Cool and quirky places to eat in Manchester
Whether you’re visiting Manchester for an event or staying overnight for the weekend, or you’re a local looking for somewhere new to eat, we’ve got some cool and quirky restaurants for you to try.
Manchester is an international city, so prepare to choose from several different cuisines from around the world, all without leaving Lancashire. We’ve gathered the finest Chinese, Japanese, Italian, French, Mexican, Spanish and pan-Asian restaurants, take-out places and street food vendors we can find, so you always have somewhere great to eat in Manchester.
Highly recommended by critics and customers alike, these Manchester eateries are perfect for a leisurely lunch date or an evening meal, or even grabbing something to take back to the office.
Tattu (Chinese)
This contemporary Chinese restaurant mixes it up. Traditional Chinese cuisine meets a very modern kitchen, and the result is absolutely delicious.
It’s also a stunning place to dine, with beautiful lighting design, cherry blossom trees and ropes draped stylishly around the place. Indeed it has more in common with a theatre set, at first glance, than a restaurant.
The same attention to detail is carried through the food, which Tattu describe as a sensory journey from East to West.
Rudy’s Neopolitan Pizza (Italian)
With two restaurants in Manchester alone, you’ve got no excuse to miss a visit to Rudy’s.
It’s an unpretentious place with a good solid pizza menu including all the favourites you’d expect – margherita, marinara, carni etc. But there are some lovely extras thrown in.
Fresh fennel and orange segments in the salad? Check. Extra artichoke? They can do that. Tiramisu made fresh every single day? Not a problem.
And if you’ve ever visited Italy and pined over the lack of affogato to finish off your meal, you’re in luck, because they do it here.
Teppanyaki (Japanese)
Right in the heart of Chinatown, this heritage Japanese restaurant has been open since the 1980s.
But that’s not the main attraction when visiting this restaurant. Instead, it’s the theatrical style of cooking, with naked flames and expert flourishes, right in front of your eyes.
Chefs will prepare your food at your table, so you get some dramatic and unique entertainment as well as deliciously authentic Japanese food.
Wahaca (Mexican)
If you prefer bright and buzzing to dark and mysterious when it comes to dining out, Wahaca is your kind of place.
This outstanding Mexican restaurant has a decor that’s as fresh as its Quesadillas. Set over two floors, there’s so much to look at all over the walls that you’ll have trouble keeping your eyes on your food.
The menu comprises sharing plates, big plates and nibbles too, so you can scale your order to your hunger level (and how generous you’re feeling).
There’s also a cocktail bar where you can enjoy all your favourite drinks but with an extra Mexican twist.
Iberica (Spanish)
Transport yourself to chic modern day Spain with a visit to this tempting tapas restaurant.
With its warm red decor and two outdoor terraces, it’s designed to make you feel like you’re under the Spanish sun even though you’re actually in Spinningfields.
There’s a selection of Spanish wines to choose from as you nibble on your tiny tapas plates, or if you’re feeling more hungry you can order main dishes – including paella of course.
There are even takeaway options so you can grab something to eat on the go, they’ve really thought of everything.
63 Degrees (French)
This modern French restaurant is very specifically Parisian in origin, and was founded by the Moreau family.
It’s named after the perfect temperature at which to serve coffee (in celsius of course), so you can bet their coffee will be one of the very best cups in the whole of Manchester.
But more than that, 63 degrees is the temperature at which Eric Moreau cooks everything on the menu, because he swears it’s the very best way to prepare.
And his customers would have to agree, giving it almost five stars at every single opportunity – not only for the food, but the atmosphere and the service too.
Peck and Yard (pan-Asian)
Another restaurant that’s rated incredibly highly by its customers, Peck and Yard serves pan-Asian food but with a specific focus on chicken.
They call themselves Manchester’s first pan-Asian chicken shack, and we’ve absolutely no reason to doubt their claim to that title.
Bringing together traditional fried chicken with homemade Asian sauces, they’re cooking up a storm in Chorlton with this entirely new type of Mancunian street food.
It’s moderately priced, more expensive than your average fried chicken outlet you might visit at the end of a lively night out, but it’s worth the extra cost for the quality and care that goes into the finished and totally unique product.
Want more info on Manchester? Try reading this Seasonal guide to Manchester
