Eats

How to eat at Manchester’s Michelin-recommended restaurants for less

Eat really, really well without spending loads of money.

Daisy Jackson - 19th February 2025

Greater Manchester is a great culinary destination, currently boasting 13 listings in the most prestigious and well-known of guides, the Michelin Guide. 

These now include two Michelin Stars, thanks to Skof nabbing one less than a year after opening, plus three Bib Gourmands. 

Bib Gourmands celebrate ‘high-quality food at reasonable prices’ – though they’re still not something most of us can afford to visit every week. 

These are the very best restaurants in Greater Manchester, and come with a price tag to reflect that, and while they’re worth every penny there are ways to go and sample these establishments without spending your entire week’s food shop on one single dish. 

We’ve pulled together a list of how you can try some Michelin-recommended restaurants in Manchester for less. 

You can see the full list of all the Greater Manchester restaurants included in the Michelin Guide HERE. 

Mana, Ancoats

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by mana (@restaurant.mana)

Topping the list of Michelin-recommended spots is Mana, which became the first restaurant in 40 years to bring home a Michelin star for Manchester, thanks to its incredibly technical, creative tasting menus served from its stunning space in Ancoats. 

The Michelin Guide says: “The personality and experience of chef-owner Simon Martin shine brightly at this stylish, modern restaurant, where every one of the well-spaced tables has a view of the kitchen.”

The normal ‘complete’ tasting menu will set you back £175 plus service – a VERY special treat for most – but if you want a little taste of what they can do, go for their ‘Extracts menu’ at £95, which will show you in nine courses a little of what chef patron Simon Martin and his team can do. 

It’s very special. 

Skof, NOMA

This relative newcomer to Manchester has already scooped itself a Michelin Star, mere months after launching – and we can’t stress enough how well-deserved that accolade is. 

With a real Michelin-tinted CV, including honing his skills at three-star L’Enclume, chef Tom Barnes is destined for great things.

And you can try it for yourself at lunchtimes for a very reasonable £50, where you’re given a few courses to show off their links to Our Farm for fresh produce, fantastic desserts, and locally-sourced meat. 

Of the two full tasting menus, one is priced at £120, the other at £165. Don’t scoff at me when I say they’re worth it. 

Another Hand, Deansgate

Another Hand is one of those restaurants that’s just quietly getting on with it and doing a fantastic job, serving, according to the Michelin Guide, ‘eye-catching’ small plates.

Another Hand has a little sister site too, in Jaan, tucked into one of the kitchens at the beautiful Exhibition food hall. 

Here you can get a taste of their fantastic cooking along with dishes from other traders, with a lot of Persian flatbreads.

Higher Ground, New York Street

It’s not just the Michelin Guide that’s been impressed by Higher Ground – it’s also one of Rick Stein’s favourite places to eat in the UK, which is the kind of high praise we can get on board with. 

Every dinner at Higher Ground is different, with a menu that rolls with the seasons, whole-animal butchery, veg from their own Cinderwood Market Garden and excellent wines. 

You can order a la carte, but they recommend putting yourself in their hands with a sharing menu, which is only £40 at lunch times (compared to £58 in the evenings). 

El Gato Negro, King Street

Another restaurant that’s earned itself a Bib Gourmand is Simon Shaw’s El Gato Negro, the brilliant, multi-storey Spanish restaurant right in the heart of King Street.

Famed for its great-value tapas and gorgeous interiors, they also have a decent deal that allows you to try this Bib Gourmand-level Spanish food for less. 

Every weekday between 12pm and 5pm, then again all day on Sundays, you can get three tapas dishes for £20. 

And if you’re feeling really patient, they also do tend to pop up at the Manchester Christmas Markets with Spanish sandwiches and street food.

Where The Light Gets In, Stockport

Sam Buckley’s incredible restaurant over in Stockport put the town firmly on the culinary map and earned itself a ‘green’ Michelin star a couple of years ago, recognised for its sustainability practices.

Over there, its full tasting menus start at £125 per person, but the team are currently running an exciting pop-up series in Manchester, including a bistro pop-up with four courses for £​50. 

They also hosted a fast food-inspired diner earlier this year, with every single burger made from just one cow – once the beef ran out, the restaurant closed. 

Read more

• ‘It means everything’ – Skof chef Tom Barnes speaks on historic Michelin star win for Manchester
• French fine dining spot 63 Degrees confirms closure after 14 years
• Five Manchester bars have just been named in the UK’s Top 50 Cocktail Bars

Featured image: The Manc Group