The best restaurants and bars to open in Manchester in 2022
From divine pasta kitchens and stunning rooftop restaurants, to award-winning bars, street food stalls, backstreet sandwich dealers and quirky cafes, Manchester's food scene delivered in spades this year.
After a few dreary years of Covid lockdowns and weird rules on what constitutes a ‘substantial’ meal, 2022 brought some brilliant new openings to Manchester as UK operators got a spring back in their step.
From DIY furlough dreams made into a reality to big-time movers and shakers upping sticks from other cities to make their mark over here, despite rising living costs leading squeezed consumers to spend less Manchester’s restaurant and bar scene hasn’t shown much sign of slowing down.
Yes, there were some heartbreaking closures too – but for every place that shut its doors, it seems that two more opened in its stead.
Keep reading to discover our top picks of the best restaurants and bars that opened in Manchester in 2022.
Ornella’s Kitchen
Run by Sicilian-born Ornella Cancila, formerly head chef at Ancoats bakery and cafe Pollen, this tiny Tameside pasta kitchen has been getting everything right since opening its doors in Denton.
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Having first begun life as a takeaway service during the pandemic, owner Ornella made the leap to open her own cafe earlier this year and has been inundated with praise ever since. It’s not hard to see why.
Opened by seasoned street food operators Mama Z and Wok’s Cluckin, aka Zos and Yen, this little shop and cafe selling Filipino, Malaysian and other ESEA (East or South East Asian) dishes has made a great addition to Didsbury in 2022.
Bringing pan-Asian food and drinks, retail, workshops, and supper clubs together all under one roof, Yes Lah sees the friends realise a long-held dream – and we’re very much here for it.
Gooey Cafe
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
When Gooey first arrived in Manchester in 2020, it did so in perfect step with the pandemic.Tentatively launching the same month the country plunged into lockdown, no one knew just how much its salty-sweet treats would shape the course of our isolation.
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Beginning life as a small pop-up in borrowed space, its bakers soon became Manchester’s go-to sugar dealers as the business pivoted into home delivery. In 2022, owners launched their own cafe – light, airy, and modern, with a full kitchen and on-site bakery.
Petisco
Pork belly, pig cheek, curly quaver, artichoke puree at Petisco. / Image: The Manc Eats
Battered fried runner beans with peri-peri salsa, aioli. / Image: The Manc Eats
Opened by four friends who’ve all known each other since childhood, Petisco has more than held its own against Stanley Squares’ more established new residents this year. The Portuguese-inspired restaurant, opened inside a former Greenhalgh’s bakery as part of the transformation of Sale’s brutalist concrete shopping complex, wowed diners in 2022 with its tapas-style plates and gorgeous wine list.
Longtime Liverpool favourite Maray finally made its way over to Manchester in 2022, opening a stylish new restaurant on the newly-developed Lincoln Square.
Known for killer cocktails and adventurous small plates like its ‘Disco Cauliflower’ – served whole and doused in chermoula, harissa, tahini, yoghurt, pomegranate, almonds and fresh herbs – the La Marais-inspired eatery combines Middle Eastern flavours with Parisian chic and has been a real hit with Mancs.
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Rise
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Before we met Sam at Rise, we had no idea what our pizzas had been missing: a cheesy parmesan crust. No word of a lie, this Michelin-trained one-man pizza band made us fall in love with slices all over again and cured our 2022 flatbread fatigue. We look forward to seein what his next adventure brings in 2023.
More street food stall than restaurant, Takoyaki Master took over the old Wholesome Junkies unit at the Arndale Market earlier this summer.
Run by former Hong Kong residents Violet and Pong Ho, Takoyaki Master brought something entirely new to Manchester: little fried balls of batter stuffed with diced octopus, sweetcorn and bonito soup. Topped with scallions, bonito and seaweed flakes, Japanese mayo and Okonomi sauce, they’ve proven a real hit with locals.
Yum Cha
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Another Liverpudlian baddie to make its mark on Manchester this year, Yum Cha brought the heat with a new restaurant inside Kampus – just across from the Gay Village.
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With handmade dim sum to die for (made by a chef with over 30 years experience, who’s worked under two Michelin-trained chefs no less), its own house-roasted Cantonese meats and some very reasonably-priced large plates, this was one of our favourite new openings of 2022: no doubt about it.
Blinker
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Bringing everything founder Dan Berger learned from his time at the 5-star London hotel The Ned and overseeing the bars for Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant group, Blinker has earnt its stripes in no time at all after being named one of the best in the UK just six months after opening.
Whilst the news took some by surprise, for anyone who has visited the accolade is a real no brainer. Inside, you’ll find an exquisitely compiled cocktail list combining seasonal favourites and a solid, dedicated martini menu.
From the team behind the acclaimed Covino in Chester comes Climat, Manchester’s newest rooftop restaurant boasting panoramic views of the city. At just 100 covers, the new restaurant boasts a comprehensive wine cellar featuring more than 250 different vintages – 40% from one specific Burgundy vineyard.
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On the menu, classic vol-au-vents are resurrected alongside a selection of small plates and large sharers designed to share such as whole turbot, slow-cooked lamb shoulder, and ex-dairy cuts on the bone. Hailed a triumph following its opening weekend, it may have arrived late in 2022 but is one of Manchester’s most exciting new openings of the year nonetheless.
Exhibition
Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied
Housing a premium cocktail bar, fine wine list, fresh beer straight from in-venue Manchester Union lager tanks and three of Manchester’s best cheffing talents under one roof, at swanky Peter Street food hall Exhibition diners can tuck into fine Brazilian-British fusion, Scandinavian and Basque dishes.
Home to the Michelin-recommended Osma team, Michelin-trained Carlone Martins of the Sao Paulo Bistro, and Ramsbottom’s lauded Basque fire cookery restaurant Baratxuri, Exhibition comes from the team behind the aperitivo and coffee bar Haunt and has already proven a hit with Mancs.
MUSU
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Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Japanese fine dining restaurant MUSU makes a welcome addition to Bridge Street, transforming the site formerly home to Ed Baine’s Randall & Aubin.
Here, you can dine from specially created 7 and 11 course tasting menus with wine pairings, or opt for a traditional ‘chef’s choice’ experience at its six-seat Omakase counter. Expect exquisite service, sashimi, sushi wine and more as part of the restaurant’s ‘multi-sensory’ experience.
Neon Tiger, Bridge Street
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Inspired by the sort of cool New York neighbourhood joints where you can just pop in and enjoy quality plates with good wine and cocktails, Neon Tiger got off to a slow start when it opened on Bridge Street at the start of the summer – then wowed with the introduction of a new Northern Thai-inspired breakfast and brunch menu later in the year.
Think muffins loaded with big-flavour fillings like crispy pork belly, tempura and sautéed mushrooms and roast topside of beef, the latter served with a red curry dipping sauce. The site has also since launched a seasonal six-course tasting menu for under £20.
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Now That’s A Burger
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
From the team behind Batard bakehouse and Super Happy, Manchester’s best burger came and went at the speed of light.
From the most perfect house baked potato bun, to the homemade pickles, elite ‘Super’ sauce, gorgeous patties and a fried buttermilk chicken thigh dipped in Szechuan chilli oil, its residency at Ducie Street Warehouse may have been shortlived but it still overshadowed every other burger we ate in 2022. Now we just have to wait for them to find a new home to 2023.
Sterling
Marking the start of an exciting new journey for Manchester’s eminent Schofield brothers inside the Stock Exchange hotel, Sterling bar quickly became one of the swankiest places to drink in the city in 2022.
The third site in the city for the brothers, who have also opened Schofield’s Bar and Atomeca off Deansgate in the past few years, in 2023 it will be joined by upstairs dining concept the Stock Market Grill – the brother’s first venture into the restaurant world.
Hello Oriental
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Housing an Asian-inspired bakery and cafe, a Vietnamese restaurant, a Chinese supermarket, and a huge food hall serving East Asian street food, this multi-storey ‘super-venue’ beneath Symphony Park on Oxford Road introduced Manchester to something entirely new in 2022.
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Inspired by dining destinations like Bang Bang Oriental in London, and 1800 in Miami, at its heart is Downtown Oriental, a vast market hall with a fast-paced open kitchen where diners feast on everything from Chinese roasts to dim sum, baos to noodles, and fried rice to seafood.
Pollen
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
The second Manchester cafe from bankers-turned-bakers Hannah Calvert and Chris Kelly, Pollen is the bakery that needs no introduction. In 2022, they levelled up with a new garden-side site at Kampus and what a beauty it is.
Housing a sleek glass kitchen that allows diners to watch pastries being rolled and shaped whilst they brunch, the new site also saw owners roll out a new menu that introduced us all to the ‘squegg’ bun – with a perfectly formed square egg, oozing with added Westcombe cheddar and flecked with a sprig of watercress.
Thie hole in the wall sandwich spot drew fans from near and far in 2022. Technically not a restaurant, nor a bar, we still felt that Fat Pat’s deserved a mention as one of 2022’s great new openings.
The allure of a hidden alley walk-up, combined with mouth watering Philly Cheesesteaks, Hot Honey Fried Chicken and Meatball Parm baguettes earnt it the lauded title of ‘Manchester’s best sandwich’ by many – including our former Takeaway Champions host Joe McGrath. If you visit, make sure to order in advance online.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Eats
The best graduation deals and freebies in Manchester this celebration season
Danny Jones
To all those completing their university degrees this year, first off: congratulations – and second of all, we’re sure you’re looking forward to making the most of all those graduation deals, offers and free stuff you can grab in Manchester this year.
We know we were when it was our time (longer ago than we’d like to admit…)
The post-graduation ceremony meal – hopefully at least one final meal your parents are happy to cover the bill for before sending you out into ‘the big wide world’ – is a truly special one, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t still look for savings where you can.
So, without further ado, here’s a list of graduate deals and freebies available in central Manchester for the class of 2026.
15 of the best offers and free things for 2026 graduates
1. Fenix – St. John’s
What is it: One of the best restaurants in Manchester, serving up plates featuring plenty of Greek heritage as well as modern-Mediterranean, elevated cuisine from one of the city centre’s fastest-growing neighbourhoods.
The offer: Special lunch menu noon until 3:45pm set at just £37.50 or sit down for dinner from £45.50; both include a complimentary glass of Prosecco, and you can even walk away with an engraved bottle of Champagne to take home with you. Available 1 July until 1 August – reserve your table while you can.
2. The Alchemist – Central, Spinningfields and Salford Quays
What is it: Manc-born mixologists and cocktail bar chain which started in Spinningfields, before opening on New York Street and beyond and going on to be a staple of the UK hospitality scene.
The offer: A complimentary ‘Cosmic Oyster’ for everyone around your table when booking ahead – you can do so HERE.
What is it: Stylish London-centric seafood and grill with Japanese and Robata-inspired cuisine, best-known for sushi, steak and their famous caramelised black cod dish.
The offer: Extensive sharing-style menu priced at £55 a head, including all the highlights and a gratis glass of Henriot Champagne for every guest, available until 24 July; you can reserve your spot now.
What is it: A canalside cornerstone of the Castlefield community, with a large outdoor terrace and beer garden, complete with a dedicated cocktail hut on busy sunny days, and two cosy floors inside.
The offer: Graduation set menu, with options for two or three courses and a glass of fizz on them, running from 6-31 July. Find out more.
What is it: Boutique city centre hotel just off Market Street offering numerous luxuries, including afternoon tea packages, set menus and more from the in-house restaurant, tender by award-winning chef Niall Keating, as well as various high-end rooms.
The offer: Free glass of cava with bookings, simple as that; available all throughout July and August.
What is it: Stunning, homely gastropub and bistro with multiple rooms across two floors, as well as a large terrace with various open-air and covered areas.
The offer: Happy hour drinks for your entire party and the chance to be the one lucky winner who’ll have the ENTIRE overdraft paid off in full by the team as part of a prize draw. Book and find the full terms and conditions right HERE.
Credit: The Manc
7. Piccolino – Central, Didsbury, Bramhall, Hale, Wilmslow and Knutsford
What is it: Popular British chain of Italian restaurants operated by the Individual Restaurants Group (IRG), with numerous locations across the country.
The offer: Graduates get a complimentary glass of champagne alongside their classic recipe tiramisu on the house. Booking in advance is advised.
What is it: Another one of the IRG brands, offering similar Italian cuisine as well as great deals and an expanded drinks menu.
The offer: Freshly crowned graduates dining from the special set menu can enjoy a bonus Bellini to toast their success.
Credit: The Manc
9. The Lowry – Salford
What is it: One of Greater Manchester’s most famous hotels, located right on the edge of the city centre, with a highly-rated bar and restaurant to boot. Needs no introduction really.
The offer: Those staying in town for their ceremony can enjoy a luxurious stay with 10% off the best available rate, plus 15% off food and drink, a complimentary bottle of Champagne, AND 50% off a second room for family members, too. A perfect package for out-of-towners – you can book HERE.
What is it: One of the best curry houses in all the region, specialising in contemporary Indian food and Pakistani flavours, too.
The offer: Their popular annual graduation deal is back for 2026, with the customary welcome drink making a return alongside a signature pudding to finish off; make sure to write ‘graduation’ and add ‘dessert’ in the booking notes. They’re also right near the main uni stretch, which is always handy.
What is it: ‘Feast of the Wise’ graduation menus are available from £37.50 for lunch and £45.50 for dinner, both including a complimentary glass of Prosecco
The offer: ‘Power of Wisdom’ set menu – £37.50 for lunch and £45.50 for dinner – with graduates receiving an ‘Elixir of Life cocktail’, or a complimentary glass of Prosecco.
Credit: The Manc
12. Browns – Central
What is it: A mainstay of the King Street strip, just around the corner from Cibo and The Rex hotel (another good option for those stopping over), specialising in British and European brasserie classics.
The offer: Receive a complimentary glass of Browns’ very own Champagne for the graduate and every accompanying guest, with two courses for £29 or a trio for just £36. You can book HERE.
What is it: Authentic Lebanese cuisine in a classy city centre setting, with covered outdoor seating and some great vegan options, too.
The offer: Graduates and guests can enjoy a 25% student discount, a wrap and fries offer for £10.95, or mark the occasion with a full ‘Graduation Feast’ for £32.50, including a free glass of Prosecco or a non-alcoholic alternative. *This offer cannot be used alongside other offers, however.
Credit: The Manc
14. Chotto Matte – St. Michael’s
What is it: A sky-high rooftop food and drink spot where Japan and Peru meet in an incredible fusion that makes for a fantastic culinary experience.
The offer: ‘Nikkei’ dining experience throughout July, with a curated sharing menu (£40pp/£35 for vegetarians) and a complimentary glass of Pommery Champagne for the graduates.
What is it: The Yorkshire-born brand now serving up us locals from their New York St site and arguably one of the best places for a posh tea or meal out no matter the occasion, with top-quality steak, seafood, bubbles and more.
The offer: Three courses with a glass of Prosecco on arrival for £55; you can even upgrade to the proper stuff – pay an extra tenner for Moët & Chandon Champagne for each person.
Stockport bar that took a chance on Underbanks announces shock closure
Daisy Jackson
A bar owner who was called ‘mad’ for opening his business at The Underbanks in Stockport has announced he’s closing down for good.
The Cracked Actor was launched by actor Joe Patten back in 2019, long before the Underbanks was considered one of the coolest districts in Greater Manchester.
Joe said he ‘saw the beauty in those bricks’ and took a chance on the unit on Little Underbank, transforming it into a Victorian-inspired blues bar.
And although other operators told him he was ‘mad for opening anything on that street’, Joe proved everyone wrong, and The Cracked Actor became a real Stockport favourite.
Sadly, he has now announced that The Cracked Actor will be closing its doors in just a few weeks’ time.
Joe said that he wants the business to ‘go out at its height’, stressing that ‘it’s not a sad note we are closing The Cracked Actor – it’s more of a thank you for getting me all I had dreamed of’.
He wants to focus his attention on other projects, like The Banshee and Holy Diver.
His full statement reads: “So Stockport, its taken a long old time to make this decision. But some things have to end on a high. And boy its been a whirlwind.
“The Cracked Actor was my first bar in Stockport and has always weathered the storm. Sadly, these days I have a lot going on. And some things take away from the attention I can pay to my little bar. I want to call time on The Cracked Actor and go out at its height. It’s odd as I have always defended this bar against everything it came up against in this climate. I thought I would always pass this bar down to my kids.
“But it feels the right time to call time. This bar got me on the map and its opened the doors to soo much more that came afterwards. We now have The Bansbee and Holy Diver and exciting opportunities are always pulling me away from where I started.
“I want to focus on whats next and make sure what I’m doing has my full attention. So it’s not a sad note we are closing The Cracked Actor, it’s more of a thank you for getting me all I had dreamed of the day it opened.
“When I opened the bar 7 years ago every bar owner called me mad for opening anything on that street. Now its booming with bars that have come after wards. Some times you just gotta see the beauty in those bricks.
“I want to pay a massive thank you to my fiance Amy, whome without this bar would have closed 4 years ago. She took to it and saw how much it meant to me. And her Aiden and Oliver bought it back from a slump. Shes bought it back to all its glory and made it better than I ever could have,working endless hours.
“I want to thank all my customers many of of them who have been coming since day one Gary. TeJ & Gary, Boby Dylan, Simon and Ash, to name a few.
“We will be open for the next Two weeks to have a massive send of. And our final day to public will be Saturday 11th July. With a private send of on 12th.”
Georgina Pellant -
30th December 2022 
