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.
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
Audio North’s Artist of the Month – Aaron Dinning | June 2026
Thomas Melia
Aaron Dinning is an indie-pop act whose songs span the highs and lows of relationships, and now he’s Audio North’s latest Artist of the Month.
Born in County Durham, studied in Leeds, and now the curator of a live music events organisation based in Manchester, Dinning sure knows a thing about northern music.
With hits to his name already like ’24’, ‘Look Who’s Holding The Gun Now!’, this queer musician is gearing up to release a deluxe edition of his sophomore EP Boys Become Men.
If his name feels familiar to you, that’s because it probably is, as Aaron Dinning has performed at a multitude of venues across the north – including Feel Good Club, Popup Bikes, and The Proud Place.
Now, Dinning chats to Audio North about his upbringing and music journey, as he accepts the title of Artist of the Month for June.
An interview with Aaron Dinning – Audio North’s Artist of the Month | June 2026
Aaron Dinning is making his mark in the Manchester music scene with his indie-pop tracks / Credit: Press Shots via Emily Atherton (Supplied)
You were born in County Durham and now live in Manchester. How have those two places shaped you as an artist?
I think there’s such a contrast in the environment of those two places. Durham was so formative for me growing up, back then I didn’t have the autonomy to vocalise it but now I see Chester-Le-Street specifically as such a ‘small town mindset’ kind of place.
If I stayed at home, I would never be the artist I am today. That’s not to say that growing up somewhere like that isn’t just as important as the place which makes you feel accepted. You can’t have such a strong desire for one without a disdain for the other.
What does being a northern musician mean to you?
I think being northern, to me, just means breaking the mould and showing that if I can do it, anybody can. It means building my career on my own terms, it’s taught me to unapologetically be myself, on and off stage.
I always say that I want to write the songs I needed when I grew up because there was nobody like me from the North. Sometimes it still feels like I’m the only one too.
To me, if I can write a song, or put on a performance that resonates with a 15-year-old kid who’s still figuring out who they are or who they love, that’s the most fulfilling thing that can come from sharing my art.
This Northern talent is from Country Durham, studied in Leeds and is now based in Manchester / Credit: Press Shots via Jack Garrod (Supplied)
The music industry can feel very London-centric at times. Have you found being based in the North to be an advantage or a challenge?
It’s a bit of both really. Yes, London is where the majority of the big names in music are, but in my mind, I always compare it to that scene in Baby Reindeer when the guy says ‘You find yourself a background artist in a cast of millions’ (niche).
I like that the industry isn’t as saturated as London up here, but I can see that changing in years to come. The North has always been where it’s at and truly where all these major labels should be looking for who’s up next because you might just find a gem like me waiting to be found.
Is there a northern artist who made you think, “If they can do it, so can I”?
Definitely Sam Fender. I know it’s a bit of a cliche nowadays, but I absolutely love him and he’s what I think of when it comes to a classic northern success story.
I’ve seen him six times and the last time at St James’ Park was a completely different calibre of show to when I saw him at Boiler Room in 2019 and paid fifteen quid for the ticket.
Me and him are completely different, but I imagine we had a similar sort of upbringing in the terms of characters we knew growing up in rougher areas. I feel like he cracked the mainstream so well with his first album and he’s only gotten better since. I’d want my first album to have the same kind of critical acclaim as his.
Dinning fuses his sexuality throughout his music, being an openly queer pop musician / Credit: Press Shots via Tom Hargreaves (Supplied)
What made Manchester feel like the right place for the next chapter of your career?
I recorded my entire EP here whilst I was still living in Leeds with Toby Ollis Brownstone from the beginning of 2024. That year and a half which I spent travelling back and forth in Manchester made me love the city and loathe commuting.
I knew I wanted to move to Manchester when I got invited to play the Queer as F*ck open mic on Valentine’s Day in 2025. That was the first show I played accompanying myself on the guitar, I agreed to play three hours before doors and completely fumbled my way through the set.
The feeling of the room was like nothing I’d experienced before, to come to a show in another city I had never played in and feel so welcomed, at home and accepted by a room full of likeminded people, felt like a feeling I could only replicate in Manchester.
Has living in Manchester changed your songwriting at all?
Generally speaking, I’ve been playing guitar a lot more since moving here. I feel like there’s a naive fresh start that comes along with moving to new places and feeling like your life’s going to drastically change.
Becoming the Producer of SoFar Manchester helped me feel integrated and I’ve met so many cool people doing that job while spotlight my friends who are artists and bring them to the city that I fell in love with – It’s all very full circle.
I’ve brought Romy Taylor, Caitlin Doran, Sophie Green, and GRACEY over to play SoFar events and they’re all equally amazing creatives who are based in Leeds, like I once was.
The ’24’ singer has played gigs in unusual Manchester city centre locations like Popup Bikes in Ancoats / Credit: Credit: Press Shots via Emily Atherton (Supplied)
What do you think Manchester does better than anywhere else when it comes to music?
I think Manchester is such a hot pot of different styles and genres. I think the thing it does best is spotlight LGBTQ+ artists. Not just in music, but drag is somewhere I look to when I think of performance, and the queens in the village are truly a sign of resilience and individuality.
I’ve had more shows just for being queer in Manchester than anywhere else I’ve lived, there’s so many freelance creatives, charities and gig promoters who are looking out for LGBTQ+ artists to celebrate, even making entire lineups out of us.
Featured Images – The Manc Group/Press Shots (supplied)
City Centre
Neighbourhood Festival’s return to the city centre is looking great with after revealing second wave
Danny Jones
Neighbourhood Festival’s city centre all-dayer is returning to Manchester for 2026 after a year off, and with the second wave of the lineup having just dropped, it’s looking very promising.
Following teasers over the past month or so, it didn’t take long for us to figure out that NBHD Festival was coming back, especially with the Weekender in Warrington having taken a similar hiatus in 2024.
However, when festivals like these take time out, it can be easy to worry whether or not they’ll lose momentum or come back stronger.
Judging by this follow-up batch of acts alone, there’s no doubt NBHD Fest ’26 will be another cracker.
As you can see, as well as the fast-rising grungey alternative and garage rock quartet, KEO, being announced as one of the first big hitters on the list, there are some other familiar names on the lineup.
Especially for us Mancs.
With both Bolton and Altrincham youngsters, Florentenes and The Guest List, both joining the roster, as well as the likes of Bury-born ‘rockabilly’ revivalist Elliot James Reay also featuring on there, there’s a good deal of local talent to be enjoyed as always.
That goes for the regional delegation in general, too, with the likes of Jos River heading back up this way from her base in London, and Leeds’ fittingly named indie four-piece, The North, also booking a slot.
We’ll admit there are plenty of bands and artists coming up from the capital for the all-day festival, but at least they know where the UK’s real home of music is.
For instance, we’re buzzing to see the Red Rum Club boys returning to the NBHD stage once again – they never disappoint, and there are so many other guaranteed top performers on the bill. And that was just this year’s Weekener…
It’s worth reminding, once again, that since its inception in 2016 (yes, it really has been a decade now), Neighbourhood Fest has continued to serve as a proper launchpad for the next wave of superstars, not just here in the North West but across the country.
We still remember seeing the likes of Sam Fender, Holly Humberstone, Declan McKenna, Mahalia, The Lathums and more – some for the very first time – on these city centre stages, and it’s crazy to see how big some of them have gone on to become.
Set to take over some of Manchester’s most iconic venues along the Oxford Road Corridor once again, this is, without a doubt, one of the best dates for independents on the annual live music calendar.
Hosting a total of 11 stages on Saturday, 17 October, for a full day of live music, tickets for this year’s Neighbourhood Festival are on sale now right HERE.
And if you’ve already sorted yours, why not read our review of NBHD Weekender ’26 down below to get you in the mood for the next two editions.
Georgina Pellant -
2nd March 2023 
