Levenshulme has long been described as an up-and-coming destination for restaurants, but with its typical South Manchester frontage of innumerable pound shops, bookies, and fried chicken takeaways, at first glance, you might be forgiven for wondering why.
This is no quiet, polite Ancoats, with its tiny pedigree dogs trotting around happily after their owners, or a newly sterilised Sale with its identikit shop fronts.
This is a foodie suburb with a loud personality, where gentrification is still being somewhat held at bay as the old and the new continue to sit side by side.
Over the past decade, the Levenshulme neighbourhood has attracted a roster of trendy new bars, taprooms, restaurants and bakeries, with most of their kitchens favouring hipster-friendly seasonal small plates, not to mention low-intervention wines and craft beers.
Most of these new independent businesses run the gauntlet of the seemingly always-congested Stockport Road, tucked in amongst dusty old shopfronts and busy shisha shops.
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It feels a bit of a neighbourhood in flux, where you can sit in the sun and sip on some of the best natural wines going as, directly behind you, commuters pump out loud bhangra bangers from their cars and shout angrily at one another from their windows.
No word of a lie, on a recent visit for this piece I actually witnessed a lorry driver pull onto a side street and chase down a car that had cut him off after shouting from his window that he would ‘fight him’. But then, that’s just classic South Manchester for you – and I don’t think I’d have it any other way.
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If you ask me – it’s just the kind of foodie suburb we all need more of, with longstanding favourites like Leve Bakery Shawarma continuing to thrive alongside the trendy new guard.
Yes, we have lost a few good places here in recent years – notably Aunty Ji’s and The Gherkin – but overall, it’s still very much worth a visit. Please, God, let’s all go and spend some money there before another one shuts.
So, on that note, let’s dig into where it is that you should be booking.
This cool neighbourhood bar and restaurant might be serving up some delicious, fancy small plates and cocktails, but it’s also the sort of place you can bring the whole family on a day out to Levenshulme.
There’s something for everyone on the menu, ranging from perfectly crispy pork belly with pickled spinach and home-fermented hot sauce, to squishy hush puppies showered with parmesan, and one of the best house burgers we’ve had in some time.
Nordie’s spicy mango margaritas, made fiery with a splash of ancho reyes chile liqueur, deserve a special shout-out, as do some of its local producers – especially Stockport butchery Littlewoods, who provide the meat for that much-thought-about burger of theirs.
This women-owned and run natural wine bar and shop sits on a busy high street and looks somewhat unassuming from the front, but dive inside and you’re guaranteed to sample some of the tastiest morsels going in Levenshulme right now.
Opened by Caroline Dubois (former sommelier at Where The Light Gets In) and Isobel Jenkins (Seasons Eatings supper club), the focus here is on sustainable practices and producers, with plenty of tasty bakes, small plates, and the occasional pop-up supper club.
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Caroline is more than happy to chew your ear off about her passion for wine, which seems, frankly, infinite, so don’t be afraid to ask for a recommendation – she puts a lot of work into sourcing each bottle, often visiting the producers before buying a new case.
This independent tap house and bottle shop is much bigger than it looks from the front, with three rooms stretching right to the back and plenty of seating for drinkers.
Home to modern small batch brewery Ventile Brew Co, find a mixture of Ventile beers and others from breweries local to Greater Manchester – spanning sherberty lemon sours, chocolatey stouts, and hop-forward pale ales.
Bright and colourful inside, its team, as you might expect, is incredibly knowledgeable on the beer front. In the back, you’ll also find shelves upon shelves of boardgames, perfect for wiling away the sort of wet and windy summer afternoons we’ve been having here lately.
Located in an old sweet shop on a suburban back street, this adorable little neighbourhood bakery comes from former Pollen patissiers Jenny and Bethan.
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Serving up the likes of beautifully laminated croissants, dill pickled Danish, scrumptious homemade pop tarts, and plenty more, the women-owned and women-run bakery is open Wednesday to Saturday starting early in the morning until 3pm.
Up on a shelf behind the counter, they still have a few big jars of old-school boiled sweets in a nod to its days a corner shop – but we’re not entirely sure if they are for sale, or just there for the nostalgia.
You can also pick up bags of coffee here, and whilst doing your shopping peer into the open kitchen in the back to see exactly what it is they’re going to be putting out on the counter next.
Whilst city dwellers know and love Trove’s Ancoats bakery and restaurant, if you get the chance to come up to Levenshulme and visit its original spot it’s well worth doing so.
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The team here is serving up freshly baked sourdough, pastries, cakes, jams and chutneys, all made in-house, alongside stunning brunch dishes such as seasonal croissant loaf French toast, eggs Benedict and a vegan breakfast of aubergine, panisse, cannellini beans, mushroom, cavelo nero, seasonal chutney, tahini, and toast.
One of the charms of Trove being a bakery first is that the menu allows you to choose your own bread, kind of like a posh Subway but a million times better – with choices spanning white and wholemeal sourdough, white bloomer, and 100% rye fennel (the latter a personal favourite).
From the new to the old, so we have to talk about Leve Bakery Shawarma – something of an institution in this part of Manchester.
Admittedly, the pictures above are taken from a recent visit to their newly-opened Edgeley Road takeaway in Stockport – but on a recent visit to Levenshulme, I couldn’t fail to notice how many people were sitting outside enjoying lamb and chicken-stuffed samoans for their mid-week lunch.
The fact that the team here has just opened a second site is a testament to its success in a climate where 10% of all administrations are now attributed to hospitality closures, and it’s safe to say the food here is completely worth all the hype that it gets.
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Also worth trying here is the Lebanese Fatayer, a Middle Eastern folded pizza/pie hybrid baked with a variety of vegetables and meat, and the Lahmajun – a crispy Levantine flatbread topped with minced meat, vegetables, and herbs.
Where do you love to eat in Levenshulme? Let us know where else we should go by dropping us a message on Instagram @themanceats.
Could the reaction to Casemiro’s swansong Man United season see him stay ‘one more year’?
Danny Jones
Casemiro has arguably been up there with one of the best Manchester United signings in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, after the likes of Bruno Fernandes; maybe not in terms of how it’s impacted the wider transfer budget, but now he’s about to leave, most supporters aren’t ready to let him go.
Truly, if they had their way, many would happily keep him for at least “one more year”, as they continuously chanted during the most recent home game.
However, with the footballing veteran himself admitting that he’s been left moved by the response and certainly basked in the chants for him to stay following the win over Aston Villa last weekend, another one in which he chipped in with a key goal.
Casemiro scored the opener in what went on to be a vital 3-1 win in their pursuit of Champions League places, and has made it clear that, like the rest of the squad, this is his only goal for the remainder of the 2025/26 campaign.
But with United now looking closer to securing third or perhaps even chasing down second place, according to many (some have even gone further than that…), this current, albeit still early doors, resurgence under Michael Carrick could be the start of a corner turned for the one serial winners.
However, fans have seen many false dawns at Old Trafford over the past decade or so, and there is obviously the risk of him ultimately spoiling what should now be a fine and fitting farewell.
Then again, after speaking in a recent interview with Sky Sports, the 34-year-old said it’s been “way more” special than he was expecting since he revealed his plans to leave on a high, and stranger things have happened.
You only have to look at Mohammed Salah and Liverpool, who looked all set to go before eventually U-turning and signing a new deal – though contract terms no doubt helped swing those negotiations.
As one of the highest-earning players not just at Man United or even the Premier League but in Europe, he’s already earned serious amounts during his time with the Red Devils, so there is a belief that the incumbent INEOS board would be happy to shift him off the books and reinvest in replacing him.
#mufc are in advanced talks to sign Bruno Guimaraes for around €80m, but renewed interest from Real Madrid threatens to complicate the proposed move [@Reuters, @fernandokallas]
The likes of Guimaraes, previously courted Carlos Baleba, Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, Wolves duo André and Joao Gomes have all been linked with possible moves to Manchester of late.
In fact, depending on how much room Jim Ratcliffe and co. have for spending on recruitment, they could potentially even cover the wages of more than one signing in the middle of the park or other positions that they feel may require further reinforcements.
All this is still very much in theory, of course, and while Casemiro has seemingly confirmed that he will depart this summer, who knows how much of the recent reaction and outpouring of love and support from the Stretford End and beyond could potentially sway the outcome?…
Then again, do you think reconsidering the decision would be a wise move, or at his age, is four years in the English top flight enough?
Featured Images — Sky Sports (screenshot)/Ardfern (via Wikimedia Commons)
Feature
The best beer gardens in Manchester for when the sun is shining
The Manc
With the arrival of spring comes the first promises of sunshine and, being British, of course we’re already thinking about where to go for that first sun-soaked pint.
With the sun finally starting to stick its head out, even if his visit is brief, we expect we’ll be seeing plenty of packed beer gardens soon enough.
We all know the pain of walking pub-to-pub trying to find a seat on a sunny and/or warm Manchester day, so we’re rounding up the best, the biggest and the most hidden beer gardens in the city to help you to make the most of the good weather.
You might actually stand a chance at getting a seat in one of these, if you’re quick enough.
Thomas Street and Edge Street, Northern Quarter
Common on Edge StreetAd Hoc on Edge Street
This was one of the few positives to come out of the pandemic – removing vehicles from a back-to-back stretch of the Northern Quarter.
It means that the bars along Thomas Street and Edge Street can now fill the roads with tables and chairs in one giant beer garden, but being such a busy stretch it’s often the first place punters think to go for a drink in the sun.
You’ll find the likes of The Morris, Common, Ad Hoc, Terrace, Smithfield Social, the Bay Horse Tavern, Cane and Grain and Wolf At The Door all being given the al fresco treatment.
Terrace also has a gorgeous little hidden beer garden upstairs, and if you find yourself really struggling to find a perch head over to Trof which has a tiny little hidden beer garden on its middle floor.
The Wharf and Dukes 92, Castlefield
Two beer garden institutions both stand in the canal-side setting of Castlefield.
Both The Wharf and Dukes 92 are stuffed to the brim with pub-goers in spring and summer, thanks to their massive terraces, with more people spilling out onto the green lawns surrounding them.
Down here you’ll also find Bar Barca and Albert’s Shed, both in prime position for soaking up some rays with a broad array of seating on offer.
It’s one of the prettiest spots in the city centre too, right on the water with narrow boats and plenty of lush greenery in view.
Stevenson Square, Northern Quarter
Stevenson Square has turned into one giant beer garden in ManchesterPublic’s beer garden in Manchester
Very much in the same wheelhouse as the aforementioned Thomas Street is Stevenson Square, another pocket of the Northern Quarter that’s really still benefitting from those relaxed pavement licenses of 2020.
A number of local operators vie for precious outside space here, including Flok (which does a roaring trade in Aperol spritzes and peach Jubel in the summer), Public, The Faraday, and Eastern Bloc.
There are even a handful of seats outside Soup and Noho when the weather is good, even if they don’t get quite as much sunshine.
The Oast House, Spinningfields
Manchester’s massive free festival Manifest is back for the August bank holiday weekendManchester’s massive free festival Manifest is back for the August bank holiday weekend. Credit: The Manc Group
Beer gardens seem to be everywhere in Manchester these days, which is of course a good thing, but we still have a soft spot for the original outdoor watering hole.
Cast your mind back a few years and The Oast House was one of the only venues that really focused on an open-air offering.
It’s still the same today – masses of tables in the heart of Spinningfields, with bleacher seating all the way round, plus live entertainment and a belting Aperol Spritz.
The Corn Exchange
Banyan is one of the Corn Exchange bars with a great beer gardenSalvi’s sunny terrace at the Corn Exchange
Another corner of the city where bars and restaurants spill outside alongside one another is the Corn Exchange.
Its residents – including Salvi’s, Banyan and Cosy Club – almost all have their own terraces, but it’s the ones on the Exchange Square side who get the most sunshine.
Neighbouring it, meanwhile, are two of Manchester’s oldest pubs – Sinclari’s Oyster Bar and The Old Wellington – both of which also boast large sun trap beer gardens, for those after something a little more traditional.
You might have to queue a little while, but with so much seating, you’ll be sipping a drink in the sun before you know it.
Cutting Room Square, Ancoats
Set in the middle of Ancoats, also known as one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world, Cutting Room Square is guaranteed to get the sun all day long – and with plenty of bars here to choose from you’re pretty much guaranteed to find a seat one way or another.
There’s the classic pub reborn Edinburgh Castle, brilliant cocktail bar Jane Eyre, and local brewery bar from Seven Brothers – drinkers are spoilt for choice.
You can even soak up some rays outside Rudy’s (and the Ancoats one is the OG pizzeria), perch outside the award-winning Erst with a nice glass of wine, or jump in to Elnecot’s patio, where you might even find a BBQ on sunny days.
Waterside neighbourhoods are difficult to find in Greater Manchester, which is what makes New Islington marina feel so special.
In the warmer months, the bars and cafes along here throw out the furniture so you can sit with a pint overlooking the water.
There’s Flawd, an award-winning wine bar; Cask, a brilliant local craft beer bar; and Pollen, if you fancy a pastry garden rather than a beer garden.
Piccadilly Trading Estate, East Piccadilly
Drinking around the Beermuda Triangle in Manchester
Beer paradise awaits just past Manchester Piccadilly, with plenty of beer garden space too, in an industrial estate that’s nicknamed the ‘Beermuda Traingle‘.
There’s the lovely Track Taproom with a huge outside space out the back; Cloudwater Taproom, which is an absolute sun trap; and then Balance Taproom and Sureshot just around the corner, which have less space but just as many vibes.
It’s the perfect activity if you’re looking to drink really great beer and not walk very far whilst still visiting a range of top class spots, because after all…variety is the spice of life.
Society, central
Manchester bar Society to give away FREE Aperol Spritzes to gig-goersThe beer garden at Society Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Not only is this spot right on the water, with excellent views of the Bridgewater Hall, but it’s also home to the biggest beer collection in Manchester.
Society has a whopping 44 beer taps, with a vast range from loads of different top northern breweries, including Cloudwater, Pomona Island, and Rivington (along with a few globally-brewed favourites).
The new beer range is flowing now, alongside all those amazing food traders that call Society home too.
Mala, Northern Quarter
This ‘secret garden’ bar is right in the heart of the Northern Quarter in the midst of the pandemic and is another great outdoor space for getting the drinks in when the sun is shining.
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Tucked behind those big mint-green wooden boards on Dale Street is a cluster of picnic tables and wooden huts festooned with fairy lights and plants.
It might not be the tropics, but they’ve got the cocktails to trick your tastebuds into thinking it is – we’re talking frozen strawberry daiquiris and frozen pina coladas. Oh, and there’s beer too.
Georgina Pellant -
4th August 2023 
