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Top Picks: Restaurants in Manchester’s Northern Quarter

Struggling to pick a spot for your next meal… we’ve narrowed it down and put together our top list of restaurants in the Northern Quarter of Manchester…

A modern café interior with a mix of wooden and metal furnishings. There's a green plant wall on the back left, with a variety of seating options, including cushioned benches and chairs. Warm lighting and industrial decor create a cozy atmosphere.
Image © Foundry Project Manchester via Facebook

From the early birds through to the night owls, Manchester’s Northern Quarter is the bustling, urban heart of the city filled with people and life. Known for Afflecks Palace, as well as a number of independent record stores, cafes, bars and restaurants, it’s established itself as a ‘must see’ for those who come to visit. In particular, it offers a cornucopia of culinary delights, and with so many delicious places to choose from, we’ve made life easier for you and narrowed it down to our favourite Northern Quarter restaurants.

My Thai

A table with a variety of Asian dishes, including two white bowls of stir-fried noodles with vegetables and meat, a white bowl of savory meat with a fried egg on top, two small dishes of rice, and a plate of spring rolls with dipping sauce.
Image credit: My Thai Restaurant Manchester via Facebook

11 John Dalton Street, Manchester, M2 6WH

Just up on Tib Street, My Thai offers a great range of authentic Thai street food without breaking the bank. The flavours at this Northern Quarter restaurant are plentiful and they aren’t afraid to hold back on the spice, so whether you’re looking for a light lunch or a dinner that leaves your trousers straining, this is not to be missed. Overwhelmed by the choice? The Garlic and Pepper Spare Ribs or Crispy Tofu will get your meal off to a flavoursome start. Follow that with the Massaman Curry or the Tamarind Duck and with one bite, you’ll find it hard to believe you’re not on the streets of Bangkok itself.

The Foundry Project

Three different pizzas are arranged on a wooden surface with a pizza cutter nearby. One pizza has toppings like corn and greens, another features pepperoni and meat, and the third has an egg in the center with additional toppings. Two shakers are visible on the side.
Image credit: Foundry Project Manchester via Facebook

22-10 Thomas Street, Manchester, M4 1DH

Proclaimed as the ‘happiest place in Manchester’, from their late night cocktails to meals designed to cure the heaviest of hangovers, The Foundry Project has it all. From a restaurant with drool inducing choices to a Basement Bar where you can enjoy some mouth-watering cocktails this northern quarter gem is a must. Special mention goes to their Hangover Pizza, featuring glazed smoked bacon, fried egg, onion jam, buffalo mozzarella and hot sauce. The best kind of brunch is the bottomless kind, and with the choice of a main and unlimited Prosecco, Bellini’s, Mimosas or Bloody Marys, it would be rude to refuse. It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee… and the eggs, and the bacon, and the toasted sourdough…

Yard and Coop

A colorful spread of food on a yellow table, featuring crispy fried chicken with seasoned fries, a plate of loaded fries with toppings, another plate with fried food garnished with a pepper, and a glass of a vibrant red drink.
Image credit: Yard & Coop via Facebook

37 Edge Street, Manchester, M4 1HW

Ask anybody where you can find finger lickin’ (buttermilk drenched) fried chicken, and Yard and Coop is a name that you’re bound to hear time and time again. With a choice of breast, thigh or drumstick, be it with Chilli Mayo or their signature Bee's Knee's hot sauce, when it comes to customising your chicken you’re spoiled for choice. To accompany, grab their dirty fries, loaded with a combination of cheese and BBQ sauces, or choose from a range of their sides, including curried ‘Caulibombs’, Halloumi Nuggets or Baby Blue Salad. And for those that are vegan, they have introduced their ‘Veganuary' menu in collaboration with ‘Temple of Seitan’. Take if from them - when it comes to fried chicken, they don’t cluck about.

Cottonopolis

A wooden table with two plates of food. The blue plate on the left holds neatly arranged slices of seared meat garnished with herbs. The round black plate on the right contains slices of salmon sashimi garnished with radishes, microgreens, and a purple flower.
Image credit: Cottonopolis Food & Liquor via Facebook

16 Newton Street, Manchester, M1 2AE

At the peak of Manchester’s popularity in the clothing trade, the city was often referred to as ‘Cottonopolis’. Located on the same streets where these mills once stood, Cottonopolis Food and Liquor is a Japanese inspired restaurant and bar. Splitting their menu into ice, fire, steam and oil sections, it has quickly becomes a firm favourite of the quarter, with such signature dishes as their Katsu Chicken, Tiger Prawn Tempura and the Pork Bao Buns. They also have a number of smaller, side dishes, such as Pork Harumaki Spring Rolls, Miso glazed Roasted Aubergine and Wagyu Beef Skewers, allowing you to have your pick of the bunch. They are also known for hosting weekly events, to check out what’s next for Cottonopolis click here.

V-Rev

A close-up of a juicy burger held in a hand. The burger includes a shiny, toasted bun, melted cheese, crispy onion strings, and two thick beef patties. The wrap around the burger is made of silver foil. The background is colorful and slightly blurred.
Image credit: V Rev Vegan Diner via Facebook

20-26 Edge Street, Manchester, M4 1HN

The word ‘Vegan’ can evoke a lot of preconceptions and questions, but V Rev is there to bust all of those myths. Just one of the myriads of vegan and vegetarian restaurants that the city has to offer, V Rev prides itself in its choice of vegan comfort food, including meat-free hot dogs, burgers and hot wings. Their menu gives you plenty of choice, from their Jalapeno Poppers, offering you a starter with a bit of a kick, to their ‘Buffalo The Vampire Slayer’ Hot Dog, loaded with cheddar, mac and 'cheez', ‘baecon’, buffalo sauce and garlic breadcrumbs, there really is something for everybody.