Families

The Black Friar

Manchester Modern British

The Black Friar stood empty and unloved for almost 20 years before reopening in summer 2021 after a substantial renovation...

Escape to Freight Island

Manchester City Centre Global

Food hall meets music festival is how we’d describe Escape to Freight Island to anyone confused about what they’ll find...

One 88 Kitchen & Bar

Whitefield British

Spot-on bistro food in the 'burbs by a steady hand is what you'll find at One 88 Kitchen & Bar....

La Chouquette

Manchester French

Since opening at the far reaches of Didsbury Village, round the corner from the chippy, French boulangerie and pâtisserie La...

Mughli

Rusholme Indian subcontinent

Mughli is the contemporary, social media embracing, second generation Curry Mile restaurant that paved the way for the likes of...

The Chippy on Burton Road

Greater Manchester British

The Chippy on Burton Road might be the classiest fish and chip shop in Greater Manchester. Alongside their sustainably sourced...

Aunty Ji’s

Manchester Indian subcontinent

Aunty Ji’s is fast becoming one of Levenshulme’s favourite cafes thanks to its friendly, all-comers vibe and a menu that...

Bistrot Pierre

Trafford French

Bistrot Pierre is one of the better mid-range chain restaurants. It’s good to support the indies but Bistrot Pierre has...

Crowded House

Whitefield Global

Crowded House in Bury town centre is for those occasions when you want NQ-style food and drinks but you can’t...

Voodoo Ray’s at Escape to Freight Island

Manchester City Centre American

NYC-style pizza via LDN. Voodoo Ray’s at Escape to Freight Island is the first opening outside the capital for these...

Bird Of Prey

Manchester City Centre American

If you "understand and appreciate the awesomeness of a properly fried bird", this is the place for you – and...

The Ugly Duckling

Trafford Modern British

When Nick Theaker took over The Stamford pub in Altrincham’s “posh bit”, Bowdon, he had a big job on his...

Royal Nawaab

Manchester Indian subcontinent

Ask a local for directions in Levy and there’s a high chance they will use the Royal Nawaab as a...

Bill’s Spinningfields

Spinningfields European

Bill’s has come a long way since it was a market café. The family business is now a sizeable chain...

Foundation Coffee House Northern Quarter

Northern Quarter Coffee

Foundation Coffee House Northern Quarter is the first of three locations in the city centre from this homegrown brand. This...

Slattery

Whitefield British

Much like Betty’s in Harrogate, a trip to Slattery in Whitefield can be a day out in its own right....

Double Zero

Manchester Italian

An authentic Neapolitan-style pizzeria, Double Zero in Chorlton has been lauded as one of the best in the UK.

Proost

Urmston European

Husband and wife team John and Carolyn Phillips held occasional supper clubs and appeared on Channel Four’s Too Many Chefs...

Brewski

Manchester American

The clue is in the name – Brewski is as much about the beers as it is the food. It’s...

Honest Crust Sourdough Pizza Altrincham

Trafford Italian

"On a mission to make really great sourdough pizza" since 2013, when they had a pop-up in rainy Ramsbottom, Altrincham...

Oh My Glaze

Trafford American

Fans of The Spinn in Gatley will be glad to hear that besties Scott Graham and actor Adam Thomas have...

Sixes Manchester

Manchester City Centre Global

Following successful innings in London, and now also Birmingham, this Mac & Wild-owned venture is aimed squarely at the cricket...

Gustum

Merseyside Mediterranean

Back before American barbecue joints became all the rage over here, your best bet for charcoal-seared meat on a stick...

Owens Restaurant & Bar

Ramsbottom British

Owens Restaurant & Bar is a popular place in Ramsbottom, just opposite the train station and handy for a family...

GupShup

Trafford Indian subcontinent

GupShup serves food from across India in a setting of laid-back luxury; this is Hale, after all. The menu is...

Nova

Merseyside Modern British

Nova is a longstanding favourite for those looking for creative fine-dining on the Wirral. Ran by husband and wife team...

Tre Ciccio Ramsbottom

Ramsbottom Italian

Tre Ciccio’s Ramsbottom restaurant does much the same thing as Tre Ciccio in Altrincham - and that’s no bad thing. 

Veggie Republic

Merseyside Vegan

If you’ve ever doubted the versatility of vegan cooking, a trip to Veggie Republic on Cork Street should set you...

Pasta 51 Express

Merseyside Italian

It’s takeaway pasta but it’s unrecognisable from the refrigerated joyless stuff you get on a supermarket meal deal. Pasta Express...

Nell’s New York Pizza & Bar

Manchester City Centre American

This Brooklyn-style pizza joint was born out of a love of using the best ingredients with care and attention. Nell's...

Tampopo Manchester Albert Square

Manchester City Centre Pan Asian

Tampopo Albert Square is the original venue in this Manchester-born chain from restaurateur David Fox. It was here that they...

La Casita

Manchester Mexican

After humble beginnings serving up traditional Mexican street food from a little stall at the markets, La Casita now has...

Trattoria 51 Liverpool

Merseyside Italian

Offering good-value Italian classics, Trattoria 51 is an easy option if you want a family-friendly independent close to Liverpool ONE....

The Brunch Club

Merseyside Global

Brunch Club by name, brunch club by nature – and those in the know make sure they book a table;...

The Klondyke Club

Manchester British

No round-up of Levenshulme’s social spaces could exclude The Klondyke Club AKA The Levenshulme Bowling and Social Club. This century-old...

Vibe Cafe

Merseyside Vegan

The Vibe serves cheery vegan food that will light up your Instagram feed and fill your belly. Known for its...

A Tavola

Greater Manchester Italian

A Tavola has an offbeat charm. Don’t be put off by the exterior. Sicilian delights await within. Inside, it is...

Albert’s Worsley

Worsley European

Albert’s Worsley is a reliable option, especially if you’re trying to please a big group. Even if you don’t get...

Pippin’s Corner

Merseyside European

Pippin’s Corner is a charming, family-friendly cafe-bistro that makes the most of its handsome corner spot on Lark Lane. Head...

Electrik

Manchester Italian

Elektrik is an award-winning independent bar with great coffee and a wide selection of beer, wine and cocktails. They offer...

Campo Blanco

Whitefield Spanish

Campo Blanco means "white field" in Spanish, so it comes as no surprise that this restaurant is the go-to place...

The Hip Hop Chip Shop

Manchester City Centre British

A National Fish & Chip Award winner, the Manchester street food heroes opened up their first bricks 'n' mortar outlet...

The Perfect Match

Trafford European

New opening The Perfect Match on the traffic-heavy A56 in Sale isn’t the easiest place to get to but it’s...

Hope & Smoke

Merseyside Global

Hope & Smoke, an independent ‘smokehouse, bar and grill’ on Allerton Road is a local go-to for barbecue food, burgers,...

Piccolino Liverpool

Merseyside Italian

As well as an open kitchen so you can watch all the fun, Piccolino Liverpool – on the aptly named...

Bill’s Trafford Centre

Trafford European

When it comes to The Orient at the Trafford Centre, it's more like the Gobi Desert as far as a...

The Metropolitan

Manchester Global

Cavernous yet cosy with its open fires, separate book-lined rooms and lots of leather sofas, wood panelling, stained glass, pot...

Croma Chorlton

Greater Manchester Italian

Croma is a Chorlton institution. It’s not a hipster pizza joint but it is solid, dependable and popular for a...

Toast Altrincham

Trafford Modern British

As Nigel Slater once said, 'No matter how bad things get, it's impossible not to love someone who made you...

The Elephant Woolton

Merseyside Global

Subheading "pub and bakehouse", The Elephant is a Grade II-listed building (with sunny beer garden) in the leafy village of...

Brasserie Blanc

Trafford European

Brasserie Blanc at Manchester Airport’s Marriott Hotel is more than just a place to get a quick meal before your...

Grilla Allerton Road

Merseyside Mediterranean

Scandinavian design meets Cyrpiot food at Grilla Allerton Road - the sister restaurant to the original Grilla on Hardman Street. 

La Cantina

Stockport Spanish

Stockport is not Salamanca but that doesn’t stop the wooden barrel tables outside La Cantina on Heaton Moor’s busy Shaw...

The Font Chorlton

Manchester European

While the city centre Font Bar is often typecast as 'that student place with the really cheap cocktails', The Font...

The Pasta Factory

Northern Quarter Italian

The group of friends behind The Pasta Factory's story originally hail from Turin in the northern region of Piedmont, so...

Othello’s

Merseyside Mediterranean

Othello’s Greek Restaurant is a local favourite thanks to its reliable Mediterranean food and quick-smart, smiley service. 

Justino’s

Merseyside Italian

Taking the corner spot once occupied by Et Alia is Justino’s - a family-run Italian restaurant and bar headed up...

The Old Bell Inn

Oldham Global

This striking 18th-century coaching house overlooking the moors offers traditional charm and 18 bedrooms, while the brasserie restaurant has daily...

HOME

Manchester City Centre Global

One of Manchester’s flagship buildings, HOME is many things including cinema, theatre, art gallery and, of most interest to Confidential...

Borrello

Trafford Italian

Borrello is a slightly old-school Italian restaurant in Sale. You won’t unearth obscure regional delicacies or discover new ingredients but...

Indigo Greens

Merseyside Vegan

When Indigo Green owners Patti Bullock and Mark Aston announced their plan to open on Queens Drive, the reaction wasn’t...

The Fat Italian Crosby

Merseyside Italian

The OG of three Fat Italians (the others are in Burscough and Ormskirk), this family-run restaurant has been around since...

Tea Hive

Manchester British

Tea Hive is a quaint little cafe celebrating the nation's favourite cuppa, and cake, lots of cake. As you'd expect,...

Pacifica Cantonese

Salford Chinese

Pacifica Cantonese in Eccles is an old-school Chinese restaurant with lurid neon signage. It’s not trying to be slavishly authentic...

107 Dining Room

Merseyside British

As well as being located at 107 Telegraph Road, the number in 107 Dining Room's name may well refer to...

The Club House

Merseyside Global

Part of The New World Trading Company stable of eateries and drinkeries, The Club House sits on the edge of...

Il Forno

Merseyside Italian

Il Forno’s name refers to their oven; a huge, fire-breathing head which swallows up pizza before cooking it to perfection and...

Il Capitano’s

Merseyside Italian

Italian restaurant and takeaway Il Capitano always deserves a visit if you’re in the Waterloo area. Its offering is simple:...

Papillon

Merseyside Global

With its striped pink awning and corner spot on Hope Street, Papillon is one of the prettiest eating places in...

Sweet Diner

Tameside Global

With a moniker like Sweet Diner, you'd think it'd be all about the desserts, right? But take out the 15...

La Casa

Wigan Italian

A new addition to Astley’s dining options is classy Italian restaurant and bar La Casa.

Thai Kitchen No.6

Manchester City Centre Thai

Thai Kitchen No.6 is a real family restaurant. That means it’s a homespun affair without the sheen of some other...

The Marble Arch

Manchester City Centre British

The Marble Arch is a pub. George Orwell may have named his ideal (and imaginary) pub The Moon Under Water...

Croma Didsbury

Manchester Italian

The newest addition to the Croma family, the Didsbury restaurant has all the features that make its south Manchester sister...

Piccolino Didsbury

Manchester Italian

With its large alfresco terrace, complete with fully retractable roof, Piccolino Didsbury is perfectly located for an Aperol Spritz in...

Eagle & Child

Ramsbottom British

The Eagle & Child is famous for offering excellent Sunday lunches and award-winning pub grub in the hills above Manchester.

The Bookbinder

Merseyside British

As a "neighbourhood pub, wine bar and eatery" The Bookbinder manages to straddle all three quite different roles: well-kept cask...

Gusto Liverpool

Merseyside Italian

With views of the water and a menu that should have something for pretty much everyone, Gusto Liverpool is a...

Mano A Bocca

Trafford Italian

"Roma è arrivata a Sale!" – Rome has arrived in Sale – proclaims the website, which is a slight exaggeration,...

Yard & Coop Manchester

Northern Quarter American

We’d rather see a restaurant that does one thing well than one that does a wide variety of dishes to...

The Pasta Project

Manchester Italian

One of the things we love about Italian food is its ability to transform a few basic ingredients into something...

The Clarence

Greater Manchester British

The décor doesn’t stray far from the original in The Clarence - a large, comfortable pub dating back to 1905....

CULTO

West Yorkshire Italian

Famous for both its top-drawer takeaways and unique black base Pizza Nera made using vegetable charcoal, CULTO is a cosy...

Triple B

Prestwich American

Triple B was born in the midst of the pandemic when the Eat New York crew left the NQ and...

Casa Italia

Merseyside Italian

Still in the spot where Mario Campolucci-Bordi opened its doors in 1976, the Casa Italia pizzeria and pastificcio is something...

Peck & Yard Chorlton

Manchester Pan Asian

Forget the Colonel, Dixy and their paltry poultry offerings, Peck & Yard serve real fried chicken - Pan-Asian style. The...

Bill’s Liverpool

European

Bill’s began life as a quirky East Sussex market cafe before transmorphing into a crowd-pleasing chain and colonising city centres...

Fosters Fish & Chips Alderley Edge

Cheshire British

Fosters Fish & Chips is an award-winning chippy in Alderley Edge that also has a branch in Bramhall. Expect cod...

Macello Meat House Childwall

Merseyside Global

Macello Meat House Childwall is known for steaks served with a side order of celebrity spotting. It’s turned this suburban...

Mumbai to London Cafe

Tameside Indian subcontinent

Mumbai to London Cafe doesn’t look like much from the outside (or the inside) but don’t let that fool you;...

The Church Green

Cheshire British

The Church Green is Aiden Byrne's countryside pub where excellent meat comes as standard. Fifty ounce tomahawk, for example, and...

Tampopo Trafford Centre

Trafford Pan Asian

One of the better eating options in the sprawling domed food court hell that is The Orient is Tampopo Trafford...

The Crown & Conspirator

Stockport Global

South Bramhall's Crown & Conspirator is a Cheshire Pub Co gaff, so you're promised a warm welcome, an honest pint,...

Proove Pizza

Manchester Italian

Proove Pizza has proven itself to be a success which is fortunate because there’s no shortage of eateries slinging out...

Purezza

Northern Quarter Vegan

Sitting in the old Dough Kitchen spot in the Northern Quarter, Purezza is yet another pizza restaurant for Manchester -...

Honest Crust Sourdough Pizza Manchester

Northern Quarter Italian

"On a mission to make really great sourdough pizza" since a pop-up in rainy Ramsbottom back in 2013, Honest Crust's...

Piccolino Manchester

Manchester City Centre Italian

With its large alfresco terrace facing Manchester Town Hall, Piccolino Caffe Grande is perfectly located for an Aperol Spritz in...

The Anthologist

Manchester City Centre Global

The Anthologist fits well into the cosmopolitan city vibe of the regenerated St Peter’s Square. When you step off the...

Sugo Pasta Kitchen Manchester

Manchester City Centre Italian

With a menu plugging a passionately regional style of south Italian cooking, the second Sugo Pasta Kitchen sits happily in...

Mustard & Co

Merseyside Global

Crosby’s Mustard & Co is a neighbourhood bistro which succeeds in being both a heartwarming huddle of community - and...

Sugo Pasta Kitchen Sale

Trafford Italian

With a menu plugging a regional style of south Italian cooking, Sugo Pasta Kitchen Sale joins two sister outlets (Altrincham...

Almost Famous Great Northern

Manchester City Centre American

Almost Famous Manchester Great Northern is a local legend. It’s OTT in every way. It’s brash, bold and doesn’t seem...

The Waggon at Birtle

Rochdale British

Lovingly restored from, by all accounts, a wreck of a pub, The Waggon at Birtle now finds itself listed in...

Slyce

Oldham American

Like its sister restaurant Muse next door, Slyce brings a taste of the city to the bucolic surroundings of Uppermill. 

Albert’s Standish

Wigan European

Albert’s Standish is a reliable option. You won’t get the best food in the world but you’ll get a menu...

Prashad

West Yorkshire Indian subcontinent

Prashad is a Gordon Ramsey-rated thrill for anyone craving Gujarati vegetarian food. Since starring on Ramsey's Best Restaurant show, the...

Holdi Woolton

Merseyside Indian subcontinent

Adding to the growing list of options for quality dining in the epicurean village of Woolton is award-bagging small local...

The Italian Club

Merseyside Italian

Tracing their roots back to the mountain village of Picinisco, high in the Apennines below Rome, and Puglia in the...

Noi Quattro

Northern Quarter Italian

If it’s a taste of Italy you’re after, think NQ for proper pizza – Noi Quattro, to be precise. Meaning...

Croma Prestwich

Prestwich Italian

As Manchester’s own, independent (and we would say, superior) version of Pizza Express, Croma was always going to feature strongly...

Gladstone Barber & Bistro

Tameside Middle Eastern

Nobody goes to the barbers expecting a roast dinner, or for that matter, a feast of home-style Palestinian food. Unless...

The Smugglers Cove

Merseyside Global

Part of The New World Trading Company stable of eateries and drinkeries, and appropriately sited in the Albert Dock's foodie...

Gusto Cheadle Hulme

Stockport Italian

Gusto serves fresh Italian food in Cheadle Hulme and many other places. It’s part of a seemingly ever-expanding chain but...

The Rice Bowl

Manchester City Centre Chinese

This family-run Chinese restaurant has history. After first setting up in Liverpool in 1955, Wing Lau moved operations to Manchester...

Bombay to Mumbai

Stockport Indian subcontinent

The philosophy behind Bombay to Mumbai is simple: they want you to feel like a friend. It’s there in the...

Trattoria 51 Southport

Merseyside Italian

Much like the seaside town itself, Trattoria 51 Southport looks its best when the sun is shining. The terrace at...

Piccolino Bramhall

Stockport Italian

With its large alfresco terrace with a fully retractable roof, Piccolino Bramhall is perfectly located for an Aperol Spritz in...

Inspire Cafe

Manchester British

Inspire Cafe is an inclusive, relaxed gem of a community cafe housed in a former church in Levenshulme. It serves...

The Old Stables

Merseyside Global

The old stable block of the leafy Allerton Manor estate is now a family-friendly restaurant offering British classics, Sunday roasts...

Gusto Heswall

Merseyside Italian

With its sunspot terrace and twinkly olive grove interior, Gusto’s Heswall branch lives up to the chain’s reputation for making...

Tampopo Manchester Corn Exchange

Manchester City Centre Pan Asian

The second of their city centre venues, Tampopo Manchester Corn Exchange has the same wok-fresh East Asian menu as its...

Playfoots

Salford Global

“Just rock up and have the time of your life,” says Playfoots over Instagram. The cafe-cum-bar in the small town...

Macello Meat House West Derby

Merseyside Global

Macello Meat House West Derby opened between lockdowns in September 2020, following the success of the original Macello Meat House...

Dishoom

Manchester City Centre Indian subcontinent

Dishoom is a legend in its own lunchtime and that’s exactly how it likes things. It’s not enough to serve...

Grilla Hardman Street

Merseyside Mediterranean

Grilla fast became a hit when it opened back in 2015, thanks to its cool Scandinavian interior and contrasting menu...

Amalia

Merseyside Italian

This award-winning city centre Italian combines value with authenticity – founders Miguel and Antonio have been working together since 2007...

All The Shapes

Prestwich Mexican

All The Shapes has that relaxed café-bar, all-day-eatery thing nailed. It’s the sort of place where you feel equally comfortable...

The Strawbury Duck

Greater Manchester British

The Strawbury Duck is a traditional country pub near Entwistle reservoir with a solid reputation amongst Boltonians for its home-cooked...

Treehouse Café

Salford British

Salford independent the Treehouse Cafe is the sort of picture-perfect coffee house you frequently see on Instagram but rarely stumble...

The Tavern Co

Merseyside American

A stalwart of Smithdown Road, The Tavern Co is a casual dining place with a reputation for student and family-friendly...