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$ | City Centre |
Those who like good food at great prices head to Bakchich, a Lebanese and Moroccan street-food joint featuring a large communal table with smaller tables dotted around it for convivial or more intimate dining. On offer are delicious hot and cold meze, meshawi charcoal grills (chicken, lamb, and seafood), wraps, salads, and a small but tasty kids' menu. The nonalcoholic drink list includes fresh lemonade and smoothies.
54 Bold St., Liverpool, Liverpool, L1 4ER, England
Known For
- Middle Eastern breakfasts
- Fresh juices and mocktails
- Huge portions
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$$ | South Manchester |
Part of a small group of famously crowd-funded restaurants (yup, people liked the owner-chef's concept so much they raised money so he could open a place in their 'hood) found across northwest England, this neighborhood bistro offers ambitious dining at remarkably fair prices. In pared-back surroundings, expect the likes of pastrami-style trout with sour cream, dill, and pickled green beans or braised featherblade of beef with wild mushroom ketchup, truffle and parmesan chips, and red wine sauce, plus wonderful accompaniments including hard-to-find vegetables. Gary Usher has another crowd-funded venue in the city center, KALA Bistro.
1C School La., Manchester, Manchester, M20 6RD, England
Known For
- Great-value early dinners
- Exceptional kids’ menu
- Sunday lunch
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$ | City Centre |
An 18th-century warehouse on the edge of the Liverpool One shopping district houses this impressive Catalan fusion restaurant and deli, where you can feast on classic and creative tapas dishes. An extensive breakfast menu makes this a great place to start your day, while the children's menu tempts those with junior foodies. There's a second venue, Lunyalita, overlooking the Albert Dock, with a sun terrace.
55 Hanover St., Liverpool, Liverpool, L1 3DN, England
Known For
- Suckling pig, designed to be shared by 6 to 9 people
- Catalan breakfasts and brunches
- Deli platters to share
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$ | City Centre |
Indian street food and home-cooking are the draws at this fun and colorful spot that has lights upcycled from old birdcages and a bar created from former railway sleepers. Many of the vibrant dishes, such as the hugely popular yogurt chat bombs (crispy, filled bread puffs), are served in tiffin boxes (traditional Indian lunch containers) to charming effect. There are also great vegan, gluten-free, and kids’ menus. There's a second Liverpool branch at Water Street and branches in Manchester and around the country; founder Nisha Katona has now been awarded an MBE both for her services to the food industry and to charity (her Mowgli Trust donates more than £300,000 to local and world causes every year).
69 Bold St., Liverpool, Liverpool, L1 4EZ, England
Known For
- Innovative cocktails
- Enthusiastic, informative staff
- Handmade ice-cream cones
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$ | |
Nestled away in the trees beside Edale Station, this charming little spot has outdoor seating and cozy interiors warmed by a log-burner in the chillier months. Walker-, cyclist- and dog-friendly, it serves everything from delicious panini and fresh soups to homemade cakes and scones amid images of local spots accompanied by poems.
Station Approach, Edale, Derbyshire, S33 7ZA, England
Known For
- Warm, personal welcome
- Live music
- Nice starting/finishing point for wonderful walks
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$ | City Centre |
This stylish restaurant, charcuterie, and Campari bar—a lively take on the workingmen's canteens of backstreet Venice, known as bacaros—offers highly creative small plates. Options include croquettes, fried mixed fish, and pizzette (mini-pizzas).
47 Castle St., Liverpool, Liverpool, L2 9UB, England
Known For
- Cicchetti (sharing plates)
- Casual eating at the bar—great for solo diners
- Fabulous cocktails, some with Italian bitters
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$$$ | |
This charming restaurant with its riverside terrace serves top-notch Modern British food. The tasting menus (with or without a paired wine flight) take regional flavors and infuse them with contemporary flair.
1C Dale Rd., Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3LT, England
Known For
- Bespoke vegetarian dishes
- Alfresco dining
- Emphasis on seasonality
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Tues.
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$$$ | City Centre |
Financed by one-time Barcelona soccer legend and Manchester City FC manager Pep Guardiola, this Catalonian restaurant pulls no punches when it comes to contemporary cooking, with dishes courtesy of two Michelin-star chef Paco Pérez. The unifying overall concept is "tastets": small tastes of food with greater complexity than tapas, some cooked in a charcoal oven, including butifarra, a Catalan Duroc pork sausage. Highly theatrical, TAST is an ideal choice for very special occasions.
20–22 King St., Manchester, Manchester, M2 6AG, England
Known For
- Groundbreaking cuisine
- Quirky, dramatic presentation
- Special occasion dining
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$ | City Centre |
This glamorous spot serves eclectic global food amidst the original features of a stunning Victorian Gothic building that's been given new life as the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel. Expect dishes such as halibut ceviche with red onion, lemon crème fraïche, almond, and sumac or lamb shawarma with roasted garlic, toum, zhug, slaw, green chili, onions, and lahuhua. The bar is a beauty, too (the restaurateurs are former DJs, so think hip).
Oxford St., Manchester, Manchester, M60 7HA, England
Known For
- Sunday lunches
- Local ingredients
- Hip atmosphere
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$$$$ | |
Much-loved by food critics, this groundbreaking "New Northern" restaurant in a former coffee warehouse offers a no-choice tasting menu (£95) that depends on “the day’s catch, harvest, and slaughter.” Regular ingredients include Macclesfield trout, cured Middle White pork, and salt-baked beets in delicious combinations; much of the produce comes from the restaurant's own farm.
7 Rostron Brow, Manchester, Manchester, SK1 1JY, England
Known For
- Immense creativity
- Excellent wine flights
- Hip atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues. No lunch Wed.–Fri.
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$$ | City Centre |
Part of the same crowd-funded group as Manchester’s Hispi Bistro and KALA Bistro, this hip spot serves up seriously good modern global cuisine from an open kitchen in a once derelict building in the Ropewalks district. As with its sister restaurants, think excellent local products taken to the next level through pairings with unusual vegetables including heritage tomatoes and hispi cabbage. Breakfast is great, while Sunday lunch can be as traditional or as inventive as you like.
Slater St., Liverpool, Liverpool, L1 4BS, England
Known For
- Great value lunch and early dinner menu
- Fantastic service
- Traditional and more inventive Sunday lunches
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$ | City Centre |
Tasty Gujurat-inspired vegetarian street food lures the budget-conscious to this colorful and vivacious canteen-style restaurant tucked away in a basement on Piccadilly Gardens. Order from the bar, and watch chefs get busy in a semi-open kitchen on Indian dishes both classic and modern. There's a second Manchester branch (and a Bundobost brewery) on Oxford Street, plus a branch in Liverpool.
61 Piccadilly, Manchester, Manchester, M1 2AG, England
Known For
- Sociable Indian sharing dishes
- Local and global craft beers
- Inventive cocktails
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$$ | South Manchester |
This airy suburban dining room in a former bakery with polished concrete floors, grey walls, wooden benches, trailing foliage, and chalkboard menus is presided over by local chef Mary-Ellen McTague (who cooked under Heston Blumenthal at the legendary Fat Duck for many years). It offers southern European comfort food based on seasonal produce; think the likes of cucumber, fennel, tarragon, and ricotta salata or fazzoletti with walnut sauce.
406 Wilbraham Rd., Manchester, Manchester, M21 0SD, England
Known For
- Italian Sunday lunches
- Great kids' menu
- Airy minimalist decor
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$$ | |
Ambitious and groundbreaking, this restaurant was launched by two brothers who leapt to fame for their award-winning Marram Grass restaurant in the unlikely setting of a holiday park in Wales (the name means "Liverpool" in Welsh). Although you can dine a la carte here, the focus is really on the tasting menus (£90), which embrace sustainably sourced shellfish including Menai Strait oysters, homegrown aged pork from Anglesey, and other prime ingredients from small local producers. The atmosphere is very grown-up, with no children under 10 allowed.
Britannia Pavilion, Liverpool, Liverpool, L3 4AD, England
Known For
- Waterfront location
- Oyster bar overlooking the shared kitchen
- Innovative cocktails in Margot’s Bar
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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$ | Northern Quarter |
Located in a 19th-century market building, this food court brings together several casual dining experiences under one stunningly restored roof. Choose from sourdough pizza, ramen and bao, rare cuts of beef, tortillas, tacos and margaritas, and more, enjoyed at long shared tables. There’s a similar venue, Market House, in the market town of Altrincham eight miles southwest of Manchester city center, and another sister venue, Picturedrome, in Macclesfield just outside Greater Manchester in Cheshire.
1 Eagle St., Manchester, Manchester, M4 5BU, England
Known For
- Convivial atmosphere
- Local artisanal produce
- Fabulous breakfasts and brunches
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.
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$ | City Centre |
Tapping into Liverpool’s love affair with the sharing experience, this tiny bistro serves eclectic and inventive dishes with mainly Middle Eastern inspiration. The place—all bare bricks, upcycled furniture, and edgy artwork—takes its name from the Marais district of Paris, though it’s actually inspired more by the falafel joints of the French capital's less scenic Bastille district. There are two outposts at the Albert Dock and in the suburb of Allerton, plus a Maray in Manchester.
91 Bold St., Liverpool, Liverpool, L1 4HF, England
Known For
- Excellent vegan menu
- Member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association
- The Agent Cooper (a riff on an espresso martini)
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$$$$ | Waterfront |
For some, the waterfront and city views through the floor-to-ceiling windows of this 34th-floor restaurant might outdo the fine dining itself, but there's no denying the ambition and love that's gone into the Modern European set menus. You can also just come here to soak up that vista over afternoon tea or a cocktail.
Brook St., Liverpool, Liverpool, L3 9PJ, England
Known For
- Best views in town
- Fantastic seven-course tasting menu
- Dressed-up atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$ | |
Located in the heart of town and run by a family who fell in love with Spanish food after decades of visiting Spain, this restaurant, bar, shop, and deli offers mainly shared plates meant for a social meal. You might find deeply authentic dishes such as ensalada de Santiago with duck liver pâté and shavings of hard Mahon curado cheese or aubergine fritters with romesco sauce, honey, and fresh Valencian goats’ cheese.
George St., Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6AY, England
Known For
- Traditional Spanish flatbreads
- Build-your-own charcuterie boards
- Extensive all-Spanish wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$ | City Centre |
This no-frills but charming venue serves authentic Thai street food to a largely non-Western crowd from a small, noodle-centric menu. There's a couple of tables outdoors for warmer days, and you're free to bring in your own alcohol. It's open most evenings, but closes relatively early (7:30–9:30 pm depending on the day).
Deansgate Mews, Manchester, Manchester, M3 4EN, England
Known For
- Authentic Thai dishes
- Excellent value for money
- Sporadic closing hours
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations not accepted
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$ | |
Given the plethora of local rivals, it takes a bold establishment to claim its Bakewell puddings as "original," but those served here are among the best. The "pudding" in question is actually a dense, sugary pie with a jam and almond filling and a puff pastry crust, eaten cold or hot with custard or cream. A more common variant, the Bakewell tart, is made with shortcrust pastry, but aficionados consider the pudding to be more authentic. The cozy oak-beam dining room also turns out commendable brunch dishes, sandwiches, and main courses including a "blacksmiths' skillet" (local black pudding and farm bacon in a peppercorn sauce.)
The Square, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1BT, England
Known For
- Breakfast sandwiches
- Afternoon teas ("All Things Bakewell" includes both pudding and tart)
- On-site deli counter
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
