The summer is here, al fresco dining is on the cards, and it seems like the suburbs are having a moment again.
Urmston has not one but two exciting new openings to shout about, whilst Withington has just welcomed Almost Famous into its neighbourhood as Manchester’s original dirty burger bar takes over the short-lived Libertine site.
Elsewhere, Gordon Ramsay moves into town with his Lucky Cat restaurant moving into the former Jamie’s Italian site at the top of King Street.
Simply put, there’s a lot to get excited about this month – and we’re only scratching the surface.
Keep reading to discover where to put on your list this June.
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Restaurant Orme, Urmston
Image: Restaurant Orme
A strawberry ice cream sandwich. / Image: Restaurant Orme
An affordable tasting menu restaurant inspired by the British seasons with a nod to Mancunian charm, this new eatery opened on Urmston’s Church Road at the end of May.
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Serving up a 6 course tasting menu, there is the option to add extra courses and wine pairings on top – with some charming British wines on offer that have been hand-selected by the team.
A very welcome addition to Urmston, there’s a focus on seasonality and sustainability – enhancing humble British produce by preserving, pickling and fermenting throughout the year.
Prices start from £45 for the tasting menu, and £50 for the wine pairing.
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Open now
Ciaooo Loaded Garlic Bread
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
For lovers of garlic bread, this new restaurant is a dream come true. Brought to Shudehill by the team behind Swan Street’s fluffiest pizza, diners can choose from seven different styles of classic, cheesy and loaded garlic breads – all priced from £5.
Available in 10″ sizes, the offering here is geared towards the lunch rush with opening hours from 12-6pm daily.
Elsewhere, you’ll also find hot slices of Ciaooo’s famous deep-fried lasagne, milkshakes, 10″ pizzettes and more.
One of June’s most hotly anticipated new openings, Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay is already a hit in London – earning the chef a Michelin star for his efforts.
Now, it’s arrived in Manchester – taking over the former Jamie’s Italian unit on the top of King Street.
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Promising a dining experience like no other, the new restaurant looks to capture the essence of the original Mayfair eatery in the very heart of the city in a truly iconic building.
Menu highlights include the fried duck leg bao, described as a ‘must try’ by Michelin.
Manchester’s original dirty burger spot Almost Famous has officially moved to the suburbs, taking over Cottonopolis’s short-lived Libertine pub and transforming it into one of their signature burger joints.
Open now, on the menu you’ll find it serving up its ever-popular combination of loaded burgers, flaming cocktails and winning fries.
Offering a ‘neighbourhood friendly vibe’ with movie and quiz nights, the new site also boasts its own special burger ‘The Southside ’, which is exclusive to the Withington branch.
The latest offering from the team behind Northern Quarter institue Evelyn’s, new bar Public will open on Stevenson Square this month.
Sandwiched inbetween The Quarter House and the square’s new ice cream parlour, Sweet, it will serve up cocktails designed by the team behind its underground cocktail bar The Daisy alongside plenty of pints for sun-soaked days.
A selection of small bites, noodles and sandos will also be on offer, inspired by the Lower East Side’s late night bars and the bustling energy of NYC’s Chinatown.
TBC
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Monkey Trio, Circle Square
A new sake and Japanese whiskey bar at Circle Square, Monkey Trio has been hotly anticipated with its opening on the cards for nearly a year now.
This month looks set to finally be the one it opens, serving up offer drinkers a range of different Japanese sake styles, as well as various Japanese-made whiskies and craft matcha beers.
Open now
Bar Etna, Altrincham
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A new addition to Altrincham’s ever-growing foodie scene, this bistro and deli is already becoming a hit with locals.
There’s a counter bursting with Sicilian meats and cheeses, plus a menu boasting everything from arancini and lasagne to sweet treats like cannoli, pistachio torte and more.
Find everything you want at Bar Etna and more. – ranging from fine wines and limoncello to Italian biscuits, cakes and more
Open now
Desert Island Dumplings, Northern Quarter
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Image; The Manc Eats
Image; The Manc Eats
Desert Island Dumplings has newly opened on the top floor of Affleck’s serving up vegan dumplings with non-traditional settings, surrounded by The Simpson’s memorabilia.
There are a bunch of Simpson’s-themed menu items, ranging from steamed hams to an array of combo boxes inspired by different characters in the show including ‘The Lisa’s Lunch Special’. ‘The Homer’s home Early Mega Box’, ‘The It’s All Coming Up Millhouse Special’ and ‘The moe Syzslak Mystery Mega Box.’
As for drinks, these are limited to soft drinks with favourites like Ribena and Coke available alongside delicious Columbian filter coffee, various teas and mugs of hot chocolate.
This month sees London bakery Gail’s continue its expansion into the north with its second Manchester cafe on King Street.
The new bakery will serve Gail’s artisan sourdough breads, pastries, sandwiches, and cakes alongside its speciality House Blend coffee, which changes four times a year with the seasons.
An outside terrace on the historic shopping street will give fans the option to enjoy a spot of al fresco drinking and dining, whilst a lower floor space offers the chance to host local events and gatherings.
6 June
Roti, Urmston
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Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
The second site from Sale’s hit Indian Fusion restaurant Roti is opening in Urmston, suggesting that the town is really on its way up with not one but two inclusions in this month’s list.
The team had to close its original Chorlton restaurant at the start of the year, but promised something new would be coming – and now, finally, we know where.
Head down from 12 June to find all of the restaurant’s classic fusion dishes, ranging from Irn Bru negronis to haggis pakoras, burgers and masala fish and chips.
Not new but rather recently reopened under new management, this popular suntrap spot welcomes a new owner and a new chef in the kitchen.
Having poached a chef from nearby Porta, head down this summer to soak up some rays and enjoy some gorgeous views of the water as you tuck into some tasty tapas dishes.
Amp, Stockport
Opened inside the former Doctor Feelgood site by its former manager Aaron Davies, Amp takes over a legendary spot close to Stockport’s historic market with renewed enthusiasm.
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With a host of gigs lined up for the summer and plenty of beers on tap, plus a terrace overlooking one of Stockport’s prettiest parts, it’s definitely worth a visit. If you’re really lucky, time it to see the house band – Creme Brulee (yes, really).
Madre
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
This new taco joint will bring the spirit of Mexico City to Manchester when it opens at Kampus this May.
With a menu of mouth-watering tacos, wood-grilled seafood and steaks, fresh oysters and ceviche, not to mention ice-cold margaritas – aka the perfect drink on a hot summer’s day.
Evolving from a lunch spot to a buzzing bar with Mexican party vibes as the sun goes down, expect a destination that celebrates Mexico City’s cuisine, culture and personality in equal measure.
17 June
Featured image – The Manc Eats
Eats
The very best Chinatown restaurants in Manchester
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester as a whole is lucky enough to be spoiled by umpteenth excellent Chinese restaurants, let alone the best of the best in Chinatown.
We also have it on good authority that the North of England has some of the best Pan-Asian restaurants in all of the UK, and if that is the case, then we’ll absolutely lay claim to Manchester being the frontrunner of the lot.
That being said, there’s such sheer variety when it comes to the hospitality heritage that comes out of China and the surrounding territories alone, and we’ve got one condensed melting pot celebrating it all and much more right here in the city centre.
Without further ado, in our opinion, here is some of the very best food you’ll find in Chinatown…
11 top of the best places to eat in Manchester’s Chinatown
1. Dragon Oriental – Hong Kong
First up, we’re winging our way to Dragon Oriental, which does some of the best Hong Kong-style scran in town. The baked Portuguese rice (a HK classic) is one of the best recipes we’ve found, their shared starter platters are perfect for lunch, and soups for £6.50 is one of the best offers around.
This was the first place we ever tried proper eel and traditionally prepared jellyfish; they also happen to find themselves on our best breakfasts in Manchester listicle, so if you’ve never done brunch the Hong Kong way, then we urge you to give it a try, even if only for that fantastic twist on French roast alone.
Just across the road in Chinatown, Kung Fu Noodle is still a relatively recent addition to the area, but it didn’t take long for it to leave an impression and generate queues lining up around the block – and let us tell you, it’s always well worth the wait.
Believe it or not, this place shines for exactly the thing you think it does: the noodles. Be it their signature hand-pulled type with that lovely thick and chewy texture, Shanxi knife-cut noodle soups, or the hot oil-splashed Biang Biang ones, you won’t find many better places mastering this kind of carb.
Let’s start pulling in some Pan-Asia, shall we? You simply cannot write about the best places in Chinatown without hailing one of the GOATs: Pho Cue. Amusingly monikered and impressively authentic, this subterranean Viet cafe is packed every dinner hour and very much lives up to the hype.
Be it their famous bahn mi lineup, come midday, their summer rolls, anything salt and pepper, or the bowls of broth themselves, you really can’t go wrong here. They often add new things to the menu, like iced coffees and their ever-rotating Sunday specials (which always sell out) – you just HAVE to visit here.
In at number four, we couldn’t go any longer before shouting out the legendary Happy Seasons, which is essentially a Manchester institution at this point, loved by ex-pats, Mancs, tourists and beyond. Beloved for banqueting and its stellar set menus, there is SO much variety here.
We’d be hard-pressed to pick a favourite from the hundreds of options available, but if we were pushed, we recommend any of their roast meat selections – just get the full trio and thank us later – and the beef ho/chow fun is always a popular choice. To be honest, we’d eat pretty anything at this place.
5. Try Thai – Thai
Turning to Thailand now, this could be a whole round-up in itself, but we will confidently state that the best Thai restaurant in Manchester city centre’s Chinatown, for our money, is the wonderful Try Thai.
A ‘BYOB’ gaff that keeps its prices affordable and portion sizes plentiful to boot, we had a period of life where we went here every single matchday for about three months at one point. Our go-to order? Pineapple fried rice, the jungle curry if we were ever feeling brave, and trademark mango crispy seabass.
Crossing the halfway mark, we’re shifting our focus to Szechuan scran, specifically, and the superb Noodle Alley that has carved out an impressive reputation within the highly saturated foodie strip that has Faulkner Street.
Much like the aforementioned Kung Fu’s maiden Manc venue, this fellow basement blends the Sichuan cuisine with that hailing from Guangzhou/’Canton’ and the wider Guangdong province. This husband and wife couple behind this venue deserve heaps of praise all of their own right, so we happily obliged.
Swapping mainland China for Japanese food, Wazuzhi – formerly known as Wasabi – is another firm fave among locals and day-trippers alike.
Known not just for great sushi and lunchtime deals, some very solid ramen, and arguably some of the best ice cream in Manchester (shaved ice, technically, but still). It also happens to be ‘r Kris’ happy place during most work breaks, so it has to be on this list.
Once again, part of the beauty behind the best Chinese cooking is how many different regional variations there are as you move up and down the vast and equally gastro-obsessed nation, two key ones being the familiar Cantonese fare and the somewhat lesser-celebrated food from Hunan.
Also referred to as Xiang cuisine, these dishes ramp up the amount of chilli, garlic and shallots as opposed to, say, the famous numbing spice qualities of Szechuan peppercorns. Flying the flag for the province here in Manchester, they served everyone from generations of migrants to Oasis and more.
9. Kaya – Malaysian
Moving over to Malaysia now, we’re fortunate enough to have eaten at Kaya multiple times over recent years and every time we think of this country, we first think of its food, and then we think of Kaya.
There may be some places serving classic Malay dishes in and around central Manchester, but we don’t know any that celebrate this particular culinary corner of the world as well as this lot. The nasi lemak and beef rendang are incredible, as is their version of butter chicken. So unbelievably underrated.
Sometimes we crave nothing but the roti section with all that dhal and dip. (Credit: The Manc)
10. Mei Dim – Dim sum
Penultimately, we’re taking you to Mei Dim for some top-notch dim sum and then some, because you’ll struggle to find many places in Greater Manchester that do a dumpling feast quite like you’ll find at this second-to-last spot.
Our advice is to come with an empty belly, because you always end up eating more pieces than you intend to, and obviously, you want room for all the other stuff besides just the little doughy delights and buns – the sweet ones aren’t bad, either.
Jumping over to Japan for one last Chinatown visit, Yuzu stand outs as one of the most unique and refined spots in the entire neighbourhood, not only setting itself apart from the wealth of Chinese food but bringing a little taste of Japanese fine dining to the delicious half a square mile.
Named after the supreme overload of all citrus, it’s rather fitting that it celebrates the strongest fruit of the bunch, because all they thrive when it comes to small plates, the flavours here are as BIG as they get.
@the.manc If you love Japanese small plates just as much as we do, then you absolutely need to get yourselves down to @Yuzu Manchester ♬ I got to summer – noxz
And that should just about do it for our round-up of the best restaurants in Chinatown, be that Manchester staples or the newer names pushing its food, drink and dining scene in new directions.
It’s also worth noting that Chinatown MCR isn’t just our dedicated cultural district; it’s the second biggest after London here in the UK and the third-largest in all of Europe, in fact.
That being said, there’s lots to get to grips with besides just the eats, so you’ll be glad to know we’ve put together a helpful overview for you, too.
Find out what else there is to be enjoyed down below.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Pranavian (via Flickr)
Eats
GRUB On The Docks returns to MediaCity this summer with street food, World Cup screenings, and more
Emily Sergeant
Indie street food traders will be lining the Salford waterfront this summer, as GRUB On The Docks returns once again.
Summer is right around the corner, and MediaCity’s waterfront site will once again be transformed into a vibrant open-air destination built for warm weather and big moments across the season, as GRUB On The Docks returns later this week.
Running across the summer months, you can some of Greater Manchester‘s best street food traders to be serving up global flavours and summer-ready drinks, alongside live music, DJs, and just an all round laid-back atmosphere turning daytime hangouts into evening sessions.
There’ll be a rotating lineup of independent street food operators, including the likes of Sizzling Seoul’s East Asian bowls, Dukes Po Boys big American flavours, and Umami Cartel’s Japanese and Mexican fusion dishes all on the menu, as well as Oppa Korean Dogs, Sazume Sake, and Ilovebrioche – with many more ‘special’ traders and chefs still to be announced.
Aside from the food, the events calendar this year is packed with open-air screenings of the World Cup, classic films, and summer blockbusters, as well beer and wine festivals, wellness workshops, a New Faces Comedy all-day event, and even a dedicated Meet The Neighbours resident meet-up.
For families, there’s the popular Baby Mosh party, and plenty more activities to pass the time while schools are out for the summer.
GRUB On The Docks is returning to MediaCity this summer with street food, World Cup screenings, and loads more / Credit: Supplied
“GRUB On The Docks is all about creating a space people want to spend time in,” explained Jason Bailey, who is the Director of GRUB.
“Summer by the water, great food, cold drinks, and a proper atmosphere. MediaCity is a unique waterside location, and this is creating a pop-up for the summer months which reflects the energy of this creative campus. With the World Cup in the mix as well, it’s shaping up to be something really special.”
Georgina Pellant -
1st June 2023 
