A much-loved Manc spot is bidding a reluctant farewell, and to be honest, we’re not ready to say goodbye to Desert Island Dumplings either, as it’s been announced that they’ll soon be closing.
What started as a lockdown idea has gone on to become a cult favourite of the city centre and among vegans in the area, with countless foodies heading to their quiet little third-floor corner.
Delivering the gutting news at the start of this week on social media, founder Lucy Linford had to assure fans that this sadly isn’t an April Fool’s before going on to share a lengthy and stirring statement.
Taking up ten whole slides and numerous paragraphs in what is one of the most emotional Instagram posts the local hospitality industry has seen so far this year, she confirmed that Desert Island Dumplings will be closing in the coming months.
She began by stating, “This news might come as a shock to you”, adding that “we’ve rolled with the punches these past couple years of years and the shop is busier than ever”, but insisted that closing this particular chapter “is the right decision”.
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The little dumpling shop that could hasn’t just been one of the most popular vendors inside Afflecks, an iconic Manchester attraction all of its own – it’s also gone through so many steps to get to where it is now, and it’s a local independent story that you can’t help but admire.
From the days of serving as a little pop-up at cricket grounds and various other street food stalls to establishing a dark kitchen in Liverpool, enjoying stints at GRUB, Sadler’s Cat, Ancoats General, Stretford Food Hall and more before settling down in the Palace’s emporium, it’s been a joy to watch.
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Before explaining the reasons behind shutting up shop, Lucy wrote: “Thank you to every single person who has supported to Desert Island Dumplings over the past five years.”
We were left particularly moved and inspired by the recollections of the period shortly after she went “full-time-dumplings”, spending her hours learning about business, “trying to concentrate through webinars, scribbling words like ‘dividends’ and ‘GDPR?’ into notebooks.”
This part of the real hard work that you hardly ever get to see but that so many of those who start out with a dream to make it in the sector have to struggle through, and we couldn’t have more admiration for her graft if we tried – and look what it led to.
It’s also worth reminding the waves this place as made in terms of plant-based dining not just in Manchester but the North West and beyond, standing proudly as ‘the UK’s first vegan fusion dumpling joint’ and not sacrificing on flavour one single bit.
The brand even went on to pitch to Aldi, and you’ll be glad to hear that this isn’t curtains completely: Lucy and co. will still be serving right up until the last day, and as she prepares to take on a Masters up in Edinburgh, the dumps, noods, hash browns plus all the rest of will be a big hit in Scotland, no doubt.
As for the final chapter here in Manchester, the team will be bringing back some beloved specials and fan favourites, not to mention “putting on a few fun farewell events” ahead of their final day on 15 June.
Put simply, Lucy says she’s “loved every second of it”, and so have we. She signed off by adding, “Nothing good lasts forever but memories do.” We urge you to read the post in full, it’s really touching.
Make sure to give them a visit whilst you still can, and thanks again to Desert Island Dumplings for filling our bellies so many times. We hope to stumble across you in Scotland one day.
The very best Irish pubs and bars in Manchester
Danny Jones
Be it picking out the best places for Paddy’s Day, finding a green-tinted gem that pulls a proper pint of the beloved black stuff, or just wanting to find an authentic Irish boozer that reminds the ex-pats amongst you of home, Manchester has pubs to meet every requirement.
There’s been a big Irish population in 0161 ever since the 1800s, and with nods to our neighbours in Manc corners like ‘Little Ireland‘ and countless drinking spots in particular all over the city and beyond, there is a lot of love for all aspects of the green and gold culture, but especially the pubs.
With that in mind, we thought we’d round up some of the very best Irish pubs in central Manchester, and while there’s only a handful here in the city and its outskirts, the good news is that you can make your way through all of them quite easily — and we highly recommend you do.
Let’s not waste any more valuable drinking time, shall we?
A baker’s dozen of the best Irish pubs and bars in Manchester
Where else to start other than the holy grail? Famous not only for the greatest Guinness in Manchester but renowned up and down the country for one of the very best pints of the black stuff you’ll find outside of Ireland, full stop: Mulligans of Deansgate is pretty much the undisputed GOAT of Manc Irish pubs.
Located just off the main strip and over the road from Spinningfields, Mulligans is no stranger to a queue (especially on St Patrick’s Day), fight nights or other big events – and is always packed to the rafters but in the best way possible.
With the full range of sports on the box at all times, live music every night and some seriously good beer and whiskey on offer if you’re not a stout person, there aren’t many things we love more than stomping our feet and slapping tables as we sing along to Irish classics all night. It’s also now bigger than ever.
Speaking of dancing like prats well into the early hours, there aren’t many better pubs to enjoy a proper Gaelic reel or a few belting covers than O’Sheas Irish Bar on the corner of Princess Street. A proper stage and plenty of room for all of our terrible moves certainly help.
With regular live music from the likes of Joe Keegan — who’s been at the forefront of the Irish music scene in Manchester for years now — as well as the usual live sport, a really great all-day menu with proper filling portion sizes and even Taytos crisps behind the bar, it’s always a good time here.
A decent pint of Guinness, too, of course, but they’ve also got their sister site and sun trap beer garden over in Mayfield, which is the perfect spot for big tournaments and big parties. A great Irish pub.
3. Kiely’s Irish Bar – Great Northern Warehouse
Credit: The Manc Group
From one local favourite to another, Kiely’s over on Great Northern is comfortably one of the best Irish pubs anywhere in Greater Manchester for our money. Also, when the barrels outside the door are painted like big chunky pints of Guinness, you know they put effort into pouring it.
Always boasts a great crowd on matchdays, and with plenty more seating towards the back of the bar, there’s a lovely feel to the place with the fairy lights and old sporting memorabilia hanging from the walls. It’s no wonder people pile in to soak up the live bands and the black gold in here for hours on end.
It was Manchester’s first new Irish bar in 10 years when it opened back in 2017, but it has very quickly become a go-to for many drinkers on a night out, and it feels like it’s been around for well over a decade in its own right. Time flies when you’re having fun, as they say.
4. O’Neill’s – Printworks
Credit: The Manc
Next up is one of the biggest chains of Irish bars in the UK for a reason: it’s always a good time. We’re of course talking about O’Niells over in the Printworks, which also opened up back in 2017, but feels like it’s been around forever now.
With the legendary Waxy O’Connors having closed its doors after nearly 20 years back in 2021, O’Neills is now the only Irish pub located within one of Manchester city centre’s most popular and best-known entertainment and leisure destinations.
A very solid pint of Guinness, plenty of room with lots of tables, benches and booths for groups of all sizes; there’s nothing to moan about here. The huge multi-screen set-up in the middle is perfect for watching the game too, and with a boozy pop-up or two throughout the year, it’s always a good time.
Quietly one of the best pints of Guinness in Manchester after Mulligans, the Lass O’Gowrie on Charles Street and just off Oxford Road is one of the most beloved boozers anywhere in the city centre and popular with everyone from old boys and after-work regulars to the uni students and out of towners.
Appearing on maps as early as 1844 and having undergone a serious six-figure refurb back in 2022, this place caters to everything from quiz, comedy and open mic nights, to anyone just looking for a proper pub grub meal and even now has a mini-cinema that can seat up to 20.
While not technically an Irish pub, having been originally opened by a Scotsman (we won’t pull anyone up if you don’t), it’s still one of our favourite places to watch the footy or just chill on the balcony terrace, which hangs gracefully over the River Medlock. A truly top little pub — with great Guinness too.
6. The Salmon of Knowledge – Northern Quarter, Salford Quays and Didsbury
Manchester, pay attention: The Salmon of Knowledge has some wisdom to bestow upon you — mainly how to pour a proper Guinness and have a grand auld time. 🇮🇪☘️
Opened in September 2024, The Salmon Knowledge not only replaced legendary late-night student and pizza spot PLY but was arguably the start of a fresh boom of Irish pubs here in Manchester, all claiming to do the best pint of Guinny, Murphy’s and so on.
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Decked out with mosaics of Irish icons like Shane MacGowan and more, not to mention serving up New York-inspired bar classics by local vendors, The Last Stop has been an instant hit with locals and is as busy as its predecessor was.
It’s since opened up locations in South Manchester and Media City in Salford Quays after replacing the old Dockyard site along ‘The Didsbury Dozen’, if you fancy heading out of the city limits for more lessons in good craic.
One of the newer Irish bars in Manchester, something has finally taken the place of the old beloved Red’s True Barbeque building (which closed permanently back in 2023), and you guessed it: it’s another Irish bar with a name not easily forgotten.
Dirty O’Sullivans is certainly a title that catches the eye, and with live music, brunch and proper breakfasts down the Irish, pour-your-own Guinness, and plenty more, they now have one of the most ambitious offerings in town.
It’s still too early to tell exactly where it will rank among the very best Irish pubs in Manchester – this being the inaugural year in the city and not even having had a Paddy’s Day party under their belt yet – but we know plenty of people who’ve made it their new go-to already.
Quite literally just next door, you’ll find one of the most increasingly popular Irish pubs in Manchester, which replaced the old Thirsty Scholar under the Oxford Road archways in February 2025, once best known for its Northern Soul nights.
You’ll be glad to hear that the new proprietors have every intention of carrying on that live music tradition, as the simply named O’Connell’s has expanded on the previous space significantly, as well as opening the upstairs to create all manner of corners to nestle into.
Decked out in authentic timbers and heritage from both Manchester and Dublin, it’s a meeting of two closely-knit cultures in the heart of the cobbled street known as ‘Little Ireland’, and we love it.
9. The Freemount – NQ
Credit: The Manc
This one would have felt like a slightly off-kilter inclusion were it not for the recent relocation and refurbishment, which has seen The Freemount (yes, the one with the mile-long queue) every weekend finally live up to its reputation as an Irish bar.
It was always a lively and fun place to visit, but anyone would tell you they needed more square footage, and now they have, after taking over the old Dry Bar unit.
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Now looking more Irish than ever, gilded with gold and glass mirrors, warm wooden colours and with two proper Guinness pumps installed on the bar, the Northern Quarter favourite has levelled up.
Last but not least on our list is the one furthest from the city centre, but still only a tram ride away and well worth the journey if you believe what the regulars tell you.
Currently busier than ever amid the Guinness and Irish pub boom, Duffy’s Bar on Barlow Moor Road has been around longer than most in the contemporary era of openings, and while the Chorlton natives have been frequenting it for a good 15+ years, it’s gained an entirely new following over the past 12 months.
There’s only one pub we ever hear people talking about as truly rivalling Mulligans for the best Guinness in Manchester, and it’s this one. With a simplistic, cosy, neighbourhood feel where you’re welcome as if you were a local, even if you’re not. Give it a try for yourself and see where it ranks.
11. Nancy Spains – NQ
Credit: The Manc
Here’s another one over in NQ known simply as Nancy Spains, which used to be known as Corner Boy, which was, technically, an Irish bar itself, but never quite fully managed to embrace that tradition and the Gaelic culture.
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Jump forward to know, though, and it turns out Spains isn’t just another bar in the green and gold boom: they’ve learned even more into the traditional side of things and made this a pretty simple, no-nonsense Irish pub – and in an age when lots of people are trying to do a bit of everything, it’s a breath of fresh air.
That’s not to say that we don’t love lots of the venues on this list that offer more than just really good Guinness in Manchester and that unmistakable feel you get when you walk into one, but sometimes it’s good to get back to basics and let the people help make a place what it is. Give it a try.
Our penultimate pick of the bunch is O’Malley’s over on the busy main road of Portland Street, but if you do happen to want a break from the hustle and bustle of traffic and passersby along the key Manc thoroughfare, this is a great place to do exactly that.
They do great deals all week long, not to mention the fact that they have live music, dancers, sport on the telly, and a pretty solid food menu, too.
Honestly, that’s pretty much all there is to say on this one; they quite literally let their pints and the punters do the talking… and singing, and dancing, etc. You get it.
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13. Kennedy’s – Didsbury Village and Altrincham
Credit: The Manc Group
Last but not least, we couldn’t finish this thing off without tipping our hats to one of the best and booziest Irish pubs in the game – especially now they’ve ventured out from the borough of Trafford and borders of Cheshire and made a real mark on Manchester.
We’re talking about Kennedy’s Irish Bar on Wilmslow Road, their second sister site along the main stretch of the suburb’s ever-busy restaurant and bar district. Having started in Altrincham, which also opened the adjoining Irish Deli back in October 2024, they’ve since moved even more central.
Once famous for its strict no under-25s policy in an attempt to prevent crowds of less-seasoned youngsters who maybe can’t quite handle their booze, they’ve now become one of the first places people swap a couple of stops on the main Didsbury Dozen list for – and for good reason: it’s a craicer.
Acclaimed local bakery issues plea for support as ‘yet another chain’ opens nearby
Daisy Jackson
An award-winning independent bakery in Didsbury has shared a heartfelt plea for support as news of ‘yet another coffee chain’ opening around the corner broke.
La Chouquette is widely accepted to be one of Greater Manchester’s top bakeries, famed for its traditional French pastries, desserts and cakes.
The queues out the door every weekend speak for themselves – these are almond croissants worth travelling for.
Founded by Mairead Deignan and Florent Verove, La Chouquette has grown in size and gone on to open a second site, Piqniq, serving sandwiches on proper baguettes.
But now the team are concerned about the number of chain coffee shops moving into Didsbury village, saying these large businesses often gravitate towards ‘strong independent communities’.
They stressed that their independent business doesn’t have shareholders or national marketing budgets, and that every penny spent in-store with La Chouquette goes to paying local wages, and keeping ‘character and originality alive in our high street’.
“If you love having independents in Didsbury, now more than ever your support really matters,” they wrote.
La Chouquette said: “We need your support now more than ever!
Bread at La ChouquettePiqniq
“Five years ago we took a leap and opened La Chouquette here in Didsbury. We built this little space from scratch — early mornings, long days, pouring everything into creating something special for our community. And you showed up for us. You helped us grow. You made us busy. You made it worth it
“Now we’re seeing yet another coffee chain opening in Didsbury — and while competition is part of business, it’s hard not to notice that they often follow strong independent communities with loyal customer bases.
“Independent businesses don’t have head offices. We don’t have national marketing budgets. We don’t have shareholders. We have you.
“Every coffee bought from an independent stays local. It pays local wages. It supports local families. It keeps character and originality alive in our high street. If you love having independents in Didsbury, now more than ever your support really matters.
“Thank you for five incredible years. We’re still here going strong, still passionate, still baking, still pouring — and still grateful every single day. We also have some exciting plans for the future, and we can’t wait to share them with you soon!!”
Danny Jones -
2nd April 2025 
