Eats

The best graduation deals and freebies in Manchester this celebration season

Here's to the Class of 2026.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 3rd July 2026

To all those completing their university degrees this year, first off: congratulations – and second of all, we’re sure you’re looking forward to making the most of all those graduation deals, offers and free stuff you can grab in Manchester this year.

We know we were when it was our time (longer ago than we’d like to admit…)

The post-graduation ceremony meal – hopefully at least one final meal your parents are happy to cover the bill for before sending you out into ‘the big wide world’ – is a truly special one, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t still look for savings where you can.

So, without further ado, here’s a list of graduate deals and freebies available in central Manchester for the class of 2026.

15 of the best offers and free things for 2026 graduates

1. Fenix – St. John’s

What is it: One of the best restaurants in Manchester, serving up plates featuring plenty of Greek heritage as well as modern-Mediterranean, elevated cuisine from one of the city centre’s fastest-growing neighbourhoods.

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The offer: Special lunch menu noon until 3:45pm set at just £37.50 or sit down for dinner from £45.50; both include a complimentary glass of Prosecco, and you can even walk away with an engraved bottle of Champagne to take home with you. Available 1 July until 1 August – reserve your table while you can.

2. The Alchemist – Central, Spinningfields and Salford Quays

What is it: Manc-born mixologists and cocktail bar chain which started in Spinningfields, before opening on New York Street and beyond and going on to be a staple of the UK hospitality scene.

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The offer: A complimentary ‘Cosmic Oyster’ for everyone around your table when booking ahead – you can do so HERE.

Credit: The Manc Group

3. Sexy Fish – Spinningfields

What is it: Stylish London-centric seafood and grill with Japanese and Robata-inspired cuisine, best-known for sushi, steak and their famous caramelised black cod dish.

The offer: Extensive sharing-style menu priced at £55 a head, including all the highlights and a gratis glass of Henriot Champagne for every guest, available until 24 July; you can reserve your spot now.

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does sexy fish does stuff other than sushi?
Credit: The Manc Eats

4. The Wharf – Castlefield

What is it: A canalside cornerstone of the Castlefield community, with a large outdoor terrace and beer garden, complete with a dedicated cocktail hut on busy sunny days, and two cosy floors inside.

The offer: Graduation set menu, with options for two or three courses and a glass of fizz on them, running from 6-31 July. Find out more.

Manchester pub named among the very best beer gardens in the UK
A personal favourite of ours.

5. Stock Exchange – Central

What is it: Boutique city centre hotel just off Market Street offering numerous luxuries, including afternoon tea packages, set menus and more from the in-house restaurant, tender by award-winning chef Niall Keating, as well as various high-end rooms.

The offer: Free glass of cava with bookings, simple as that; available all throughout July and August.

6. The Black Friar – Salford

What is it: Stunning, homely gastropub and bistro with multiple rooms across two floors, as well as a large terrace with various open-air and covered areas.

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The offer: Happy hour drinks for your entire party and the chance to be the one lucky winner who’ll have the ENTIRE overdraft paid off in full by the team as part of a prize draw. Book and find the full terms and conditions right HERE.

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best pies in manchester city centre
Credit: The Manc

7. Piccolino – Central, Didsbury, Bramhall, Hale, Wilmslow and Knutsford

What is it: Popular British chain of Italian restaurants operated by the Individual Restaurants Group (IRG), with numerous locations across the country.

The offer: Graduates get a complimentary glass of champagne alongside their classic recipe tiramisu on the house. Booking in advance is advised.

8. Riva Blu – The Corn Exchange

What is it: Another one of the IRG brands, offering similar Italian cuisine as well as great deals and an expanded drinks menu.

The offer: Freshly crowned graduates dining from the special set menu can enjoy a bonus Bellini to toast their success.

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Credit: The Manc

9. The Lowry – Salford

What is it: One of Greater Manchester’s most famous hotels, located right on the edge of the city centre, with a highly-rated bar and restaurant to boot. Needs no introduction really.

The offer: Those staying in town for their ceremony can enjoy a luxurious stay with 10% off the best available rate, plus 15% off food and drink, a complimentary bottle of Champagne, AND 50% off a second room for family members, too. A perfect package for out-of-towners – you can book HERE.

10. Zouk – Oxford Road Corridor

What is it: One of the best curry houses in all the region, specialising in contemporary Indian food and Pakistani flavours, too.

The offer: Their popular annual graduation deal is back for 2026, with the customary welcome drink making a return alongside a signature pudding to finish off; make sure to write ‘graduation’ and add ‘dessert’ in the booking notes. They’re also right near the main uni stretch, which is always handy.

11. Tattu – Spinningfields

What is it: ‘Feast of the Wise’ graduation menus are available from £37.50 for lunch and £45.50 for dinner, both including a complimentary glass of Prosecco

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The offer: ‘Power of Wisdom’ set menu – £37.50 for lunch and £45.50 for dinner – with graduates receiving an ‘Elixir of Life cocktail’, or a complimentary glass of Prosecco.

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Credit: The Manc

12. Browns – Central

What is it: A mainstay of the King Street strip, just around the corner from Cibo and The Rex hotel (another good option for those stopping over), specialising in British and European brasserie classics.

The offer: Receive a complimentary glass of Browns’ very own Champagne for the graduate and every accompanying guest, with two courses for £29 or a trio for just £36. You can book HERE.

13. Comptoir Libanais – Spinningfields

What is it: Authentic Lebanese cuisine in a classy city centre setting, with covered outdoor seating and some great vegan options, too.

The offer: Graduates and guests can enjoy a 25% student discount, a wrap and fries offer for £10.95, or mark the occasion with a full ‘Graduation Feast’ for £32.50, including a free glass of Prosecco or a non-alcoholic alternative. *This offer cannot be used alongside other offers, however.

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Credit: The Manc

14. Chotto Matte – St. Michael’s

What is it: A sky-high rooftop food and drink spot where Japan and Peru meet in an incredible fusion that makes for a fantastic culinary experience.

The offer: ‘Nikkei’ dining experience throughout July, with a curated sharing menu (£40pp/£35 for vegetarians) and a complimentary glass of Pommery Champagne for the graduates.

Inside Chotto Matte, the glittering new rooftop restaurant with staggering views of Manchester
Food with a fine view and then some.

15. The Cut and Craft – Central

What is it: The Yorkshire-born brand now serving up us locals from their New York St site and arguably one of the best places for a posh tea or meal out no matter the occasion, with top-quality steak, seafood, bubbles and more.

The offer: Three courses with a glass of Prosecco on arrival for £55; you can even upgrade to the proper stuff – pay an extra tenner for Moët & Chandon Champagne for each person.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE

Featured Images — The Manc Group

Eats

Stockport bar that took a chance on Underbanks announces shock closure

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Stockport bar The Cracked Actor that took a chance on Underbanks announces shock closure

A bar owner who was called ‘mad’ for opening his business at The Underbanks in Stockport has announced he’s closing down for good.

The Cracked Actor was launched by actor Joe Patten back in 2019, long before the Underbanks was considered one of the coolest districts in Greater Manchester.

Joe said he ‘saw the beauty in those bricks’ and took a chance on the unit on Little Underbank, transforming it into a Victorian-inspired blues bar.

And although other operators told him he was ‘mad for opening anything on that street’, Joe proved everyone wrong, and The Cracked Actor became a real Stockport favourite.

Sadly, he has now announced that The Cracked Actor will be closing its doors in just a few weeks’ time.

Joe said that he wants the business to ‘go out at its height’, stressing that ‘it’s not a sad note we are closing The Cracked Actor – it’s more of a thank you for getting me all I had dreamed of’.

He wants to focus his attention on other projects, like The Banshee and Holy Diver.

His full statement reads: “So Stockport, its taken a long old time to make this decision. But some things have to end on a high. And boy its been a whirlwind.

“The Cracked Actor was my first bar in Stockport and has always weathered the storm. Sadly, these days I have a lot going on. And some things take away from the attention I can pay to my little bar. I want to call time on The Cracked Actor and go out at its height. It’s odd as I have always defended this bar against everything it came up against in this climate. I thought I would always pass this bar down to my kids.

“But it feels the right time to call time. This bar got me on the map and its opened the doors to soo much more that came afterwards. We now have The Bansbee and Holy Diver and exciting opportunities are always pulling me away from where I started.

“I want to focus on whats next and make sure what I’m doing has my full attention. So it’s not a sad note we are closing The Cracked Actor, it’s more of a thank you for getting me all I had dreamed of the day it opened.

“When I opened the bar 7 years ago every bar owner called me mad for opening anything on that street. Now its booming with bars that have come after wards. Some times you just gotta see the beauty in those bricks.

“I want to pay a massive thank you to my fiance Amy, whome without this bar would have closed 4 years ago. She took to it and saw how much it meant to me. And her Aiden and Oliver bought it back from a slump. Shes bought it back to all its glory and made it better than I ever could have,working endless hours.

“I want to thank all my customers many of of them who have been coming since day one Gary. TeJ & Gary, Boby Dylan, Simon and Ash, to name a few.

“We will be open for the next Two weeks to have a massive send of. And our final day to public will be Saturday 11th July. With a private send of on 12th.”

Read more

Featured image: Instagram, @the_cracked_actor

Eats

‘Rooted in India, made in Manchester’ – Punjabee Deli has big designs on the local food scene

Danny Jones Danny Jones Punjabee Indian deli MCR

Launching a few months ago, this recently opened Indian deli, cafe, eatery and hangout concept is still in its infancy, but the brains behind this are not the new kids on the block here in Manchester: welcome to Punjabee.

Founded by Sapna Kumar, a familiar face on market stalls across Greater Manchester and across the North West, not to mention the owner of the well-known dessert brand Vanilli’s, she’s one of the biggest characters you’ll ever meet.

And, you know what? Sometimes you have to be. This second-generation Indian-Mancunian is a would-be mother to many, as she considers lots of her loyal customers part of her extended family.

And now it’s time to put herself first for once. As she puts it, she’s no longer content just serving up everything for everyone else on a platter for free. Now she’s “ready to spice things up.”

No stranger to a soundbyte or a pithy tagline of her own – after all, she’s been working in this business for well over a decade now – the food speaks for itself, and as well for the vision of this place as she does.

Quite literally putting the bee in Punjabi (you’ve got to admire pun-game like that), this local-born mum of three and extremely dedicated indie trader is as much tied to her Manc soul as she is to her Indian heritage, and she’s all about bringing a ‘home to the plate’ approach.

Remember that scene in Ratatouille where the food critic eats that simple dish, and it takes him right back to his childhood and that feeling of being back in your kitchen/living room? That’s precisely the feeling she’s going for. In fact, we’d argue she’s already achieving it.

Many of her relatively small but equally hard-working crew are not only young people looking to get experience, but also existing hospitality staff who were left out of a job due to the ongoing cost of living crisis and obstacles facing the entire food and drink sector.

But in the matter of just a few weeks, they’ve been trained up to help make authentic butter chicken, daals and pasandas that people take home for a truly hearty tea, samosas, pakoras, bhajis, Punjabi pasties, all of which are gradually drawing in more and more regulars each week, and so much more.

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Credit: The Manc Eats

The mixed Indian snack selection alone is great value for money, and their stuffed lunch wrap for just a fiver is one of the best deals you’ll find anywhere in town on your dinner hour.

In fact, all the well-packed portions aren’t just well-presented in pristine air-tight packaging; they’re also super filling and satisfying, from the wide variety of homemade curries to the fruity lassis canned in-house. Everything is made in the prep kitchen around the corner, before being fridged next door.

You can tell how much experience this outfit has when it comes to catering and scaling up operations, as Sapna is also the baker behind Vanilli’s spin-off, Cake Bar Co., which she started during the pandemic on top of her other projects simply out of boredom.

The girl seemingly doesn’t sit still for even a second, at least not when she’s running these entrepreneurial arms, anyway.

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Credit: The Manc Group

Her plans for the deli and currently daytime-only eatery serve as yet more proof; the team are looking to deck out the space even further, with a bigger cabinet of wooden shelves to turn their already charming deli corner into an even fuller shop.

And then there’s a larger room downstairs of what used to be an old hairdresser’s: she’s keeping coy on that front for now, but let’s just say there’s a great bit of space to work with.

One thing we really appreciate is her acknowledging that going out for a meal, a drink, or even just a coffee is more expensive than ever.

With that in mind, she’s taken her mum’s sage advice and is keeping prices as low as possible, with the likes of the cheap bites at noon, chai for just £1 or totally FREE from 11:30am-2:30pm – an offer that is already starting to draw in steady crowds of meeting up even for a chinwag.

The stylish and colourful nook with bench-seating, cushions, coffee tables, decorated shelving and traditional jaali-style windows that simultaneously transports you elsewhere while making you feel like you’ve been invited into her front room for a brew and a bite to eat.

Let’s be honest, there are few better feelings than that kind of welcome.

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Credit: The Manc

Speaking to The Manc, she can never resist a good bit of wordplay, telling us: “We’re putting the chai [tea], back in community” – of which, like everything else, is all made completely in-house, by the way.

Whilst trying to restore that sense of kindness and compassion that she fears might be slowly slipping away, she also says she’s not scared of mixing up the market anymore, both literally and figuratively.

Once a mainstay of the Ancoats Makers’ Market among many others, not to mention the vendor we know to boast two stalls at Stockport’s monthly Foodie Friday event, she started with a love for baking and made it into a successful passion project.

Now she’s turned making small little pots of curry for her peers on artisan stalls and farmers’ markets into her next venture, and she no longer feels like she’s here to compete: “I am the competition”, she says, “and I’m ready to stir the pot.”

You’d be forgiven for getting slight Heisenberg vibes for a second there, but trust, if you pop into Punjabee and meet this vibrant, funny and extremely driven woman in person, you’ll see for yourself that she’s all about positivity, moving forward and maximising good vibes.

She’s even looking into karaoke and supper clubs, as well as extending the opening hours on Friday evenings, on top of already being open seven days a week.

takeaway curries manchester
punjabee radium street
Whether you’re stopping by for a cup of chai or taking out, you won’t be disappointed.

She still remembers playing ‘kerby’ out on the streets of Manchester and people gathering to eat their favourite scran, the sense of occasion people felt when paying a trip to the old Italian-style patisserie that they eventually took over.

Something that really stuck with us was this overarching idea that “through food we come together”, and she’s absolutely right.

We can’t wait to see how this place grows over the next year, and we sincerely recommend you come along to Radium Street and give it a try.

Lastly, we’ll sign off by telling you one final thing: translated into English, Sapna means ‘dream’, and this lady sure is thinking big.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE

Featured Images — The Manc Group

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