Little I knew of how many restaurants and cafes Manchester has before I moved here. Back in Cambridge, all I could afford was going occasionally to one of those Italian chains spread through the UK. Ask, Prezzo, Zizzy, etc. So, when I moved to the North, I kept going to the same boring places. Little by little, though, I learned that there’s life away from franchises.
There are hundreds of amazing places to eat in Manchester and I can say I’m lucky that I’ve found some of the good ones. Because you don’t always have to go for the most expensive to get the nicest meal. Let me walk you through my favourite places to eat in Manchester these days.
The Mighty Mackie Mayor
I’ve got a thing for food markets. Blame it on my Spanish background. Manchester’s Mackie Mayor is my favourite by far, only followed by that food market at the bottom right of Portobello Road in London.
My favourite food at the Mackie Mayor has to be one of the Tender Cow’s steak dishes. Just yummy! Fish and chips look good, too, and I cannot recommend enough the avo toasts. The husband likes their pizza place, but I always find it kind of tasteless and in need of more cheese and, maybe, some oregano or other herbs. Try out the local beers (the pub is in the far corner, a little hidden) and don’t skip dessert. I had the loveliest lemon loaf ever!
While the main area of Mackie Mayor is bussy, the top seating area is always a little bit quiet. The corner area near the pub is the favourite spot for mums with babies and toddlers if you are looking for a quieter area.
The Pie Minister in Northern Quarter
My friend Ana told me once about this place. A little sceptical at the beginning, but then, we tried it and we just loved it. If you like British pies, this is going to be your paradise. Every visit we’ve had in the last two years or so has been taken here. No disappoints so far! Even my granny loved it when we took her to the Pie Minister, but she’s not picky with food anyway. Prices are really good (you can eat a pie with extras and grab a drink for a tenner), although the place is a little tight. Not the best place to go with kids, probably.
The Neapoletan pizza of my dreams
Last summer my friend Laura came over to spend the weekend. It was one of those rarely super sunny days we have from time to time. With the city all nicely decorated with bee figures, we started to hang around looking for the coolest bee designs. We came across this place in Peter street, right next to Albert’s Schloss, where we had planned to go for lunch.
When we saw the pizzas in the couple of tables they had outside, we didn’t think it twice and decided to give it a go. Rudy’s Pizza was simply AMAZING. Just like the kind of pizza you’d eat in Naples. One day I’ll tell you about my trips to Naples. In the meantime, take my word here. Best pizza in Manchester. A pizza and an alcoholic drink at Rudy’s come together at something like £12, which is really good, compared to the extortionate prices in Pizza Express and similar chains.
In the mood for Mexican food? El Capo is your place
My boyfriend can hardly remember the first time we came here. He had been drinking with my friend’s husband while we two were at the cinema watching Bridget Jone’s latest film. We had the worst waitress that night, though. We had to ask for our nachos twice and they close the kitchen without telling us, so it was no pudding for us (to the husband’s disappointment). They offered some shots. I was driving back home, so I refuse. Let’s just say that my husband cannot remember how he made it home.
Food, at El Capo, however, is great, so we’ve come back a couple of times with friends. It’s a large place and we are really bad at booking in advance, so this is important to us. If you love tequila, you’ll be amazed by their extensive drinks menu. Quesadillas are great. I cannot decide if I prefer the chicken or the pork quesadillas. Both were so tasty! Last time we went, though, they had a new menu without quesadillas. What on Earth? Still, food is amazing, but… I NEED those quesadillas back!
Don’t forget to order your nachos. Honestly, nachos are sooooo good here! In our latest visit, we had a variety of tacos, some of whom were very tasty, some too hot for me. Still, they cannot compare to the quesadillas I always went through in the past. I hope they take back this dish soon!
Manchester Grub, best for Saturdays
We are yet to come to the new Grub in Manchester. They’ve recently moved and we’ve just happened to be too busy to go there. It’ll be happening, soon. I had a wonderful time last time I went with my friend Rachael. We tried for the first time the amazing Oh-Mei-Dumplings and I’m now totally obsessed with this mum’s Instagram stories.
Food changes every weekend in this venue and Sundays is Vegan day. Sadly, Manchester Grub has been vandalised a couple of times already since their opening, which is a shame. Do come and visit them, if you care for the independent venues. Oh, I almost forget, and they have a great beer selection!
So, these all are my favourite places to eat in Manchester at the minute. I know there aren’t fancy restaurants. We just like to try a few different places and we don’t really care for luxury when we go out with friends. What other places in Manchester do you like to eat out?
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