Rapper Big Zuu has grown quite a reputation as a foodie personality, receiving rave reviews with his new ITV series Big Zuu’s 12 Dishes in 12 Hours.
So when he teamed up with the prestigious Conde Nast Traveller to share a list of the best restaurants in Manchester, expectations were high.
Most of us expected him to dig out some authentic little local gems – and he did almost exactly the opposite.
Big Zuu’s favourite restaurants have been labelled by fans as, quite bluntly, ‘bulls**t’.
So where did he think was worthy of a place on his top five restaurants? Was it the Michelin-approved independents like The Sparrows or the newly-Bib-Gourmand Higher Ground, or cosy local favourites like Erst or Bar San Juan? Yeah, not exactly.
Instead, Big Zuu has chosen a selection of mostly chain restaurants, with a couple of actual Manchester businesses chucked in for good measure. Though he calls the city ‘Mani’ the whole way through which is a little controversial.
At the top of his list comes San Carlo, the Italian restaurant group that you can find in several major UK cities at this point.
Big Zuu said it’s his favourite place to go before a night out, stating that it’s ‘big and extravant but not very expensive’.
The grime star and TV personality also said that his favourite dish to order at San Carlo is the half-and-half pizza.
Next up? Jimmy’s Killer Prawns, which to be fair is a fun place to eat if you don’t mind wearing latex gloves and a plastic bib – but doesn’t exactly scream authentic Manchester to us.
Big Zuu said he hasn’t actually visited the Liverpool Road restaurant, and prefers to order his mountains of prawns for delivery, and said ‘it’s great value – you just can’t go wrong’.
Jimmy’s Killer Prawns was listed as one of Big Zuu’s favourite restaurants in ManchesterJimmy’s Killer Prawns was listed as one of Big Zuu’s favourite restaurants in Manchester
He also listed Dishoom, an Indian group that started down in London but has indeed become of Manchester’s most popular restaurants since opening on Bridge Street in 2018.
Our site of Dishoom its ‘own flavour’ apparently, and Big Zuu raved about the daal and naan bread.
He said: “I’ve got a real soft spot for the Manchester one. It’s big and a little bit easier to get into. I love the décor: it’s in a beautiful building, with beautiful architecture” – and no one could argue with him about that.
Big Zuu gave a shout-out to Chorlton’s The Drop Bar Cafe, a Caribbean restaurant famed for its ‘Hench Boxes’.
He said: “Most places people go to in Manchester are in the city centre, but this is out near Old Trafford, so this is a bit out there.”
The Drop Bar Cafe in Chorlton is also one of Big Zuu’s favourite restaurants in ManchesterThe Drop Bar Cafe in Chorlton is also one of Big Zuu’s favourite restaurants in Manchester
Big Zuu continued: “They do a Caribbean Sunday roast and it’s just so good. You can get everything you want – lamb, chicken and all the usual sides like coconut rice with peas and fried plantain. And there is an epic ‘reggae roast,’ which is jerk chicken with things like mac ‘n’ cheese and the ‘veggie rasta roast,’ which is toasted pumpkin.”
And his final pick went to Chai Latte Cafe on Stevenson Square in the Northern Quarter, which he said ‘may not be the best in the universe’ but is good after a night out when you’re ‘starving’.
Siri, show me a bigger back-handed compliment.
Since sharing Big Zuu’s insights on social media, Conde Nast Traveller has received a fair few comments questioning his choices.
One person asked on Instagram: “Is this a joke?”
Another said: “When you have chain restaurants in a guide to the BEST a city can offer… I think we know its a bulls**t guide! Thank you, next.”
Someone else posted: “I doubt that in the city with one of the coolest food scenes the top 5 restaurants are almost all chain restaurants…”
And another wrote: “This is a wack list and nobody calls it ‘Mani’”
And one final cynic shared: “This looks like the restaurants w the biggest PR budget.”
New free app launches to help people find the best nature spots in and around Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A new free app has launched to help people find, discover, and visit nature on their doorstep.
Wildling is aiming to be a simple one-step solution to the growing mental health crisis and the urgent need to care for the natural world.
By helping people visit nature more easily, and giving them tools to truly connect with it at this same time, Wildling is well on its way to supporting personal wellbeing and the joy of easily discovering nature across the UK, all while nurturing a sense of care and action for the planet.
Supported by partners including the RSPB, Marine Conservation Society ,and Forestry England, and backed by advisors and environmentalists like Ben Goldsmith, Eden Project founder Tim Smit, and Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden, the new app brings the UK’s wild spaces and hidden green spots together in one place.
A new free app has launched to help people find the best nature spots in Manchester / Credit: Kitera Dent | Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
Featuring more than 1,500 locations across the country, from coastlines and woodlands, to nature reserves, the app also includes a wide range of tips to help you make your time in nature easier, more enjoyable, and more meaningful.
The app has been created with the input of research carried out by the University of Derby, based on responses from more than 68,000 adults across England over two years.
The study found that people who spend time in nature every day report up to 22% greater life satisfaction, 17% higher happiness, and an average uplift of around 19% in overall wellbeing, compared to those who rarely go out.
Regular time in nature was also found to have a ‘striking’ effect on pro-environmental behaviour too, according to the survey.
Wildling was created by impact entrepreneur Ant Rawlins who wanted to make accessing nature ‘easier’ for everyone.
“We wanted to give people the tools to engage with nature by making it genuinely easy to visit, by showing them nearby nature places and giving them everything they need to make it happen,” says Ant Rawlins commented.
Wildling connects Mancs to the outside world and all it has to offer / Credit: Sol Stock (Supplied)
Ant said the study shows that spending more time in nature just a nice idea, it makes you happier, increases your satisfaction with life, lifts your overall wellbeing, and encourages you to look after the world around you.
“That’s exactly why Wildling was created,” he concluded.
The Wildling app is available now to download for free through the App Store and Google Play, and you can find out more here.
Featured Image – Shironosov (Supplied)
News
Chester Zoo’s viral new snow leopard cub ventures outside for the first time
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo’s adorable baby snow leopard who went viral last week could very well be about to go viral again.
That’s because new footage of it venturing outside for the first time have been released.
After arriving to first-time parents Nubra and Yashin, who are both three-years-old, last month (10 June 2025), keepers at Chester Zoo said mum and cub had mostly spent their time quietly tucked away in a cosy den, away from the eyes of the onlooking public – but now, it’s time for the little one to see what the outside world is all about.
Now, at seven-weeks old, the cub has gained in strength and confidence, and experts expected that it could venture outside at ‘any moment’.
Zookeepers are still yet to confirm the sex of the cub, and will be able to do soon once it has undergone its first health check-up with the vets.
We can also expect to hear one the little one’s name is very soon too.
If you’re unfamiliar with snow leopards, they are classed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it’s believed there are as few as 4,000 now remaining in the wild.
Nicknamed the ‘ghosts of the mountains’, these elusive – but adorable – big cats are found in the rugged, remote regions of Central Asia and the Himalayas – but sadly, despite being known for living in desolate, harsh environments, they continue to face threats from habitat loss, climate change, poaching, and retaliatory killings by farmers.
Chester Zoo’s viral new snow leopard cub ventures outside for the first time / Credit: Chester Zoo
The cub’s birth follows the opening of Chester Zoo’s Himalayan habitat in May 2024, which is a vast, rocky environment that authentically recreates the mountainous terrain of Central Asia.
“This is the first snow leopard cub to be born at Chester Zoo,” commented Dave Hall, who is the Team Manager of carnivores at Chester Zoo, last week when the adorable hidden den cam footage was first released to the public.
“It’s a truly historic moment and a real cause for celebration – not just for our teams here, but also for the future of this magnificent species globally.”
Although it’s still early days, carnivore experts at the zoo say Nubra is showing ‘excellent maternal instincts’ by nursing her new arrival every few hours and always keeping close by.
Daisy Jackson -
1st February 2024 
