Eats

Two Greater Manchester restaurants have been named in Time Out’s 15 best restaurants in the UK

Well deserved is a understatement.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 12th April 2024

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 Manchester best restaurants in the UK Time Out
erst manchester reviews
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.

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Where The Light Gets In – Stockport

where the light gets in menu
michelin star restaurant stockport
Credit: Where The Light Gets In

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”.

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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?

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Where The Light Gets In

Eats

Manchester’s viral sandwich shop Ad Maiora is selling HUGE butties for only 9p through Deliveroo

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Ad Maiora in Manchester is selling 9p sandwiches this week through Deliveroo. Credit: The Manc Group

Ad Maiora, the Italian sandwich shop that’s loved by Manchester City stars (and everyone else who’s sunk their teeth into one), is selling butties for only 9p this week.

The local business is famed for its authentic sandwiches filled with quality imported Italian ingredients, and for its super-sized versions of its delicious lunches.

And this week only, you’ll be able to pick up a hefty sandwich, called the Scran-wich, for only 9 English pence.

The limited-edition Schiacciata will have nine different components and weighs in at a whopping 500g (though it’s nothing on their 1kg beast we’ve tried before…)

Owners and couple Enrico and Daniela have spent weeks developing the perfect balance of flavours.

Each ingredient is sourced in Italy but inspired by places and sayings from Manchester.

So you’ll find spicy ‘supersonic’ salami, nowt better N’duja, mozzarella ‘footballs’, sliced Haçienda heritage tomatoes, ‘r kid Italian wild rocket, 0161 olives, lashings of mad fer it mayonnaise, ‘buzzing bee’ basil leaves and ‘let’s ave it’ red onions – all sandwiched between fresh homemade Scran-worthy Schiacciata bread. 

The Scran-wich and its 9p sale have been created to celebrate Deliveroo’s ninth birthday, and there’ll be 300 available to order through Deliveroo.

The limited edition 9p ‘Scran-Wich’, available at Ad Maiora in Manchester through Deliveroo. Credit: Deliveroo/Dominic Lipinski
The limited edition 9p ‘Scran-Wich’, available at Ad Maiora in Manchester through Deliveroo. Credit: Deliveroo/Dominic Lipinski
Ad Maiora is one of Manchester's best sandwich shops and loved by celebs and locals
Ad Maiora is one of Manchester’s best sandwich shops and loved by celebs and locals

Enrico and Daniela, owners of Ad Maiora, said: “We’ve had so much support from the local community since we launched, so we were very excited when Deliveroo asked us to create a special Ad Maiora sandwich dedicated to the city of Manchester in celebration of their 9th birthday.

“We hope our customers love the limited-edition ‘Scran-wich’ – we’ve really enjoyed creating a sandwich that celebrates our city which makes this SUPER limited edition and special!”

Steffi Morel, Deliveroo city manager for Manchester, said: “It has been an absolute honour connecting Manc foodies to the best local restaurants at the click of a button for the last nine years.

“To celebrate, we’ve partnered with one of Manchester’s new local favourites, Ad Maiora, who’ve created the ultimate birthday ‘Scran-wich’, which pays homage to the city with every delicious bite! Deliveroo customers will need to be quick, as there are only 300 available!”

Ad Maiora’s Scran-wich is available for just 9p from Tuesday 30 April until Thursday 2 May through Deliveroo.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

Medlock Canteen receives rave Guardian review from Jay Rayner just one month after opening

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

Medlock Canteen, a new Manchester restaurant, has received a rave review in the Guardian just weeks after it opened.

National critic Jay Rayner has heaped praise upon the restaurant at Deansgate Square, describing it as ‘so special’.

The restaurant only opened its doors at the end of March, taking its inspiration from opposite sides of the pond – the laid-back style of American diners and the hospitality of Parisian bistros.

Rayner said it’s ‘a welcome haven for all’ and applauded its menu packed with ‘appealing, familiar dishes that are the best versions of themselves’.

Medlock Canteen comes from the team behind Madre (the Mexican restaurant at Kampus) and Belzan (one of Liverpool’s top restaurants).

But unlike those two restaurants, things are much simpler at their newest venture – this is a restaurant where you can order a fried egg with any meal, drink bottomless coffee, and even order the day’s ‘staff dinner’ for just a tenner.

Rayner dedicated almost an entire paragraph of his review to Medlock Canteen’s gravy (‘dark and sticky and deeply savoury’), which he said is so good you should just ‘order that and pour it over everything. Pour it over a friend’.

He also waxed lyrical about their rotisserie chicken (there are rows of the things rotating in the city’s first in-restaurant rotisserie chicken oven), of which he said: “It is everything those words promise and don’t always deliver. No special rubs or sauces. Just roast chicken, rested long enough for the meat to start shrugging itself off the bones. The skin is crisp and salty.”

Inside Medlock Canteen in Manchester, which just received a rave review in The Guardian
Inside Medlock Canteen in Manchester, which just received a rave review in The Guardian
Inside Medlock Canteen in Manchester, which just received a rave review in The Guardian. Credit: The Manc Group

Other dishes that were celebrated in the Guardian’s review of Medlock Canteen included a rhubarb pie, charcoal-grilled fish of the day, duck rillettes and pistachio frangipane tart.

The restaurant itself said there were ‘happy faces’ after the review was published over the weekend.

Medlock Canteen wrote on Instagram: “Manchester may be grey this Sunday, but let us tell you, there are a few happy faces both on and behind the scenes as we enjoy our morning brew, reading through the kind words of @jayrayner1 in the @guardian.

“Thanks go to our team and our guests for all the hard work, dedication, and pure passion that has made Medlock Canteen ‘a welcome haven for one and all.’

“Anyway, enough of that. Just another day. Just another ‘set of appealing, familiar dishes that are the best versions of themselves.’

“Caution: gravy jus may be thrown. Let Sunday service commence.”

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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