When it comes to dining out in Manchester on a budget, there are plenty of great restauraunts offering deals and set menus to help you save a few pennies without comprising on taste.
This May, we’ve handpicked some of the best Manchester restaurant deals, discounts and offers to help you head out and support your local independents without breaking the bank.
From bottomless brunches and wing feasts, to 50% off the whole menu at Northern Quarter favourites Trof and The Pen and Pencil and half-price tasting menus at Masterchef winner Simon Wood’s First Street restaurant, there’s so much to get stuck into this May.
Keep reading to find out the best Manchester bar and restaurant deals to put on your list this month.
50% off food and drink – Manchester May dining deals
Image: Bab
Image: Bab
Bab
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What is it: Casual venue with an industrial vibe, prepping meze & kebabs with homemade sauces & marinades.
The offer: Two courses and bottomless drinks for £40.
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T&Cs: Available Fridays only in May between 3-10pm (last sitting at 8pm).
The Blues Kitchen
What is it: Dedicated blues bar serving hickory-smoked comfort food, plus regular live music & DJs.
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The offer: 90 minutes of bottomless wings for £12.
T&Cs: Offer available every Sunday from 12-6pm.
La Bandera
What is it: Market-fresh, classic Spanish cuisine in airy, contemporary space with yellow booths and banquettes.
The offer: Drink and pintxos for £5.
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T&Cs: Available from 4pm until close every Thursday and Friday.
The Pen and Pencil
What is it: New York-influenced all day kitchen serving imaginative menus, as well as craft beers & cocktails.
The offer: 50% off all food.
T&Cs: Available every Monday in May when you pre-book.
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Trof
What is it: Venue with a dedicated bourbon bar, gigs, open-mic nights and quizzes, plus food from breakfast on.
The offer: 50% off food.
T&Cs: Available all day on Tuesdays throughout May when you pre-book.
Wood
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What is it: MasterChef Simon Wood’s high-end restaurant down at First Street, perfect for a pre-theatre treat.
The offer: 50% off Wood’s tasting menu (£110 down to £55).
T&Cs: Available every Wednesday throughout May.
More Manchester May dining deals
Image: Volta
Image: Volta
20 Stories
What is it: High-style destination in a shopping complex for modern British dining & cocktails & sweeping views.
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The offer: Three courses for £22.50.
T&Cs: Available Monday to Friday between 12-3pm.
The Alan:
What is it: Hotel and restaurant favoured by Jay Rayer, located across the street from Manchester Art Gallery.
The offer: Four dishes for £25.
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T&Cs: Available seven days a week between the hours of 12-4pm and 5-6pm.
Image: Albert’s Schloss
Image: Albert’s Schloss
Albert’s Schloss
What is it: Bavarian-style beer cellar for traditional German food and pilsner beers on tap and in bottles.
The offer: Three courses for £27.
T&Cs: Available every Sunday from 12-9pm.
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Asha’s
What is it: Contemporary Indian cuisine in a sophisticated, low-lit venue with plush drapes and gold finishings.
The offer: Three courses for £23.95 and a complimentary glass of Indian lager.
T&Cs: Available every Friday between 1-5pm.
Bird of Prey
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What is it: Fried chicken and smashed burger joint at Circle Square on Oxford Road.
The offer: Selected burger, fries and soda for £10 / Three wings, fries and a soda for £5.95.
T&Cs: Available seven days a week from 11.30am-2.30pm.
Block Steak Shop at Canvas
What is it: Affordable steak shop that doesn’t comprise on quality.
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The offer: Two mains and house wine for £25.
T&Cs: Available every Wednesday, no bookings required.
Bundobust
What is it: Casual craft beer bar serving Indian street food menu amid bare brick and wooden benches and tables.
The offer: Two dishes for £8.50.
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T&Cs: Available Monday to Friday, 12-4pm.
Cibo
What is it: Modern cafe/restaurant and prosecco bar, for Italian pizzas, grill dishes and sharing plates.
The offer: Three courses for £19.99.
T&Cs: Available Sunday to Friday between 5-7pm.
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Colleen’s Ramsbottom
What is it: A modern British restaurant located in Ramsbottom, north of Manchester.
The offer: Three courses for £18.
T&Cs: Available from the ‘menu of the day’ only, Wednesday to Friday between 5-6.30pm.
Image: Cottonopolis
Image: Cottonopolis
Cottonopolis
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What is it: Lively destination for Asian-inspired menus in a warehouse-style venue with a full bar.
The offer: Two dishes and a side for £13.
T&Cs: Available on the express lunch menu, served from 12-3pm Monday to Friday.
Dokes Pizzeria
What is it: Restaurant serving seasonal pizzas using the finest British ingredients from the team behind Manchester favourite Elnecot.
The offer: 30% off bottles of wine when dining in.
T&Cs: Available all day Wednesday throughout May.
Edinburgh Castle
What is it: Historic 19th-century haunt offering pub grub, plus weekly live folk music & outdoor seating.
The offer: Two courses for £30.
T&Cs: From the set menu, served 5-6.30pm Wednesday to Thursday, and 12-3pm and 5-6.30pm Friday and Saturday.
El Capo
What is it: Mexican and Latin American dishes, plus tequila menu, in casual, bare-brick space with a tiled bar.
The offer: £1 tacos (usually £7.50 for three)
T&Cs: Available Monday – Thursday from 5pm.
Elnecot
What is it: Narrow, industrial spot offering cocktails, British small plates, weekend brunch & Sunday roasts.
The offer: Soup and a sandwich for £8. 30% off bottles of wine.
T&Cs: Lunch deal available weekdays from 11am to 3pm. Wine deals available every Wednesday throughout May.
Image: Elnecot
Image: Elnecot
El Gato
What is it: Tapas & drinks are provided in this 3-storey converted townhouse that has stylish interiors.
The offer: Three plates for £18.
T&Cs: Available between 12-4pm Monday to Friday and all day Sunday.
Hawksmoor
What is it:
The offer: Three courses for £29, £5 corkage on Mondays.
T&CS: Set menu available during lunch opening hours only (except Sundays).
Tattu
What is it: Modern Chinese cuisine and cocktails in sophisticated, dark wood bar/restaurant with carved screens.
The offer: Three plates for £28.
T&Cs: Available Sunday to Friday from 12-4.30pm and Saturday 12-2.45pm from the Moon Stand menu only.
The New Cross
What is it: Anew taproom style beer bar in Manchester city centre not far from Ancoats serving up chargrilled kebabs and beers.
The offer: Kebab and a pint or selected drink for £10.
T&Cs: Available every Thursday from 5-9pm.
Volta
What is it: Small plates, deli boards and charcuterie in an intimate bistro bar with wall lamps and a terrace.
The offer: £30 for eight to 11 sharing dishes, designed for a minimum of two.
T&Cs: Available all day every day at Volta throughout May.
Featured image – Volta
Eats
Lavish Spanish restaurant backed by Pep Guardiola announces shock closure
Daisy Jackson
Tast, the luxury Spanish restaurant in Manchester that was launched with the backing of Pep Guardiola, has announced its sudden closure.
The beautiful restaurant in King Street, led by acclaimed executive chef Paco Pérez, said that it’s taken the ‘difficult decision’ to close the doors for the ‘very last time’ this week.
Tast opened back in the summer of 2018, taking over the site that was previously home to restaurants like Quill and Suri.
It had a much better run of things than those previous occupiers, thanks to its menu of Catalan-style rice dishes and traditional but refined tapas.
Sadly, Tast Cuina Catalana has now decided that it’s reached the end of the road, and will be closing its doors for good on Saturday 20 December.
They cited a number of factors leading to the closure, including ‘exceptionally challenging trading conditions’ and ‘increased costs’, stressing that the restaurant’s ‘shareholders and the dedication of our team’ have seen the restaurant through the last seven years.
Tast wrote in a statement: “We are proud to have been able to share some of Catalunya, our beloved country, with the people of Manchester.
Tast will close for good on 20 DecemberTast on King Street launched in 2018 with backing from Pep Guardiola
“Between now and our final service on 20 December, we look forward to welcoming you and celebrating what Tast has always been about: great food, great people and memorable moments shared around the table.”
Other restaurant owners in Manchester have been sharing their messages of support with Tast, including Beeswing, who wrote: “This is so sad to read. Such lovely food and thoughtful service — a real reflection of how hard things are for hospitality right now. Manchester will miss you.”
Mary-Ellen McTague, the renowned chef at Pip, said: “Really sad news! Sorry to hear it.”
Tasts’s full statement reads: “After much consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close Tast’s doors for the very last time on 20 December 2025.
“Tast has been built on the passion, talent and commitment of an exceptional team, and we want to begin by thanking every single person who has worked with us over the years. Your creativity, care and professionalism have been the heart of Tast.
“To our loyal customers: thank you for choosing to dine with us, celebrate with us and support us. Your belief in Tast has kept us alive for seven years and it has been a privilege to welcome you through our doors.
“We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to our suppliers, producers and partners. Your quality, reliability and collaboration have played a vital role in shaping what Tast stands for.
“Like many in the hospitality sector, we have faced exceptionally challenging trading conditions and increased costs. But the unwavering support of our shareholders and the dedication of our team have seen us through these past seven years.
“Above all, we are proud to have been able to share some of Catalunya, our beloved country, with the people of Manchester.
“Between now and our final service on 20 December, we look forward to welcoming you and celebrating what Tast has always been about: great food, great people and memorable moments shared around the table.
“Thank you for being part of our journey. With gratitude, Tast Team.”
Anyone with vouchers to dine at Tast will be automatically refunded if they can’t be spent in the next few days.
Tast will officially close on Saturday 20 December.
Inside Mollie’s Motel and Diner in Manchester as beautiful new hotel opens with rooms from just £109
Daisy Jackson
Mollie’s Motel & Diner has arrived in Manchester, with beautiful hotel rooms from just £109 plus a retro diner serving American classics.
The space has taken over five floors of the iconic Old Granada Studios down at St John’s, with interior design that celebrates the building’s history.
Mid-century modern details like dark woods, textured upholstery, and retro lamps abound in this stylish new opening for Manchester.
Soho House Design has worked on the build of Mollie’s Motel to preserve the modernist facade of Old Granada Studios and make playful nods to the building’s vibrant history.
This is particularly obvious downstairs in Studio IV, a cocktail bar with a live music stage, where vintage TVs have been inserted over the bar and guests sink into plush couches for pre-dinner drinks.
You can already check out Mollie’s Diner, which is open now (with a decent discount for its launch – more on that below), with the Mollie’s Motel bedrooms set to launch early 2026.
The hotel rooms at Mollie’s Motel Manchester
A bunk room at Mollie’s Motel ManchesterA Mollie’s Motel suiteAnd a tub with a viewThe bedrooms are all beautifully designed
Hotel rooms at Mollie’s Manchester start from an incredibly reasonable £109, with different size and spec bedrooms and suites for guests.
There are cosy bunk rooms where up to four guests can tuck into their own bunk pods, suites that have their own Peleton room, and cosy double bedrooms with gorgeous views of the southern side of the city.
Regardless of the level (or price) of your chosen room, you’ll have the same design detailing (dark wood panelling, terrazzo and aged brass finishes), plus rainshowers, a super king bed, Dyson hairdryers, GHD straighteners and Cowshed toiletries.
Mollie’s Diner in Manchester
Mollie’s Diner is open nowBreakfast dishes at Mollie’s DinerBurgers and fried chicken at Mollie’s DinerClassic thick milkshakes
The diner space itself looks like it’s been lifted straight out of Hollywood’s Golden Age, with deep burgundy leather banquettes, counter seating, and globe pendant lights.
It’s all been inspired by the interior of a vintage Cadillac, and has space to 110 diners plus private dining for 30.
As for food and drink, you can expect everything from waffles and French toast to huge burgers and steaks, with thick milkshakes to wash it down.
You can get 50% off food if you book Mollie’s Diner HERE.
The rest of the spaces in Mollie’s Motel & Diner, Manchester
Studio IV cocktail barStudio IV cocktail barThe library snug
As you enter this reimagined building, you’re plunged straight into its design-led vision, with couches and cosy corners everywhere.
The communal reception space has a library snug, coffee counter, and beautiful bar, but you head downstairs you’ll find the real treat – Studio IV.
This beautiful bar is built around a magnificent central bar, with retro TV screens above it and scalloped leather bar stools surrounding it.
There’s a mid-century-era stage, too, which will host live entertainment to a crowd gathered on couches before it.
You can get 25% off signature cocktails in Studio IV if you pre-book HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
15th May 2023 
