As 2020 draws to a close, we look back at the people in Greater Manchester who hit the headlines during one of the most difficult years of modern times.
Manchester is a restless place. Always moving; always changing; always growing.
Whenever December rolls around, there’s invariably so much to dissect from the previous 12 months.
But standing at the cliff edge of 2020, most of us would rather look forward than back.
As a region, we’ve never needed a New Year more than this one.
2020 was still in its infancy when COVID-19 – the deadly virus that’s infected millions across the world – reared its ugly head and knocked Greater Manchester into a coma from which it’s yet to truly emerge.
Surviving a pandemic has meant huge sacrifices, and this time last year, all our lives were extraordinarily different.
Masks were for labs. ‘Bubbles’ were for Aeros. ‘Top tier’ meant something good. ‘Lockdown’ was a word for zombie movies.
It was a time when you could walk into a public place without pumping hygiene gel on your palms.
A time when you weren’t asked to navigate buildings single-file via a one-way system.
A time when you could order pints without a big plate of food – and any number of friends could join you.
A time when public transport was busy, bars were booming, and music played every single night.
The virus has impacted our region in a bigger way than anyone could have imagined.
But during these past few months of sorrow, frustration, pain, dismay, and just a flicker of hope, a selection of semi-hidden faces stood out from the masked-up crowd.
Here, we look at some of the most talked-about Mancs (both born and honorary) of the year; people with local links who hit the headlines for various reasons during one of the most challenging years on record for Greater Manchester.
Marcus Rashford
During the early stages of the pandemic, the message was focused on rallying around one another. If everyone did their bit, we’d get through this together, the Government declared.
But in April, an irked Health Secretary claimed that one group wasn’t pulling its weight in the fight against the virus.
Footballers.
“I think the first thing Premier League footballers can do is make a contribution; take a pay cut and play their part,” Matt Hancock argued.
It was a big statement on a thorny issue – with the roles of elite sportspeople placed under burning spotlight when some were caught breaking lockdown measures.
But as the debate raged on, Manchester United’s 22-year-old striker Marcus Rashford was quietly working with charity FareShare on a campaign to feed children whilst schools were closed.
The footballer had depended on free school meals himself whilst growing up in Wythenshawe, and was desperate to ensure no child would go hungry in the pandemic.
Rashford launched a campaign to get free school meals distributed throughout the summer, which parliament initially pushed aside.
But after long battles, numerous campaigns, and petitions amassing millions of signatures, Rashford’s wish was granted.
His commitment to the cause didn’t stop there, either, as the footballer proceeded to win a £170m COVID winter grant scheme to support vulnerable families and an extension of holiday activities and food programme to 2021.
For his services, Rashford has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester; an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for 2020, Special Recognition at the Pride of Britain Awards, and seemingly a direct line to Number 10 Downing Street.
Murals of his face have been splashed across Manchester – with the youngster turning into one of the biggest role models of modern times.
In the end, Mr Hancock admitted that Rashford had indeed done his bit to help during the crisis. Even if he didn’t quite get his name right…
2020 took too many before their time. But the loss of Tony Morris hit Greater Manchester particularly hard.
Born to Jamaican parents, Morris grew up in foster care on the south coast and became an adopted Manc after settling into the anchor seat at ITV in 2003.
The Granada Reports presenter remained in that chair for 17 years – calmly and professionally sharing the northern news headlines whilst daring to challenge powerful interviewees whenever they set foot in the studio.
For most of us, Morris was the familiar face of tea-time TV news. But to others, he was an inspiration – described as a ‘hero to the black communities in the north’.
A colleague said Morris was “a person that showed us if he can do it, then so can I.”
Morris passed away in August at Bury Hospice after fighting kidney cancer – sparking an outpouring of grief across the region.
He was 57.
Co-anchor Lucy Meacock described him as “one of the most humble, kind and funny people I have ever met, and he would often make me laugh till my sides ached.”
Every politician divides opinion. Greater Manchester’s Mayor is no different.
In the space of one short year, Andy Burnham has been called the ‘King of the North’; ‘the next Labour Party leader’; a ‘grandstander’; and ‘the country’s corona crush’ by Vogue Magazine.
Throughout 2020, the MP has been sporadically showered in both gushing praise and vitriolic criticism.
But there was one moment when Manchester was unanimously behind its Mayor; a scene that made everyone else outside of the M60 sit up and take notice of the man who ran the show up north.
It was October 20. The skies were cloudy and the mood was irate.
After 10 gruelling days locking horns with Boris Johnson over tier regulations, Burnham assembled his GM borough leaders outside the glass doors of Bridgewater Hall and summoned the press.
The conference started typically enough, with the Mayor reflecting on yet another failed meeting with Westminster over agreeing local restrictions.
But the longer it went on, the more the Mayor appeared to swerve off script.
Press were soon left watching an impassioned, rousing speech with the kind of genuine emotion rarely seen in modern politics; a stirring address that grew angrier with every syllable.
“I don’t think it is right to ask people to go into a lockdown, to accept further changes within their lives, without supporting them through all of that,” Burnham roared at reporters, surely amped by supportive shouts of “Go on, Andy!” from passers-by.
He then pledged to his local citizens: “We took this stand for you. We will carry on fighting for you.”
One image from that afternoon even made its way beyond politics and into the meme world – with the Mayor briefly turning away from the cameras to check a news update on Sir Richard Leese’s phone screen and – after learning the government would give Manchester £62 million less than it needed – puffing out his cheeks in exasperation.
In the weeks that followed, the Mayor was inundated with interview requests, made the subject of countless opinion pieces, and even got his very own beer courtesy of local brewers Seven Bro7hers.
He’s been an MP for nearly two decades. But 2020 was without a shadow of doubt Burnham’s biggest year yet.
Back in 1990, Len Grant was a fledgling photographer, searching desperately for something worth shooting in a city that had little to show off.
Aside from a few major landmarks, Manchester was mainly car parks and brownfield sites, so Len decided to snap portraits of the people promising to bring changes to the city in the future – including council members, developers, architects and landowners.
He made contacts and connections, meaning that as soon as the shovels hit the dirt, Len was first on site to document the construction.
For three decades, the Fallowfield photographer snapped away at a city that began to change rapidly beyond recognition. And now these images have been published in all their glory.
In 2020, Len completed the magnificent Regeneration Manchester – a photography project completely unrivalled in scope and depth that captures the region evolving into the metropolis it is today.
The project is a testament to the region quite like no other – a Manc masterpiece thirty years in the making.
After temporarily cancelling sport, COVID proceeded to set up the biggest mismatch of a fight in recent memory: Pitting a powerful Westminster-based Government against a weary northern nightlife scene wobbling on its knees with two hands tied against its back.
Coronavirus has landed blow after blow against the local hospitality sector in 2020, knocking live music and nightclubs out cold whilst leaving pubs to exhaustedly grasp at food menus in a bid to steady themselves and stay open on the ‘pints only with food rule’.
Doors closed and music stopped. But thanks to Sacha Lord, Greater Manchester kept dancing anyway.
Back in April, the region’s The Night Time Economy Adviser launched United We Stream: A platform that turned live shows digital and gave stages to artists, gigs to audiences, and a crucial financial funnel to the nightlife scene.
Lineups featured some of the biggest names in music (including many who played at the Hacienda) and viewers could buy virtual tickets to donate funds to local hospitality.
But aside from bringing together the best musicians in the business for live streams, Lord has also dedicated time to defending the hospitality sector from the government.
Whenever he got a spare moment, the Parklife founder would step in to bat for Manchester on media outlets and Twitter; repeatedly campaigning to local MPs.
But he wasn’t just a keyboard warrior. Far from it.
When Lord wasn’t finding fresh ways to keep music alive in 2020, he was working with solicitors to challenge the government’s regulations and cut the red tape around the hospitality sectors’ doors.
His energy, commitment and passion for live music and the nightlife scene has never once wavered – even in the sector’s most testing year on record.
Without Lord, Manchester’s music would have been on mute for eight long months.
Thousands were introduced to Sarah Lomas via Manctopia – the BBC documentary that aired in summer 2020 about the billion pound property boom taking place in Manchester.
Her appearance was teased throughout the final episode of the series, with an interior designer filmed making preparations to set up Sarah’s penthouse apartment in the luxurious West Tower – one of Britain’s tallest skyscrapers outside London.
Sarah was one of the first people to move into the building, and when she finally popped up on screen, she was revealed to be a born-and-bred Mancunian who’d literally climbed right to the top of the city.
As the CEO of game-changing global health and wellbeing brand REVIV (which has 41 clinics worldwide), Sarah has long been recognised in the corporate arena for her status as an influential and innovative businessperson with exciting ideas (with The North Face founder Hap Klopp joining as non-exec director).
In 2020, as soon as the pandemic hit, Sarah immediately pivoted the company to provide vital support; offering not-for-profit COVID testing in the UK and US on top of intravenous (IV) vitamin hydration and wellness therapy services.
The biggest news to come out of the year overall, however, was HELIIX – REVIV’s new piece of revolutionary COVID management software that is set to keep hundreds of Manchester businesses afloat during the wait for a vaccine.
With REVIV in St Ann’s Square, Manchester is a healthier, safer and even more exciting place to live and work. Sarah has led from the front every single step of the way.
Wesley Hamnett
In September, the UK reached what Boris Johnson called a “perilous turning point”.
Coronavirus cases were rising and national morale was falling; with a dreaded second wave starting to wash over the country.
Thankfully, it was around this time we were introduced to Wesley Harnett – a man who managed to cheer everybody up by riding from Manchester to Glasgow on a little pink bicycle.
The father of two lost his grandad to cancer in 2019, and wanted to raise money in a way that would capture the imagination.
He decided to cycle 229 miles up to Scotland on his daughter’s bike and split the donations between Macmillan Cancer Support, Christie Charitable Fund, British Heart Foundation and Wythenshawe Hospital’s MFT Charity – making the whole region smile in the process.
Wesley was hoping to hit £880 before the end of 2020. By December, the pot was spilling over with £9,000.
Not only was it a big achievement; it was some truly wholesome news at a time we definitely needed it.
Fighting on the frontline takes its toll. But thanks to people like Mary-Ellen McTague, local nurses, doctors and paramedics haven’t gone hungry.
Mary-Ellen was one of many restaurant owners told to close their doors during the first lockdown in March, leaving huge piles of food going to waste across the city.
But instead of simply tossing the grub aside, Mary-Ellen – who runs The Creameries in Chorlton – used the leftover ingredients to whip up meals for NHS workers instead.
Within weeks, she was coordinating an incredible response that stretched right across the city – uniting hospitality owners as they came together to deliver food to the frontline.
Instead of just bemoaning the unfairness of the situation, restaurant owners channelled their energy into doing something amazing for people who were even less fortunate.
For all its troubles, 2020 did at least introduce the nation to Captain Sir Tom Moore – the spirited centenarian and war veteran who captured hearts (and won a knighthood) by raising a staggering £32.79 million for the NHS by walking laps of his garden.
But there was another hero from the golden generation who did similarly special work – someone much closer to home here in Manchester.
Dena Murphy.
The 92-year-old has helped hundreds of young offenders get their lives back on track through her community allotment – whilst dedicating her time during the COVID-19 pandemic to supporting the community.
She has run a luncheon club for the elderly and also given up her free time on weekends to help struggling locals get back on their feet.
This year, Dena was rightly recognised for her work – presented with a Pride of Britain award.
It was quite a moment.
“It’s the first time in 30 years I’ve actually cried,” said the grandmother.
“I love working in Moston to support people and am very touched by the award.”
Almost every morning in lockdown, whilst the rest of Stockport slept soundly, Mama Flo was in the kitchen cooking.
Throughout the pandemic, the owner of the eponymous Caribbean restaurant on Buxton Road would rise at 4am and spend hours prepping meals for NHS staff, critical carers, essential/key workers and the most vulnerable.
The chef adopted and embodied a fitting mantra – ‘be kind and share the love’ – which boosted Stockport’s spirits at a particularly tough time.
Residents tried to repay Flo for all her hard work by rushing to honour her on social media during summer – spreading the word about what a difference she was making to the community.
A Facebook post by a local police officer summed it up nicely.
It read: “Flo…you are a hero of your community and we salute you.”
Manchester was wracked with grief last year when the iconic frontman of The Piccadilly Rats passed away.
Ray Boddington was struck by a Metrolink tram in April 2019, and despite being rushed to hospital and placed on life support he tragically succumbed to his injuries aged 77.
For so long, Ray had been part of Manchester’s city centre scenery, and it’s felt like something’s been missing ever since.
But this year, both the frontman and his busking outfit were immortalised in print.
In September, author Martin Green published The Rats Tales: The Extraordinary Life Stories of The Piccadilly Rats – a project that delved deep into the backstory of a beloved local group of musicians who’ve led “colourful lives on society’s margins”.
The book meant that the band received renewed focus and attention during the second half of 2020 – with people beyond Manchester discovering them for the first time.
Losing Ray was painful for the city. But what this year showed is that the love for The Piccadilly Rats is still alive and well.
The steadfast Mancunian spirit was pushed to its absolute limits in 2020. But it prevailed thanks to one particular group of people: The army of superheroes that stood up to fight a new threat to our city whilst we hunkered down in our shelters.
All year, we’ve watched them work. Images of the frontline battle scars – bruised faces, damaged skin, and exhausted eyes – have travelled far and wide, and in a bid to show our gratitude, we’ve applauded from the safety of our doorsteps and cheered them on from our living rooms.
For a fleeting moment, it looked like they might have already won. But sadly, it’s still not quite over yet.
In December, COVID revealed a trick up its sleeve – mutating and spreading all over again just in time for Christmas.
Thousands more nurses, doctors and paramedics have since been thrown back into the trenches to combat a virus that’s attacking the country all over again.
It seems we still have the secret weapon to win the war in the shape of the vaccine. But until everyone gets it, the local frontline is our only form of defence.
Key workers carried us through 2020. And we owe them everything.
All the Greater Manchester restaurants included in the Michelin Guide
Daisy Jackson
Our city’s thriving food scene really does span all budgets and appetites, from Michelin star fine-dining to award-winning street food.
And the quality of our city’s higher-end establishments is evident with just a glance at the Michelin Guide, where esteemed judges have selected 13 Greater Manchester spots of note.
A few establishments have quietly dropped off the Michelin list in the last year, with Canto in Ancoats, Tast on King Street, and the now-closed Habas and Ramsbottom’s Levanter no longer featured.
But there are new entries too, including (so far) a new Bib Gourmand for Higher Ground.
Keep reading to discover the full list of restaurants in Greater Manchester included in the Michelin Guide.
Simon Martin’s ultra-high-end Ancoats restaurant Mana is the only restaurant in Greater Manchester to currently hold a Michelin star, breaking a 40-year dry spell for Manchester city centre.
What the Michelin guide says: “The personality and experience of chef-owner Simon Martin shine brightly at this stylish, modern restaurant, where every one of the well-spaced tables has a view of the kitchen.
“British produce leads the way, including plenty of seafood because, as Simon puts it, ‘we live on an island’. There are many Asian techniques on display and the cooking marries complex flavours with a pure, natural approach, in dishes such as a superb roasted hogget with white miso sabayon.”
Skof, NOMA
Inside Skof, Manchester’s newest restaurant
This shiny new restaurant from Tom Barnes and Simon Rogan’s UMBEL Group has been justifiably making waves since launching in May 2024, scooping itself a Michelin Star within its first year (and only the second star Manchester has had in decades).
What the guide says: “Located in an old textile warehouse, this restaurant from former L’Enclume Executive Chef Tom Barnes gives a nod to Manchester’s industrial heritage with its exposed brickwork and girders.
“The cooking skilfully blends measured international flavours with those from the restaurant’s doorstep; for dessert, you’re just as likely to get amakase sorbet as you are Manchester honey ice cream. The meal ends with a scoop of “Barney’s Tiramisu”, touchingly inspired by Tom’s late father.
“A relaxed atmosphere is encouraged, with the chef’s hand-picked playlist and the chattering diners combining for a brilliant buzz.”
Higher Ground, New York Street
Rick Stein named Higher Ground as one of his favourite restaurants in the UK. Credit: The Manc GroupHigher Ground received a Michelin Bib Gourmand this year
When Michelin announced a raft of new Bib Gourmands (which celebrate more affordable but high-quality restaurants) ahead of the main awards, it was no great surprise to see Higher Ground on the list.
The guide says of this newcomer: “What started life as a pop-up in 2020 is now a permanent spot in the heart of the city, owned and run by three friends who also operate wine bar Flawd and a market garden in the Cheshire countryside.
“The latter provides much of the top quality produce found on the menu, in dishes that are designed for sharing and packed with flavour. Sit at the large counter to see the chefs putting care and pride into every dish, like the terrific malted barley pudding with stout caramel. The whole team, led by the owners, are charming and cheery.”
Another restaurant that’s earned itself a Bib Gourmand is Simon Shaw’s El Gato Negro, the brilliant, multi-storey Spanish restaurant right in the heart of King Street.
What the guide says: “‘The Black Cat’ is a buzzing tapas restaurant split over three levels: the ground floor is home to the bar and outdoor tables in the pedestrianised street; the first floor boasts great counter seats in front of the open kitchen; and the third floor includes a fabulous roof terrace that’s ideal for private events.
“The cooking is as enjoyable as the atmosphere, offering great value across the wide selection of recognisable Spanish dishes, including meats from the Josper grill.”
The Sparrows, Green Quarter
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Comfort food heaven, The Sparrows really captures the magic of Alpine food right beneath a Manchester railway arch, and is the third Manchester Bib Gourmand restaurant in the Michelin Guide.
What the guide says: “Nestled under the railway arches in Manchester’s Green Quarter is this somewhat hidden restaurant where you have to ring a bell to enter. Its name is (almost) the English translation of the word ‘spätzle’ – which gives some clue as to the style of food on offer here.
“The dumplings and assorted pasta dishes are all made in-house and include excellent pierogi. The focus on Eastern Europe carries through to the wine list, which has a leaning towards Polish wines.”
Where The Light Gets In, Stockport
Where The Light Gets In in Stockport. Credit: Instagram, @arestaurantwherethelightgetsin
This incredible restaurant over in Stockport earned itself a ‘green’ Michelin star a couple of years ago, recognised for its sustainability practices. Could it be the next to get itself a full Michelin star?
What the guide says: “This large, loft-style restaurant is located on the top floor of a Victorian coffee warehouse and its open kitchen forms part of the room. The surprise menu is formed from whatever they have foraged that day and beasts are brought in whole and fully utilised. Matching wine flights focus on natural wines.”
Winsome, Princess Street
Winsome, one of the newest restaurants in Greater Manchester, is now in the Michelin Guide
Winsome is a restaurant from former Chef of the Year award-winner Shaun Moffat, a modern British bistro where dishes are playful and classic.
The Michelin Guide said: “Manchester’s industrial history feels like it’s had an overt influence on this buzzing brasserie with a large kitchen counter and a stripped-back look.
“The cooking has an admirably gutsy, straightforward quality to it, with hints of nostalgia. Think cold cuts, whole fish, hearty homemade pies and a mixed grill. It’s all executed with skill and the ingredients are of obvious quality, resulting in no shortage of flavour.
“The young and enthusiastic service team are a perfect fit for such a fun place.”
Pip at Treehouse Hotel
Pip has been added to the Michelin GuidePip has been added to the Michelin Guide
Pip is a new spot from acclaimed local chef Mary-Ellen McTague, offering up seasonal, proudly local dishes, and receiving glowing national reviews as a result.
The Michelin Guide says: “Forming part of the Treehouse Hotel, Pip provides a calm oasis in the heart of the city. Like the hotel around it, the restaurant is decorated with a blend of repurposed materials and vintage pieces, with eye-catching pops of colour, wooden furnishings and a rustic touch.
“The kitchen is headed up Mary-Ellen McTague, a champion of the region who uses local produce and whose menu includes a satisfyingly rich and flavoursome take on the Lancashire hot pot.
“The service team are brimming with positivity and clearly love what they do.”
Cantaloupe is an achingly stylish new local restaurant for Stockport, with a frequently-changing menu built around the best produce they can get their hands on.
The Michelin Guide wrote of Cantaloupe: “There’s a fresh, clean feel to both the décor and the cooking at this welcoming little wine bar and restaurant. The concise but appealing wine list will appeal to traditional oenophiles, with quality established growers to the fore.
“The menu has a Mediterranean leaning, so whilst it changes daily, it will likely include a pasta dish and possibly some whole fish. This is cooking that relies on simplicity and skill, with immense care poured into dishes like peri peri octopus and duck fat crisps, so that the natural flavours shine.”
Adam Reid at The French, The Midland
Adam Reid at The French could nab another Michelin star for Manchester this yearAdam Reid at The French could nab another Michelin star for Manchester this year
For almost a decade, people have been predicting that Adam Reid at The French would be the next in Manchester to get a Michelin Star, seeing as it’s one of the city’s best fine-dining restaurants. It’s not happened yet, but it’s still exceptional.
What the guide says: “This famous hotel was first built to herald the arrival of the Midland railway in Manchester, and its restaurant was created in the Belle Époque style to evoke the luxury of the day.
“Whilst its name remains in homage to its historical past, today, chef Adam Reid’s multi-course menu is very much a homage to his Northern roots, with dishes having names such as ‘A Warm Northern Welcome’, ‘Yesterday’s Dinner’ and ‘Today’s Tea’. Personable chefs explain and finish each course off tableside, and dishes are richly flavoured with the occasional playful touch.”
Erst in Ancoats is Michelin-recommended restaurantErst in Ancoats is Michelin-recommended restaurant
Easily one of The Manc’s personal favourite restaurants, Erst has become a neighbourhood restaurant of which Ancoats is very proud, and is another worth addition to the Michelin Guide for Manchester.
What the guide says: “A modern, industrial-style wine bar run by a group of friends, laid-back Erst offers something refreshingly different in the city. It specialises in natural, low-intervention wines – many of which you can buy to take home – accompanied by a selection of flavoursome small plates.”
The newest entrant to the Michelin Guide is Orme, which offers a seasonal and affordable tasting menu concept.
The Michelin Guide says: “You will find a pleasantly welcoming quality at this small restaurant run by three young owners. There’s a distinct Nordic touch to proceedings, yet British produce is at the heart of the appealing tasting menu – which gives you the option to add supplementary courses for a more bespoke experience.
“Attractively presented dishes offer bold, vibrant flavours with a mix of the classic and the modern in their influences. Wine flights are also available, including a particularly interesting British themed option.”
The White Hart at Lydgate, Oldham
Image: The White Hart
Image: The White Hart
Country pubs don’t come much better than The White Hart, which has far-reaching views all the way back to Manchester’s city centre skyline.
What the Michelin guide says: “This 18C stone pub on the moor is a place that constantly evolves. It’s usually busy but the staff have everything under control and there are comfy bedrooms for those wishing to stay. Dining takes place in the cosy Tap Room or smart brasserie; the appealing menu has a British heart and global influences.”
Maya, Canal Street
Maya is a new restaurant and bar on Canal Street in Manchester. Credit: The Manc GroupDesserts at Maya, which has been added to the Michelin Guide
Maya in the Gay Village managed to earn its place in the Michelin Guide just two months after opening, with judges noting its ‘elegant, beautifully appointed’ decor.
The guide says: “In the heart of Manchester, close to the famous Canal Street, sits this impressively renovated basement restaurant. It’s an elegant, beautifully appointed place, with an art deco feel and a large cocktail bar that feels appropriate for an area of the city known for its party scene.
“The dishes often have a modern make-up but the kitchen’s classical skillset is evident in finely executed elements like a well-made sauce bonne femme to accompany top quality turbot. Four smart bedrooms are attached if you’re visiting from afar.”
Despite being wedged in on the most hidden street in Manchester, Another Hand has become one of the city’s stand-out restaurants – as evidenced by their inclusion in the Michelin guide.
The Michelin guide says: “This 24-seater bistro offers an appealing array of sharing plates which champion produce from local, ethical growers.
“The eye-catching, vegetarian-led dishes are served one at a time and their flavours are punchy and pronounced. Craft beers and low intervention wines accompany. Service is bubbly and the atmosphere, buzzing.”
Featured image – The Manc Group
Feature
The very best and booziest bottomless brunches in Manchester city centre
Danny Jones
If you’re looking to find the very best bottomless brunch places Manchester city centre has to offer, then look no further.
You’ll probably be struggling to see straight after you finish brunching anyway, but that’s all part of the fun, isn’t it? In Manchester, we love a good brunch like the best of them.
Getting stuck into some free-flowing drinks with your friends around a table of food is a match made in heaven if you ask us.
To help you achieve your ultimate bottomless brunch goals, we’ve put together a list of some of our top spots in Manchester to help you find the right one for you. Keep reading to discover our top picks.
At Blues Kitchen, you can tuck into soul food-inspired mains like fried chicken and gravy, taco bowls, shrimp sandwiches, and beef dip melts, with 90 minutes of unlimited drinks for £35 per person.
And in true Blues fashion, there’ll of course be live music aplenty, from live soul and R&B in the bar to the house band playing upstairs in the gig space.
There are loads of options and packages to check out – head HERE to make your booking.
Bordering two of Manchester city centre‘s coolest and best foodie neighbourhoods, the team who run the show over at Ramona and Firehouse during the day and well into the night have become famous around the UK for their Detroit-style pizza, loaded tater tots, margaritas and good vibes.
Better still, you can turn those Cali peps slices, helpings of fresh burrata, spicy margs, mimosa and more bottomless at just £38pp.
Between 12-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays, you can get any slice of pizza plus frozen margs, selected spritzes, prosecco and Ramona pilsner.
3. New Century – NOMA
New Century in Manchester serves a great bottomless brunch. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
All the traders from the New Century food hall band together at the weekends to serve up a bottomless brunch with more menu options than anywhere else in the city.
You can order a brunch item from any trader inside – and that includes an egg banh mi from Banh Vi, plus chicken and waffles from Parmogeddon – then add on a bottomless drinks package for 90 minutes.
Options include bottomless lager, stout, IPA, cider, prosecco, and Aperol Spritzes for £30 (including one brunch item), or for an extra fiver, you can also get Pornstar Martinis and Bloody Marys.
4. Peaky Blinders – Deansgate
Credit: The Manc Group
The Peaky Blinders bar on Peter Street grows more popular year after year, and not just because people enjoy dressing up in fancy old-world clobber and coming along to see the lookalikes – it’s the birdcage of tasty bites, ‘Cherry Ada’s and ‘Shel-bee’ whiskey-based specials that keep them coming back.
There are different bottomless brunch menus available every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from classic brunch platters to steak and fries to bottomless roast dinners.
And they all come with endless cocktails, beers, spirits and more drinks, with bottomless packages between £37.50 and £40.
One of the fanciest new openings in Manchester, Sexy Fish, serves one of the city’s swankiest bottomless brunches.
For £48 per person, you can indulge in a range of starters, unlimited sushi from the sushi buffet, a main course with a side, and desserts. Or you can just have your fill at the sushi buffet for £28 per person.
Then you can add on free-flowing cocktails for £30 per person or indulge in limitless bubbles from £34 per person.
6. Diecast – Piccadilly East
Diecast in Manchester does a bottomless brunch with its frozen daiquiris. (Credit: The Manc)
90 minutes of pure drag entertainment is what’s on the menu at Diecast in Piccadilly East, as ‘Dragstravaganza’ takes over for an interactive bottomless battle.
There are also more regular bottomless brunch offerings, where you can choose a pizza from the menu, plus add on 90 minutes of frozen daiquiris.
The event schedule is a busy one, so check HERE to book your bottomless at Diecast.
Another solid Manchester bottomless brunch spot is Banyan, offering two hours of the good stuff for £36.95 and free rein on their food menu – we’re talking breakfast hash, Korean fried chicken burgers, flat iron steak and curry.
You can go bottomless in the evenings too for £39.95.
And endless drinks include loads of their house cocktails, plus your usual suspects like prosecco, beer and spirits.
A Pan-Asian bottomless brunch with dishes like an Asian twist on a full English, a Rendang roti, a Bali brunch bowl and ‘Bang Bang’ steak and eggs? Sign us up.
Running seven (yep, seven!) days a week, the Tampopo bottomless (and they have two restaurants in Manchester) includes 90 minutes of free-flowing bubbles, lager, ‘rum beach buckets’ and house cocktails, plus any brunch plate or vegetarian, chicken or pork large plate.
Not bad for £38 a head.
9. Italiana Fifty-Five – Great Northern Warehouse and Castlefield
Italiana Fifty-Five does bottomless Aperol brunch and a tower of treats at all three of its Manchester restaurants
Next up is one we’d consider an old faithful: Italiana Fifty-Five, formerly known as Cibo. With three sites in Manchester, which now includes one in Didsbury. We’ve had this particular bottomless brunch so many times now we’ve lost count, but it never disappoints.
Bottomless tapas and sangria at Canto puts a Portuguese twist on boozy brunch proceedings over in Ancoats. The sister site of AA Rosette restaurant, El Gato Negro, this is what they call ‘tipsy tapas’.
Priced at £40 a head, you get a choice of three plates each and 90 minutes of unlimited drinks with choices like sangria, fizz, bellinis, house wine and lager.
Tapas choices include options like jamón croquetas, salt cod fritters, patatas bravas, crispy squid and plenty more. Never fails.
One of the best bottomless brunches in Manchester? Don’t mind if we do. They keep it simple at Elnecot as you just opt for your unlimited drinks on top of the usual, but you’ll hear no complaints from us whilst we’re sipping on house cosmos, mimosas, Bloody Marys, boozy ice teas and lager.
Brunch dishes, meanwhile, feature the likes of crispy pork belly with rosti, fried eggs, savoy kimchi, Elnecot chilli jam and yoghurt; wild mushrooms on toast with goat’s curd and dukkah, as well as Elnecot’s full English and eggs on toast, just to name a few.
Bottomless drinks are £26 per person, plus whatever brunch dish you want, for two hours of drinking time.
12. The Bay Horse Tavern – Northern Quarter
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Affectionately known by locals as ‘Horse-moor’, the boozy brunch menu at upmarket NQ pub The Bay Horse Tavern is a pretty traditional affair dish-wise, although there is a funky peanut butter, bacon and fried banana croissant bad boy to be found here too.
Priced at £32.50 for a dish and unlimited drinks until 4pm every weekend, think egg, bacon and sausage butties; fry-ups; poached and scrambled eggs (they do eggs really well here) mushrooms, avo and smoked salmon on toast, as well as fizz, Irish coffee, beer, mimosas, bloody marys and house wine. Easy.
Maybe one of the more expensive on this list, but worth every penny, Gaucho‘s ‘Electro Brunch’ is one of the Manchester OGs, and it also happens to be one of the best steaks in town. Setting you back £65, it’s all about the beef here, which is wet-aged and can be cut with a butter knife – it really is that soft.
The music-fuelled all-you-can-eat midday feast also features cocktails like pornstar martinis and Aperol spritz alongside glasses of Argentinian Domain Chandon and even includes a brunch dessert of smoked chocolate ganache. They have a maximum of eight drinks per person, but let’s be honest, that’s plenty.
Another more boujee, boozy brunch option is at Gordon Ramsay’s very own Lucky Cat.
For 90 minutes, you can enjoy endless prosecco alongside a two-course meal, with dishes like vegetable tempura, crispy beef rice bowls, and teriyaki salmon.
You can also add a dessert platter for an extra tenner or upgrade from prosecco to champagne for £20. This is definitely a more classy excuse to get tipsy, whilst enjoying some proper high-quality food.
Fress is an award-winning white-subway tiled restaurant on Oldham Street that often has queues out the door for its bottomless boozy brunch. There’s a hearty menu featuring all the favourites, from a full English and beans on toast to mouth-watering waffles and pancakes, but it’s the sweet stuff we go for.
With a 1 hour 15 minute £37 per person sitting (that price includes a main from the menu), drinks choices include prosecco, mimosas, house wine and lager.
16. Zouk Tea Bar and Grill – Quadrangle
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Just off Oxford Road Corridor, you’ll find one of the very best bottomless brunches in Manchester, and it’s over at Zouk – also one of the best places for a curry in town that you can enjoy bottomless style, but that’s a separate matter. Two plates and as much booze as you can stomach. Glorious.
Either way, for £35 a pop from 11am-4:30pm every Saturday, you can get an incredible South Indian and Pakistani-inspired menu featuring everything from masala omelettes to the ‘Bollywood Benedict’ and SO much more. Absolutely slaps every single time.
A favourite amongst the flag-waving bottomless brunch brigade, we can’t think of many places that come more immediately to mind than Manahatta on Deansgate. Two whole hours of non-stop booze and some Insta-worthy scran for £36.95 until 3pm, and you can upgrade to any dish for an extra fiver.
Manahatta’s brunch menu features a wide range of spritzes, bloody marys or lager to enjoy alongside plates that range from Mexican wraps to breakfast hash, pancakes, steak frites and other NYC-inspired plates. You can also book big parties and the main menu for £41.95.
18. The Pen and Pencil – NQ
Another long-standing favourite over ours, you’ll find plenty of people heading to The Pen and Pencil when they’re around the Northern Quarter way and after a solid bottomless brunch.
Their bottomless brunch runs on the last Saturday of every month, costs £50 and will leave you full to bursting – and that’s just the booze part.
You’ve got all of the staple egg dishes, pancake stacks and more, as well as all your classic cocktails – and you can eat and drink as much as you like.
Similar vibes here – no list of the best bottomless brunch gaffs in Manchester is complete without BLVD, the Spinningfields venue without the vowels but all the flavour, putting their own unique spin on things with a selection of small plates like veg tempura, duck spring rolls or salt and pepper chicken wings.
You can choose two small plates, one side, and then dive into different flavours of bellinis, prosecco, rum punch, gin smash cocktails, vodka raspberry ripples, and bottled beers.
It costs £35 per person and is available every day that BLVD is open.
20. Crazy Pedro’s – NQ and Deansgate
Yes, Crazy P‘s does do bottomless brunch, and yes, it is mint. Enjoy unlimited slices from their ever-rotating daily menu of crazy pizza concoctions, as well as non-stop Hooch, beer, prosecco and their classic Frozen Margz for 90 minutes
It’s just £29.50pp for pure carbs and the fun-time juice when you book, and it also happens to be ‘r Amy’s favourite pizza place and quite a few of us would probably agree with her.
Shack’s brilliant disco brunch starts from £32.50 per person, with a few levels of drinks packages if you want to step things up a little bit.
Dishes include French toast, chorizo chilli eggs, breakfast buns, and absolutely massive pancake and waffle stacks, plus a full menu of grilled cheeses, wraps and burgers.
In our opinion, Ducie Street Warehouse quietly does some of the best bottomless brunch in Manchester; there just aren’t enough people who know about it, so we’re fixing that. Croque monsieurs, pancake stacks, breakfast baps and more. This menu is elite.
Changing themes each month, as well as wheeling out their ‘disco’ brunch every Saturday, their parties (and believe us, they are) will set you back £42.
Once again, no list of bottomless brunch hotspots in Manchester city centre would be complete without the Deansgate cornerstone that is Dirty Martini. Someone pass us a phone, we need another picture in front of their wings because the last 20 or so weren’t quite good enough.
Just as good during the day as it is for a night out, their bottomless brunch costs £37.50pp on Fridays and Saturdays, but their Martini brunch from Sunday-Thursday is the cheaper option at just £30.
24. Almost Famous – NQ
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We will take any excuse to head to one of the best burger joints in Manchester, so naturally, the fact that Almost Famous also does bottomless brunch is ideal. Available Friday-Sunday from 12-3pm, you get the standard 90-minute sitting for £37.50pp.
Get ready for this: get absolutely ANY famous burger with winning or bacon bacon fries and chicken nuggets as well as a free run at as much draught beer, cider, prosecco and cocktails as you fancy sinking. We call that heaven.
25. The Foundry Project – NQ
Finally, The Foundry Project over on Thomas Street does a bang-up bottomless brunch with plenty of variety for just £36 per person.
Hash brown nachos, breakfast brioche, fry-ups, brunch burgers and more to go with prosecco, bellinis, mimosas, Aperol spritz or pints of Amstel. What more could you possibly want?
It goes without saying that there are plenty more places we could have out on this list, and we’re sure it’ll keep growing over time, but 25 should do you for now.
Manchester really does have some of the best bottomless brunch culture in the country, and we’re saying that with our chests, so don’t even try and argue with us.
Lastly, if you do fancy the brunch without the need for the bottomless element, we’ve found there’s a great new mini-district for it forming in a popular part of Manchester city centre….
The Manc -
27th December 2020 
