With the onrush of investment since 2010, there has also been a simultaneous restaurant renaissance in the local food and drink scene, with many top restauranteurs leaving London to try their luck in the UK’s fastest-growing city. As such, there are a number of great local restaurants in Manchester, UK.
For those of you visiting Manchester, once you’ve checked the inevitable football (soccer) stadium and museum tours off your list, you’re going to want to head back to the center of town to find some of the best food you can find anywhere in the UK.
Here’s my list of top 4 places to eat in Manchester to get a unique culinary experience.
Hawksmoor
One of the first establishments to make the move from the capital to Manchester was Hawksmoor.
Widely accepted as the best steakhouse and one of the best restaurants in Manchester, the restaurant has been making global headlines for an altogether different reason after it emerged that a member of its staff had accidentally handed over a £4500 bottle of 2001 Chateau le Pin Pomerol to one lucky pair of diners.
Wine mistakes aside, this restaurant serves up some of the best steaks on the planet, prompting the Times newspaper to comment, “The meat had a depth of flavor that was almost tear-jerking.”
So if you want to eat a steak so savory that it brings tears to your eyes, this is the place to go!
Dog Bowl
This restaurant has it all. With great food, amazing cocktails and, wait for it, ten-pin bowling. Yes, you read that correctly. This is a place where you can practice getting a strike whilst you wait to be served delicious pizzas, burgers, hot dogs, and incredible salads.
This fresh concept won’t just delight your taste buds but will also act as a great place to spend your evening, given that the restaurant serves signature cocktails and offers a wide selection of beers and wines to choose from.
Whilst it’s true that ultimate foodies may turn their noses up at such an establishment, the quirkiness of the venue has proved a hit with the locals. If you want to sample a typical Manchester evening, this is the place to come.
Umezushi
For those of you who don’t already know, the British food scene is dominated by foreign cuisines. Italian, French, American, Chinese, Indian, and many others are eternally popular choices for diners here.
Sushi is not something for which Manchester is well known, making Umezushi one of the city’s best-kept secrets. Hidden away down an alley near the central train station of Victoria, you’l find this small but always packed sushi house.
All the firm favorites are there such as neat ngiri rice piles topped with freshwater eel or tightly-rolled maki cylinders stuffed with salmon and avocado.
But it’s the quality of the food that makes this establishment so popular, and that’s why the city’s other top chefs are seen eating here when they’re not on duty. For that reason, you’ll need to book ahead to stand any chance of getting a table.
Mana
For a truly unique experience, Mana offers a sustainable and exclusive dining experience. Head Chef Simon Martin worked under the tutelage of the world-famous Gordon Ramsey before leaving to set up his own restaurant.
Interesting ingredients include desiccated bark and reindeer moss on a menu that has been described as a celebration of the best of British produce. This is bourgeois dining at its finest, with a restaurant capacity of only 28 and two set menus of either 7 or 14 courses.
Diners are able to watch chefs prepare their meals in the £300,000 open kitchen before they seamlessly turn into servers, delivering your meal from pan to plate in a mere matter of seconds.
Have you eaten in these or other restaurants in Manchester, UK? Which were your favorites?
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