The Black Friar
ManchesterThe Black Friar stood empty and unloved for almost 20 years before reopening in summer 2021 after a substantial renovation...
The Hinchliffe Arms
West YorkshireThe Hinchliffe Arms delivers full-on British food with flair and imagination. Putting the goodness of earth, river and sea on...
Frederiks
MerseysideOne of the buzziest spots in the Georgian Quarter, Frederiks models itself on the neighbourhood bars of Brooklyn. Think casual...
Grand Pacific
Manchester City CentreGrand Pacific is the work of Living Ventures and it easily outshines its sibling venues in terms of pure glamour....
The River Restaurant
SalfordThe River Restaurant at The Lowry Hotel is Manchester's classic fine dining restaurant. Huge names that have run the kitchen...
The Three Fishes
LancashireThe Three Fishes at Mitton is in the heart of the beautiful Ribble Valley in Lancashire. Expect an immaculate whitewashed...
Cibus
ManchesterAh, those awkward encounters when you bump into someone at a party and can't recall their name or where you...
Impossible
Manchester City CentreFirst and foremost a bar and nightclub, Impossible’s Instagram account is filled with a bevvy of posing beauties enjoying cocktails...
The Greyhound Ashley
TraffordThis cosy country-style pub with ample outside space to enjoy a sunny pint or two is part of the JW...
The Golden Pheasant Plumley
CheshireFull of character and history, The Golden Pheasant is a cosy village inn with real fires, dog-friendly sections inside, and...
Pot Kettle Black Angel Gardens
ManchesterPot Kettle Black is born out of owners Mark Flanagan and Jon Wilkin's time travelling (and playing rugby professionally) down...
The Angel at Hetton
North YorkshireOne of the stars of TV’s The Trip with Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan - and awarded a Michelin star...
The Rope & Anchor
TraffordRescued from the rural pub doldrums a few years back, Dunham Massey's The Rope & Anchor, close to Bowdon, Hale...
Parker’s Arms
LancashireThe Parker's Arms is a homely pub, serving and baking extraordinary, modern European food.
The White Hart at Lydgate
OldhamThe White Hart at Lydgate is a rustic dining pub with an excellent reputation and wine list. Located 700 feet...
Carnival at Escape to Freight Island
Manchester City CentreA real celebration of open fire cooking, Carnival happens around a Chef’s table where all diners have a view of...
The Cartford Inn
LancashireThis historic coaching house serves adventurous British pub food in poetic configurations. Cooking is by mushroom forager and head chef,...
Dockleaf
MerseysideDescribing itself as an urban local and claiming to have "the heart of a cocktail bar and the soul of...
The Marble Arch
Manchester City CentreThe Marble Arch is a pub. George Orwell may have named his ideal (and imaginary) pub The Moon Under Water...
The Crown & Conspirator
StockportSouth Bramhall's Crown & Conspirator is a Cheshire Pub Co gaff, so you're promised a warm welcome, an honest pint,...
Wreckfish
MerseysideLiverpool seems like an appropriate place for a restaurant funded by the people. Wreckfish was financed by 1,522 enthusiasts who...
Mary & Archie Chorlton
ManchesterMary & Archie Chorlton is a well-loved neighbourhood cafe bar, sourcing the best local ingredients for their famous 'all-day' brunch...
Borage
TraffordBorage is a very well-mannered restaurant in a well-heeled suburb. Exactly the sort of place you’d expect to find in...
Gladstone Barber & Bistro
TamesideNobody goes to the barbers expecting a roast dinner, or for that matter, a feast of home-style Palestinian food. Unless...
The Jane Eyre
Manchester City CentreThe Jane Eyre is a self-styled ‘neighbourhood bar’ offering seasonal food, classic cocktails and local beers. Presided over by Eyre siblings...
Bouchon
Merseyside"Bistro de luxe and bar" says the strapline of Bouchon, and the Parisian patio furniture and interiors resplendent in marble...
Three Little Words
Manchester City CentreThree Little Words is housed under the arches at the lesser-visited end of Watson Street, near Beetham Tower. Inside you’ll...
Gorilla
Greater ManchesterGorilla is tucked under a railway arch, it has a slightly industrial vibe but it’s comfortable for all that. The...
The Welsford Bistro
MerseysideScoffing your brekkie in Britain's largest cathedral might leave you speechless, so it's just as well you don't have to...
The Club House
MerseysidePart of The New World Trading Company stable of eateries and drinkeries, The Club House sits on the edge of...
Albert’s Schloss
Manchester City CentreAlbert's Schloss is a Bavarian-inspired fun palace of extraordinary dimensions and clever design. Behind the glistening tiles of the former...
Bread Street Kitchen & Bar
MerseysideThe sixth Bread Street (not counting Dubai, China and Singapore) has arrived in Liverpool, but it's not all sandwiches and...
10 Tib Lane
Manchester City Centre10 Tib Lane is one of the brave new openings of summer 2021; a time when securing staff and supplies,...
Ate Days A Week
Manchester City CentreIf it's a pie you're after, and especially a pie with a punning name, then you've come to the right...
Hearth of the Ram
RamsbottomHearth of the Ram offers extraordinary pub food that reinvents classic local flavours. Head here for confident cooking in a...
Masons
Manchester City CentreNestled in the Grade II Listed former Freemasons Hall, Masons Restaurant and Bar serves retro fine-dining fare in princely surrounds.
The Klondyke Club
ManchesterNo round-up of Levenshulme’s social spaces could exclude The Klondyke Club AKA The Levenshulme Bowling and Social Club. This century-old...
Elnecot
Manchester City CentreNamed after the first recorded name for Ancoats, Elnecot (meaning ‘lonely cottages’) takes its influence from historical cooking methods with...
The Workshop
MerseysideThere's not a speck of sawdust or metal swarf in sight at The Workshop, where the blood, sweat and tears...
NYL Restaurant and Bar
MerseysideMuch of the appeal of NYL Restaurant and Bar is admittedly the setting. You'll find it in the Aloft hotel...
Ma Boyles
MerseysideMa Boyles, a self-described 'ale house and eatery', has been around in various guises since the mid 19th century. As...
The Watering Can
MerseysideAt the entrance to Greenbank Park, with its lake and leafy vistas, The Watering Can offers both inside and outside...
Cork & Fork
MerseysideThere's always something going on at this bustling Allerton road wine bar, from steak night and Sunday roasts to live...
Fred’s Ale House
ManchesterLaunched in 2015, Fred’s Ale House in Levenshulme is a CAMRA award-winning, beer lovers’ haven with numerous extra benefits. There...
The Reliance
West YorkshireHead to The Reliance for Modern British dishes and homemade charcuterie in a relaxed dining room and pub, with craft...
Greens Vegetarian
ManchesterA stalwart of the Didsbury scene, Greens Vegetarian was way ahead of the game when they opened back in 1990....
Three Piggies Alehouse & Canteen
MerseysideThe Three Piggies Alehouse & Canteen looks like a transplant from a Cornish surfer town with its flaking driftwood walls,...
Proost
UrmstonHusband and wife team John and Carolyn Phillips held occasional supper clubs and appeared on Channel Four’s Too Many Chefs...
The Refuge
Manchester City CentreWinning small plate fusion in an iconic and glamorous setting. Housed in Manchester's iconic The Refuge Assurance Company dating back...
Bird At Birtle
RochdaleThe big, first-floor window at the rear of Andrew Nutter's Bird At Birtle frames the moors – and this gastropub,...
The Blackburne Arms
MerseysideLovingly renovated by born-and-bred Scouser Stephen Sinclair – formerly of Marco Pierre White's parish – and his wife Lina, the...
The Monro
MerseysideFollowing a mammoth spruce-up a few years back, The Monro touted itself as a gastropub, but it's gone back to...
Justino’s
MerseysideTaking the corner spot once occupied by Et Alia is Justino’s - a family-run Italian restaurant and bar headed up...
The Allotment Vegan Eatery
Manchester City CentreThe seeds of Matthew Nutter's fine dining adventure were sown when he set out to "make veg taste better than...
7 Steps
West YorkshireRustling up accomplished modern-meets-traditional dishes using good-quality locally sourced ingredients while also serving local ales (as well as the mixologists'...
Vincent Cafe & Restaurant
MerseysidePart of the contemporary boutique hotel of the same name, the Vincent Café & Restaurant offers a bit of everything...
Sheldrakes
MerseysideSat on the banks of the River Dee in rustic Lower Heswall, Sheldrakes was a sailing club until the river...
Sam’s Chop House
Manchester City CentreThe acclaimed and atmospheric Sam's Chop House serves British classics from a kitchen where flavour is king. Part of the...
Ox Club
West YorkshireThe Ox Club offers sumptuous, grill-based cooked from the Belgrave gang.
Hawksmoor
Manchester City CentreThe best steakhouse in the North. Opening on Deansgate in 2015, the first Hawksmoor steakhouse outside of London is a...
River North
MerseysideRiver North describes itself as a neighbourhood pub, but, with its bottomless brunches and fancy steaks, branded crockery and comprehensive...
Keiths Food & Wine Bar
MerseysideKeiths Food & Wine Bar is something of an institution, having held court on trendy Lark Lane for well in...
Hanover Street Social
MerseysideHanover Street Social is a big, buzzy bistro and bar from Paddy Smith’s Red and Blue Group, which also runs Salt...
Brasserie Blanc
TraffordBrasserie Blanc at Manchester Airport’s Marriott Hotel is more than just a place to get a quick meal before your...
The Firehouse
ManchesterFound in the former E & A Auto Services garage depot on Swan Street, Firehouse is the sister restaurant to...
Jimmy’s Liverpool (kitchen closed)
MerseysideThis glam rock and roll boozer on Bold Street is a bar, music venue, and upstairs, a restaurant. And while...
Gusto Cheadle Hulme
StockportGusto serves fresh Italian food in Cheadle Hulme and many other places. It’s part of a seemingly ever-expanding chain but...
Vero Moderno
SalfordAnother fab addition to the clutch of good, independent Italian restaurants in the city is Vero Moderno. Situated on the...
The Smugglers Cove
MerseysidePart of The New World Trading Company stable of eateries and drinkeries, and appropriately sited in the Albert Dock's foodie...
Indigo Greens
MerseysideWhen Indigo Green owners Patti Bullock and Mark Aston announced their plan to open on Queens Drive, the reaction wasn’t...
Pinion
MerseysideGary Usher's north western chain of Elite Bistros these days totals six of the stripped-back but still homely restaurants, including...
The Roebuck Inn
CheshireMulti-award-winning pub in the Cheshire countryside. Winner of countless ‘best pub’ awards, and established in 1708, the latest incarnation of...
The Green Lab DSQ
ManchesterEat clean at The Green Lab, a “lifestyle destination store” and “health and well-being life concept”, which opened first in...
Gusto Liverpool
MerseysideWith views of the water and a menu that should have something for pretty much everyone, Gusto Liverpool is a...
Thomas Rigby’s
MerseysideOf humble beginnings, Alderman Thomas Rigby came to Liverpool in 1830 – a wine and spirits dealer, he made quite...
The Bay Horse
Northern QuarterThe Bay Horse Tavern, to give it its full moniker, describes itself as "a modern take on a Victorian Pub"...
James Martin
Manchester City CentreA fine-dining restaurant inside a casino with a celeb chef name above the door? Alarm bells. Yes, James Martin has...
The Galloping Major
StockportThree-course dining in the middle of the local park - lucky are the residents of Cheadle that they have The...
The Banyan Tree
Manchester City CentreSituated on the Castlefield-Hulme border, The Banyan Tree is a neighbourhood eatery that’s much appreciated by the people living in...
Bistro Noir
Don’t let the French name mislead you - Lark Lane’s Bistro Noir doesn’t limit its food offering to just one...
Hrishi
CumbriaHrishi is the Michelin-starred British-Asian restaurant at the Gilpin Hotel in Windermere. An antidote to the chintz of other Lakes...
L’Olivetto
MerseysideThis independent family-run restaurant, owned by head chef Kevin De La Cruz and his wife Shoonagh, front of house, serves...
Gusto Heswall
MerseysideWith its sunspot terrace and twinkly olive grove interior, Gusto’s Heswall branch lives up to the chain’s reputation for making...
Hipping Hall
LancashireSince opening in 2005, Hipping Hall has become one of the most luxurious places to eat in the North (and...
HOME
Manchester City CentreOne of Manchester’s flagship buildings, HOME is many things including cinema, theatre, art gallery and, of most interest to Confidential...
Papillon
MerseysideWith its striped pink awning and corner spot on Hope Street, Papillon is one of the prettiest eating places in...
The Clarence
Greater ManchesterThe décor doesn’t stray far from the original in The Clarence - a large, comfortable pub dating back to 1905....
Mr Thomas’s Chop House
Greater ManchesterThomas Studd and his wife Sarah established their Chop House in booming Cottonopolis in 1867, and it's still going strong,...
Sixes Manchester
Manchester City CentreFollowing successful innings in London, and now also Birmingham, this Mac & Wild-owned venture is aimed squarely at the cricket...
Electrik
ManchesterElektrik is an award-winning independent bar with great coffee and a wide selection of beer, wine and cocktails. They offer...
The Pack Horse
Greater ManchesterHumbly describing itself as a "community gastropub", The Pack Horse is raking in the glowing reviews, including by food critics...
Kala Bistro
Manchester City CentreKala describes itself as a humble bistro but humility is not usually a word associated with Gary Usher, the chef...
Eagle & Child
RamsbottomThe Eagle & Child is famous for offering excellent Sunday lunches and award-winning pub grub in the hills above Manchester.
Pippin’s Corner
MerseysidePippin’s Corner is a charming, family-friendly cafe-bistro that makes the most of its handsome corner spot on Lark Lane. Head...
Rogan & Co.
CumbriaSimon Rogan is the owner of award-laden L'Enclume, and Rogan & Co. is his more casual restaurant, just around the...
The Ink in the Well
MerseysideYou can't miss the bright blue facade of The Ink in the Well on the iconic Lark Lane. This 2021...
Alderley Edge Hotel
CheshireThis new incarnation of the restaurant at the Alderley Edge Hotel delivers good Modern British food in a light, airy...
Black Market
West YorkshireBlack Market is all about serving small plates and creating contemporary takes on traditional cooking and international classics – sharing...
Erst
Manchester City Centre"Yet more small plates in Ancoats?" we hear you cry. Well yes, but trust us, Erst is worth your attention....
Panoramic 34
MerseysidePanoramic 34 was the UK's highest restaurant when it opened in 2008, and although others have since taken that title,...
The Old Stables
MerseysideThe old stable block of the leafy Allerton Manor estate is now a family-friendly restaurant offering British classics, Sunday roasts...
Nova
MerseysideNova is a longstanding favourite for those looking for creative fine-dining on the Wirral. Ran by husband and wife team...
Chez Mal Brasserie
Manchester City CentreChez Mal Brasserie Manchester sells exactly the sort of European classics you might expect from a well-thought of boutique hotel...
14 Bar & Grill
MerseysideSometimes, the clue is in the name and in the case of 14 Bar & Grill, the number refers to...
The Old Bell Inn
OldhamThis striking 18th-century coaching house overlooking the moors offers traditional charm and 18 bedrooms, while the brasserie restaurant has daily...
Hispi
ManchesterHispi is, quite simply, a great bistro. Fifth in a growing chain of restaurants conceived by Gary Usher, the concept...
The Elephant Woolton
MerseysideSubheading "pub and bakehouse", The Elephant is a Grade II-listed building (with sunny beer garden) in the leafy village of...
Slim’s
MerseysideSlim’s is an American-style diner in the heart of Liverpool's eating and drinking district (not to be confused with the...
Riva
TraffordBringing new life to Hale village is relaxed restaurant and bar Riva, which cleverly scoops up trade from morning till...
The Metropolitan
ManchesterCavernous yet cosy with its open fires, separate book-lined rooms and lots of leather sofas, wood panelling, stained glass, pot...
Zouk
Manchester City CentreZouk specialises in 'apna' - home-style cooking shot through with colour and heat from the spices and herbs. In recent...
The Gherkin
ManchesterMore than a mere bistro or coffee shop, The Gherkin is a characterful community-minded, environmentally focused space supporting local artists...
The Strawbury Duck
Greater ManchesterThe Strawbury Duck is a traditional country pub near Entwistle reservoir with a solid reputation amongst Boltonians for its home-cooked...
Hope & Smoke
MerseysideHope & Smoke, an independent ‘smokehouse, bar and grill’ on Allerton Road is a local go-to for barbecue food, burgers,...
Freemasons at Wiswell
LancashireCooking goes from strength to strength at the Freemasons at Wiswell in Lancashire's Ribble Valley. Roaring fires, cast-iron fireplaces and...
Yang Sing
Manchester City CentreYang Sing was one of the very first restaurants in the UK to offer Cantonese fine dining. Innovative chef Harry...
Trof
Northern QuarterTrof was the OG Mission Mars bar in Manchester and it’s still got ‘top Manchester night out’ written all over...
Sticky Walnut
CheshireLocated in Hoole, just outside Chester, this contemporary bistro falls under the Elite Bistros empire of chef-turned-restaurateur, Gary Usher. Having...
Victor’s
TraffordVictor's is an upscale neighbourhood restaurant. Of course it is, it’s in Hale. Locals call in for everything from brunch...
The Perfect Match
TraffordNew opening The Perfect Match on the traffic-heavy A56 in Sale isn’t the easiest place to get to but it’s...
Zara’s Hub
MerseysideQuaintly calling itself a "wine bar" on Instagram, Zara's Hub actually dabbles in a bit of everything, from a classic...
Hide Away
Greater ManchesterAuthentic Italian food is what's on the "surprise" daily-changing four-course menu at Hide Away, cooked fresh from scratch by former...
Elixir Oxton
MerseysidePromising "interesting and inspired cooking", from Wednesday through Saturday, the food at Elixir Oxton is all about good-looking small plates...
The Restaurant Bar & Grill Liverpool
MerseysideWith its six foot chandelier and gold leaf ceiling Restaurant Bar & Grill Liverpool is one of the city’s most...
5 Fifty Bistro
MerseysideFormerly known as Paul’s Place, 5 Fifty Bistro is a small, independent restaurant on Aigburth Road. It’s run by the...
Peru Perdu
Manchester City CentrePeru Perdu was originally a six-month residency restaurant at The Cotton Factory near the Village. Whether Covid or its popularity...
Gaucho Manchester
Manchester City CentreIf you like steak and you like wine, then you'd best start saving – and start starving – for a...
Blanchflower
Trafford'Create, don't curate' is Blanchflower's motto and to that end, much of their produce is made in-house.
Gusto Manchester
Manchester City CentreGusto Manchester may be the jewel in ever-expanding chain’s crown even if the food is the same everywhere from Heswall...
The Church Green
CheshireThe Church Green is Aiden Byrne's countryside pub where excellent meat comes as standard. Fifty ounce tomahawk, for example, and...
Volta
ManchesterVolta is owned by Luke ‘Unabomber’ Cowdrey and Justin Crawford - the DJ-restauranteur duo behind Chorlton’s Electrik bar, the Electrik...
The Lime Tree
ManchesterThe restaurant business is a fickle beast, so the fact that The Lime Tree has been going strong now for...
The Baum
RochdaleSituated in Rochdale’s Toad Lane conservation area, The Baum is a traditional pub that has one foot firmly in the...
Il Forno
MerseysideIl Forno’s name refers to their oven; a huge, fire-breathing head which swallows up pizza before cooking it to perfection and...
