Restaurants have been hit hard over the past couple of years, with more to come in the months ahead. That’s why it’s so important to support independent restaurants whenever you can.
With that in mind, we have handpicked some of our favourite Manchester indies we think you should check out next time you’re in town. For high-end kebabs, BAB NQ is the place to go with a lovely outside seating area. Its relaxed atmosphere is typical of the Northern Quarter’s independent spirit.
For a family-run restaurant experience, Wing’s has been serving Chinese food from its restaurant in Lincoln Square for over 20 years and in Manchester’s southern suburbs before then. Or if it’s more of an Italian flavour you need, try Sicilian NQ. It has built a reputation for its desserts and gelato as well as authentic meat-free dishes.
Scroll down the list to find real flavours from real people in a celebration of Manchester’s independents.
-
Book Now Northern Quarter
BAB NQ
If you feel it’s time to spice up your life, look no further than this Northern Quarter indie, where the main offer is ‘kebabs worth sitting down for’. Yep, BAB by name, ‘babs by nature, but that’s not doing the menu full justice – there are also meze small plates to mix and match, skewers and shawarmas, and non-babs such as an epic surf & turf spread.
-
Book Now Manchester City Centre
The Black Friar
The Black Friar stood empty and unloved for almost 20 years before reopening in summer 2021 after a substantial renovation project. Now a modern British restaurant and a traditional pub, it has two distinct settings with menus to match.
-
Book Now Spinningfields
KAJI
The MUSU Collection is a group of innovative modern dining experiences, all under one roof. With three AA rosettes, this is the cutting edge of Manchester’s restaurant scene.
-
Book Now Northern Quarter
Sicilian NQ
Located in the Northern Quarter, this friendly neighbourhood bistro and bar is the place to avanti if it’s a taste of traditional Sicily you fancy – from authentic street food snacks through to big plates of pasta to desserts and holiday memory gelato, eat in or take away.
-
Book Now Deansgate
Suki Suki Street Food & Bar
Suki Suki Street Food & Bar is a Pan-Asian street food bar located on Deansgate under the arches of the Great Northern Warehouse.
-
Book Now Manchester City Centre
Wing’s
Lincoln Square’s traditional Cantonese restaurant Wing’s has been an institution in the city centre since 2004, when it first found fame through the patronage of Premier League footballers.
It takes more than famous names to keep a restaurant thriving though – and it’s testament to the consistency and quality of the upmarket British-Cantonese food that Wing’s is still going strong 20 years later.
-
Manchester City Centre
10 Tib Lane
10 Tib Lane was one of the brave new openings of summer 2021; a time when securing staff and supplies, never mind diners, was an ongoing challenge for everyone. If you can launch a new restaurant in that environment, you must be doing something very right – so it’s no surprise that years later, it’s still going strong.
-
Manchester City Centre
Another Hand
There is quite some experience behind owners Julian Pizer and Max Yorke at Another Hand, including time spent at Cottonopolis, The Edinburgh Castle and Hispi. In this intimate restaurant on Deansgate Mews, they put it to excellent use on an ever-changing, seasonal menu that takes advantage of some of the best suppliers in the region.
-
Manchester City Centre
Beeswing
Beeswing is a casual wine bar with a menu designed to complement the curated drinks list. Wines are carefully chosen with a combination of natural and conventional bottles on offer that changes regularly. Food is a selection of excellent tapas dishes courtesy of the folks behind Levanter and Baratxuri.
-
Manchester City Centre
Climat
The first thing you notice when you step into fine-dining restaurant Climat is the view. Situated on the roof of Blackfriars House, you’re just above the city skyline, close enough to see the details of the architecture, but high enough to feel like you’re in the clouds.
-
Manchester City Centre
Dimitri’s
Dimitri’s has been serving up mezze for over 30 years now. It’s a stalwart of the city’s food and drink scene and with its vibrant atmosphere and happy holiday food, it will probably keep going for 30 more.
It’s sharing food that will bring back memories of trips to Crete or Kefalonia with hummus and generous baskets of pitta breads, juicy olives, stuffed vine leaves, moussaka, herby lamb chops and kebabs all featuring on a typical menu.
-
Ancoats
Erst
“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 so don’t come looking for mac n cheese balls. Plenty of other places can satisfy that filthy craving for you.
-
Northern Quarter
Evelyn’s
Evelyn’s is a very clever restaurant. It’s from the chaps behind Mughli so expect a quality operation although it is very different to the standout star of Curry Mile.
It’s a light and leafy sort of place, both in the surroundings and on the plate. Evelyn’s offers a fresher, healthier take on dining out but it won’t leave you feeling like you’re at a well-being bootcamp.
-
Chinatown (Manchester)
Higher Ground
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.
-
Manchester City Centre
La Bandera
This upmarket Spanish restaurant, tucked away just off St Ann’s Square, is the definition of a hidden gem.
-
Ancoats
Lucky Ramen & Sushi
Lucky Ramen & Sushi restaurant is known for its late-night dining offering of fresh bowls of stewed ramen that are carefully prepared by a head chef with over 15 years of experience.
-
Manchester City Centre
Nell’s Kampus
This Brooklyn-style pizza joint was born out of a love of using the best ingredients with care and attention. Nell’s is known for its 22-inch pizzas with fresh, crisp bases and toppings that range from bright and fresh to classic and meaty.
-
Oxford Road
Onda
Onda, or Onda Pasta Bar, to give it its full name, is a new Italian restaurant at Circle Square. It isn’t new exactly – with pop-ups at Exhibition amongst other places, Onda has already made a name for itself. With stints in impressive kitchens like Chez Bruce and Claridges, Chef Sam Astley Dean isn’t exactly a street food trader made good, either.
-
Northern Quarter
The Pasta Factory
Seasonal and made from scratch – there’s a homeliness to the food at The Pasta Factory that belies its industrial-sounding name.
-
Manchester City Centre
Platzki
Modern Polish cuisine is what’s on offer at Platzki, one of the first restaurants to open at Deansgate Mews back in 2018.
-
Northern Quarter
Ramen Shop
Ramen Shop is the new name for Tokyo Ramen but little has changed. Spartan and stripped back is the only description for this place – and that’s both the menu and the restaurant itself. With barely enough space to swing a noodle, the place only accommodates 20 walk-ins. It’s not a sociable place, more a utilitarian slurping station.
-
Green Quarter
The Sparrows
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.
-
Manchester City Centre
Stow
Stow on Bridge Street specialises in live fire cooking, cocktails and wine. It feels like the sophisticated cousin of the owner’s longstanding Northern Quarter bar Trof. Think cool but also cosy and intimate with two distinct spaces; the chic monochrome cocktail bar, and the earthier, softer restaurant with an open kitchen dominated by live flame grills.
-
Manchester City Centre
Thai Kitchen No.6
Thai Kitchen No.6 is a real family restaurant. That means it’s a homespun affair without the sheen of some other South East Asian venues in Manchester.
But that doesn’t matter. There are plenty of decadent palaces around if that’s what you’re after. At Thai Kitchen No.6 the interior is basic but there’s a warm welcome and the sort of food eaten by families all over Thailand although they’ve turned the spiky heat down for British palates – perhaps a notch too far if you’re looking for the authentic experience.
There’s a focus on salads with real Thai staples that don’t always make the journey to Western menus.
-
Chinatown (Manchester)
Yuzu
Yuzu is a neighbourhood-style Japanese restaurant offering refreshingly uncomplicated dishes served in Zen-like surroundings. You won’t find a conveyor belt of sushi here, but something altogether more traditional, such as spanking fresh sashimi.