Best restaurants in Manchester

This chic restaurant focuses on seasonal food, natural wines and craft beers. The pared-down menu relies on bold flavour combinations to deliver superb dishes such as salt cod with blood orange, olives, capers and oregano.

The restaurant in The Alan hotel is a little cracker, serving a flexible menu of snacks and small plates which are easily shared amongst a group. Case in point, a dish of barbecue mushrooms, yeast and black garlic that provides a serious umami punch.

Higher Ground is a buzzy restaurant and bar that originated as a pop up and is now firmly amongst the best restaurants in the city. Serving seasonal small plates alongside excellent wines, this is not one to be missed. 

This street food marketplace is so jam-packed with food merchants you’ll struggle to choose just one. It’s housed within Smithfield’s grand Grade II-listed Victorian market - grab a seat, pick a stall and get stuck in.

Indian street-food specialists Bundobust have ventured across The Pennines to open this spacious Piccadilly branch. Inside, seating is canteen-style with the enticing menu of snacks and sharing plates being equally informal, and entirely vegetarian too.

The Didsbury bistro of barnstorming chef Gary Usher has a relaxed, homely feel. It’s a convivial place for sampling the confident and concise menu of European fare. Superb-value lunch and early-evening offers also attract locals.

With its striking black and white tiled flooring, and equally bold plates, The Black Friar is certainly one to remember. More than just an old school boozer, you can expect proper pub grub, as well as carefully curated beer snacks and even something a little more refined in the main dining room.

Despite a little price hike (from six to eight quid), This & That remains astonishingly good value for a proper curry. This legendary spot has been going since 1984 now, and though it doesn’t grab the headlines, it remains an important part of Manchester’s culinary fabric. 

Adam Reid has kept The French at the top of Manchester’s restaurant tree for many years, and while the grand dining room is opulent, the vibe feels less formal and the food continues to impress.

Instagram-friendly interiors are bolstered by a delectable menu of dim sum and Asian-inspired small plates at this ever popular restaurant and cocktail bar. Don’t forget to snap a pic underneath the pink cherry blossom tree.

Rip-roaring fire cooking, cocktails and a classy wine list, Stow blew us away when we visited. It's a buzzy, boisterous space, and the experience is made all the more fun by brilliant, friendly staff and interactive chefs. This is a must-visit for anyone in and around Manchester.

From date nights to joyful lunches, Winsome has Northern hospitality down pat. Helmed by ex-Edinburgh Castle chef Shaun Moffat, this is hearty British cooking that goes big on flavours, with none of the pomp. It might present as a humble bistro, but don't be fooled, this is one of the strongest restaurants in Manchester. Take our money.

Another Hand is an intimate 24 cover restaurant that focuses on a veg-led menu, with natural wines and hand crafted cocktails. This hidden gem is worth keeping an eye out for when heading into the city centre.

The lofty title of Manchester’s only Michelin star restaurant is reason enough to visit Mana, but the accolade is backed up by a stunning menu which showcases only the best of produce from the British Isles.

This unfussy yet elegant restaurant located in a Grade II listed building in Central Manchester serves up elevated classics alongside a standout drinks menu. Be sure to head down on a Sunday for the raved-about roast.

You know the Hawksmoor drill: great steaks, banging cocktails, friendly staff and the epic dessert that must not be called a giant Ferrero Rocher. This Manchester outpost also boasts a separate bar for pre-prandial sips.

This one's a top spot for an affordable, casual bite and a few beers and frozen Margs. Famed across the city for its massive New York style 22-inch pizzas, Nell's Kampus comes complete with canalside seating, a great post-work and weekend vibe, and witty, colourful decor. 

Ex-L’Enclume chef Sam Buckley’s curiously named gaff is a loft-style space with views across the rooftops. Diners eat small plates inspired by what has been foraged, fermented and butchered by the team - thrilling combinations abound.

At this stylish tapas bar, you are treated to top-flight charcuterie, cheeses and a cavalcade of flawless plates. Make sure to visit the Black Cat upstairs too, a beautiful cocktail bar with a retractable roof.

This beloved modern continental spot has a burgeoning reputation for fantastic dumplings and pasta. This is not the pasta you’re used to, though - The Sparrows serves spätzle, and traditional Central and Eastern European dishes like pierogi, Russian pelmeni, and, yes, the occasional ravioli too.

Street-inspired comfort food is the order of the day at this popular Indian. Snacks such as pau bhaji are the warm-up act for mains like dum biryani and dhal makhni that promise intense flavours.

Shoryu Manchester is the first venture outside the capital for this ramen bar, serving up everything from a classic tonkotsu to sides like chicken karaage and yakitori. We love this for a laid back dinner that still feels like a treat.