Fourteen Greater Manchester restaurants have been named amongst the UK’s best as the AA Rosette Guide publishes its 2023 edition.
The annual Restaurant Guide, now in its 29th edition, is considered one of the most trustworthy in the UK – giving information on location by county, sample prices, and recent chef changes as part of its breakdown.
This year it has earmarked fourteen Greater Manchester restaurants for their excellence, including Stockport’s Where The Light Gets In, Didsbury bistro Hispi, and The Old Bell Inn in Delph.
Image: A Restaurant Where The Light Gets In
Image: Mana
Mana, Manchester’s only Michelin star restaurant, also features, as does The Midland Hotel’s fine dining restaurant Adam Reid at The French, Simon Shaw’s El Gato Negro, Simon Wood’s WOOD Manchester, and King Street’s Kala.
Chez Mal Brasserie, George’s Dining Room and Bar, Hotel Gotham, The Lowry Hotel, Brasserie Abode and Podium at The Hilton are also featured.
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After London, North Yorkshire is the region with the most eateries in this year’s guide with a total of 68 restaurants featured.
After that, the counties with the most restaurants are Devon (59), Cumbria (57), Cornwall (42), Gloucestershire and Norfolk (38), and Hampshire (36), Suffolk (32), Kent (31) and Oxfordshire (30).
Speaking on the 2023 Restaurant Guide, Simon Numphud, managing director of AA Media, said: “We are delighted to publish the leading guide to the UK’s top dining destinations, with 150 new establishments added to The Restaurant Guide 2023.
“From Northern Stars to the Heart of England, Scotland to the capital, the restaurants in this year’s Guide demonstrate the high quality of culinary experiences across the country, offering delicious food and service of the highest standard.”
Feature image – WTLGI / Kala
Eats
Drake-backed Dave’s Hot Chicken is opening in the Trafford Centre
Daisy Jackson
The cult LA-born fried chicken brand backed by Drake is expanding in Manchester once again, this time with a brand-new site at the Trafford Centre.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is set to open its latest location inside the huge shopping centre, bringing its signature Nashville-style heat to The Orient food hall.
Already causing a stir with its first Manchester site at the Printworks, the fast-growing US chain has built a reputation for long queues and a chicken spice level so extreme you have to sign a waiver to eat it (The Reaper is not for the faint of heart).
And now hoardings have appeared at the bottom of The Orient at The Trafford Centre, joining Five Guys, Shake Shack, and Slim Chickens.
The new Trafford Centre restaurant is expected to follow the same winning formula, serving up its famous hot chicken tenders and sliders, available in seven spice levels and served on a slice of bread to soak up all the spice levels.
Fans can also expect a menu packed with loaded fries, creamy mac and cheese, kale slaw, and indulgent top-loaded shakes, alongside refreshing slushers to cool things down after the heat kicks in.
Born in a Los Angeles car park back in 2017, Dave’s Hot Chicken has exploded in popularity in recent years, with Drake becoming a high-profile investor as the brand rapidly expanded across the US and into the UK.
The Trafford Centre opening marks another major step in the brand’s UK growth, following successful launches in London, Birmingham, and Manchester city centre, and signals that the fried chicken heavyweight is only just getting started.
If the scenes at previous openings are anything to go by, Mancunians can expect queues, hype, and plenty of spice when the doors finally open.
Popular Manchester brunch spot Bruncho teases what’s to come with new Northern Quarter cafe
Daisy Jackson
Bruncho has shared a glimpse of what’s to come when it officially opens the doors to its new Northern Quarter cafe.
The brunch spot has had queues down the street since launching on Deansgate, with enough popularity to warrant it opening a second location.
Bruncho is moving into the old Feel Good Club, a huge unit in Hilton House that’s been left empty since the cafe’s shock closure.
And as the clock ticks down to Bruncho’s launch into the Northern Quarter, they’ve shared an exclusive look inside at their very big plans.
The team have now confirmed that the new venue will have a salad bar and vegetarian buffet, as well as coffee raves with DJs at select hours.
New CGIs of the space also show a drastic change from the site’s days as Feel Good Club, filling the giant cafe with wooden tables, hanging pendant lights, plants, and soft textures.
Bruncho is known for its brunch dishes that have a real knack for going viral on social media, including New York-style breakfast rolls in croissant bread; fresh coconut water and matcha served in the coconut; and its absolutely stacked French toasts.
A glimpse inside Bruncho Northern QuarterBruncho will have a vegetarian buffet when it opens in the Northern QuarterHow Bruncho Northern Quarter will look
It’s consistently packed out at its original location on Deansgate, and now it’s taking over a 4,378 sq ft unit in the Northern Quarter too, set to open this June.
Omer Umut Mutlu, owner of Bruncho, said: “Manchester has shown Bruncho so much love, and expanding into the Northern Quarter feels like the natural next step for us.
“Hilton House gives us the space to elevate what we do – more covers, more events, and a new home for the kind of food and atmosphere people will make the journey for.
“We’re excited to bring something fresh to the neighbourhood, with the opening scheduled for June 2026.”
Georgina Pellant -
13th October 2022 
