Manchester, Liverpool, and the Peak District Restaurants

Dining options in Manchester and Liverpool vary from smart cafés offering Modern British, Continental, or global fare to world-class international restaurants for all budgets. Manchester has one of Britain's biggest Chinatowns, and locals also favor the 40-odd Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Indian restaurants along Wilmslow Road in Rusholme, a mile south of the city center, known as Curry Mile.

One local dish that has survived is Bakewell pudding (never called "tart" in these areas, as its imitations are elsewhere in England). Served with custard or cream, the pudding—a pastry covered with jam and a thin layer of almond-flavor filling—is a real joy of visiting Bakewell.

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  • 1. Hispi Bistro

    $$ | 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
    0161-445–3996

    Known For

    • Great-value early dinners
    • Exceptional kids’ menu
    • Sunday lunch
  • 2. TAST

    $$$ | 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
    0161-806–0547

    Known For

    • Groundbreaking cuisine
    • Quirky, dramatic presentation
    • Special occasion dining

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
  • 3. The Refuge

    $ | 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
    0161-233–5151

    Known For

    • Sunday lunches
    • Local ingredients
    • Hip atmosphere
  • 4. Where the Light Gets In

    $$$$

    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
    0161-477–5744

    Known For

    • Immense creativity
    • Excellent wine flights
    • Hip atmosphere

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues. No lunch Wed.–Fri.
  • 5. Bundobost

    $ | 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
    0161-359–6757

    Known For

    • Sociable Indian sharing dishes
    • Local and global craft beers
    • Inventive cocktails
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  • 6. Campagna at the Creameries

    $$ | 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
    0161-312–8328

    Known For

    • Italian Sunday lunches
    • Great kids' menu
    • Airy minimalist decor
  • 7. Mackie Mayor

    $ | 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.
  • 8. Siam Smiles

    $ | 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
    07702-741759

    Known For

    • Authentic Thai dishes
    • Excellent value for money
    • Sporadic closing hours

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations not accepted
  • 9. Wood

    $$$$ | City Centre

    The first opening by former MasterChef winner Simon Wood, this scene-setting restaurant in the pedestrianized First Street arts and leisure complex serves up high-end, creative British tasting menus from an open kitchen. Think adventurous ingredients such as red deer, Douglas fir, and crapaudine beetroot combined with modern takes on traditional dishes like neeps and tatties (Scottish mash).

    Jack Rosenthal St., Manchester, Manchester, M15 4RA, England
    0161-236–5211

    Known For

    • Meat-heavy menu
    • Multicourse tasting menus
    • Wonderful staff

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues. No lunch Wed. and Thurs.

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