Eats
Manchester restaurant Higher Ground has scooped a prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand
It's only the third restaurant here to get one.
Daisy Jackson -
29th January 2024 
Manchester’s Higher Ground has just scooped yet another accolade, and has been awarded a Bib Gourmand by Michelin.
The New York Street restaurant received the nod from the hospitality guide today as it announced 20 new Bib Gourmands for 2024.
Higher Ground becomes only the third Greater Manchester restaurant to receive a Bib Gourmand, joining El Gato Negro and The Sparrows.
The news comes ahead of the Michelin Guide ceremony, where the ultimate accolade of the Michelin Stars will be awarded.
And the ceremony will be taking place right here in Manchester this year, in a change from the usually London-centric awards bash.
Higher Ground has gone from strength to strength since opening less than a year ago. It was named among the UK’s best restaurants just months after opening, and recently Rick Stein named it as one of his favourite places to eat in the whole country.
The restaurant started life as a pop-up at Kampus but has since put down roots with floor-to-ceiling glass windows on two sides, and a whole wine room where diners can pick out a bottle to take home.
It’s operated by three friends – bright young chef Joseph Otway, front-of-house man Richard Cossins, and wine expert Daniel Craig-Martin.
Now, the restaurant can add a Bib Gourmand to its belt, which Michelin says is ‘not quite a star, but definitely not a consolation prize’.
Bib Gourmands are awarded to ‘friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices’.
Michelin launched the category to recognise restaurants that serve ‘high-quality food at pocket-friendly prices’, rather than the incredibly high standard (and high cost) of fine dining restaurants.
The guide described Higher Ground as an ‘all-round brilliant package’.
They wrote today: “There is no better place to start than in Manchester, the host city of this year’s MICHELIN Guide Ceremony.
“One of the new jewels in the city’s culinary crown is Higher Ground, a great value restaurant run by a trio of friends who provide friendly service alongside a selection of full-flavoured small plates.”
The Michelin Guide’s entry for Higher Ground reads: “In the heart of the city, not far from Piccadilly Gardens, three friends are making serious waves in the Manchester food scene.
“With chatty service, a lively buzz and ingredient-led cooking bursting with bold flavours, they’re providing a brilliant all-round package for the city.
“Dishes are designed for sharing and often utilise ingredients from their Cinderwood Market Garden. There’s a brilliant wine list too, showcasing small producers and low-intervention choices, of which you can find more at their wine bar, Flawd, in Ancoats.”
Read more
- The Edinburgh Castle – an Ancoats pub that’s earned its name as one of the best in the UK
- All the Michelin recommended restaurants in Greater Manchester
- These north west gastropubs have just been named as some of the top 50 in the UK
Featured image: The Manc Group
