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Times
12 hours ago
- Business
- Times
11 of the best restaurants in Manchester for 2025
Manchester is buzzing right now, and you can feel it throughout the city. While the UK economy lags, the city's projected 2.2 per cent annual growth through 2027 is one of the fastest in the country, and with this comes an influx of culinary talent and more space for experimental, independent restaurants. When I was growing up in the leafy suburbs of the city in the Noughties, reliable but generic Italian favourites at restaurants such as San Carlo were considered the crème de la crème. Fast-forward to 2025 and the food scene has been through a significant transformation, driven by ambitious, exciting modern British cuisine and the increasing celebration of global flavours. Manchester has always thrived when it comes to fast-food concepts, such as Rudy's, whose legendary Neapolitan-style pizza is now a hit in the capital — but now there really is something for everyone. Big London names such as Dishoom and Blacklock are now here, but it's homegrown spots that are really putting Manchester on the map. To help you navigate this thriving new restaurant landscape, here's our selection of some of the best across different neighbourhoods, budgets and preferences. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue £££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for a hot fine-dining ticket If a chef has passed through L'Enclume — Simon Rogan's genre-defining, three Michelin-starred restaurant in Cartmel, on the edge of the Lake District National Park — you can bet their cooking will be meticulous and progressive. Tom Barnes, who served as head chef in the Cumbrian spot from 2014 to 2017, later honed his skills at Geranium in Copenhagen, further augmenting an already formidable pedigree. His Manchester restaurant Skof, which opened in 2024, earned a Michelin star in less than a year — and it's easy to see why. From the first bite of a Dexter beef bavette tartlet to the last spoonful of a tiramisu (a tribute to his late father), the level of precision here is striking. Flavours are vivid, naturalistic and often so deep they leave you momentarily breathless. Brace yourself. • Discover our full guide to Manchester £ | BOOK AHEAD | BAR | Best for a unique atmosphere and exploring a trendy suburb The bohemian Manchester suburb of Chorlton has a distinct energy worth exploring — independent cafés, a co-operative vegetable grocers and a laid-back creative crowd — and there are few better ways to begin than with a glass of sherry and some jamon croquettes at this lively haunt. It may not be the absolute best tapas you've ever had, but there's ample deliciousness on offer, the buzz is hard to beat, and the posters, vintage photos and tiles create a maximalist decor so charming you'll feel momentarily transported to Seville. Highlights include the garlic-heavy gambas al pil-pil and the carrilleras de ternera — meltingly soft beef cheeks in a rich sauce, pleasingly topped with crispy leeks. • The best hotels in Manchester £££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for an ethics-driven tasting menu The Manchester-adjacent town of Stockport has undergone a revival in the past decade, and it all began with this restaurant, opened in a converted coffee house in 2016. The chef-owner Sam Buckley's Nordic-inspired, hyper-sustainable cuisine delivers elemental dishes such as asparagus custard tart with raw stems and pickled nibs in elderflower vinegar, or a corn financier with crispy honey corn, corn custard and damson jam. Current menus are built around the Landing, a kitchen garden atop a nearby car park. If tasting menus aren't your thing, visit their casual offshoot, Yellowhammer, a bakery, pottery studio and café. • Best boutique hotels in Manchester £ | BOOK AHEAD | BAR | Best for dinner with a view and fine wine On the top floor of Blackfriars House, Climat offers fabulous city views and a high-end yet relaxed dining experience. The fare is a melding of British produce and a more liberal, global approach to the integrations of flavours. You might find gougeres made with an English cheese called Lord of the Hundreds, alongside cured halibut with orange and Turkish ezmesalad, and tempura asparagus with kumquat and furikake seasoning. One of the other perks here is the extensive wine list, which is award-winning and includes over 400 references, as well a specialisation in Burgundy. £££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for locavores and natural wine lovers Steam rises from the open kitchen in this minimal, post-industrial restaurant, as a vibrant, disco-driven playlist provides the soundtrack. Other than the auburn seats juxtaposed against the ivory bar, colour comes on the plates, and the cool space leaves plenty of room for the food to do the talking. The fare is ambitious. Highlighting vegetables from the restaurant's market garden, Cinderwood, as well as other British cheeses, meats and fish, what otherwise might feel like a pan-European tour presents dishes where every bite is deeply rooted in British seasons and flavours. This ethos translates into the drinks menu too, where English spirits find company among an all-star natural-wine list. £ | FAMILY-FRIENDLY | BAR | Best for families At the southern end of the metro line is Altrincham's Market House, a transformational concept that boosted artisanal food culture in the suburb and beyond. But the good news for visitors to the city centre is that Mackie Mayor in Smithfield Market Hall provides an almost carbon copy of the OG. A food hall with something for everyone, it's ideal for families due to the casual atmosphere, space for buggies and child-friendly options. You can dive into the best sourdough pizza in the city at Honest Crust — Neapolitan style, with seasonal toppings — as well as very good tacos at Pico's, and gyozas, sandos, baos and ramen bowls at Taiko, brought to the hall from the much–celebrated New Wave Ramen. @mackiemayor • Best Manchester airport hotels £ | FAMILY-FRIENDLY | Best for excellent value in a long-standing Curry Mile institution Open since 1991, this spot remains one of the few enduring Indian restaurants on the famed Curry Mile. Rebranded in the early 2010s by the late owner's sons, the updated decor's vintage Bollywood posters channel Mumbai's hipster vibe. The shorter menu now focuses on the tandoori grill, featuring must-orders such as flavour-packed lamb chops, leopard rolls (fire-kissed rotis filled with juicy seekh kebab) and rich butter chicken with tender, charred meat. There's even deliciousness for the veggies too, such as a charred broccoli tree with a pleasingly sweet and piquantmalai sauce. Don't miss the silky tarka dal, which may not come from the flames but is essential alongside any spread. ££ | BOOK AHEAD | BAR | Best for bold flavours delivered with flair When Erst opened in March 2018, there was nothing like it in Ancoats, a once industrial area with little to offer. Today, the neighbourhood is buzzing with spots to enjoy natural wine, but Erst stands out for its matured selection and consistently excellent food. The menu showcases the best of British produce, transformed with the punchier flavours of Turkey, Italy, Spain and the Mediterranean side of France. It's big-flavoured cooking delivered with a surprising lightness of touch. The grilled flatbread with beef fat and urfa chilli is a must-order standout, with rotating raw fish, pasta and grilled meat and seafood dishes to follow. Be sure to save room for dessert, as treats such as caramel flan and chocolate tart offer as much joy as the mains. £££ | BOOK AHEAD | BAR | Best for subtly impressive cooking and expertly crafted cocktails In an intriguing listed building on a central Manchester side street, you'll find some of the most quietly compelling cooking in the city. The deceptively simple menu showcases pitch-perfect technique applied to the highest-quality ingredients, served in a space of dark woods and black, steel panelling. The balanced menu changes regularly, and ranges from delicate dishes such as cured sea bream with smoked crème fraîche to heartier ex-dairy rib-eye, cooked to tender perfection. A seasonal pudding will seal the deal. Downstairs, the cocktail bar serves well-balanced drinks including the smooth Cream no Coffee — an ideal digestif after a hearty meal. • Best family hotels in Manchester £ | BOOK AHEAD | FAMILY-FRIENDLY | Best for Vietnamese food with contemporary edge There's a lot of excellent and diverse Chinese food in Manchester's Chinatown, but the most-loved restaurant in the neighbourhood happens to be Vietnamese. Finding that ideal balance between innovation and tradition — with some dishes clearly inspired by the Cantonese flavours nearby — expect dishes with a twist. Pho Cue has Vietnamese tacos and roasted char siu banh mi alongside traditional numbers such asthit kho tau (braised pork with eggs), and roasted duck spicy bun pho. On Sundays only, it offers limited portions of sumptuous lobster pho noodles, in both broth and stir-fried form. ££ | BOOK AHEAD | FAMILY-FRIENDLY | BAR | Best for a Mediterranean fantasy to escape the Manchester rain On (likely) dreary and (almost certainly) wet Manchester days, teleporting to Mykonos has its appeal. The decor at Fenix is a monochrome of cream, with guests often garbed in the same shade, surrounded by faux-olive trees, ceramic crocks and the kind of repetitive tech-house you hear on the island. Yes, it's a bit crackers, but the Greek-ish cooking is well executed and refined. To start, lean into the Greek side of the dip, such as a silken tarama adorned with trout roe. The menu caters to herbivores and carnivores alike, but one standout is the wagyu stifado — it's not particularly Greek, nor is it inexpensive, but it melts in the mouth alongside a potato puree with a butter content best left unknown. • Best things to do in Manchester• Best free things to do in Manchester
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
American man tries Full English breakfast for the first time and says one item'left him gagging'
An American man living in the UK has left Britons furious after he delivered his scathing review of a full English breakfast. Kjordy, who lives in London, has spent the last four years acclimatising to British culture, including picking up English slang and sampling some of the nation's delicacies. For his most recent gastronomical adventure, the TikToker - who describes himself as a 'mere Yank amongst Brits' - took a stab at recreating and reviewing a full English breakfast. 'About a month ago, I attempted beans on toast, and safe to say, well it could have been better,' he said in the TikTok. 'And now, I'm on a quest to perfect the next British cuisine. And after a little consultation with the most British person I know, it's time for a full English breakfast.' The influencer explained he was going to recreate the classic combination of bacon, sausage, eggs, roasted tomato, hash browns, toast, Heinz beans, and 'against my will', black pudding. His final verdict on the meal - a measly 6.5 on 10 - left many on home turf enraged as they called Kjordy out for missing staple ingredients and even leaving some parts of the food 'raw'. During his recent venture into learning more about British food, the TikToker, a self-described 'mere Yank amongst Brits', had a stab at recreating and reviewing a full-English breakfast (pictured) In the video, Kjordy bakes a pair of hash browns before cracking eggs into an oily pan. He then cooks Taste the Difference caramalised onion sausages from Sainsbury's. Next, he fried two rashers of bacon, toasted white bread, and seared tomatoes in a pan. Plating up the breakfast, Kjordy noted 'this is a lot of damn food' before tucking in. Sampling a mouthful of each of the meal's components, a pensive Kjordy nodded approvingly before delivering his review of the meal 'I see why this is so popular,' he said. 'The egg with the beans, the sausage, very heavy but very savoury.' There was, however, one ingredient Kjordy couldn't stomach - as he was immediately put off by the black pudding. Rallying himself to try the blood-based delicacy, the TikToker directed the wheel of meat towards his mouth, tearing off a nibble before taking a full bite. But it clearly wasn't love at first bite, as he appeared to gag at the taste and immediately spat out the meat morsel. 'F**k no,' he exclaimed before dashing to the sink to swill his mouth with water. There was also one thing missing according to the creator, who complained the dish was lacking 'something sweet' in a nod to his Yankee roots. 'The one thing it is missing [is] something sweet,' he said. 'There's no better combo than sweet and savoury, so having a little syrupy pancake with a bacon is... mm.' 'My final review, it's really, really good. 'I don't know how I feel about the beans and tomato with it,' he said before going on to award a fraction above average score of six and a half out of ten. Several British viewers bristled with rage, with dozens flooding the comment section with criticism. 'Black pudding isn't even that bad,' one furious commenter wrote, with another remarking that it 'needed cooking a lot more'. Many suggested that the black pudding was 'raw' and needed longer in the frying pan. One person noted: 'Black pudding is just a lovely sausage! 'Slice, fry and eat…..if you didn't know it had blood you might have found it easier to eat. 'I think the 'blood' aspect has you hating it before it reached your taste buds.' 'The one British thing I will defend is a full English,' another said. Others pointed to things Kjordy missed, with several calling for mushrooms, and others recommending he 'butter the toast' and add a squirt of HP brown sauce 'for sweetness'. 'Ketchup or HP sauce adds something sweet. I like tinned tomatoes with mine as the acidicness of the tomatoes helps contrast the grease of everything else,' they commented. One well-meaning Brit suggested the sweetness could be made up for with a 'a strong sweet cup of tea'.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Britain has forgotten its manners. Now it's every man for himself
At first glance it sounds like a terrible insult, a slap in the face of British hospitality; those pesky yanks pulling our legs and being decidedly unfunny. Gruel Britannia is an establishment in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the northeastern United States. Pop a pin on Long Island and the fictional town of West Egg, home of Jay Gatsby, wouldn't be too far away. It's a prosperous part of the New York metropolitan area, specifically at 2217 Post Road. And Gruel Britannia is, apparently, frequented by the silver foxes of Long Island Sound, no longer commuting to the metropolis of NYC. They swing by Gruel Britannia for a taste of the old country, which is not actually, as the name implies, a glorification of the culinary offerings of Dickens or the rationing years. In fact, in a room adorned with Union flags and with shelves that heave with Colman's mustard, Sarson's vinegar and Marmite, there's a dinner menu delivering prawn cocktail, mushrooms on toast and sticky toffee pudding. Come tea time, sandwiches of cucumber and coronation chicken are on offer. Some of the breakfast dishes seem lost in translation, though, in particular 'The British Breakfast Plate', which features toad in the hole, bubble and squeak, baked beans and onion gravy. One imagines a Dick Van Dyke character doing his worst cockney ('Alright, ladies and gents?') as he brings dishes to the table. But the place is actually run as an affectionate tribute to the UK. And such is its popularity that a second branch is now opening at nearby Westport. And it's at GB2, at 161 Cross Highway, that the owners are now offering a more immersive British experience, including lessons in British etiquette. As British co-owner Karen Hubrich put it this week, 'It's a de facto portal to London.' Which makes me wonder if Ms Hubrich has been to London recently, because the current state of manners on display in the UK's capital is less tea and crumpets, more marijuana puffs in your face and a stabbing. Offer someone a seat on the Tube and you'll likely be accused of ageism; open a door for people while remarking 'ladies first' and you'll be labelled a chauvinist; address a classroom of teenage kids with a 'good morning, boys and girls' and you'll be arrested for being transphobic. British etiquette has been replaced by an every man – sorry, person – for themselves attitude. On trains we must suffer the smells of other people's Asian noodles, the tinny sounds of music emanating from headphones, the horrendous din of cartoons (often the horror that is something called Grizzy and the Lemmings) playing on iPads to enraptured, brain-diminishing children and conductors addressing one another as 'mate', a plague now adopted by UK police. As a cyclist in London, I bear witness to a dramatic decline in driving etiquette, the idea of 'after you' now superseded by those at the wheel acting like they're getaway drivers in a crime caper; honking horns now making the streets of London sound more like Naples. There is no dignity offered by anyone answering the phone, be it a bank, TV or telecoms business, with British grannies being abused daily by folk demanding their dates of birth. And if you ever make it to the front of the telephone queue in an attempt to get a doctor's appointment you are promptly warned against (although it feels more like an accusation) assaulting the surgery staff. Parcels these days are less 'delivered' than hurled in one's general direction. And rather than nipping out of the room to take a call in the hall, it's considered reasonable to interrupt conversations to receive and have loud ones on a mobile, as if re-enacting Dom Joly's Trigger Happy TV man on the big phone. Dare I even mention people forgetting to take their hats off in church? Let's not forget the current state of dress in the United Kingdom, either. People think it's reasonable to go shopping as if dressed for a pyjama party; to wear shorts to the office and, worse, flip-flops. Sporting a beard is considered normal, as is the sacrilege that is bearing one's tattoos in public. Yet, elsewhere, some cling to what is left of Britain as a heritage brand; our perceived manners and sensibilities; conduct as portrayed in the black-and-white Ealing comedies. British murderers weren't drug-toting thugs but the likes of Louis D'Ascoyne Mazzini, whose mass murder of the line of succession in his family was somehow portrayed as reasonable if not rather charming. Thus Brits are employed to give lessons in manners at The Etiquette and Leadership Institute in Hong Kong and similarly at the Pria Warrick Finishing Academy in Delhi. While here at the mothership, the inhabitants of our small island are all behaving appallingly.
New York Times
20-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
Sausage Rolls, England's Favorite Pastries, Are Better Than Ever
Parceling meat into pastry is a serious, time-honored craft in England. There are pasties, pies and Wellingtons, their myriad fillings tucked inside duvets of crisp puff pastry. But perhaps no creation is as beloved as the sausage roll. Unlike a pie, which is wet with gravy and requires a fork, a sausage roll can be neatly slipped into a pocket and eaten ad hoc. Made from a mix of minced pork, breadcrumbs, herbs and spices encased in deeply tanned pastry, it's a suitable commuter breakfast, teatime snack or even pub dinner, when paired with a ramekin of hot mustard and a Guinness. Apart from during and directly after World War II, when the British Ministry of Food reduced the required meat content of sausage from 80 percent to just 30 percent, the recipe for sausage rolls hasn't varied much in the past century. The pastry, most often puff, is laminated, which requires a laborious folding and rolling process to combine the dough and butter. Herbs and spices, typically including fennel seeds, fleck the minced pork to temper its fattiness. But today's English chefs have found ways to refresh the national favorite: At Farro in Bristol, the baker Bradley Tapp uses pork and wheat from the same nearby farm, milling his flour in-house. Others are experimenting with laminating their pastry with lard, for a nose-to-tail approach. At Layla Bakery in London's Notting Hill, the pastry chef Colton Dinner fashions sausage rolls from scraps of croissant dough and, in January, he introduced a vegetarian haggis version for the Scottish celebration Burns Night. Recent years have seen a broader uptick in vegetarian fillings. Hart's Bakery in Bristol serves a plant-based sausage roll stuffed with pearl barley and mushroom, while Fortitude Bakehouse in London folds dough around spinach and feta. High street sausage roll purveyors are also following the trend. The vegan sausage roll at the fast-food bakery Greggs, which owes its deeply savory flavor to a mushroom-based paste, is so beloved that it contributed to a 58 percent increase in profits in 2019, the year it was introduced. At the bakery chain Gail's, more pastries are now filled with spinach and feta than with pork each day. While the pastries can be found from coast to coast, sausage rolls in the capital are both plentiful and varied — and their devotees are die-hard. Here, creative Londoners share their favorite spots. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Times
16-05-2025
- Times
Diplomatic storm is brewing over ‘sad' British afternoon tea
It was meant to be a display of British refinement and delicacy, a demonstration of the delights of scones, jam and clotted cream. But British diplomats in Japan have been thrown onto the defensive after indignant complaints about the quality of a traditional afternoon tea. The storm in a tea cup blew up at the Expo currently being held in the city of Osaka. Visitors to the UK Pavilion are invited pay ¥5,000 (£26) each for a 'Four Nations Traditional Afternoon Tea' featuring Welsh jam, Scottish smoked salmon and Cornish cream. But the organisers have been assailed by complaints about sloppy service and mass-produced Japanese cakes served on Swedish trays. One social media user gave vent to her frustration in a series of vivid
