Not one but two restaurants in Greater Manchester have been named on Time Out‘s list of the 15 best restaurants in the UK.
The highly regarded lifestyle magazine is always pumping out these rankings across the board and with decades of pedigree behind them, it goes without saying that people still take their recommendations very seriously – ourselves included.
So, when we saw that a pair of local food spots were named on the most recent round-up, flying the flag for Manchester’s thriving culinary scene, we were obviously buzzing.
But what two places have they picked out?…
Erst – Ancoats
Erst leads the Manchester front on Time Out‘s best restaurants in UK (Credit: The Manc Eats)
In at number three on Time Out‘s list of the best restaurants in Britain was the ever-impressive Erst, which we can confidently vouch for serving up some of the best food in the city centre just off Cutting Room Square for over half a decade now.
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It’s one of those places that feels like it should have a Michelin star even if doesn’t have one right now, building a glowing reputation around two core pillars: incredible natural wine and stunning small plates.
Genuinely not that expensive considering the sheer level of quality on show, the magazine writers Leonie Cooper and Lucas Oakeley spotlight offerings such as the Cantabrian anchovies that are “excellently sourced and devilishly salty” as well as “inventive plates” like the mussels in escabeche with Marinda tomatoes, lardo and sourdough. Hard agree.
Second up for Greater Manchester is going to annoy all those ‘it’s always been Cheshire’ die-hards but we’ll absolutely be claiming this one; it’s Where The Light Gets In tucked away on Rostron Brow, right near Stockport‘s historic market square.
Boasting a green star from Michelin and an incredible wine-pairing selection to compliment every course, this vegetable-driven dining experience is one of the very best we here The Manc Eats have ever enjoyed.
The menu changes every time you visit and the entire place feels like something special and bespoke. Time Out describes it as serving up “plates of food have nothing to hide and showcase the best ingredients from the farmers and fishermen that chef/owner Sam Buckley has spent years building an intimate relationship with”, summing it by adding, “Sustainability has never tasted so good”.
We’re obviously biased but there are definitely a few more places around Greater Manchester that we’d throw in that for Time Out‘s list but, who knows, maybe they’ll make it on there next year?
Either way, we’re just happy to celebrate two absolutely top-tier eateries in two very distinct parts of the region – it’s not all just city centre spots and it never will be.
Are there any amazing Manc restaurants that you think should have made the list?
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Where The Light Gets In
Eats
One of Manchester’s grandest restaurants has finally reopened TWO YEARS after fire
Daisy Jackson
One of the most historic restaurants in Manchester has reopened at last, two years after a fire forced its closure.
Mount Street Dining Room & Bar – which many of us may remember as Mr Cooper’s – stands within the Grade II-listed Midland Hotel.
The grand dining room dates all the way back to 1903, when it opened with the hotel as the Grill Room.
The restaurant was at the epicentre of the Industrial Revolution and was frequented by railway travellers, perhaps best-known for hosting a lunch between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce in 1904, who went on to form the world-famous Rolls-Royce brand.
The Midland’s restaurants has gone through several changes in the decades since, undergoing a major £14 million refurb in 2020 to relaunch as Mount Street Dining Room & Bar.
Its interiors are inspired by the hotel’s early 1900s art deco and railway heritage, with a menu that focuses on locally-sourced British produce.
But the restaurant has been shut since early 2024, when a fire damaged the entrance and trellising around its main entrance on Mount Street.
The beautiful bar areaA glimpse of the menu at Mount StreetCocktails and British food
The Midland has finally managed to get the restaurant back open again this month, with a new food and cocktail menus, which aims to offer refined but simple British dining.
Expect dishes like pork and black pudding bonbons, white onion soup with crispy potatoes, smoked British salmon with lemon gel and dill mascarpone, and slow cooked beef daube with confit garlic mash.
Plus desserts such as rice pudding with Anise glazed pearsand Bakewell pudding with cherry syrup.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen inside this beautiful, storied dining room – and it looks just as beautiful as we remember.
Tiny Manchester restaurant with just 12 seats added to the Michelin Guide
Daisy Jackson
Sampa, a tiny restaurant in the Northern Quarter with just a dozen seats, has been added to the Michelin Guide.
The Brazilian chef’s table concept comes from the acclaimed chef and former MasterChef star Caroline Martins, who has been refining the concept across the city for years.
She’s gone from a residency in an Ancoats wine bar to supper clubs and pop-ups across Manchester – and now has a place in the Michelin Guide.
Sampa, which is almost fully booked all the way through to August, is the first Brazilian restaurant in the UK to be included in the prestigious guide, which Caroline has described as ‘a small step for me as a chef patron, but a massive moment for the Brazilian community’.
Not only is the restaurant small, but it’s exclusive – Sampa is almost fully booked all the way through to August, and keeps its location under wraps until just 24 hours before your reservation.
The food showcases both traditional Brazilian techniques and ingredients, but with a modern take which has earned it rave reviews – including its signature Dormouse dessert, in the shape of a glossy red mushroom.
The Michelin Guide wrote: “In Manchester’s artsy Northern Quarter, Sampa is quite literally hidden away, with the exact address of this 12-seater chef’s counter only provided to guests 24 hours prior to dining, and a sign hung outside the door just 20 minutes before service.
“This sense of intrigue is fitting for an immersive experience where Chef Caroline Martins hosts her guests in a gregarious manner and treats them to a surprise menu of Brazilian cuisine.
“From the traditional ‘pão de queijo’ cheese bread to the showstopping ‘Dormouse’ dessert, these are fun, flavourful dishes packed with personality.”
And speaking of the honour, Caroline wrote: “SAMPA is now officially the first ever restaurant in the UK under the category “Brazilian” in the @michelinguide — and one of five across Europe! A small step for me as a chef patron, but a massive moment for the Brazilian community.
“This year has already gone beyond anything I could have imagined — and it just keeps getting better. We’re so proud of what we do at SAMPA every single day.
“Since January 2025, we’ve continued to grow and push forward, and it truly feels like we’re stronger than ever.
“A huge thank you to the Michelin Guide for the recognition, and to our amazing guests for being part of this journey and supporting us every step of the way. OBRIGADA!”
Danny Jones -
12th April 2024 
