We recently wandered around the city centre looking for somewhere to stop and grab a bit of brunch. Not willing to queue for some of the Northern Quarter’s more popular spots, too far from Ancoats to traipse across Great Ancoats Street. Festooned between a rock and a hard place, getting hangrier by the second.
That’s when we stumbled across BrewDog’s Doghouse Hotel with its brunches and lunches served from a downstairs bar, hidden away down Fountain Street. A full English breakfast made with nothing great ingredients was a pleasant surprise, and a bao filled with bacon and a chilli omelette got us going too.
That got us thinking about other places in town that are slightly hidden away but have pleasantly surprising menus. Bundobust is hidden away in plain sight, Namii, serves wonderful Pan-Asian food surrounded by office buildings and Zouk is tucked away underneath an apartment black near the university.
Here are 5 restaurants in Manchester that you should definitely, under no circumstances, forget about.
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Book Now Manchester City CentreBrewDog Doghouse Manchester Hotel
More detailsThe BrewDog Doghouse is brought to you by international beer makers, BrewDog. Claiming to be Manchester’s first carbon-negative “beer hotel”, you’ll find signature touches by the brand from beers in the shower to in-room beer taps.
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Book Now Oxford RoadZouk
More detailsZouk specialises in ‘apna’ – home-style cooking shot through with colour and heat from the spices and herbs. In recent years it has incorporated elements of global street food to its menu (Lahori wagyu sliders for example) but the main focus is still the authentic Indian and Pakistani cooking that made Zouk a success.
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Greater ManchesterBundobust Brewery
More detailsA real Northern success story, the second location for Bundobust in Manchester and the fourth in the family of northern-based restaurants (Manchester Piccadilly, Leeds and Liverpool have come before), the Bundobust Brewery is a welcome addition to Oxford Street at the southern part of the city.
With a menu that mirrors its sister restaurants, the food is a reliable selection of Indian-style vegetarian small plates. Expect to find crisp okra fries dusted with black salt and mango powder and the iconic vada pav – a deep-fried mashed potato ball in a bun, with red and green chutneys.
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Chinatown (Manchester)Namii Kitchen & Cocktails
More detailsIt’s got neon, it’s got pastels, it’s got faux foliage, it’s got innovative cocktails and it’s got Pan Asian cuisine with a definite lean Vietnam-wards. It calls itself “authentically modern”, but faithful to the Vietnamese way of life, it recommends ordering food for the table, tapas style.
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Book Now Manchester City CentreThe Alan
More detailsWith its neutral hues and natural foliage, stripped-back bricks and leather booths, The Alan is a tranquil space in which to enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner – the open-plan kitchen serves all day from first thing till late evening – or indeed coffee and cocktails in the bar.
