Eats

The complete guide to all the food at Manchester’s Piccadilly Street Food Markets

Loosen those belts - this strip near Piccadilly Gardens is home to some of the best street food in the region.

Daisy Jackson - 28th June 2024

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.

All the food at the Piccadilly Street Food Markets

Rita’s Reign

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.

The Bearded Feeder

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Their Chinese curry sauce is elite, too.