Where to eat in Manchester: dishes, markets and places worth booking
Manchester eats best when you know the local dishes and the districts. Order a Lancashire hotpot or corned beef hash, a karahi on Rusholme's Curry Mile, a Neapolitan pizza in Ancoats and an Eccles cake from a bakery. This guide covers those, two food markets, and six places confirmed open. Book the dinners and walk in for the rest.
The short answer
- Best area to eat
- Ancoats and the Northern Quarter for choice, Rusholme for curry, Chinatown for dim sum, and Altrincham Market for a day out.
- Order this
- Lancashire hotpot or corned beef hash, a karahi on the Curry Mile, a Neapolitan pizza, and an Eccles cake or a Manchester tart.
- When to eat
- Lunch is about 12 to 3 and dinner about 6 to 10, later at weekends. Pubs serve food all afternoon, and the Curry Mile keeps going late.
- Book or walk in
- Book Higher Ground, Erst and El Gato Negro, and Mughli at weekends. Walk in to Rudy's, which holds some tables for walk-ins, and to the food halls.
- Tipping
- Tipping is optional. Many restaurants add a service charge, so check the bill first, and add nothing at a pub bar.
What to eat in Manchester
- Lancashire hotpotSlow-cooked lamb or mutton under a lid of sliced potatoes, with pickled red cabbage. You find it in traditional pubs and on menus at places such as Pip.
- Corned beef hashTinned corned beef with potato and onion, a Northern working-class dish that has become a menu fixture. Sam's Chop House on Back Pool Fold is known for it.
- Manchester tartA shortcrust case with jam, custard and a layer of coconut, and often a cherry on top. Traditional bakeries and market stalls sell it.
- Eccles cakeFlaky pastry filled with currants, from Eccles just west of the city. Eat it with a slice of Lancashire cheese if you want to do it the local way.
- Curry Mile karahiRusholme's Wilmslow Road is lined with Pakistani and Middle Eastern restaurants. Mughli and Al Madina are two of the places worth the trip.
- Dim sumChinatown is one of the biggest in Britain, and weekend lunch is the time for steamed dumplings and trolleys of small plates.
- Neapolitan pizzaRudy's in Ancoats cooks pizza in wood-fired ovens with Neapolitan flour and tomatoes, and has become a local institution.
- Sunday roastRoast meat, potatoes, vegetables and gravy, served from lunchtime on Sundays in pubs across the city. Book a table, because the good ones fill.
Where to eat in Manchester, by neighborhood
Ancoats and the Northern Quarter
The densest mix of good places. Rudy's and Erst are in Ancoats, and the Northern Quarter has independent cafes, bars and food halls such as Mackie Mayor.
The city center and Spinningfields
Higher Ground and El Gato Negro, both on the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand list, are in the center. Sam's Chop House is tucked away off Cross Street.
Rusholme and the Curry Mile
A long stretch of Wilmslow Road with Pakistani, Indian and Middle Eastern restaurants and bakeries. It is a short bus ride south of the center and stays open late.
Chinatown
Around Faulkner Street and George Street, just south of Piccadilly Gardens, with Cantonese and Sichuan restaurants. Weekend lunch is the time for dim sum.
Altrincham
A market town on the Metrolink south-west of the city, with a market hall of independent traders and a quiet high street. It makes a good lunch trip.
Places worth a booking or a queue
-
Sam's Chop House
£££Chophouse · Back Pool Fold, city center
OrderCorned beef hash, or the pie of the day
A Victorian chophouse on a back lane, open since 1869, with tiled walls and traditional British food and its own ale.
- Book
- Book by phone or on the website. Hours vary by day, so check before you go.
Confirmed open: manchestersfinest.com
-
Mughli
££Pakistani restaurant · Rusholme
OrderA karahi or charcoal-grilled meat, with naan
One of the Curry Mile's best-regarded restaurants, with Lahore street food and roadside cafe cooking on the menu.
- Book
- Book for weekends and groups; walk-ins can wait a long time. Open evenings, with later hours at the weekend.
Confirmed open: creativetourist.com
-
Rudy's Pizza Ancoats
££Pizzeria · Ancoats
OrderA margherita, or the Romagnola with prosciutto and rocket
Neapolitan pizza from wood-fired ovens, with dough fermented for 24 hours. The original Rudy's, on Cotton Street.
- Book
- Book on the website, or walk in, since some tables are held for walk-ins. Open from 11.45am daily, until 10pm Monday to Saturday and 9pm on Sunday.
Confirmed open: rudyspizza.co.uk
-
Higher Ground
£££Restaurant · City center
OrderSeveral sharing plates, built round the produce on the day
Listed in the Michelin Guide with a Bib Gourmand, for sharing plates made with produce from market gardens.
- Book
- Book on the restaurant's website.
Confirmed open: tasteofmanchester.com
-
Erst
£££Restaurant and wine bar · Ancoats
OrderA few sharing plates with a glass of natural wine
A Bib Gourmand place in Ancoats, known for natural wines and small plates.
- Book
- Book on the restaurant's website, since it is small.
Confirmed open: tasteofmanchester.com
-
El Gato Negro
£££Spanish tapas restaurant · City center
OrderA few tapas and a plate of croquetas
Listed on the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand list for Spanish tapas.
- Book
- Book on the restaurant's website.
Confirmed open: tasteofmanchester.com
Food markets in Manchester
- Mackie MayorA food hall in a former Victorian meat market in the Northern Quarter, with independent food stalls and a bar. It is walk-in only, with no bookings.Open most days; check the hall's site for the day and hours, as it is usually closed on MondaysSource: timeout.com
- Altrincham Market and Market HouseIndependent food traders, with the indoor Market House on Greenwood Street and an outdoor market. Take the Metrolink from the center.Market House Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 10pm and Sunday 9am to 6pm; closed Monday. The outdoor market varies by day.Source: manchestersfinest.com
How Manchester eats
- Meal timesLunch is about 12 to 3 and dinner about 6 to 10, later on Fridays and Saturdays. Pubs serve food through the afternoon.
- ReservationsBook dinner at the well-known places, especially on Friday and Saturday. Some, such as Rudy's, hold tables for walk-ins.
- Service charge and tippingTipping is optional. Many restaurants add a service charge, so check the bill before you add a tip. Nothing is expected at a pub bar.
- PubsIn most pubs you order and pay at the bar, then find a table. A Sunday roast is a lunchtime meal that runs into the afternoon.
- Match daysPubs and restaurants near the stadiums and the arena fill up when there is a match or a show. Book earlier, or eat elsewhere.
Signs of a place to walk past
Photographs of every dish on the board outside, especially around Piccadilly Gardens.
Someone on the pavement calling you in.
A menu that spans many cuisines, with nothing the kitchen is clearly proud of.
No prices on the menu, or a charge you only find on the bill.
Eating in Manchester: questions people ask
What food is Manchester known for?
Lancashire hotpot, corned beef hash, Manchester tart and Eccles cakes are the traditional answers. The modern answer is wider: Curry Mile karahis, dim sum in Chinatown and Neapolitan pizza in Ancoats.
Where is the best area to eat in Manchester?
Ancoats and the Northern Quarter have the most choice, Rusholme is the place for curry, and Chinatown for dim sum. Pick the one near where you will be.
Where can you eat well and cheaply in Manchester?
Rudy's, the food halls such as Mackie Mayor, and the Curry Mile cost least. Dim sum in Chinatown is also good value at lunch.
Do you need to book restaurants in Manchester?
For dinner at Higher Ground, Erst and El Gato Negro, yes. Mughli is worth booking at weekends. Rudy's and the food halls take walk-ins.
How much do you tip in Manchester?
Tipping is optional. Many restaurants add a service charge, so check the bill first. Nothing is expected at a pub bar or a cafe counter.
What is the Curry Mile in Manchester?
A stretch of Wilmslow Road in Rusholme lined with Pakistani, Indian and Middle Eastern restaurants and bakeries. It is a short bus ride south of the center and stays open late.