A much-loved independent Manchester cafe is heading out of the city centre for the first time as they plan to open a brand new premises over in Bolton.
Bolton as a town and wider borough has no shortage of cosy little caffs, but the addition of this latest place for a brew, butty and a bake is sure to be an instant hit just as it was in Ancoats.
To call Cafe Cotton a cult favourite would be grossly understating things at this point: the Blossom St spot tucked into Hallé St Peter’s is not only a beautiful space inside but looks out onto Manchester’s trendy and ever-bustling Cutting Room Square, making it a great place to sit with a coffee.
With that in mind, as they prepare to open their third location further out towards Lancashire, Boltonians have every reason to be very excited.
Cafe Cotton is coming to a town in Bolton. (Credit: The Manc Group)
The indie success story began way back in 2013, if you can believe that, serving sandwiches, sweet treats and more to the Manc masses.
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Oh yeah, they also do bloody brilliant coffee that’s considered some of the best in the city.
Opening another venue on the ground floor of Neptune Mill in neighbouring Piccadilly East just this past January, the expansion of the brand has been a relatively steady one despite more than a decade of loyal patrons and new customers becoming each year.
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However, good things come to those who wait, as we’re sure the Bolton natives will vouch for when the next Cafe Cotton opens up in Farnworth Green.
The opening date might still be up in the air, but here’s a little glimpse at the kind of goodness they can expect to enjoy:
The new addition is part of the overall Farnworth regeneration project, which is being headed up by investors Capital and Centric, who are famously responsible for numerous new developments in and around Manchester in recent years. Over £20 million has been set aside for the wider plans.
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Cotton Cafe’s founder, Chris Griffith, said of the soon-to-open site: “We’ve been on an amazing journey growing Cotton, and we’re incredibly grateful for the loyal following we’ve cultivated. Now, Farnworth Green feels like the perfect next step.
“This isn’t just about opening another café; it’s about investing in a community. The bakery is a big move for us too, allowing us to craft everything from scratch and supply all our locations with freshly made goods.
“We’re also buzzing to team up with Bolton Council to offer apprenticeships, helping young people take their first step into the industry.” The authority itself is actually looking for a project lead as we speak.
Is this the start of a big period of change for Bolton?
Bundobust is giving away free beer after ’embarrassing mess-up’ – on one condition
Daisy Jackson
Bundobust has hit the free beer klaxon again, giving away hundreds of pints next week after a ‘real mess-up’.
The beloved Indian street food brand, which has two sites in Manchester as well as its OG restaurant over in Leeds, shared a statement that says ‘Well this is embarrassing’.
Bundobust has revealed it had planned a huge free pint giveaway for National Beer Day on Monday…
Except National Beer Day isn’t actually until June. They were looking at the American calendar, the silly sausages.
But not one to throw a good marketing stunt away, Bundobust has decided to crack on with its free beer giveaway as planned, on one condition – you must order in an American accent.
The restaurant will be handing out hundreds of free pints of its own Bundobust Brewery beer on Monday 7 April.
Just pop in with a friend, and any time one of you orders a beer and wishes them a ‘Happy National Beer Day’ (don’t forget the accent) you get a free beer for you and your mate.
Bundobust said: “Well this is embarrassing. We’ve really messed up this time.
“For weeks now, we’ve been planning to give away hundreds of FREE PINTS of Bundobust Brewery beer this National Beer Day, Monday 7th April.
Bundobust is giving away free beers after ’embarrassing mess-up’. Credit: The Manc Group
“All you’d have to do is bring a friend in, any time one of you got a Bundobust Brewery beer and wishes us “Happy National Beer Day” you’d get your beer PLUS a free one to give to your mate.
“So simple. So elegant! Only one problem though. Monday 7th April is National Beer Day in America. Ours is 15th June.
“We don’t want to wait that long though!! Also we’ve already programmed the “free beer for a mate” button into the till, which takes a good 5 minutes, so we’re going to go ahead with it this Monday 7th April!
“There’s one catch though: you have to do an American accent when you say “Happy National Beer Day”. Deal? See y’all on Monday, pardner.”
Their cock-up is our win – free beer deal is available at all Bundobust sites from 12pm on Monday.
15 of the best burrito spots in Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
We would argue that burritos are one of the best food stuffs on the planet: first off, they’re like an all-in-one meal wrapped in a perfect, jam-packed and hopefully not so little package (cheeky). Two, they’re super filling, and there are literally tonnes of places to get them all over Greater Manchester.
Sounds like a good excuse for a round-up, don’t you think?
Burritos are pretty easy to do well; the real knack is finding out how to do them great. It’s very easy for them to turn into one homogenous mass of mush where only one main flavour stands out, but proper good burritos have layers – a solid foundation with top notes that stand out with each bite.
Are we overintellectualising what is essentially a mix of rice, beans, protein and some extras in a wrap? Maybe, but we’ve definitely had average ones and some of the best we’ve ever enjoyed at various places across Greater Manchester. Here are a dozen or so of them:
The best burritos in Manchester and beyond
1. Listo – Oxford St
First on the list, simply because I’m writing this thing, is my personal favourite: Listo Burrito. But make no mistake, it’s lots of people’s go-to as well – just look at the state of the queues they draw every day without fail. It’s been that way since they were known as Changos, and they’ve only got better since.
Whether you’re looking for a big, medium or naked version, I believe you won’t find a better lineup of meats, veggies, toppings, sides or sauces. The latter really can steal the show if you nail the right combos and flavours here also. The GOAT, at least in my humble opinion.
Next up is another contender for one, if not the best burritos in Manchester according to aficionados, and we can confirm we’ve polished off more than a few grande pork pibils here. It’s another one with lines every lunchtime and the kind of place where entire offices put in group orders. Naming no names…
Seriously though, Pancho’s Burritos aren’t just one of the best in its category: it’s one of our favourite places in the ever-thriving Arndale Market full stop, and that’s saying something. Wash it all down with a lovely Jarritos and you’ve got a regular work staple to have on your dinner break at least once a week.
Now, in at number three is technically part of a wider chain, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and you’ll just have to trust that we’ve eaten enough burritos to know what standard can compete with the big boys. Put it this way, a good 10% of our genetic make-up must be Mexican at this point.
Death Valley are a spin-off of the well-known Barburrito brand, which started right here in Manchester. Nevertheless, we still regularly turn to old faithfuls, and maybe we’re imagining it, but there seems to be extra care taken with their delivery-only burritos. Their California-style options are great.
This is probably one of our most regular takeaway orders on lazy nights in. Great value too. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
4. La Casita – Chorlton
Heading out of the city centre for the first time on this list but not all that far, a short tram ride is more than worth it to sample one of the best independents Chorlton has to offer: La Casita. Located along that gorgeous little run of restaurants and bars on Barlow Moor Road, it’s a bit of a stunner if you ask us.
Beautifully flavourful and affordable burritos plus plenty more from one of our favourite strips outside the city; they’re currently closed until further notice, but make sure to visit when they reopen. To be honest, we’d travel for a zesty margarita on that sun-soaked little patio bit every day of the week if we could.
A favourite of our Takeaways Champions king Dean, it sometimes seems mad to think Don Tacos started out life in humble pasty-loving Bolton back in 2016 before going on to become a beloved student outlier on the Curry Mile and ultimately one of the busiest food spots on Piccadilly Gardens.
Cut to nearly a whole decade later and this place has seriously levelled up with another colourful new premises in central Manchester and a bigger menu than ever, which does included burritos. The tacos might rightly steal the show here, but the burritos won’t let you down either.
Known for their tacos but also some of the best burritos in Manchester city centre and beyond. (Credit: The Manc Group)
6. Monsieur French Tacos – Oxford Road Corridor
Ok, we’re over a third of the way through this thing, so we’re going to mix things up a little by suggesting something that isn’t by no means traditional, but it certainly is tasty – us and the hordes of students certainly seem to think so.
The classic continental cuisine might not be the culture that comes to mind when you think of the masters of burritos, but in the same way that ‘Tex-Mex‘ scran just works, so does the Monsieur French Tacos take on big, cheesy, toasted tortillas. It’s junk food that’s become an instant hit with big crowds.
7. Casa Mexica – Oxford Rd Corridor
Sticking on Oxford Road (or rather just off), The Quardrangle’s Casa Mexica has been helping uni students get the most bang for their buck for years now, and maybe it’s recency bias, but it seems like they just keep getting better every time we go back.
With its colourful aesthetic and cosy interior that feels like you’re transported to a little corner of Mexico, we’d wager this is one of the best value for money burritos in Manchester, with fantastic plant-based options too. Our very own Thomas had his first experience here and said he’d go back for the staff alone.
Comfortably up there with one of the best places for burritos in Manchester, no doubt. (Credit: The Manc)
8. French Taco’o – Salford
From authentic Mexican back to experimental modern twists and another example of the ‘French taco’ trend, which in truth are closer to a burrito or a quesadilla that the street food staple that lends its name. Either way, the first time we tried was over on the edge of Salford and were blown away.
In truth, French Taco’o might look like many other unassuming takeaways you’ll find in Manchester or any city for that matter, but this place is quietly one of the best bits of fast food we’ve had in ages. They do plenty besides their version of a burrito, but how can you say no to one with chips, cheese and doner in?
If the last entry is the cheaper, greasier, but ever-delicious late-night option, then the burritos being served out of the new Salon Madre spin-off bar and pool hall attached to the main building is the elevated version of the very accessible staple.
Our only criticism of Madre‘s burritos the first time we tried them pre-Salon days was that the taste may have been incredible, but no rice in favour of more beans made for a slightly sloppy experience. However, they’ve continued to fine-tune their dishes since then, and the flavours are as good as ever.
Credit: The Manc
10. La Capilla – Stockport
Heading the furthest out into Greater Manchester that we’ve been yet, La Capilla Stockport can’t truly be counted as a hidden gem anymore because the locals definitely know how good it is, and so do we. We’ve heard the breakfast is good as well, but we’ve yet to experience it for ourselves (yet).
This little corner of the old marketplace used to be Blackshaws Kitchen and a Pure Innovations charity cafe before that, but now it’s serving some seriously lip-smacking contemporary Mexican dishes, including burritos. Just look at the lovely ‘leoparding’ on the crusty exterior of that wrap. Oof.
Heading back into the middle of 0161 now, one of the newest additions to the Manchester burrito climate is the Australian-founded multinational fast food franchise, who’ve already made a big splash with the debut in the city centre.
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We’d consider this a brilliant starting point for anyone who doesn’t eat burritos all that often but also a really reliable spot for anyone who looking for a quick dine-and-dash place to grab one. Not only are they good value but they’ve done plenty of giveaways and offers since launching too. See what you think.
There’s one dangerously close to the office… (Credit: The Manc)
12. Sandinista – Central
In at number 12 on our list of the best burritos in Manchester is one that we’re afraid to say we’ve never grabbed a picture of ourselves – at least not one that we can safely share this the general public.
The reason for that is that this beloved late-night Latin American bar, as unbelievable as the food may be, is for unapologetic, rough and ready eats, so we’re usually in there getting irresponsibly drunk, and our hands would be far too shaky to do our jobs properly. ‘Keep calm and drink yourself silly at Sandinista.’
Brewski screams in at the baker’s dozen mark because, of course, they blood do. The absolute pinnacle of indulgent cheat food not just in Chorlton but arguably the entirety of Manchester, these oversized legends may not be the best for your calorie count, but they certainly leave us feeling fuller than most.
You might find ‘grande’ and extra-large burritos in plenty of places around the 10 boroughs, but we challenge you to find anywhere else that does super-sized stuffed-crust burritos that are quite literally as big as your head. They’re best served as part of a big ‘mate dates’ platter, but that’s just us.
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14. Ancoats Tacos
We’re nearly the finish line now and we simply had to give a spot to an unsung hero of the Mexican street food scene, formerly known as Terra Tacos, which is currently undergoing a rebrand as we speak. Safe to say we can’t wait for a taste of what’s next.
Having gone from a trailer to serving as a pop-up in Urban Exchange, making deliveries to the nearby Cask site on New Islington Marina and now catering to big events and private hire, they’re an ambitious bunch, and you’d be a fool to sleep on their food. We see brilliant new burritos in their future.
Credit: The Manc
15. The Mexican – Fallowfield
Last but not least, we came across this one through nothing but sheer word of mouth from those still lucky enough to still be living the best days of their youth over in Fallowfield and having now tried for ourselves, we can confirm they aren’t half bad either.
We’ll confess that having a cute little kid as the resident presenter on your socials definitely scores you bonus points with us, but come on, if you can’t get behind for a local family business serving scran to the Manc masses, then who can you root for?
If you can’t find the burrito to suit your needs on this list, then please feel free to share your knowledge with us as soon as possible – we don’t mind being humbled with better suggestions.
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Honourable mentions have to go to the likes of the OG Barburrito, Wrap It In over in Trafford Park – we don’t mind a no-nonsene Tortilla since there are so many of them around now either.
Guess we’ll just have to update this with another five when we get a second…
It goes without saying that this isn’t a comprehensive list of the best burritos across every corner of Greater Manchester, at least not yet, anyway. Nevertheless, it should be more than a good enough place to start. Happy eating!
Danny Jones -
4th April 2025 
