Bib Gourmand restaurants in Manchester and the North West

Almanac opened in summer 2025 and has early signs of building the same enviable reputation as chef-owner Luke Payne’s nearby success story, The Packhorse. But while the Packhorse is a country pub complete with roaring fires and Sunday roasts, Almanac is a sleek restaurant which takes its style inspiration from classic New York meets New Orleans brasseries and its culinary notes from historical British food writers Mrs Beeton and Elizabeth David.

Bavette in the Leeds suburbs wouldn’t be out of place in the heart of Lyon. Dishes are traditional French and could – and often do – come from the well-thumbed pages of Larousse Gastronomique. Despite being rooted in the culinary classics, Bavette is a modern bistro, light and airy with a relaxed atmosphere.

Cantaloupe is a simple yet brilliant Modern European bistro. The food is unfussy but with a team who have worked at Where The Light Gets In, Climat, The Creameries and The French, it’s no surprise that it’s also precise, achieving the almost unbelievable with humble and restrained ingredients.

El Gato Negro is an upmarket Manc-Spanish fusion restaurant that really, really works. Originally from Yorkshire, chef Simon Shaw has created an indulgent, three-storey church to his passion for the best in Spanish food and wine.

Engine Social Dining serves up a delightful array of global small plates where Spanish boquerones rub up against masala cod with red curry lentils. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to describe the menu as ambitious tapas; the Iberian influence is notable and there are few places doing such well-travelled dining anywhere in the North.

“Yet more small plates in Ancoats?” we hear you cry. Well yes, but trust us, Erst is worth your attention. This is a place for serious foodies with a Bib Gourmand to boot so don’t come looking for mac ‘n’ cheese balls.

Higher Ground, the permanent restaurant from the team behind Flawd, opened its doors in February 2023. Taking up residence in Bruntwood’s Faulkner House on Faulkner Street, it offers a chilled bistro experience with a focus on championing the finest North West produce.

Quality wines, stunning small plates made from local, seasonal produce and an atmosphere that’s hard to replicate in city centre venues. No wonder Norman’s Neighbourhood Kitchen has just been awarded a Bib Gourmand in the 2026 round-up.

Prashad is a Gordon Ramsay-rated thrill for anyone craving Gujarati vegetarian food. Since starring on Ramsay’s Best Restaurant show, the team have made the most of the exposure. Expansion, relocation and even a Sunday Times top 40 rated cookbook followed.

Skosh has a huge reputation with a Bib Gourmand and three AA Rosettes. The Modern British dishes have a playful international edge; for world fusion cooking, this is as good as it gets.

The Sparrows serves up a variety of fresh, handmade continental pasta and Central and Eastern European dumplings in an unexpectedly airy space underneath a railway archway in Red Bank.