The Hot 50: the most popular Manchester restaurants
By: Sarah Tierney
Updated: 1 September 2025
Want a snapshot of where’s ‘hot’ on the Manchester food and drink scene right now? The Confidential Guides Hot 50 is where to look.
It shows which of the 700+ Manchester restaurants and bars listed on Confidential Guides got the most clicks in the previous month (excluding clicks from our newsletters and promotions).
In other words, it’s the places that you, the people, are searching for and reading about; the places everyone’s talking about.
Don’t get The Hot 50 confused with our list, The best restaurants in Manchester for 2025, which gives our writers’ top-rated restaurants. Think of that as our favourite restaurants and the Hot 50 as our readers’ favourites. As you’d expect, a fair few places appear on both.
Here is the Confidential Guides Hot 50 – the most popular restaurants in Manchester for September 2025.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
1. 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.
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Book Now Northern Quarter
2. 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.
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Manchester City Centre
3. 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.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
4. Exhibition
Exhibition is one of Manchester’s cluster of exciting multi-kitchen concepts (read: food halls) that just seem to be multiplying. In the former home of the Natural History Museum, the location makes it perfect for visitors to Manchester Central, the Radisson Blu and the Midland Hotel.
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Book Now Spinningfields
5. 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.
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Manchester City Centre
6. 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.
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Manchester City Centre
7. Freight Island
Food hall meets music festival is how we’d describe Freight Island to anyone confused about what they’ll find at this regenerated rail depot beyond Piccadilly Station.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
8. Skof
Skof is the first restaurant from chef Tom Barnes who, as head chef at Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume, helped it win its third Michelin star. In February 2025, he secured a Michelin star for Skof, with the judges praising its ‘clearly thought-through’ dishes and ‘delicate seasoning’.
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Chinatown (Manchester)
9. 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.
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Chinatown (Manchester)
10. Happy Seasons
If you need a culinary lift to the spirits, the triple roasted meats at Happy Seasons in Chinatown will do the trick. This trio of char siu, crispy belly pork and roasted duck, served over egg fried rice, is one of the reasons you see queues out of the door at this Cantonese restaurant.
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Book Now Deansgate
11. Atlas Bar
Atlas Bar is known as one of the originals of Manchester’s modern cafe-bar scene. And for its extensive collection of gins – over 570 varieties and counting.
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Northern Quarter
12. Dakota Grill Manchester
Dakota Grill Manchester is the work of former Malmaison owner, Ken McCollough and it is as dark-hued and handsome as the successful boutique hotel chain. It’s an inviting place with flickering candlelight, very retro-sexy – sure to be the setting for many a first date.
The focus at Dakota is on steaks which are very good – all grass-fed, 28 day-aged, hand-cut Aberdeenshire beef cooked over hot coals.
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Altrincham
13. Bar Etna
Bar Etna is regularly voted as the best place to eat in Altrincham. Locals love its authentic Sicilian dishes and friendly, welcoming atmosphere but with food this good, they can’t expect to keep it to themselves.
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Manchester City Centre
14. 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.
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Spinningfields
15. 20 Stories
Manchester’s highest restaurant, bar and terrace 20 Stories was the opening of 2018 and still maintains its status as one of the city’s most popular place to eat, drink, be snapped and be seen.
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Chinatown (Manchester)
16. Little Yang Sing
Cantonese and contemporary, Little Yang Sing has a relaxed feel in otherwise bustling Chinatown. It’s popular for its dim sum, and offers much for the plant-based palate along with a proper wine list. .
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Book Now Northern Quarter
17. The Pen & Pencil
The Pen and Pencil is the Northern Quarter’s cool all-day hangout, modelled on the New York bar of the same name popular with the city’s journalists and ad men in the 1950s and 1960s. It has a reputation for great cocktails, quality food and an atmosphere that makes it stand out from nearby imitators.
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Deansgate
18. Bruncho
Bruncho is a relaxed brunch spot on Deansgate focusing on Turkish specialities. The food is healthy and satisfying with a feeling of sunshine thanks to the Mediterranean diet. Of course, if various healthy iterations of poached eggs just don’t do it for you, then stamp on your fitbit and order pistachio baklava French toast instead.
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Stockport Town Centre
19. Where the Light Gets In
With no menu and esoteric wines, Where the Light Gets In doesn’t adhere to the typical fine-dining formula. But it’s been a success for Stockport, thanks to chef-patron Sam Buckley’s belief in doing things his own way.
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Northern Quarter
20. TNQ
This unassuming, independent restaurant overlooking the historic Smithfield Fish Market is a stalwart of the Northern Quarter’s dining scene. Co-owner and chef Anthony Fielden has been cooking up a storm at TNQ since 2004, winning various awards and accolades along the way.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
21. 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.
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Northern Quarter
22. Mackie Mayor
Mackie Mayor is a cosmopolitan food hall located in an 1858 Grade II listed market building on the edge of Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
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Northern Quarter
23. Behind Closed Doors
Described as a ‘debauched cocktail bar’ in the heart of the Northern Quarter, Behind Closed Doors aims to bring ‘sex, rugs & funk ‘n’ soul’ to the people of Manchester.
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Ancoats
24. 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.
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Manchester City Centre
25. Haunt
When Peter Street lost its Caffe Nero it gained Haunt, an independent coffee shop and wine bar. Stepping inside, you feel like this corner spot in the beautiful St George’s House, with its views of the Midland Hotel and Central Library, has finally got the classy occupier it deserves.
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Book Now Levenshulme
26. Cibus
Once a stall at Levy Market, then a pop-up pizzeria above Fred’s Ale House, Cibus took baby steps to get to where it is today; a fully-fledged and much-praised Italian restaurant and bar on Levenshulme high street, and the winner of The Good Food Guide’s award for Best Local Restaurant North West 2024.
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Chinatown (Manchester)
27. Only Yu
This 2023 addition to George Street has already secured a place as one of the most popular restaurants in Chinatown. Spread across two floors, Only Yu is lively even at lunchtime, thanks to friendly service and well-executed Chinese food.
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Book Now Northern Quarter
28. On the Hush
On the Hush is a popular Northern Quarter cafe bar, winning awards for its bottomless brunch. Loyal customers and visitors to Manchester love its colourful style, imaginative cocktails and casual all-day food offering.
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Ancoats
29. Edinburgh Castle and Bangkok Diners Club
The food element of award-winning Ancoats pub The Edinburgh Castle has had several overhauls in recent years – but it’s retained its place in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs throughout.
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Chinatown (Manchester)
30. Mei Dim
Mei Dim by name, dim sum by nature. If it’s the Cantonese version of small plates you’re after, look no further than this basement Chinatown establishment, where bite-sized brunch or lunch dishes in the form of dumplings and buns are proclaimed the best in Manchester.
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Northern Quarter
31. Yard & Coop Manchester
We’d rather see a restaurant that does one thing well than one that does a wide variety of dishes to the same average standard. Yard & Coop Manchester is firmly in the former category. It serves buttermilk fried chicken and that’s about it, unless you’re a veggie in which case you can have halloumi instead.
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Spinningfields
32. Dishoom
Dishoom is a legend in its own lunchtime and that’s exactly how it likes things. It’s not enough to serve up top-notch Indian dishes in grand surroundings; there’s a story behind the menu too. But when the food is this good it doesn’t need to hide behind tall tales.
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Northern Quarter
33. 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.
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Book Now Northern Quarter
34. 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.
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Northern Quarter
35. Evuna Manchester NQ
The second city centre Evuna, open since 2013, bagsies a corner spot in the Northern Quarter that provides the outward-facing window seats with a prime people-watching position. Wood panelling, Moorish tiles and rustic blackboards offer atmosphere, perfect for cosying up over those authentic small plates.
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Book Now Northern Quarter
36. Twenty Twenty Two
Twenty Twenty Two is a Northern Quarter hangout with a difference. It has the metro tiles, basement decor and late night action typical of other bars in the area, but it also has table tennis and other games.
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Marple
37. Kambuja
Many of us are familiar with the vibrant cuisines of Vietnam and Thailand but Cambodian, or Khmer, food is still relatively unexplored territory in the UK. Kambuja in Marple is one of the country’s few dedicated Cambodian restaurants – and it’s a good one. It received rave reviews in the national press when it opened in 2017 under its former name of Angkor Soul.
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Chinatown (Manchester)
38. Manchester Chinese Restaurant
Manchester Chinese Restaurant has a name that states the obvious but other than that, doesn’t give much away. Perhaps it’s keeping its thousand year old egg dish and the extra helpings of jellyfish a secret for fear of upsetting the punters.
There’s no need. Manchester Chinese Restaurant has a menu to keep both the sensation-hunters and the play-it-safers perfectly happy. After all, China is a big country and the restaurant aims to reflect all of its culinary heritage.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
39. Hakkapo
Hakkapo is Manchester’s Izakaya – that is, a Japanese bar where people go to eat, drink and just generally hang out after a long day at work.
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Manchester City Centre
40. The Allotment Vegan Eatery
The seeds of Matthew Nutter’s fine dining adventure were sown when he set out to “make veg taste better than steak”. And the menu at The Allotment Vegan Eatery exceeds this ambition.
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Manchester City Centre
41. Adam Reid at The French
Culinary rock and roll from Simon Rogan’s protege, Adam Reid, and head chef Blaise Murphy, formerly of Mana. Enjoy fine-dining in Grade II Listed Victorian surrounds – with a side order of Mancunian attitude.
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Book Now Stockport
42. Black Spot Pizza
There is no shortage of floppy, fold-it-up Neapolitan pizza in Manchester these days. Like the bee symbol, it has descended over the city in a swarm: there’s probably a slice creeping up behind you right now. But it’s not a bad thing – particularly if it means you’ve got a place like Black Spot Pizza in your neighbourhood.
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Manchester City Centre
43. Tast
Catalan restaurant Tast brings the fiercely independent spirit of north-eastern Spain to your table courtesy head chef Paco Pérez – holder of six Michelin stars – and his passionate team, who run eight acclaimed restaurants around the world.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
44. Rain Bar
Rain Bar is a pub from JW Lees in an old umbrella factory. It’s a beautiful building and looks even better now after its recent refurb. The jewel in the crown though, or the spoke in its brolly, is a large outdoor area to the rear overlooking the Bridgewater Canal.
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Spinningfields
45. Bill’s Spinningfields
Bill’s has come a long way since it was a market café. The family business is now a sizeable chain but in Bill’s Manchester at least, you’ll still find a warm welcome, some pretty special specials and a crowd-pleasing selection of dishes that sometimes manage to deliver rather punchy flavours. You will be pleasantly surprised.
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Greater Manchester
46. Altrincham Market House Indoor Food Hall
Setting a precedent for the likes of Mackie Mayor and Stockport Produce Hall, many have hailed the revamping of the Market House Indoor Food Hall as the touch paper that lit Altrincham’s whole foodie scene ablaze.
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Manchester City Centre
47. Fluffy Fluffy
Fuwa Fuwa, is North America’s largest soufflé pancake and dessert café. It opened its doors in Manchester New Square in October 2022 and is known internationally for its jiggly and airy soufflé pancakes.
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Chinatown (Manchester)
48. Pho Cue
“The food speaks for itself,” says Cue Tran, owner of the Pho Cue Vietnamese kitchen, whose aim is to take the authentic street food dishes of his home country and give them a modern “Instagrammable” twist while retaining their flavour, freshness and family traditions.
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Northern Quarter
49. 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.
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Northern Quarter
50. Another Heart To Feed NQ
Another Heart To Feed in Manchester’s NQ is one of our top brunch spots. It’s a coffee shop inspired by coffee culture capital of the world, Melbourne. There’s a tempting array of breakfasty-stuff where many dishes have a Middle Eastern slant. You’ll find ingredients like dukkah, labneh, hummus and halloumi sprinkled across a menu that has more than its fair share of Ottolenghi-style magic.