Cool Places To Eat & Drink In Manchester In 2024

Manchester is effortlessly cool: the Northern Quarter street art, the hipster cafes, the locals not flinching – or even putting up an umbrella – in the pouring rain. Why should the restaurants be any different? There are countless cool places to eat in Manchester, some of them old favourites.

Since Manchester is such a blend of cultures, you’ll find every cuisine under the sun. Armenian? Got it. Korean? Completed it. Polish? Of course!

The food in Manchester suits a range of budgets. From cheap eats in Manchester to fine dining, you’ll find something to tempt your tastebuds whether you’ve got £5 or £500.

Coolest areas to eat in Manchester

• Northern Quarter – full of independent businesses, this creative quarter of Manchester has been hip for years now. Lots of cool Manchester restaurants can be found in the NQ, along with speciality coffee roasteries and speakeasy-style bars.
• Ancoats – this is THE place to watch. A few years ago, there wasn’t much in this canal-side neighbourhood but it’s now been gentrified with cool brunch cafes like Trove and Pollen. It’s even been voted one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods!
• Chorlton – in the south of Manchester, this is one of the poshest neighbourhoods and, as a result, there are plenty of happening places to eat and drink.
• Altrincham – further south still is Manchester’s other posh neighbourhood. Don’t miss Alty Market and the cool cafes on Shaw’s Road.

Cool restaurants in Manchester

Here are the coolest places to eat in Manchester for 2024…

Albert Schloss is not a new kid on the block: it’s been around for years, remaining one of the coolest restaurants in Manchester to this day.

This Bavarian-style beer cellar has an enormous range of pilsner beers (bottled and on tap) as well as authentic German beer hall classics. Start with soft, salty pretzels with alpine cheese and move onto mains like schweinshaxe, wild mushroom spatzle and chicken schnitzel, all with fancy touches like parmesan mayonnaise and sage butter.

The Bier Palace is a vibey place to be in the evenings when cocktails flow and cabaret shows go on until late. There’s nowhere else in Manchester – or anywhere else that I know of – quite like this!

Where: 27 Peter Street.

The interior of Ciaooo Pizzeria isn’t anything to write home about (in fact, they’re probably due for a refurb) but its reputation as one of the city’s best pizzerias secures it a spot as one of the coolest places to eat in Manchester. The ‘grammable oil syringes inside balls of burrata are #InstaGoals.

Enormous calzones and desserts like Sicilian pistachio mousse are also on the menu. However, there’s no bliss quite like the garlic bread. Melted cheese layered on perfectly risen dough, is this Italian heaven?

Where: 62-64 Swan Street.

This cool restaurant in Manchester’s Northern Quarter gets busy from 9am and stays that way throughout the day and evening. If you see a long line of people (usually sheltering under umbrellas) on Hilton Street come Saturday morning, rest assured they’re trying to get a seat at Ezra & Gil.

There’s a huge brunch menu ranging from your standard egg and avo combos to more unusual dishes like lemon cheesecake French toast, and chorizo and sweet potato hash. From 12pm, they also serve poke bowls and Italian pasta dishes like ravioli, rigatoni and linguine.

It’s a bright, airy restaurant with big tables for groups as well as window bars for pairs and solo diners.

Where: 20 Hilton Street and 49 Peter Street.

Cool food courts in Manchester

In addition to the cool restaurants in Manchester, a plethora of food courts have recently opened. Each one has a distinctive look and feel, plus the food is prepared by some of Manchester’s best businesses.

They all operate in the same way: scan the QR code on your table, access the menu, place your order and pay on your phone. Your food and drinks will be brought to your table.

If you’re looking for cool places to eat in Manchester, check out the following food courts for lunch or dinner…

Mackie Mayor

In the 7 years since it’s opened, Mackie Mayor has quickly become the most famous food court in Manchester. Inside a Grade II listed building dating back to 1858, it’s visually impressive with a sociable vibe and plenty of food options.

The only problem? Choosing between ramen and bao buns at New Wave Ramen, tacos at Eat Picos, pizza at Honest Crust and sustainable seafood at Fin Fish Bar. Help!

Where: 1 Eagle Street, on the edge of the Northern Quarter.

For a cool place to eat in Manchester city centre, get yourself to Society food court beside Barbirolli Square. Unlike the grand setting of Mackie Mayor and the adorable atmosphere of Mala Secret Garden, this place is straight-up hipster: modern with a warehouse feel and neon signs.

I ordered the honey-garlic Korean fried chicken with a side of kimchi mandu (dumplings) from Yoki Social Table and I’ve heard great things about the burgers from Slap & Pickle.

Where: Basement, 100 Barbirolli Square.

When: I visited for lunch on a Tuesday when it was VERY quiet (but great for a makeshift co-working space). For a lively atmosphere, visit during evenings and weekends.

Altrincham Market

As one of the coolest (and most expensive) suburbs of Manchester, of course Altrincham has some stylish food options.

Unlike the many food courts listed above, the Makers Market is Manchester’s long-standing outdoor food market, rotating between different locations on weekends. Pay in cash or with card.

With giant meaty, cheesy toasties and delicious Sicilian cannoli (among other fantastic independent businesses), the Makers Market is a cool place to eat in Manchester with affordable prices. My pulled pork Cubano toastie was just £6.50 and my cannoli was £3. Bargain!

Where: Catch the market on the second Sunday of the month in the Northern Quarter and during the last weekend at MediaCity.

Dusk Til Pawn

My sister and I were on the hunt for entertainment one rainy Saturday and a quick Google Maps search for ‘cocktails’ took us to what looked like a pawn shop selling broken TV and jewellery. What the..?

The front is simply a facade. Nip through the door and you’ll be inside one of the Northern Quarter’s coolest cocktail bars, Dusk Til Pawn. With red brick walls, dark wooden furnishings and moody lighting, this intimate bar has a cosy, secretive feel.

Drinks aren’t cheap; we paid €9.50 for espresso martinis but I can’t deny they were excellent.

Where: Stevenson Square.

El Capo is known as a cool place to eat in Manchester but so far I’ve only visited for drinks. This tequila and mezcal bar in the Northern Quarter is decked out with Mexican details like crosses, skulls, La Catrina imagery and a large screen showing the Day of the Dead parade scene from the 2015 James Bond film, Spectre.

Drinks-wise, they serve all your regular cocktails, Mexican beers and a few different margs: original, coronita (mixed with beer), frozen margs and giant sharing ones. I haven’t tried the food but I know they serve tacos, nachos and burritos with meat, seafood and veggie fillings.

Where: 12 Tariff Street.