The Good Food Guide has published its list of Britain’s 100 Best Local Restaurants – and Manchester has done very well indeed with seven restaurants featured.
In the list for the North West, a number of Manchester restaurants have been included after receiving public nominations and visits by Good Food Guide inspectors.
Coming out on top was The Sparrows as regional winners, whilst more Manchester restaurants that appear on the list include Higher Ground, 10 Tib Lane, Edinburgh Castle, Another Hand, Bombay to Mumbai and Lily’s Vegetarian Indian Cuisine.
A public nomination for Higher Ground read: “A friendly, welcoming local restaurant in the heart of the city centre, creating a much-needed link to the local food system.
“Using local produce from the restaurant’s partner farm, Cinderwood Market Garden, guests are able to connect with the seasons and the land. Many regulars and neighbours meet here and enjoy each other’s company, often bumping into other friends which creates a real sense of community”’
ADVERTISEMENT
Dill pickled cucumbers and spatlze at The Sparrows. / Image: The Manc Eats
Inside The Sparrows restaurant. / Image: The Manc Eats
All of the restaurants in the list have been inspected by Good Food Guide inspectors, travelling the length and breadth of England, Scotland and Wales, to compile the final list.
Tallow, a neighbourhood restaurant in Southborough, Royal Tunbridge Wells has been named the overall Best Local Restaurant by The Good Food Guide, topping a list of 100 local favourites across the country.
ADVERTISEMENT
Regional winners include Les 2 Garçons in London, The Sparrows in the North West, Homestead Kitchen in the North East, The Kinneuchar Inn in Scotland, Seasonality in the South East, Wild Artichokes in the South West, Rocket & Rye in Wales and Tropea in Central and the East of England.
The Good Food Guide’s Editor, Elizabeth Carter said of the winner of Britain’s 100 Best Local Restaurants 2023; “Tallow stood out, head and shoulders above what is a very strong list this year. For a chef of this quality to be so happily focused on running a neighbourhood restaurant is extraordinary.
ADVERTISEMENT
“There’s a level of commitment here that would sit happily in many top restaurants. Everything is beautifully thought through, from food you really want to eat – delicious, simple, seasonal – to the remarkably at-ease service and the care of customers.
Tallow owner Donna Taylor said of the award; “What an unexpected and humbling acknowledgement for the whole team at Tallow, and such a privilege to be considered alongside restaurants we love and respect.
“We’re incredibly proud to receive confirmation from our guests that Tallow has become what we had hoped, an accessible, relaxed dining experience that they wish to enjoy over and over again.”
The complete list includes city centre locations, as well as suburban and rural offerings.
A ragu with buttery mash at Higher Ground. / Image: The Manc Eats
Inside Higher Ground. / Image: The Manc Eats
Typically, Best Local Restaurants have been geographically located in classic ‘neighbourhood’ locations, but The Good Food Guide’s team of inspectors found that connection to the community is far more important than the restaurant’s address. Les 2 Garçons in London and Higher Ground, a bistro in central Manchester both epitomise this.
ADVERTISEMENT
Britain’s 100 Best Local Restaurants will provide a huge boost to the hospitality industry across the country, highlighting those who often miss the spotlight whilst providing an excellent and vital service to their community.
Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality said of the awards; “Local restaurants are so often the heartbeat of communities; providing jobs, generating economic growth and, most importantly, providing fantastic food. It’s brilliant to see such huge support from the public for their local restaurants and is deserved recognition of their hard work. This sort of support is invaluable as venues face ever-rising costs and is essential in keeping valued businesses viable.”
Thom Hetherington, Co-founder of the Northern Bar and Restaurant Show said; “The Good Food Guide was a revelation to me as a fledgling foodie 25 years ago, and its authority and independence is as crucial to today’s diners as ever – not just highlighting big names, but shining a light on the sometimes hidden restaurant gems that locals love and others need to know about.”
The full list of restaurants can be found below, together with their Best Local Restaurant region. Regional winners are highlighted in bold.
ADVERTISEMENT
Central & East of England
Tropea, West Midlands
Watson and Walpole, Suffolk
Chapter, West Midlands
Brix & Bones, Norfolk
ADVERTISEMENT
Stiffkey Red Lion, Norfolk
Fancett’s Bistro, Cambridgeshire
The Kilpeck Inn, Herefordshire
Hitchen’s Barn, Rutland
Lark, Suffolk
ADVERTISEMENT
The Silver Cup, Hertfordshire
London
Les 2 Garçons, London
Copper & Ink, London
Sam’s Riverside, London
ADVERTISEMENT
The Holland, London
Giulia, London
Akub Restaurant, London
Hawthorn, London
Church Road, London
ADVERTISEMENT
North East
Homestead Kitchen, North Yorkshire
The Hispanist, East Yorkshire
Hearth, East Yorkshire
Ophelia, Tyne & Wear
ADVERTISEMENT
Coin, West Yorkshire
Brooks, West Yorkshire
Long Friday, Tyne & Wear
The Orange Bird, South Yorkshire
Bantam, North Yorkshire
ADVERTISEMENT
Hinnies, Tyne & Wear
Tonco, South Yorkshire
Hern, West Yorkshire
North West
The Spärrows, Greater Manchester
ADVERTISEMENT
Four & Twenty, Cumbria
Belzan, Merseyside
10 Tib Lane, Greater Manchester
The Yan, Cumbria
Edinburgh Castle, Greater Manchester
ADVERTISEMENT
Another Hand, Greater Manchester
Covino, Cheshire
The Kirkstyle Inn and Sportsman’s Rest, Cumbria
Parkers Arms, Lancashire
Bombay to Mumbai, Greater Manchester
ADVERTISEMENT
The Nag’s Head, Cheshire
The White Horse, Cheshire
Lily’s Vegetarian Indian Cuisine, Greater Manchester
Kysty, Cumbria
Higher Ground, Greater Manchester
Scotland
The Kinneuchar Inn, Fife
The Loveable Rogue, Strathclyde
Celentano’s, Strathclyd
Bar Brett, Strathclyde
Eighty Eight, Strathclyde
The Palmerston, Lothians
L’Escargot Bleu, Lothians
Ga Ga Kitchen & Bar, Strathclyde
Gloriosa,Strathclyde
Eusebi Deli, Strathclyde
The Oystercatcher, Argyll & Bute
The Dory Bistro, Fife
The Galleon Bistro, Highlands & Islands
KORA by Tom Kitchin, Lothians
The Bothy, Moray
South East
Tallow, Kent – (Overall winner)
Seasonality, Berkshire (South East regional winner)
The Greyhound, Buckinghamshire
The Dew Drop Inn, Berkshire
Samphire, Kent
Five Little Pigs, Oxfordshire
Quince, Kent
The Victoria Oxshott, Surrey
The Pilgrim, Buckinghamshire
Palmito, West Sussex
The Purefoy Arms, Hampshire
Pompette, Oxfordshire
The Folkestone Wine Company, Kent
The Goods Shed, Kent
Fourth and Church, East Sussex
South West
Wild Artichokes, Devon
Sonny Stores, Bristol
Pythouse Kitchen Garden, Wiltshire
The Greenhouse, Cornwall
Art Sushi, Dorset
Bank, Bristol
Little Hollows Pasta, Bristol
The Cotley Inn, Somerset
Iford Manor Cafe & Kitchen, Wiltshire
Caper and Cure, Bristol
Brassica, Dorset
Littlefrench, Bristol
The Rocket Store, Cornwall
Andria, Devon
Beckford Canteen, Somerset
The Exmoor Forest Inn, Somerset
The Halfway at Kineton, Gloucestershire
Wales
Rocket & Rye, Glamorgan
Y Polyn, Carmarthenshire
The Warren, Carmarthenshire
Heathcock, Glamorgan
Paternoster Farm, Pembrokeshire
The Black Bear Inn, Monmouthshire
Yr Hen Printworks, Ceredigion
Featured image – The Manc Eats
Eats
Tawny Stores – Inside the stunning canalside restaurant that’s Stockport’s loveliest addition
Daisy Jackson
There’s a tiny little opening on the outskirts of Stockport that’s so charming, with such delicious food, that we’re going to have to insist you all rearrange your plans to visit immediately.
This is Tawny Stores, a restaurant, cafe and deli where you can do everything from having a romantic candlelit dinner to scoffing a morning pastry to grabbing a loaf of bread to take home.
With a pretty canalside location, and windows that look out over the water, it’s already proving a fantastic addition to Greater Manchester.
Tawny Stores is in Marple Bridge, a picturesque village at the foot of the Peak District hills (which feels a million miles from Stockport, but the name on the wheelie bins doesn’t lie).
It may be a total pain in the arse to get to, especially with every-other train being cancelled, but getting stuck out here is far from being the end of the world.
From their tiny kitchen they cook an ever-changing menu that’s technical, but simple.
By the time you read this the menu will probably have changed again, but here we go anyway.
Rabbit pie at Tawny Stores in Marple Bridge. Credit: The Manc GroupA cheese toastie at Tawny Stores. Credit: The Manc GroupHomemade crisps and a glass of wine. Credit: The Manc GroupRoast squash and lentils at Tawny Stores in Marple Bridge. Credit: The Manc Group
We had a wild rabbit, cider and tarragon pie, with a crust that could win awards and a generous dollop of silky smooth mash.
There was a simple cheese and onion toastie, elevated by some top-quality bread and homemade chutney on the side.
A warming pile of lentils was then topped with roasted squash and a zingy and herby green sauce to zap it (and you) back to life.
And then there’s homemade focaccia, which you can order with olive oil or have it as a sandwich, where fillings are currently festive and include squash and stuffing, crispy sprouts and aioli, and pork Milanese and cranberry.
Inside Tawny Stores, Marple Bridge, Stockport. Credit: The Manc GroupTawny Stores in Marple Bridge. Credit: The Manc Group
Before you head out, take a moment to browse the shelves full of produce (and the display unit filled with homemade cakes).
You can grab a hot drink to walk down the canal and burn off some of that fuel, or do it in reverse and come in here to warm your cockles after a brisk winter stroll.
Either way, it’s one to visit – and soon.
You can follow them on Instagram HERE for their latest menus.
10 of the best new bars and restaurants to open in Greater Manchester in 2024
Daisy Jackson
Another year has ticked by and once again, Greater Manchester has proven itself as a global heavyweight when it comes to new bars and restaurants.
As the city expands ever-further, with new neighbourhoods springing up like daisies, there’s been a flurry of new openings across the city region.
From the small teams painstakingly hand-rolling pasta or laminating croissants to much larger ventures flinging out sunny brunch dishes or slabs of meat, there’s been something to excite just about every palate in 2024.
With so many new spots to check out, you’re bound to have missed a few – so we’ve pulled together our 10 favourites to add to your visit list in 2025.
Cacio e pepe pasta. Credit: The Manc GroupSoup and a steak sandwich. Credit: The Manc GroupThe Paris hot chocolate. Credit: The Manc Group
In smaller Greater Manchester towns, new openings don’t come along every day – which might be why Cafe Continental caused such a stir initially when it launched in Stalybridge.
But as the months have ticked on this neighbourhood restaurant has proved that it’s far from a flash in the pan.
It looks like it’s been plucked from a pretty Parisian back street and has a menu that will stand the test of time, from a cacio e pepe pasta with an egg yolk on top to spicy twice-fried chicken buns and steak sandwiches.
That’s alongside excellent cocktails and one of the internet’s most viral sweet treats, a proper Paris hot chocolate, where you dollop thick cream into dainty cups of molten hot chocolate.
Blacklock’s cocktail trolley which roams their new Manchester restaurants. Credit: The Manc GroupBlacklock’s all-in platter outside their new Manchester restaurant. Credit: The Manc Group
Easily up there with the biggest openings in 2025 is Blacklock, which ventured out of its native London for the first time this year and landed in a basement unit on Peter Street.
Here, it’s all about the meat-heavy menu of reasonably-priced British classics, affordable cocktails, and its legendary white chocolate cheesecake scooped straight from the dish and dolloped onto your plate.
Blacklock is a modern take on a traditional chop house and proudly offers ‘hearty fare and rowdy comfort’.
A menu highlight is their all-in platter, where chops are piled high on charcoal-grilled flatbread which soaks up the meat juices. Delicious.
Pasta and pizzetta dishes at Onda in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Surely one of the greatest success stories in recent years, Onda has gone from a humble kitchen within Exhibition food hall, to a resident at New Cross in Ancoats, to its very own shiny restaurant at Circle Square in the blink of an eye.
From this massive new space, you can watch a team of chefs carefully making fresh pasta in the open kitchen, and glimpse their now-viral tiramisu drawer in action.
Even six months down the line, it’s damn-near impossible to book a table here, with people still waiting months to sample their delicious pastas, including fan favourites like nduja and vodka sauce, cacio e pepe bucatini, and a selection of thick-crusted pizzettas.
The tiramisu might have sent their popularity sky-high, but the quality and prices here prove that it deserves every bit of success coming its way. This place is not a novelty.
Rudy’s, Prestwich and Altrincham
Rudy’s in Altrincham. Credit: The Manc GroupRudy’s Prestwich. Credit: The Manc GroupRudy’s opened two new restaurants in Greater Manchester this year
Some might think that Rudy’s is getting a little big for its boots, now with 29 restaurants across the UK – properly impressive growth considering they were just a tiny pizzeria in Ancoats less than a decade ago.
But these top-quality Neapolitan-style pizzas are the stuff of legend for good reason and are pulling in big crowds in every suburb they land in.
This year alone they’ve launched new restaurants in Altrincham and another in Prestwich, the latter of which has gone into a vacant bank building on the high street of the Greater Manchester suburb.
Will anything ever stop these guys in their tracks? Doubt it…
Medlock Canteen, Deansgate Square
Fresh baguettes stuffed with rotisserie chicken straight out of the oven. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Medlock Canteen. Credit: The Manc Group
Bottomless coffee, rotisserie chicken, epic sandwiches, schnitzels, and big brekkies, all served in a delightfully mid-century modern interior – we were excited for Medlock Canteen before the doors even opened.
Moving into the skyscraper neighbourhood of Deansgate Square, this place comes from the same team behind Madre (the Mexican restaurant at Kampus) and Belzan (one of Liverpool’s top restaurants).
It’s had a few rave national reviews and pulls in a steady crowd, thanks in part to its proximity to Club de Padel. Going straight from court to cocktails is a pretty dreamy Manchester evening.
They’ll even let you order a portion of whatever the staff dinner is that night for a tenner.
Companio, Northern Quarter
Companio Bakery in the Northern QuarterMaritozzi from Companio BakeryCredit: The Manc Group
It’s always been one of Manchester’s best bakeries, but its original location on the very edges of Ancoats sort of kept it a bit too out of the way.
So when Companio announced a new spot in the heart of the Northern Quarter, bringing its loaves and pastries that little bit closer, the city centre rejoiced.
On the menu you’ll find sandwiches in freshly-baked bread, maritozzi bursting at the seams with cream, delicious coffee, seasonal bakes and loads more, in a gorgeous new cafe on an NQ back street.
You can even pull up a seat right next to the bakery so you can sit and watch loaves being lovingly shaped and baked right in front of you – now that’s my kind of show.
Hive Stores, Altrincham
Hive Stores in Altrincham, Greater Manchester
It’s not every day that Greater Manchester gets a new business quite as beautiful as the bar at Hive Stores, which is filled with gorgeous antique furniture, a general store, and a cafe.
The business had previously operated as an antiques store from a ramshackle building out the back – but when this roadside space came up next door, they snapped it up and transformed it into a timeless, character-packed community cafe and bar.
You can pick up some eggs and have an espresso martini at the same time, tuck into a cheese board and a few glasses of wine, grab a Half Dozen Other pastry, or sit on the pavement with a spritz and people-watch.
It’s operated by Steven Sherratt and Gareth Wilkins and you’re guaranteed a warm welcome every time. A must-visit.
Dishes at Stow are seasonal and cooked over open fire. Credit: The Manc GroupStow in Manchester
This is the newest spot on the list, and if you’ve not already jumped on the bandwagon it’s one to add to your list for 2025.
What sets Stow apart from the rest is its innovative cooking style – no ovens, no conventional appliances, just fire and grill. Everything on the menu – even their bread and cake – is cooked over open fire.
They’ve totally transformed the space on Bridge Street too, which has at various points over the last few years been a futuristic coffee shop, a Thai BBQ restaurant, and a wine bar.
Stow is owned and operated by Matt Nellany and Jamie Pickles from Trof, who want to celebrate the ‘simplicity of great ingredients cooked over open fire with very little faff’.
Cheese and kimchi on toast at Caravan in Manchester
It would be quicker to list what Caravan doesn’t serve than what it does, but every single thing on their all-day menu is executed to the highest degree.
From brunches to sourdough pizzas, coffee to cocktails, grain bowls to brioche puddings, the menu harks from sunny New Zealand (as do its three co-founders).
Caravan is a wildly popular name down in London and finally landed here in Manchester in the summer, with a massive new 170-capacity restaurant and a full working roastery.
Menu highlights include jalapeño cornbread with chilli butter, Korean-style buttermilk fried chicken with kimchi pancakes, and, of course, fry-ups.
RamenShop, Northern Quarter
Ramenshop in the Northern Quarter. Credit: The Manc Group
Alright this one technically isn’t a new opening, rather a rebrand – but something about that shiny new sign above the door made us fall back in love with RamenShop (formerly Tokyo Ramen) all over again.
The team who run the show here – Janven, Marc and Mark – have actually been given partial ownership of the restaurant, which is a lovely bit of positive hospitality news for a change, isn’t it?
Their concise menu sees 12-hour chicken broth bases piled high with perfect noodles, proteins and jammy eggs, including their best-selling ‘fire’ ramen, topped with crunchy koji-fried chicken, and the classic shoyu that’s topped with torched pork belly.
Georgina Pellant -
7th July 2023 
