10 Great Restaurants in Manchester

Sam’s Chop House has been a cornerstone of Manchester’s food scene for over 150 years. Serving up home-cooked classics made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients, Sam’s is where you go for a good, honest meal.

The decor is classic, with wooden beams and a monochrome tiled floor living up to the promise of the pub’s historic exterior, and a life-sized bronze statue of long-time patron L.S. Lowry (the famed artist of urban scenes and matchstick figures) introducing an element of novelty. If it’s comfort food you’re seeking, then Sam’s is happy to oblige, serving up such local favourites as Lancashire hot pot, corned beef hash, and - a must, given its name - hearty lamb chops.

Sreet Urchin is a fashionable restaurant in Manchester that features upcycled furniture, abundant greenery and inventive fish dishes. If this floats your boat, then you should make your way to the Northern Quarter. Opened in 2019, this Ancoats eatery became a restaurant-du-jour through word of mouth alone, which surely tells you all you need to know.

Old-school blackboards list an ever-changing range of dishes made with ultra-fresh, seasonal produce. You can go tapas style, sharing small plates like native Colchester oysters and crab and preserved lemon gnocchi. Or, if sharing’s not for you, snaffle a large plate for yourself. With tempting dishes like rich seafood bisque and megrim sole with almond butter, nobody could blame you.

Elnecot serves up stylish small plates in a modern, minimalist space in the bustling Ancoats neighbourhood of Manchester. With so many trendy places feeling pretentious, it’s refreshing to see that Elnecot never takes itself too seriously, managing to create an informal and homely vibe. This is made all the better by the outstanding staff, who are friendly and knowledgeable.

The main menus are based around small plates, including tempting Devon brown crab crumpets, king oyster mushrooms with roasted yeast sauce, or intriguingly named ‘sexy-greens’. Try the bottomless brunch on a Saturday, or visit on a Sunday for high-end roasts, including confit chicken leg, pork belly, and Wagyu beef.

Trendy Peter Street Kitchen has created a contemporary Japanese-Mexican eating experience that’s going down a storm with Manchester diners. Housed in the city’s historic Free Trade Hall, from the bright white lighting to the curved wood cladding and endlessly high ceilings, the decor is something else.

When it comes to the food, Peter Street Kitchen certainly impresses. With simple but precise presentation, the dishes – which include gyoza tacos, and crispy duck with papaya chilli dressing – are modern, unique and creative. Similarly, the drinks menu offers standout options, including Japanese whisky, sake, and an impressive selection of tequilas and mezcals.

Wood Manchester is a fine-dining restaurant in the city’s First Street area. Serving only tasting menus, Chef Simon Wood offers 7 or 9 courses of contemporary cooking, designed to showcase technique, flavour and texture to create an all-senses experience.

Dishes are amusingly named, such as The Best Bit of the Chicken with Cured Lamb and Mushrooms and Yorkshire’s Forced Rhubarb, Ewes Milk, and the Tree from Last Christmas. It’s refreshing to see this playful side, which is enhanced by the down-to-earth staff who work hard to make your meal at Wood memorable.

The story behind The Edinburgh Castle is a Mancunian tale of rags to riches. A forgotten watering hole is reborn as a gastropub, serving up giant plates of mouthwatering roasts, a varied selection of ales, beers, and a regularly updated wine list.

Upstairs in the dining section, the vibe’s dark and sultry, with black walls, red banquettes and bronze tables and chairs. Downstairs, a classic pub feel has been retained, providing a bright and airy space that’s perfect for post-work pints. Weeknight menus are seasonal, prepared using all-British ingredients. But Sunday roasts are the star of the show. Huge plates overflow with roasted meats, fluffy Yorkshire puddings, and plenty of gravy. Make sure you arrive hungry.

TNQ takes up a corner of High Street in Manchester’s always-popular Northern Quarter district. Overlooking the iconic Smithfield Fish Markets through its vast picture windows, this seems an appropriate location for a restaurant so typically Mancunian.

A simple but classy interior complements the refined menu, which changes to reflect the seasons. TNQ offers unassuming starters like heritage tomato salad and citrus cured salmon, followed by classic British-inspired roast lamb rump or flavourful sea bream with chorizo and gremolata. The mid-range price point at this award-winning restaurant is guaranteed to keep you coming back to see what tasty dishes they have coming up next.

The Ivy Spinningfields Manchester is a restaurant in Manchester that serves traditional English dishes. You may not expect the corporate district of Spinningfields to house a restaurant as extravagant as The Ivy, but it works surprisingly well. A highly decorated exterior leads you into the plant-and-pattern-filled interior, where the concept of an English country garden has been turned up to eleven.

On the menu, you can expect to find classics like The Ivy shepherd’s pie, or everyone’s favourite fish and chips, alongside more inventive dishes such as monkfish and prawn curry, or blackened cod fillet. Everything is presented beautifully, making The Ivy perfect for a special occasion meal. Afternoon teas are also popular and are ideally suited to the glamorous surroundings.

MyLahore on Rusholme’s famous curry mile is a colourful restaurant where you’ll instantly be transported to a melting pot of British and Asian influences.

The expansive menu includes traditional curry classics like butter chicken and jalfrezi but also nods to international tastes with stir fries and pasta making an appearance. There’s even a dessert section dedicated to old-school puddings like jam roly-poly. While it could be accused of being unfocused, MyLahore cooks all its dishes with such skill that its variety becomes an advantage rather than a hindrance.

Mana was awarded a Michelin star at a time when there was a distinct lack of recognition for Manchester’s quality food scene. And with the kitchen team’s reputation for precision, deep understanding of seasonality, and respect for British ingredients, it’s no wonder this restaurant rose to the top in the way it did.  

The setting of Mana is crisp and modern, decorated in a mostly white colour palette, accompanied by a high ceiling and an entire wall of windows. Once you’ve settled in, mana takes you on a journey across a multi-course tasting menu designed to showcase Britain’s quality produce, flavours and heritage. Prices are high, but for a special occasion, this restaurant is second to none in Manchester.