The Thirsty Korean’s closure early last year hit Chorlton (and beyond) pretty hard.
This was a much-loved independent that was popular for its authentic, value-for-money Korean food and found a new level of fame when Sacha Lord offered to pay for everyone’s dinner for a day.
But fret not – The Thirsty Korean is back, it’s bigger, and it’s brunchier, already thriving in a new location in Chorlton.
From this sunny new spot on Wilbraham Road, they’re doing the sort of spicy brunch dishes that’ll kick-start not just your morning, but your entire week.
We’re talking their now-famous Korean fried chicken, either as full battered wings or sticky and spicy bites.
ADVERTISEMENT
We’re also talking traditional tteokbokki with lashings of melted cheese on top, silky sweet potato noodles, Korean pancakes stuffed with spring onion or kimchi or chicken, kimchi fried rice with runny eggs on top, and egg-coated cod.
The Thirsty Korean’s brunch spreadCheesy Ttekbokki noodlesThe new-look Thirsty Korean
Behind this local gem is Eunji Noh, and with the extra space she can stretch her ambition and her menu further.
ADVERTISEMENT
You’ll still find all the usual popular Korean dishes but she’s reached out to other parts of Korea to bring lesser-seen plates to her menu too, including seafood and now brunch items.
Whether you order as many small plates as you can to share, or commit to one of their big dishes, you’ll be leaving here very full and very happy.
The Thirsty Korean, Manchester has missed you so much.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Thirsty Korean is now open at 520 Wilbraham Road in Chorlton – you can make a booking HERE.
Five genuinely cheap eats and great value-for-money lunch deals in Manchester city centre
Danny Jones
A daily dilemma for us seems to be deciding what to have for dinner (you heard), especially as we’re all trying to save more pennies nowadays, but luckily, Manchester does have some great lunch deals if you look hard enough.
You just need to know where, and in some cases, exactly when to find them…
That’s where we come in; we’re not talking about anything close to a tenner either, as that’s more of a monthly treat and few can feasibly afford to spend that kind of money on scran every day.
So, without further ado, here are some of the best and ACTUALLY cheap lunchtime deals and offers in Manchester city centre.
Five of the best lunch offers in central Manchester
1. Vanilla Fudge – Bridge Street
Up first is an old favourite of ours that doesn’t seem to have changed over the years, no matter how much the cost of living crisis continues to linger. We’ll be honest, we first tried this place after a night out in Mojos next door way back when, but we’ve been coming ever since we saw the specials board.
It may look like one of many standard Manc butty shops/kebab houses when the sun sets, but for our money, Vanilla Fudge still has one of the best lunch deals in Manchester to this day: TWO big, well-packed wraps ‘of the day’, complete with protein, plenty of salad and your choice of sauce for just £5.50.
You’ll always find a few in the know on their break.We always hope to see Cajun chicken as the special. You can add cheese for an extra quid, or chips and a drink for £8.50. Bosh. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
2. Zaytoni – Multiple
Any cheap eat in Manchester that starts from under a fiver in this day and age is a winner in our books, and with Zaytoni, you can get plenty for just that and no more than a ‘bluey’; better still, their menu – be it the low-end or stuff that creeps over that amount – always slaps.
With two regularly busy sites (hardly a shock) on Oxford Road and the edge of the Northern Quarter/Piccadilly, you can get some very solid pizzas and garlic breads from between £4.50 and £7, but our advice is to go for a super-filling fatayer, with loads of fresh salad, and split one with a mate.
From one simply but satisfying spot to another, you can’t do a round-up of the best deals you can grab on your dinner in Manchester city centre without mentioning the local breakfast and lunchtime institution that is Rustica over in NQ.
Run by Manc mum to many, Jeanette, she and her team have literally been given a lifetime achievement award not only for keeping their food affordable for more than 25 years now, no matter what state the economy is in – and with lines around the block almost every single day without fail, it’s no wonder.
Next up is the still incredibly best and well-kept secret, Meridian Cafe and Bar, tucked down the side streets not far from Market and King Street, and just around the corner from Pall Mall. Well, we say ‘secret’ – it’s not really anymore, sorry… But this is some of the best halal Asian fusion in town.
That being said, it never fails to surprise us how many people haven’t heard of this place when we bring it up, and the weekly midday crowd is still relatively manageable given just how good their offer is: a massive lunch box starting from just £5.80. You can add more if you want, but trust us, you won’t need it.
The catch is, it’s only up for grabs during a specific window – find out when right here.
This and That – NQ
Last but not least, it would be nothing short of a crime to overlook one of the most legendary lunch deals in Manchester: the original rice and three offer from the storied This and That Cafe on the otherwise unsuspecting Soap Street, just around from NQ’s bustling Thomas St strip.
This place should need no introduction, really, and it may not be the only place that does this kind of offer, but with nearly four whole decades of serving up some of the tastiest curries in the city centre for cheap, this is the epitome of what we want from the Manc foodie scene on our dinner hour. Iconic.
Honourable mention
Bunny Jacksons
Last but not least, to round things up to a nice even half dozen in case none of these takes your fancy, how could we possibly forget Bunny’s? Arguably the best dive bar not just in Manchester but the entire world, this place is built on serving up great value-for-money scran, especially in hard times.
Wings from just 20p have kept us going until the end of many a long month waiting for payday, and while this place truly comes into its own come the evening when the playlist gets even louder, and the likes of bandaoke get going, it’s still a great place to nip at noon. Six is plenty, and 12 is more than enough.
A new restaurant serving seafood boils is opening at Printworks in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Shrimp Shack is set to open its first restaurant outside London this summer, with a new site in Printworks in Manchester.
The new restaurant will be serving seafood boils, as well as huge £19.95 platters, £10 lunch deals, and cocktail pitchers.
Shrimp Shack is set to open in the former Frankie & Benny’s site, beneath Printworks’ dazzling digital ceiling.
The restaurant is already cult-followed with its London locations, where it’s built a solid reputation for generous portions and bold flavours.
Shrimp Shack favourites include various seafood boils, a dish with its roots in the Southern states of the USA, including their shrimp boil, seafood boil, and the lux lobster boil.
Each boil is loaded with shrimp, seafood, sausages, corn on the cob, boiled eggs, spiced rice and peri chips, in the brand’s signature secret sauce.
There’s also set to be a Shack Savers Selection, with five huge dishes (battered fish and shrimps, a 12oz Wagyu steak, grilled salmon with prince shrimps, surf and turf, and grilled shrimp and calamari) priced at just £19.95, including two sides and a choice of sauces.
At lunchtimes, there’ll be £10 dishes like the Sprimp Rich Po’ Boy sandwich, the double cheese smash burger, and a veggie option (or you can upgrade to a lobster roll for £5).
And there’ll be refillable soft drinks, freshly-blended smoothies, milkshakes, mocktails, and sharing pitchers.
Shrimp Shack opens in Printworks this summer, serving seafood boils and platters
Rish Gola, co-founder of Shrimp Shack, said: “Shrimp shack was born in London to redefine how people enjoy premium seafood; served fresh and fast, where bold flavours are brought together with everyday dishes.
“Shrimp Shack has a strong appeal with ethnic communities, family diners, and groups of friends who come together over big flavours and generous seafood feasts.
“Our accessible pricing and high-quality dishes create apremium fast experience that welcomes everyone.”
Dan Davis, general manager at Printworks, said: “We’re delighted to have secured Shrimp Shack as Printworks’ latest tenant, its first location outside of London and another exciting restaurant to add to our offering.
“Shrimp Shack’s unique and distinctive offering is perfectly aligned with our aim to deliver high quality experience-led concepts right in the heart of Manchester.”
Daisy Jackson -
20th June 2025 
