The Best Restaurants in Manchester

Set on the ground floor of the iconic, Grade II-listed The Midland hotel, this intimate restaurant features a moody colour scheme, striking chandeliers and central booths. The eponymous chef offers a multi-course tasting menu which is a playful homage to the north, with cryptic dish descriptions and eye-catching presentation. Each dish is generously flavoured and showcases the personality and enthusiasm of the chefs. The location is brilliantly central too, with the shopping hub of Deansgate in touching distance.

In the Ancoats area of the city, just up the road from mana, sits this explosion of Thai flavours nestled in an unlikely location above an old Victorian boozer. The Edinburgh Castle pub is ideal for a drink before you head to its first floor to take in the electric atmosphere and terrific Thai flavours. The colourful dishes adopt influences from around Thailand and are deftly balanced by the chefs. Look out for the chicken fat rice in particular, which is well worth ordering as an alternative to the standard jasmine.

Great food is rarely found in office buildings, but Climat is dispelling that notion with its penthouse location that comes with beautiful views of the Manchester skyline. Rooftop hives may also catch your eye, with the owner being a keen beekeeper and jars of honey on sale. This is a wine bar as much as a restaurant, meaning the excellent list comes with plenty of options by the glass; pair them with the satisfying cooking that doesn’t reinvent the wheel but lets quality ingredients shine with a welcome simplicity. Order some freshly baked gougères to start.

If you’re after authentic Spanish food in Manchester then this buzzy restaurant in the heart of the city is the place for you. Across the multi-level space, the first-floor counter and the roof terrace are particular standouts – with the latter providing a chance to glimpse the lesser-spotted Manchester sunshine. Prime Spanish ingredients feature in the appealing tapas dishes, which are well-priced, generously portioned and packed with flavour. For the best value, come for a midweek lunch to get three dishes for even less.

This neighbourhood wine bar in Ancoats is run by a group of friends who wanted to create a restaurant they would choose to go to themselves. It offers something a little bit different for the city, providing a lively, laid-back ambience and a short menu of bright, vibrantly flavoured Mediterranean small plates to go alongside its keenly priced natural wines, many of which you can buy to take home. The grilled flatbreads, with a choice of toppings, are a particular highlight.

In the heart of the city, not far from Piccadilly Gardens, three friends are making serious waves in the Manchester food scene. With chatty service, a lively buzz and ingredient-led cooking bursting with bold flavours, they’re providing a brilliant all-round package for the city. The dishes are designed for sharing and often utilise ingredients from their Cinderwood Market Garden. There’s a brilliant wine list too, showcasing small producers and low-intervention choices, of which you can find more at their wine bar, Flawd, in Ancoats.

Another Ancoats spot, this slick restaurant is run by a talented team who choreograph your dining experience impressively from beginning to end. There’s a relaxed atmosphere and spacious feel to the open-plan room, where the on-view kitchen provides a platform for the chefs’ performance. The surprise set menu features the best British produce, including foraged ingredients and plenty of seafood. These are brought together in sophisticated, well-judged combinations to create exciting, original dishes, whose flavours remain long in the memory.

The most recently awarded of Manchester’s MICHELIN Stars, Skof is the first solo venture of Tom Barnes. After years of steering the Simon Rogan ship at Three-Star L’Enclume, Barnes created his own restaurant with a personal touch in the NOMA area of the city. At Skof, he crafts dishes that are skilled and refined but never showy, with bags of flavour poured into every plate. Local ingredients like Manchester honey might make an appearance, while the dining room’s industrial chic nods to the city’s past.

British diners have fallen in love with cooking over fire in the last few years and the Manchester dining scene has given the people what they want with Stow. Hidden away in a small room behind the cocktail bar of the same name, it’s a counter-dining operation with a wonderfully intimate feel where you can watch the chefs at work. The team have a great understanding of cooking over charcoal and wood, imparting smokiness throughout the menu. Eating here feels more like feasting, a place to go with friends so you can try everything on offer.

Under the railway arches near Victoria station, in the city's Green Quarter, sits this perennially popular restaurant that specialises in pasta and dumplings. German spätzle play a key role in the menu – and the restaurant’s name – but expect to find the likes of gnocchi, pappardelle and pelmeni on there too. It’s all made in-house and offers great value for money, with the Polish pierogi being a particular highlight. The cosy dining room and enthusiastic service add to the already substantial appeal.