City Centre

All the March Manchester restaurant deals, discounts and offers you need in 2023

A number of Manchester restaurants are running 50% off deals this March - with plenty more discounts and offers on top.

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 2nd March 2023

This March, there are plenty of great Manchester restaurant and dining deals to get stuck into if you’re eating out on a budget (which, let’s be honest, most of us are).

Given that it’s such a tough time for hospitality, quite a few of the city’s bars, restaurants and cafes have decided to extend their food deals after seeing a huge upturn in business during January.

Whilst there are still great offers, we’re going to keep promoting them – and fortunately for us, there are some awesome set menus, lunch deals and general discounts going around.

From 50% off at Chakalaka, Firehouse and NQ favourite Trof, to £1 tacos, massive £2 hot dogs and lunch deals with a drink from £10, there are loads of great dining deals to get stuck into in Manchester this March.

Keep reading to discover the best Manchester restaurant deals, discounts and offers to try this month.

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50% off food – Manchester March dining deals

The Bunny Chow. / Image: Chakalaka
Image: Chakalaka

Chakalaka

What is it: Brightly coloured South African bar and kitchen in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

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The offer: 50% off food.

T&Cs: Applies to mains only, all day Monday-Wednesday.

The Firehouse

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What is it: Buzzing venue on the cusp of Ancoats serving wild spirits, chargrilled chicken and some of the fluffiest pittas in the city.

The offer: 50% off pittas, stracciatella, hummus and kalamata tapenades, plus all bottles of wine and sparkling.

T&Cs: Available Wednesdays only with a booking.

Pen and Pencil

What is it: New York-influenced all day kitchen serving imaginative menus, as well as craft beers & cocktails.

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The offer: 50% off all food

T&Cs: Available Mondays only when you pre-book a table.

Trof

What is it: A dandyish den of indulgence in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Famed for brunching and daily food specials, Sunday roasts and classic cocktails.

The offer: 50% off food.

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T&Cs: Available Tuesdays only.

Wood

What is it: MasterChef Simon Wood’s high-end restaurant down at First Street, perfect for a pre-theatre treat.

The offer: 50% off cheese and wine at Homage.

T&Cs: Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings.

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More Manchester March dining deals

Image: Trof
Image: Trof

Almost Famous

What is it: Legendary burger bar serving the original ‘dirty burgers’ as well as loaded fries and wings.

The offer: £10 on selected burgers and fries.

T&Cs: Weekdays between 12-4pm.

A Taste of Honey

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What is it: Adorable little neighbourhood deli and cafe on Burton Road.

The offer: Living lunch deal. £3.50 breakfast / £5 lunch menu.

T&Cs: Available during set hours only.

Bab

What is it: Casual venue with an industrial vibe, prepping meze and fancy kebabs with homemade sauces and marinades.

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The offer: Two courses and bottomless drinks for £40 per person.

T&Cs: Available Fridays only from 3-10pm.

Bundobust

What is it: Indian vegetarian street food and craft beer hall with its very own Manchester brewery.

The offer: Two dishes for £9, including okra fries, bhajis, and tarka dhal and rice.

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T&Cs: Available at lunch time only.

The Blues Kitchen

What is it: Dedicated blues bar serving hickory-smoked comfort food, plus regular live music and DJs.

The offer: Selected dishes with a soft drink for a tenner.

T&Cs: Available weekdays only until 3.30pm.

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Cibo

What is it: Modern cafe/restaurant and prosecco bar, for Italian pizzas, grill dishes and sharing plates.

The offer: Two courses for £15.99 and three courses for £19.99.

T&Cs: Every Sunday – Friday from 5-7pm.

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 during lunch only, Monday – Friday 12-3pm.

Crazy Pedros

What is it: Part-time pizza parlour and mezcal / tequila party bar serving New York pizzas by the slice and the pie.

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The offer: £12 pizza, £2.50 slices, two cocktails for £12.

T&Cs: Available 5 – 9pm, Saturday – Friday.

Edinburgh Castle

What is it: Another classic pub reborn – cosy vibes and pies downstairs, fancy small plates upstairs.

The offer: Two courses for £30 or three courses for £35.

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T&Cs: Available Wednesday – Thursday 5-6.30pm and Friday and Saturday 12-3pm & 5-6.30pm.

El Capo

What is it: Mexican and Latin American dishes, plus tequila menu, in a casual, bare-brick space with a tiled bar.

The offer: Tacos from £1.

T&Cs: Monday – Thursday from 5pm.

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Image: The Firehouse
Image: The Firehouse

Habas

What is it: Middle Eastern-inspired dishes and cocktails in a comfy, relaxed space.

The offer: Three dishes and a drink for £15.

T&Cs: Tuesday – Saturday 12-5pm. 

La Bandera

What is it: Market-fresh, classic Spanish cuisine in airy, contemporary space with yellow booths and banquettes.

The offer: Three mini tapas dishes and a soft drink for £15.

T&Cs: Sunday – Thursday 4-7pm.

The Marble Arch

What is it: Traditional boozer with its own and guest beers, plus food including cheeseboards.

The offer: 25% off starters, mains and desserts.

T&Cs: Available 12-4pm, Monday – Friday.

NAM

What is it: Cool, laid-back Vietnamese restaurant, bar and music venue based in Ancoats.

The offer: Any Pho and a Tiger beer for £12.

T&Cs: Available Thursdays only.

Nell’s

What is it: NYC inspired pizza parlour with locations in the city centre and Chorlton.

The offer: 14-inch pizza for £7.77.

T&Cs: Available weekdays only from 12-4pm.

Ramona

What is it:

The offer: £1.23 Margherita Slices and £6 margarita cocktails.

T&Cs: Available 4-7pm Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with a booking.

Salt Dog Slims

What is it: Late night dive bar hidden on a Manchester back street serving fat, delicious hot dogs.

The offer: £2 hot dogs.

T&Cs: Monday – Thursday 5-8pm, Friday 4-8pm, Sunday 6-8pm.

Six Trees Kitchen and Bar

What is it: Outdoor kitchen and bar in Trafford Park with great live music events.

The offer: £5 breakfast sandwich and a coffee. Burger, fries and a soft drink for £6.50.

T&Cs: Sandwich and coffee deal available Monday – Friday before 12pm. Burger lunch deal 12-3pm weekdays only.

Society

What is it: Manchester food and beer hall doling out global street foods, plus rafts of craft beer and cocktails.

The offer: £10 lunch deal.

T&Cs: Monday – Thursday and Sunday 12-3pm. Offers unique to individual traders.

Yard and Coop

What is it: Spacious NQ joint offering specialty fried chicken, sides and cocktails amid funky, barnyard-chic decor.

The offer: Main, side and a soda for £10.

T&Cs: Available Sunday – Thursday 12-4pm.

Feature image – Chakalaka / Trof / Salt Dog Slims

City Centre

Science and Industry Museum reveals ‘gloriously gross’ half term events lineup

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

One of Manchester’s most-visited museums has unveiled its exciting events lineup ahead of half term in a couple of weeks time.

Fancy diving into the “gloriously gross” world of our brilliant bodies?

It’s certainly not an invite you get every day, but as schools across Greater Manchester break up for half term at the end of this month, and parents and carers gear up to entertain the little ones, the Science and Industry Museum has, thankfully, just announced a wide range of events and activities especially for the holidays.

The popular cultural hub in the heart of Manchester city centre is promising visitors a May half term “full of family fun” inspired by its world-first exhibition Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You. 

Anyone who considers themselves to be “curious about the incredible inner workings of the human body” are invited to join in with the series of anatomy-themed special events, star-studded appearances, and half term transformations.

And the best bit is that a good chunk of the events planned are actually open for you to get involved with for completely free of charge.

As the curtains on Operation Ouch! are due to close for good on Sunday 9 June, the museum has chosen to dedicate the entire month of May to celebrating the record-breaking exhibition and making sure it goes out in “a blaze of glorious grossness” by having it inspire all the upcoming ‘brilliant bodies’ events – and this half term is no different.

The Science and Industry Museum has revealed its ‘gloriously gross’ half term events lineup / Credit: Science Museum Group

As well as exploring the exhibition before it closes, mini Mancs can also bring a bear (or any soft squishy friend) to the museum and take them round the departments of the ‘Teddy Hospital’, as well as learn all about looking after their brains, bones, and bottoms with fun and fascinating activities, and find out how their skeleton works, what their poo is made of, and why we have blood.

The museum‘s team of Explainers will also be back in action this half term.

They’ll be putting on interactive science shows packed with “fun facts and wow moments” that explore how and why our bodies are all the same, but different too.

There’s so much to discover and explore about our ‘brilliant bodies’ at the museum this month / Credit: Science Museum Group

Away from the ‘brilliant bodies’ events, if you haven’t had the chance the make the most of the museum’s smash-hit gaming exhibition, Power UP, then this upcoming half term is the ideal time to do so.

Revolution Manchester, the museum’s interactive Experiment gallery, and the Textiles Gallery are also open for exploring for free all throughout the half term week.

Both free entry tickets to the museum, and charged-for tickets for Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You and Power UP, can be booked now on the Science and Industry Museum website.

Read more:

You can find more about all the activities taking place at the museum over the half term here.

Featured image – Science Museum Group

City Centre

Manc icons to be turned into trail of stunning floral installations lining city centre streets

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Caroline Aherne and Emmeline Pankhurst are among the ‘Manchester Icons’ set to turned into floral installations for a new trail that’ll line the city centre streets.

In case you missed it, it was announced back in January that Manchester is all set to become one of the most picturesque places in the UK once again this summer, and that’s because the city will be getting dressed up in celebration of the annual Flower Festival – which is back by popular demand for its seventh year.

The four-day festival – which is organised annually by Manchester BID and CityCo, and is often dubbed the “most Instagramable event of the year” – always sees Manchester bloom to life, with plants and flowers covering landmark buildings, shop windows, doorways, balconies, statues, fountains, and more right across the city centre.

This year’s Festival will take place over the late May bank holiday weekend from Friday 24 – Monday 27 May 2024.

And now, the theme for this year’s floral trail has now been revealed by the Festival’s organisers.

‘Manchester Icons’ is the name and theme of this year’s trail – which is always one of the most popular events at the Festival each year – and visitors are being told they can expect to see 10 glorious displays inspired by Manchester-born figures, music icons, and even legendary buildings.

All the installations in the trail are created by local artists, gardeners, and flower enthusiasts.

The late Manc actress Caroline Aherne, Manchester suffragette icon Emmeline Pankhurst, Girls Aloud and Stockport-raised band member, the late Sarah Harding, and local singing legend Rowetta are among the ‘icons’ who will be turned into floral art pieces, alongside other famous sites such as Gnome Island, the Hacienda, and Boddington’s brewery.

Manchester will be filled with fresh blooms as annual the Flower Festival returns this summer / Credit: Carl Sukonik & Fabio De Paola | The Manc Group

King Street, New Cathedral Street, St Ann’s Square, the Corn Exchange, and Manchester Arndale are just a few of the sites the installations will call home in a couple of weeks time.

The names and locations of the 10 installations are:

  1. ‘What first attracted you to the comedian Caroline Aherne?’ – New Cathedral Street
  2. ‘The Girls Aloud Tribute Garden’ – St Ann’s Square
  3. ‘Emmeline’s Town Hall’ – On the corner of King Street and Cross Street
  4. ‘Queen Bee Rowetta’ – The Royal Exchange
  5. ‘Gnome Island’ – King Street
  6. ‘The Second Summer of Love’ – Manchester Arndale
  7. ‘Boddingtons Blooms’ – Corn Exchange
  8. ‘The Iconic Hive’ – New Cathedral Street
  9. ‘This is Manchester’ – St Ann’s Square
  10. ‘The Hacienda Gardens’ – On the corner of King Street and Deansgate

Alongside the headline floral trail, organisers say this year’a Manchester Flower Festival is also set to bring “fun and frivolity” to the city’s streets – with a cocktail trail, al-fresco dining, live music, lots of family entertainment, floral workshops, arts and crafts markets, and so much more.

Read more:

Manchester Flower Festival 2024 is free for all to attend from Friday 24 – Monday 27 May, and you can find out more about the floral trail and everything else happening across the four days here.

Featured Image – Carl Sudonik (via Manchester BID)

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