We’re certainly not stuck for choice of places to grab a bite to eat across Greater Manchester.
But under Tier 3 rules as part of the UK government’s new three tier restrictions scheme introduced with the intent to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), hospitality businesses in Greater Manchester that do not sell “substantial meals” – are not permitted to operate.
This sadly means that many of our favourite local hangouts have have had to close doors for the time being.
Luckily though, there’s still plenty of independent and Manchester-based eateries open right across the city centre and beyond that are in need of our support more than ever, and are ready to welcome us with open arms.
Some of them are even offering a range of discounts too – or “substantial meal” deals, shall we call them – and they’re worth making the most of when you can.
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Here’s a rundown of our top picks for places to head on over to in the coming weeks.
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Banyan
Spinningfields
You can still book a reservation for cocktails at Banyan, but in line with government guidance, you’re now asked to order something to eat with your drinks too, so the bar and restaurant has launched a new £3.50 menu, so you can have a great value meal without breaking the bank and still enjoy beautiful 2-4-1 cocktails.
There’s a great ‘Early Bird’ deal happening at The Pen & Pencil between 5-7pm on Tuesday – Friday, and you can order a delicious New Yorker Chicken and a drink for only £15, as well as so much more.
You can still keep the drinks flowing with the Three Course Bottomless Dinner at Revolucion de Cuba.
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For £39 per person, per two-hour slot on Monday – Thursday, you can start with tortilla chips & guacamole, then choose from a selection of mains and desserts, all whilst sipping on unlimited drinks, which include Prosecco, Mahou Lager, house wine, Cuba Libre, and Amour Cubana.
This must be booked in advance and reservations can be made here.
Hideout Lounge & Grill
INNside Hotel – First Street
Hideout Lounge & Grill’s new “substantial meal” deal means you can buy a bottle of prosecco for £29.95 and get yourself a two course meal for free between 5pm-8pm on Sunday – Thursday.
There’s still plenty of fun to be had at Roxy Ballroom and those with a gaming booking can also pre-book a pizza and a drink for the discounted price of £12 through the very same booking system.
The ‘Eat Out to Drink Out’ deal at Albert’s Schloss means you can order a range of ‘Bier Food’ items – which are slightly lighter versions of the classic Cook Haus dishes – all day from Monday – Friday and pair it with a drink for just £12, two drinks and a meal for £16, or push the boat out with three drinks and dinner for £20.
The Albert’s Schloss x Rudy’s Neapolitan Pizzeria Bottomless Brunch is also taking place every Saturday and Sunday throughout November.
YES is now serving its brilliantly-named ‘Doner Summer Kebabs’ for just £5 at lunch time, plus you can also take your pick from the wide selection of pizzas, either in full, or by the slice.
Despite serving up full 22″ pizzas and slices – the largest in Manchester, in fact – Nell’s Pizza in Common was originally told by authorities last week that its pizza slices alone were not “substantial” enough. Luckily enough however, the police has now made a U-turn on the decision, meaning slices do count as a meal.
Cult-favourite wing joint Bunny Jackson’s is now offering bottomless wings and fries – with booze – every single day, meaning you can feast on as many wings as you can manage (House BBQ; Buffalo; and Classic), with chips on the side and a choice of house lager, frozen cocktails and flavoured Lambrini.
There’s a great meal deal currently on offer at Cane & Grain where you can buy one dish with one drink for £6.50, two drinks for £10.50, or three drinks for £14.50, and on top of that, you can also grab yourself bottomless wings, ribs and booze for £25 per 90 minutes.
Another impressive 50% off food on Mondays is also up for grabs at The Bay Horse Tavern, as well as a bottomless brunch offer on Saturdays and Sundays where you can sip on Prosecco, Bloody Mary’s, Irish Coffees, Wine, G&T’s, or Beer along with your meal for £27.50 per person per 90 minutes.
If you don’t fancy a full feast, then there’s an excellent offer of a completely plant-based sharing board accompanied by bottle of wine for just £25 at The Allotment Vegan Eatery.
Another great “substantial meals” deal at The Shack Bar & Grill means you can grab a meal and drink for £10, or two drinks for £14, and three drinks for £17, including beer, wine and all your favourite cocktails such as Pornstar Martini, Vimto Daiquiri and Frozen Margarita.
Crazy Pedro’s alternative ‘Bottomless Brunch’ means you can tuck into unlimited slices of pizza, beer, Prosecco and Frozen Margs too for £25 per person when you book your 90-minute slot between 11am – 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays only.
No drinks are off limits in Turtle Bay’s ‘Bottomless Brunch’ deal, which means you can have your pick of the full cocktail menu to accompany your meal for just £27 per person at both Manchester venues.
There’s a bunch of different offers to make the most of at TNQ, including the Happy Monday & Thirsty Thursday £35 per person deal, the ‘Express Menu’ with the option to add bottomless house drinks for £10, and also the multi-course award-winning Sunday Roasts too.
Mecanica is open for all your “substantial meal” needs and is running Cocktail Beer Ramen & Bun food all night, alongside a fantastic range of deli meats and cheese boards, and dessert boards from Slattery too, which can be paired with a delicious cocktail, an expertly-selected bottle of wine, or even a pint of Guinness.
Opening hours have been until 10pm, but you just need to make sure your food is ordered before 9pm.
There’s an impressive selection of small dishes at just £7.50 to graze on as accompaniments to your choice of drinks at Dive Bar & Grill, which are all served until 9:15pm.
The fun doesn’t just stop in the city centre, so here’s some of our picks for places to hit up in the suburbs and boroughs of Greater Manchester this weekend too.
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KBK
Ancoats
Renowned health food kitchen KBK in Ancoats has an extensive small plates menu if you don’t fancy a full feast, and is also operating with extended evening opening hours too.
There’s plenty of mouthwatering dishes on the menu at Astoria Bar & Restaurant – as well as weekday Happy Hours and 2-4-1 cocktails – but if you just fancy keeping it simple, you can tuck into a sandwich or wrap with wine for only £9.
Folk in West Didsbury and Prestwich has taken “substantial meals” to a whole other level with specially-dedicated menu featuring a wide array of dishes available daily from 12pm – 9:15pm starting at just £4.75.
As well as an extensive small plates menu to take your pick from, there’s also a ‘Boozy Bao’ offer currently available at The Boiler Room, which sees you get Bao, Fries + Bottomless Cocktails/Beer for £25 per person per one and 1/2 hour slot.
You can take your pick from any pizza and a Peroni/wine for just £9.50, and any pizza and a pint for £11.50, or share any pizza and two cocktails for just £20 instead.
There’s a brand new Happy Hour deal on offer at Bario in Chorlton, where you can tuck into two tacos, a tequila and a beer for just £10, and it’s available every Monday – Wednesday from 5-8pm.
How does 50% off found every Monday sound? Not only that, but you can also grab yourself any burger and a pint for just £7.95 on Fridays too at Into the Woods.
There’s an incredible 20% off ‘curfew deal’ going on at Drip in Bury – which simply sees you get 20% off your full bill – and it’s there to take advantage of every day of the week, so it’s not one to miss. Not only that, but you can also make the impressive £19.95 Afternoon Tea bottomless too.
Reservations must be made in advance and you can book your table here.
Eats
The lost but still much-loved Greater Manchester food and drink spots that Mancs miss the most
Danny Jones
Unfortunately, these days, it feels as if we read about another place closing across the Manchester boroughs almost every week at this point – in fact, many of you might find out about those very closures right here on The Manc.
But, like anyone, we often just sit thinking back on some of our favourite bars, restaurants, takeaways and more that have sadly closed over the years.
10 of the most missed restaurants, bars, cafes and clubs in and around Manchester
1. Danish Food Centre
Starting off with the one we saw the most in the comments is the Danish Food Centre on the shopfront of the Royal Exchange on Cross Street, before sadly closing during the mid-1980s.
Exactly what it sounds like, this old Scandinavian spot first opened back in 1965 and was even known for a traditional sarnie known as ‘The Danwich’, as well as an interior lounge dubbed ‘Copenhagen Corner’.
That being said, many people used to nip here on their dinner break, to meet friends for lunch and a brew, or even to buy things to take home. It was eventually shut down by the Danish government, and we still envy those who got to experience it; still, without the original, we’d never have the likes of KRO Bar.
2. Horts/Ronnie’s Cafe Bar
Another one that popped up plenty in the long list of replies was Horts that used to sit on St. Ann’s Square and the attached Ronnie’s.
The former was more of a wine bar and the latter your standard cafe, but together, they were an ideal city centre favourite that served locals day and night.
By the late 80s, both had sadly disappeared, but people still reminisce about “the grand piano sat under a gorgeous glass dome” and how much they “loved the comfy leather Chesterfield sofas.”
Also up there in the trio of most-mentioned places below the post was the legendary Dutch Pancake House – no, not the one that rears its head at the Manchester Christmas, but at least you can still look forward to your annual fix.
The one we’re talking about was the busy corner of Elisabeth House (now 1 St Peter’s Square), which served a giant menu of sweet and savoury pancakes.
We lost it in the 2000s after developers bought the building, and lots of people are still angry about it.
Number four is Blinkers French and Bistro, which held that border between Salford and Manchester, and was owned by Cheshire-based millionaire, Selwyn Demmy.
The Wilmslow-born businessman may have been known for his famous ‘Hunter’s Moon’ in Wilmslow, but he was also the man behind the bar, restaurant and club which used to be on King Street West.
Before that, it was called the Le Phonographe, and it’s also not to be confused with the modern-day Blinker Bar now serving up top-notch cocktails over on Spring Gardens. By all accounts, it was a real ‘if you know, you know’ kind of gaff…
Next up is the old Grinch bar and grill, which used to be on Chapel Walks just off Cross St, and sadly closed back in 2016 after more than two decades.
More than a few Mancs said they “loved” either visiting and/or working here back in the day, and another cited that “their fried chicken was amazing”.
There’s plenty still open around there these days – including the likes of 10 Tib Lane, New Wave Ramen and the ever-reliable Town Hall Tavern – but evidently, there’s still plenty that really miss it. These days, it’s a pretty good Korean place called Annyeong.
6. Dry Bar/’Dry201′
This next one is a location that does still exist and is technically still a very busy bar most evenings, weekends and sunny afternoons if you can get a seat in the window.
However, many will argue that nothing quite compares to the old Dry Bar, a.k.a. Dry201/’FAC 201′, over in the Northern Quarter.
Nowadays, it’s home to the new and improved Freemount, which moved from its previous venue on Oldham Street; nevertheless, countless people still recall the watering hole in “the original format” as one of the best bars in town.
Their social presence still exists. (Credit: Dry Bar via Facebook)
7. UCP
One we’ve heard tales of now and again over the years, but still slightly wince whenever we hear the full name. In case you’re unaware, UCP is an abbreviation of United Cattle Products, which was the name of a company that had a big presence here in Greater Manchester.
To be fair, it was a pretty familiar brand across the region and the North as a whole, but their flagship four-storey shop over at Market Street/Pall Mall was the go-to place for lots of meat products.
We’ll say it, one of the main things people would go there to seek out was that word that still makes lots of people squirm: tripe – but remember, for generations this was a very common ingredient in various meals and for some, still is.
8. Croma
Ok, this one is more of a recent one that we’re sure lots of you still remember like it was yesterday, because in relative terms to most of this list, it kind of was.
Croma in Manchester city centre shut in 2022 after the pandemic, their Didsbury restaurant closed by March 2023, and the Chorlton site followed suit just last year.
However, we still maintain we’ve had some of our best pizza nights in these places.
For our/your penultimate pick, a fair few people noted Henry’s, which also lay claim to being Manchester’s ‘first’ cafe bar back in the day – that, of course, is still up for debate.
The group behind this brand opened up a venue in our city centre back in 1986, near Parsonage Gardens, but only made it to 2007 despite remaining fairly popular for a long time.
It went on to be replaced by another chain in Revolution; however, they are also closing locations all across the UK. Gutting.
It was arguably better known in London, such as in Mayfair. (Credit: Ewan Munro via Flickr)
10. Cornerhouse
Last but not least, the legacy of the Cornerhouse cinema needs no explanation, really, but there’s a lot to be said for the lasting love lots of people had for their memories made in there and the joint bar next door, quite literally spitting distance away.
Still sitting like a bittersweet reminder on the (you guessed it) corner leading up to Oxford Road Station and Whitworth Street, the theatre itself is home to little more than gig posters and an ever-changing rotation of murals these days.
However, you will be glad to know that the bar and visual arts centre across the road is still Manchester Metropolitan’s Arts, Culture and Media Hub, so it’s still alive in some fashion.
We (well, I*) couldn’t wrap up this round-up without paying tribute to one of the best places this city has ever seen, let alone just NQ.
It might not be right at the top of your dream revival list, but we’re sure plenty of you will agree that, for a period of time, CBR+B was the place to be.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Dry Bar (via Facebook)
Eats
The ‘secret’ cash-and-carry near Piccadilly that’s selling amazing Italian food for less than the supermarkets
Daisy Jackson
We all know the pain of finally settling on what you want to eat for dinner, only to Google a recipe and discover a list of ingredients that your local Tesco definitely won’t have in stock.
‘Where the f*** am I going to get guanciale from at this hour?’, you think.
Well, just a stone’s throw from Manchester Piccadilly, you’ll find a cash-and-carry that’s an Aladdin’s cave of Italian food – and a damn sight cheaper than a supermarket, too.
Amato is a name you might recognise, with their grey vans regularly trundling around Greater Manchester delivering top Italian produce to all your favourite restaurants.
But you don’t need a wholesale membership to take advantage of their massive range of pastas, sauces, drinks, meat, cheese, and just about everything else you can think of – or to make the most of the prices either.
Amato has given up a small section of its 20,000 sq ft warehouse to be a retail space, where you can pick up everything from fresh filled pasta to truffle oil.
There’s also a selection of produce from beyond Italy, like Kewpie mayonnaise and gochujang.
Part of the huge warehouse operates as a retail spaceBob Amato started the business more than 30 years ago
And they’ve honoured the prices given to wholesale clients too, with smaller retail sizing, meaning you can pick up affordable produce without needing to bulk-buy (or lug home a 25kg bag of flour).
The business was launched by Bob and Deloras Amato more than 30 years ago, getting top Italian ingredients to chefs across the North West.
But the retail side has really taken off since the Covid pandemic, Bob explains.
“It’s a bit of a secret place,” he says, “As we don’t tend to advertise it too much.”
It all began (as so many local businesses did) back in 2020.
He says: “During the pandemic, as we’re a wholesaler, we realised there was a big demand for flour, which we had plenty of. People were crying out for flour and we had absolutely tonnes of it in 25kg sacks.
A whole range of little pasta – or pastinaOne of two aisles dedicated to Italian pastaPasta shapes you won’t find in a supermarket
“So we got some of our staff to come in and to repackage it in smaller packages that we could sell to retail customers.
“From that, people weren’t allowed to go out and they wanted to make pizzas and pasta, so they wanted tomatoes and mozzarella and pepperoni and other products.”
As a customer now, you can pick up things like tinned San Marzano tomatoes, harvested in the foothills of Mount Vesuvius; fresh burrata from Puglia (or frozen, if you want it to have a slightly longer shelf life); and traditionally-cured meats like guanciale, speck, and prosciutto.
Essentially, there’s everything you need to make a hearty Italian feast from scratch, or you can grab a bag of homemade pesto and pasta, made fresh on site, from the fridges for an easier dinner.
Bob and his team are encyclopaedias of information about the food produced all the way across Italy, knowing the back story of every one of their 1,500+ products.
Cured meat including guancialeTrays of cannoli You can also pick up fresh filled pasta at Amato
He tells us about why pasta shapes get their name, like Schiaffoni, which loosely translates as ‘slaps’ because of the sound they make when they plop onto the plate.
Bob also explains the reason that Scamorza comes in a snowman-like shape, with the cheese being strung up by its ‘neck’ to dry and age.
He chats us through all the different flours, and why you would use which in your pizzas; why good tinned tomatoes are worth seeking out (cheap ones are like ‘bullets’); and that you should always bring your burrata up to room temperature.
Even as we’re checking out with our armfuls of pasta, the staff member serving us is passing on tips for a perfect amatriciana sauce.
Amato is open from 7am daily (except Sundays), and if you’re stuck on what to make for dinner, pay Bob and his team a visit.
Emily Sergeant -
30th October 2020 
