When it comes to a lunch break in Manchester we really are spoilt for choice – but there’s a reason so many of us make the pilgrimage to the Piccadilly Street Food Markets every week.
This little huddle of colourful huts on the edge of Piccadilly Gardens is home to some of the best cheap eats in town.
The area has had a major upgrade in recent years from the days when it was just a couple of rows of gazebos, and now you’ll find the same familiar faces whipping up tasty lunches for queues of Mancs, five days a week.
Whether you’re after a healthy falafel wrap, an enormous Star Wars-inspired smash burger, or a proper Indian grill, the Piccadilly Street Food Markets have got your back.
Here’s a quick guide to all the traders currently operating here.
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All the food at the Piccadilly Street Food Markets
Rita’s Reign
Rita’s Reign in ManchesterRita’s Reign in Manchester
There’s a reason Rita’s Reign attracts the biggest queues at the Piccadilly Street Food Markets – this is some properly good food.
You can get gigantic boxes stuffed with jollof rice, boneless jerk chicken, curry goat, vegan curry, plantain and more, with prices starting from £7. Unbelievable value for money.
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The Bearded Feeder
The Bearded Feeder’s Wookiee burger at Piccadilly Gardens
A staple of the Piccadilly Street Food Markets, this stall is somewhere you can still get a filling lunch for a fiver – and you’ll get some pretty solid Star Wars puns on the side.
The Bearded Feeder serves the best smash burgers in the city from just £5, plus loaded fries, filthy hot dogs, tacos, and pulled pork.
Falafel King MCR
On the menu here you’ll find wraps stuffed with fillings that are great value for money.
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Falafel wraps start from £5, but you can add in halloumi, aubergine, and fries, make it a meal deal, or order a falafel lunch box or salad instead.
Simply Delicious by Dine with Saira
Rice and three is a Manchester institution, but here lunch boxes include samosas, bhajis, seekh kebabs and loads more.
There’s a good choice of curries and grilled meats, plus samosas with the crispest pastry in Manchester.
Turkish Grill
‘Shawarma, doner, casserole!’ the team behind the counter at Turkish Grill holler out every lunchtime – a pretty effective marketing tactic, judging by the speed their meat dishes go flying out.
You can get a chicken shawarma wrap for £7, loaded with salad, meat, chips and homemade tzatziki.
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Famous Philadelphia Cheesesteaks
It’s all about the meat here at Philadelphia Cheese Steak, served on chips, rice, or in huge sub rolls.
There’s a Buffalo chicken cheese steak, or a classic Philly cheese steak, which are both well worth your attention.
Nashville Chicken
The portions are as big as the flavours at Nashville Chicken, which serves a proper USA twist on all things chicken.
Expect chicken poutine, buffalo wings, Nashville chicken (obviously) and even a chicken cheese dog.
Piccadilly Bakes
You can’t walk past Piccadilly Bakes without their incredible cookies and cakes catching your eye.
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Here you’ll find chunky cookies with gooey middles stuffed with pistachio creme, kinder Bueno and more, plus old-school chocolate cake and custard and loads more.
The Dutch Fishmen
Have you ever seen a potato being sliced into a spiral, jammed onto a stick, battered, and fried before? Well you have now!
The Dutch Fishmen are another familiar face around Manchester and also serve seafood dishes like cod bites, fried prawns and fish burgers.
Piccadilly Thai
Sometimes nothing will hit the spot quite like a hefty box of Thai food – and this place is a real craving-buster.
Their crispy chilli beef, bright orange sweet chilli chicken, Thai holy basil stir fry and many more dishes are available in mix-and-match boxes.
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BangGaBangGa
This place used to operate under a different name and went insanely viral for its Korean corn dogs, which have molten mozzarella inside that will stretch for miles (okay not quite).
As well as these delicious snacks, they have authentic dishes like Tteokbokki, Korean rice cakes, served in a punchy and spicy sauce.
Chen’s Happy House
A hangover cure, boxed – each lunch at Chen’s Happy House is piled high with salt and pepper flavoured items, fried things, chips, rice, and noodles, with plenty of options.
An app that can get you 50% off at top local restaurants has arrived in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
An app that unlocks exclusive restaurant deals in top local spots has officially arrived in Manchester.
EatClub has launched into our city with some big local restaurant names included, like Maki & Ramen, Noi Quattro, and Salvi’s Mozzarella Bar.
The rapidly-growing dining app is backed by Marco Pierre White and has been picking up pace across the UK since launching in London last year.
EatClub is bringing next-level, exclusive dining deals to Mancs, while helping our local restaurants make the most of quieter times.
Participating restaurants and bars can offer smart, real-time pricing during off-peak hours, which can mean up to 50% off deals appear for diners.
As a customer, that means you can save big by dining when it’s quieter, knowing you’re filling vital tables for your favourite businesses.
EatClub has been designed by restaurateurs who understand the realities of running busy venues.
CiaoooSalvi’sKAJI
You’ll find local favourites, hidden gems, and much-loved brands on the app, which handles the entire discount process discreetly in-app.
Once you’ve downloaded EatClub, you unlock an EatClub Pay digital card to add to your phone wallet – then select your chosen offer before you arrive, dine, and pay your bill with the EatClub Pay card to apply your discount.
Wondering where you might get to eat for less in Manchester? Restaurants already signed up to EatClub include Italian favourites like Ciaooo, The Pasta Factory, Noi Quattro; South Asian restaurants like Maki & Raman and Soul & Surf; and stylish spots like TYGA Restaurant & Bar, On The Hush, and Avan Lounge Restaurant & Shisha Bar.
You’ll also find refined restaurants like KAJI, plus Doux Chaton, Fress, Chai Latte, Stan-M1, Arnero, and Napoleons Restaurant on EatClub in Manchester.
The Pasta FactoryMaki & RamenDoux Chaton
Based on data from London, EatClub users increase their dining frequency by 70%, while restaurants see up to a 10x uplift in targeted off-peak windows, equating to roughly a 12% annual revenue lift.
Originally founded in Australia by hospitality insiders including CEO Pan Koutlakis and legendary chef Marco Pierre White, EatClub is now expanding across the UK, following a $27 million AUD (£14m+) oversubscribed Pre-Series B funding round led by Marbruck, with continued support from EVP and CoAct.
Pan Koutlakis, CEO and co-founder of EatClub, said: “Manchester has such incredible energy when it comes to hospitality and we’re so excited to be working with a fantastic range of venues from day one.
“EatClub is all about making it easier for people to dine out more often, discover new favourites and enjoy great value, all in a way that feels effortless.”
EatClub is available to download now, with loads of Manchester restaurnats already signed up – download and find out more HERE.
Smash-hit sandwich shop Earl’s is set to open another site in Bolton
Danny Jones
Yes, beloved Bolton butty shop and bar, Earl’s, is set to open up their second location in the Greater Manchester borough, taking the food from the town centre over to Farnworth.
We’re keeping our fingers crossed for a metropolitan expansion either this year or next, but for now, we’re just glad to hear we’re getting more of the good stuff.
Earl’s Day and Night Deli, to give them their full name, is the latest name to join the lineup of new foodie faces joining the culinary boom over at the Farnworth Green development.
Soon, the stacked sandwiches, quality coffee and laid-back vibes will be coming to one of the best up-and-coming new neighbourhoods.
Founded by two local lads, Jonny Eckersley and Andy Partington, the first venue only opened back in December of 2024, but has gone on to become a North West-wide sensation.
Carb connoisseurs will literally travel for this scran, and having tasted it for ourselves a couple of times now, it’s no wonder.
Taking inspiration not only from regional food and drink, but also from the wider atmospheres and culinary cultures of Lisbon, Sydney, Antwerp and more, if they can translate even half the levels of chill from the OG Earl’s into this soon-to-open sister site, we’re sure it will hit the ground running.
As per an official press release, fans and those who’ve never tried it before can “expect a menu packed with freshly made sandwiches, alongside a line-up of hot and cold options available for both grab-and-go and delivery.”
Crucially, they’re also looking to carry over that feeling of a seamless transition between services, blending everything from morning coffee runs and the lunch rush with casual evening hangs.
Co-founder Jonny said in a statement: “We are staying true to our roots by bringing a second Earl’s in Bolton. This new venture helps to fuel our expansion plans and widen our catchment area so even more local people can enjoy the Earl’s experience.
“We have big plans for the space and can’t wait to get started.” An exact opening date hasn’t even been confirmed yet, but we’re already getting excited.
Tom Wilmot, joint managing director at Capital and Centric (the developers behind Farnworth Green) added: “We back standout local operators, and Earl’s is right up there – great food, loads of energy and a proper following already behind them.
“Farnworth Green is shaping up to be a neighbourhood with real character, and Earl’s is only going to add to that. Expect it to be busy.”
Daisy Jackson -
28th June 2024 
