These venues are ideal for enjoying a lighter bite during the day in Manchester.
Undeniably there are some excellent restaurants in the city that is one of many in Europe dubbed the ‘Venice of the North’, however, what does the visitor who might like a lighter bite during the day do? Cafés are often overlooked in favour of their evening, night-out equivalents, but here we look at some of the eateries you may care to visit in Manchester during the day, most opening for business around midday with some continuing service until late in the evening.
Like any busy city centre, when offices empty for lunch, the lunchtime cafés and restaurants can become rather busy, especially for those with the luxury of an extended hour for their lunch. So perhaps a later lunch might be considered. And the fact that it is lunchtime doesn’t prevent cuisines from around the world being available.
However, like any modern, bustling city, some cafés do stand out from the crowd and are worthy of special mention. It is said by many that you can tell a good café by the queue – if people are prepared to wait, the food must be worth it.
One of the cafés always seen with a queue is Federal, with its three outlets; the Northern Quarter (opposite the Arndale Centre, Manchester's enormous shopping mall), Deansgate (the thoroughfare that is the invisible dividing line between the cities of Manchester and Salford) and Oxford Road (student land). This particular enterprise is liked by all because they serve prepared-on-the-premises, locally-sourced food and great coffee. And they can be quite magical with their egg preparation, people travelling far and wide for their somewhat legendary Eggs Benedict and Turkish Eggs.
Talking about the Arndale Shopping Centre, the food court within is one often overlooked, in particular, the highly-rated and award-winning Pancho’s Burritos, a Mexican food outlet. Along with food from around the world including Greek, Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, American, various street food variations and, of course British, there is seating available to enjoy your meal. While many may think a shopping centre simply serves food directly from the wholesale producers, you will be pleasantly surprised. It shares characteristics of the highly-regarded food court in the Suria shopping centre at the base of Kuala Lumpar’s Twin Towers.
Another café with a queue is Moose Coffee, an American/Canadian-style brunch outlet on York Street, which is behind Piccadilly Gardens on the immediate outskirts of Chinatown; they also have an outlet near the Piccadilly train station and specialise in a range of all-day American breakfasts with good coffees to match.
On the subject of street food mentioned earlier, in Piccadilly Gardens in the heart of the city is the outdoor Street Food Village, although it doesn’t provide formal seating. However, the food is fresh and wonderful, offering something for all tastes. And you don’t have the potential far eastern concerns about the water used in its preparation, as it’s Lancashire’s best tap water.
If you prefer something Italian and rather somewhat up-market, the exquisite surroundings of the L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele in King Street are for you. As expected, they specialise in pizzas and pasta, as well as typically diet-destroying desserts. It’s definitely for those who are dedicated to a filling lunch and then just partaking in a lighter snack in the evening. The interior has to be seen to be believed, and it’s very much a dining experience to be savoured and enjoyed. It does leave the regular suburban Italian restaurant at the starting blocks.
A five-minute stroll from L’Antica to My Thai on John Dalton Street is worth it for those who might care to have a Thai meal for lunch. This venue offers a staggering choice of authentically-prepared Thai dishes. Don’t expect to choose quickly, as unless you have a specific favourite, the choice is staggering, from all the usual red, green and peanut curries to innumerable house specials. There are some 50 main dishes to choose from!
The third of three cafés to always have a queue is Hampton and Vouis on Princess Street, near the Town Hall. Specialising in Mediterranean food and great coffees, it is certainly worth a queue. However, if you don’t particularly fancy queuing, do pop by all the same, as if it is too busy to accommodate you quickly, there are some five or six other cafés on the same stretch of street, including Rozafa (Greek), Piccolino (Italian) and the traditional nationwide chain pub Wetherspoons – worth it if only to say “I did it”, although in fairness, you will get a very reasonably-priced and pleasant lunch, and potentially the cheapest alcoholic drinks in the area.
The Bank on Mosely Street (between Piccadilly and the Central Library) deserves a mention for visitors who want an elegant, neoclassical 19th-century pub setting that serves up British pub food (they do fantastic fish and chips) with local real ales. Worth a visit for the surroundings alone.
There is no doubt that Manchester’s now rather iconic and somewhat very hip and cosmopolitan Northern Quarter, briefly mentioned earlier, is the ideal location as a port of call for lunch. It’s very convenient to the city centre and provides a host of dining experiences from fast food to sit-and-savour.
The range of foods on offer for lunch is possibly the best there is in one area, and is easily accessible by all forms of transport, whether public, car (but beware, car parking can be expensive) or even by bike. A brisk 15-minute walk around the quarter itself will provide plenty of choice before making your final decision. It can become rather busy at lunchtime, but if you maybe delay your lunch until the office workers have retreated back behind their PCs, you should have no trouble in getting a seat.
Shack on Back Turner Street near the Arndale is worthy of mention for the burger fanatic. It was rather tongue-in-cheekily awarded the ‘Best burgers in town’ by “some chap who likes burgers” – you have to admire British humour! However, it does what it ‘says on the tin’ but don’t expect full silver service etiquette and silk monogrammed serviettes; you will nevertheless receive a wonderful welcome and very friendly waiting staff.
Over to 33 Oldham Street, known for its famous ‘Bottomless brunch’ but be warned, this can be very filling, so don’t plan on doing anything too strenuous during the afternoon. A long walk (with your camera) afterwards is heartily recommended and it’s good honest food, served in welcoming surroundings.
Evuna, a Tapas and Spanish Restaurant on Thomas Street (again, a short stroll from the Arndale) serves a very comprehensive selection of traditional and vegetarian Tapas dishes. They also have a branch on Deansgate in the city. However, do take care when ordering Tapas, because if you over-order, it can take a toll on both your waistline and wallet.
For ‘chickenados’ – aficionados of chicken – the Yard and Coop on Edge Street is well worth a visit. It also takes you through the shopping streets of the Northern Quarter to get there and claims to be the home of speciality dish ‘Buttermilk Fried Chicken’, but their menu offers many tasty variations of the humble chicken. It’s all good, satisfying, stomach-filling food that you can’t help but enjoy.
Also worth noting is Little Aladdin a café for vegetarians and vegans, with a very much plant-based menu. It’s on High Street, again, just a short walk from the Arndale Shopping Centre. However, it’s not a big venue, so it’s probably best to have a walk-past first to check.
