion. From its opulent interiors with botanical detailing to the tasty traditional English fare on offer, this swish spot is delivering the goods for the 'Gram and your belly. The menu features goodies like chicken Milanese, lobster linguine, Mexican-style flat-iron chicken and seasonal monthly specials such as tempura nobashi prawn poke bowls and roasted guinea fowl ballotine.

WOOD Manchester

When you're after the best restaurants in Manchester city centre, WOOD should be high up on your list. Named after MasterChef's Simon Wood, this chic joint is known for British fine dining accompanied by paired wine flights. Sporting a glass frontage, comfy blue banquet booths and an open kitchen with a great view of the chefs working their magic, the menu features playful British delicacies like Orkney scallops with sea vegetables and foam, as well as Exton rose strawberries with buckler sorrel and cereal milk. 

Bundobust Brewery

Bundobust might be more on the casual side, but it's the flavourful dishes and the price that draws us to this place. Expect aromatic, veggie street food from across India, served up alongside craft beer for sipping in a 150-seat taproom and eatery on Oxford Street. We're talking delish small plates of bhaji butty, paneer tikka and raghda petties served alongside rotational beers like peela pale ale, dhania pilsner and pachaas 50.

TNQ Restaurant and Bar

TNQ is the British-style brasserie restaurant where a laid-back feel and wooden interiors combine. Situated in the Northern Quarter, this intimate spot features exposed timber floors and large windows that showcase the nearby Smithfield Fish Markets. As for the food? Chef Anthony Fielden's skillful modern British menu highlights the finest local seasonal ingredients. We'd recommend the crispy harissa lamb breast with whipped feta and pomegranate dressing, the slow-cooked Middle White pork belly with crunchy Bury black pudding fritters or the confit duck breast sitting on ragu.

Adam Reid at The French

On the lookout for the best restaurants in Manchester city centre? Trust us, you'll find what you're seeking at The French. Winner of the Great British Menu 2019 and with experience in various Michelin-starred kitchens, Adam Reid dishes out a tasting menu that pays homage to his Northern roots at this stunning space. A gorgeous gastronomic experience that's far from stuffy, this fancy-schmancy restaurant dishes out goodies like seared scallop with trout roe and salt-aged duck with beetroot and elderberries in opulent surroundings.

63 Degrees

This Manchester guide to the best dining destinations in town wouldn't be complete without Northern Quarter hotspot 63 Degrees. This high-end dining destination is known for its stunning Parisian-style brasserie presentation and top notch service; perfect for date nights and special occasions aplenty. Bringing a taste of Paris to the heart of Manny, the menu features innovative modern French dishes made using only locally sourced and fresh ingredients. Signature plates are cooked at 63°, making the meat incredibly tender and bursting with flavour. We'd recommend trying out chicken 63 degrees with truffle sauce and ending on a sweet note with a taste of crème brûlée with bourbon vanilla.

Tattu

Arguably one of the best Chinese restaurants in Manchester, Tattu is famous across the UK for its lush interiors like the signature purple blossom cherry tree, dim-lighting and a seductive colour scheme of charcoal greys and dark wood. Settle down among the blossoms and Art Deco-style interiors, where you'll enjoy an indulgent meal washed down by their unique list of handcrafted cocktails. The highlights of the Pan-Asian inspired menu includes sharing plates such as sesame roasted scallops with Chinese sausage and crushed edamame as well as main dishes like Japanese black wagyu ribeye with green beans and truffle sesame soy.

Erst

Erst has made a name for itself on the city's dining scene for exquisite grilled small plates served with only the finest natural wines featuring vintage bottles sourced from small producers and made using organic processes. This contemporary, industrial style joint in Murrays' Mill sports concrete floors, abstract art and dangling lights. Whether you go for the ox heart, seabream crudo or more of a charcuterie offering, you're bound to leave with a happy belly.

Rudy's Peter Street

For the perfect, floppy Neapolitan pizza that's slathered in toppings and boasts a pillowy crust? Rudy's is your mainstay. With rotating specials, Italian cocktails to match and local beers on tap, this hub isn't short of delish options. We'd recommend ordering the Porchetta white pizza topped with fior de latte, sage roasted potatoes, smoked mozzarella and caramelised onions along with a side of caprese piccola and chilli honey dip.

Tast Catala

Run by Michelin-starred chef Paco Perez and part-owned by Pep Guardiola, Tast Catala is a chic three-story restaurant renowned for serving high-end Spanish eats. There's a stunning Catalonian menu packed with sumptuous tapas on offer featuring delicacies like boquerones' white anchovies, butifarra Sausage with beans and caramelised Catalan-style rice of the day cooked in a charcoal oven.

Bar San Juan

You've heard about it on podcasts, from celebrities and now our list of the best restaurants in Manchester, so it's high time you pay Bar San Juan a very overdue visit. Bringing a piece of Spain to the heart of Manny, this cosy Chorlton tapas joint is one of the best in the bizz, thanks to authentic tapas-style dishes washed down with plenty of Spanish vino. A real head-turner with a bright yellow and red timber front, their menu features modern twists on old-school dishes like the Almejas Salsa Verde (clams in garlic and parsley sauce) and Marcella de Burgos (Wagyu black pudding with Burgos rice, apple compote and roasted peppers). Plus, they also have a wide variety of Spanish beers on tap, along with a carefully-curated wine list boasting some of the best bottles Iberia has to offer.

The Refuge

Located in the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, The Refuge is a really popular and elegant place to eat and is inspired by the global DJing trips of Justin Crawford and Luke Cowdrey. Housed in a stunning late-Victorian building, this 139-seat restaurant features an open kitchen, a gorgeous granite bar, and an atrium ceiling. Their globe-trotting menu features a number of tapas-style plates such as spiced lamb flatbreads served with pomegranate and mint, cured salmon with rose fennel and lemon, as well as chimichurri pork chops with grilled pineapple, tikka octopus and daal, all ready to be wolfed down across their opulent space. Plus, their original West Didsbury destination, Volta, is worth a visit too.

Hispi

Scouse chef Gary Usher gained notoriety thanks to reviews and crowdfunding campaigns, so it's worth checking out just what his culinary offering brings. Hipsi in Didsbury is a top choice when it comes to Manchester city centre restaurants, serving delightful bistro food in a homely setting. Housed in an understated, exposed-brick setting, the restaurant is airy and comfortable serving modern European fare such as cured cod loin with smoked cod's roe, radish, and vermouth dressing as well as Paris-Brest with baked cheese mousse, chocolate ice cream and chestnuts.

Mughli

Long been a student favourite and even had Ed Sheeran visit, Rusholme's Mughli is the go-to for chargrilled cuisine and perhaps the best Indian restaurant in Manchester. Established in 1991, this spicy joint has stood firm while many others have come and gone. Based on the country's tiffin box culture, it serves affordable meals inspired by the royal Mughlai tradition, with dishes including the likes of overnight dhal makhni, slow-cooked lamb staff handi and Goan fish kari. They also have a delicious live tandoor section serving lip-smacking charcoal chicken thighs, sizzling lamb chops, and spicy scorpion prawns—the whole nine yards. And the best part? It's BYOB. If you're a student, you can bring your own bottle from Sunday to Thursday without any extra fee (just make sure to flash your student card).

Edinburgh Castle

Once an abandoned Victorian boozer that first came onto the scene in 1811, Edinburgh Castle is a 19th-century pub in Manchester's Ancoats packed with tons of history. Not only that, but the first floor dining room offers a restaurant feel with classic gastro grub to match made using only the finest locally-sourced ingredients supervised by executive chef Shaun Moffat. Decked out in tan leather seating, parquet floors, and massive windows, the dining room's ever-changing menu includes mains like Harewood house estate venison sausage, Wenigbar farm pig's head and gold rush apple as well as bay leaf custard.

OSMA

Your can find OSMA Manchester sitting pretty in Prestwich, decked out in moody Scandi-inspired decor featuring plush bench sofas and low hanging warm lighting alongside a British, European and Japanese-influenced menu to match. The delectable small plates and set lunches here have earned a spot in the Michelin Guide with dishes like lemon sole with green peppercorn, chard and tarragon and beef rump with roasted onions and Diane sauce on offer. Craving something sweet? They've got you covered. Give the damson and cherry Eton mess with almonds a try; trust us, you won't regret it.

Mana

As our top pick of the best Michelin star restaurants in Manchester (well, it is the only one), it's safe to say that Mana should be on everyone's foodie bucket list. Chef Simon Martin has used his experience at world-famous Noma to create a seasonal avant-garde British tasting menu, which promises diners some of the finest cooking the city can offer. Located on Ancoats' Blossom Street, this chic joint creates exceptional plates of delicacies like  roasted hogget with white miso sabayon that are filled with complex flavours. They also take pride in their fermentation practices, making miso, garum, lacto-ferments, kombucha, and vinegar in-house. To experience the restaurant's magic, be ready to shell out either £175 for dinner or £95 for a condensed menu. Don't worry, though – it's worth every penny.

El Gato Negro

From that roof terrace through to its Catalan influences and a Michelin Guide mention, El Gato Negro is one of the coolest places to eat in Manchester for all sorts of reasons. While the brand has now rolled out across the North, its first home is still a favourite of top restaurants in Manchester for dinner or lunch, with tapas and fresh seafood galore. Dive into chef Simon Shaw's flavorful creations ranging from harissa spiced chicken with sobrasada sauce to jamón Ibérico croquetas and vegetable paella arancini as you sip on a range of cocktails and eclectic wines from Spain.

Asha's

Another name in Manchester that's won awards? Asha's. This Indian fine dining destination (owned by legendary Bollywood singer, Asha Bhosle) takes your usual curry up a notch with the most tender chicken, succulent pulled lamb and spiced cocktails to match in an exotic and vibrant venue. Dishes here really pack a flavourful punch covering most parts of the Subcontinent with goodies like Jaipuri chicken tikka, prawn shan e nisha and chandni chowk ka keema on offer.

Dishoom Manchester

If you're after good food in Manchester city centre, then the Irani-cafe inspired interiors and Indian cuisine of Dishoom should fit the bill. Housed in a stunning 1920's Grade II listed building originally used as a Freemasons' Hall, the interiors of this joint feature stained glass windows, grand portraits and colourful leather banquettes. As for the menu, they'll be able to provide you with an extensive list of options for breakfast, curries and more serving up goodies like nalli nihari biryani, mutton pepper fry, prawn koliwada and chicken ruby.