Feature

The best food and drink at the Manchester Christmas Markets 2025

Dare we say, best food line-up yet?

Daisy Jackson - 13th November 2025

The Manchester Christmas Markets are back for 2025, filling the streets with food stalls, festive bars, and all manner of market stalls selling gifts.

There’s loads of new stuff to explore this year, including the markets’ return to Albert Square for the first time in years.

And our first port of call – as usual – has been to suss out this year’s food and drink offering, which includes loads of exciting new traders for the season.

We’ve rounded up 10 phenomenal new food and drink traders at this year’s Manchester Christmas Markets – but there are loads of returning favourites worth your time too.

Waffle Kart are back on King Street with their famous Chinese waffle sandwiches (don’t knock it til you’ve tried it, they are DIVINE), Flat Baker have returned to Piccadilly Gardens with their Brazilian-inspired pastries and desserts, and Oi Dumpling are back slinging out handmade dumplings aplenty too.

So without further ado, here are 10 food and drink traders you need to try at the Manchester Christmas Markets 2025.

Great North Pie Co.

Our piggy little food prayers have been answered – you can finally get your hands on proper British pies at the Manchester Christmas Markets.

Great North Pie Co. have been a staple at the markets for years, but it’s always been with pies you take home to heat for your tea.

For the first time this year they’ve got an actual pie and mash bar, serving their award-winning bakes on a bed of fluffy mashed potato, with lashings of steaming hot onion gravy.

Piccadilly Gardens

Hong Kong French Toast

Here’s a Manchester Christmas Market food trader we can all raise a toast to (… geddit?).

This new trader is Hong Kong French Toast, and you’ll find them serving adorable little trays of traditional French toast.

Thick, fluffy white bread is layered with fillings like peanut butter, Nutella, and pistachio cream, before being dipped in egg batter and deep-fried.

They’re then topped with things like condensed milk and miniature pats of butter for the ultimate indulgence that’s worth being on the naughty list for.

See more HERE.

King Street

Rita’s Reign

Known for serving the city with hearty and gigantic Afro-Caribbean rice boxes, Rita’s Reign has expanded its reign even further – to the Manchester Christmas Markets food offering.

This beloved local street food favourite now has a festive-themed sister site right in front of the Town Hall, with festive fusion boxes of Jollof rice and homemade purple slaw.

Expect boneless Jerk chicken, curry goat, and vegan bowls, all served with that sunny Rita’s Reign service.

See more HERE.

Albert Square

Roastie Haus

Austrian goulash in a bread bowl — Loaded roast potatoes at Roastie Haus

What could be more winter warmer comfort food than a stew (specifically, an Austrian goulash) served in a bowl made out of bread?

The team at Roastie Haus have got that, as well as loaded roast potatoes served with a big tub of gravy alongside.

You can have your spuds loaded with pigs in blankets, stuffing, onion gravy and lingonberry sauce, or with cauliflower and broccoli cheese plus golden breadcrumbs.

Piccadilly Gardens

Misu Tiramisu

It’s not often that you come across stop-you-in-your-tracks branding at the Manchester Christmas Markets, but these adorable miniature trays of tiramisu did just that.

Misu Tiramisu is selling nine different flavours of individual Italian puds, from familiar flavours like classic, pistachio, and lemon, to festive editions including gingerbread, black forest, and chocolate orange.

Remember that tiramisu drawer from Onda that went incredibly viral? Imagine a miniature one and this is that stall.

See more HERE.

Piccadilly Gardens

Loaded hash browns

This one kind of does what is says on the tin, and is one of two different loaded hash brown food stalls at this year’s Manchester Christmas Markets.

Look out for this silver Airstream on Albert Square and you’ll find portions of crispy hash browns loaded with all manner of toppings.

There’s the truffle, with crispy onions, truffle mayo and cranberry sauce; a Katsu hash with chicken goujons and curry sauce; and a salt and pepper, to name a few.

Albert Square

Niwa Yakitori

Who’d have thought you’d see the day where you could get an iced matcha at the Manchester Christmas Markets?

And not just any matcha – matcha from one of the city’s finest Japanese green tea experts.

Niwa Yakitori (who have a cafe in the Northern Quarter that transforms into an intimate Japanese grill restaurant in the evenings) are here at the Manchester Christmas Markets.

As well as ceremonial-grade matcha and hojicha, they’re doing proper yakitori grill skewers too.

Piccadilly Gardens

Gorgeous Cheesecakes

This is Gorgeous Cheesecakes, and if you haven’t guessed it, they’re serving gorgeous cheesecakes.

This build-your-own pudding bar is brand-new at the Manchester Christmas Markets, but you might recognise them from Selfridges and various other spots around the North West.

Pop over to see Matilda at Piccadilly Gardens and you can pick your base, cheesecake filling and toppings, whether you fancy a pistachio-loaded tub or a pot dripping in Biscoff.

Piccadilly Gardens

Pasta Claus

Pasta, from a cheese wheel, in the middle of Piccadilly Gardens. Whatever next?!

Pasta Claus is an Italian food trader at the Manchester Christmas Markets slinging out carby, cheesy classics like carbonara, cacio e pepe, and a pesto burrata number.

There’s even thick-cut slices of Lasagne too, with layers of beef ragù, bèchamel sauce and lashings of parm.

Mini French toast

Once you get over the jarring contrast of a pastel pink Eiffel tower standing in front of the Manchester Town Hall clock tower, you might notice that this stand has a sweet treat worth your attention.

This place is selling miniature boxes of French toast bites, topped with flavour combinations like pistachio and white chocolate, creme Anglaise, and Nutella and strawberry.

Imagine traditional Austrian Kaiserschmarrn (scrambled pancakes) but with a bit more hun.

Albert Square