Besides the flood of January deals happening in Greater Manchester right now, another way of saving money this month whilst still treating yourself to a nice meal or two is BYOB restaurants.
Look, January can be tough, we all know that – you’re not quite over the festive lay-off, it’s cold, you’re often wet and you still skint from Christmas – so if you can find a way to eat out without spending a bomb then it can certainly help give you a little boost and something to look forward to during these dark days.
‘Bring your own booze’ gaffs feel a little bit like a thing of the past these days but some of our fondest foodie memories are going to a local curry house with a plastic bag of our favourite beers and not seeing our parents pull the usual face of fear when looking down at the bill.
That being said, you can still find a few here and there, so we’ve rounded up some BYOB restaurants in and around Manchester that we’ve tried first-hand or had vouched for by our fellow foodie friends.
First up on the list of the lovely Yara, a family-run Lebanese and Syrian restaurant with sites in Chorlton, Cheadle and over in Altrincham, where their original venue first opened back in 2008.
Fast forward to now and they’ve built somewhat of an empire not only here in Greater Manchester but with two more locations nearby in Cheshire (Alderley Edge and Stockton Heath) but they all have two things in common: fantastic food and a BYOB policy.
Best-known for dishes like their baba ganoush, stuffed vine leaves, mixed kebabs, tabbouleh, lahembajeen and more, we’re rather big fans of this stunning 15-year stalwart.
From one champion of Levantine cuisine to another, Zena Restaurant down the road in Didsbury has stood as a much-loved Middle Eastern for a few years now and it’s also another one of the last BYOB hold-outs.
Priding itself on keeping alive not only one of the tastiest but oldest and healthiest food cultures in the world, Zena brings together a menu pulling influences from Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Jordan and more without yanking too hard on the purse strings – especially when you can bring your booze.
You’ll find many of the same staples as Yara serves up along with other popular items such as bouraks, maklubieh, fattoush, as well as stunning regional desserts like zena halwa, muhalabieh and baklava.
3. Double Zero – Chorlton
Is it the best pizza in Manchester? The debate it still raging among the slice experts but it’s certainly in the conversation and the name has never been bigger now since they opened up a second site.
Launching at Spring Gardens back in March 2024, Double Zero is delighting foodies all the same just as we knew it would with their traditional and truly fantastic wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas.
This one does come with a caveat as we’re afraid it’s still only their OG site in Chorlton that does BYOB, but hey, it’s a lovely suburb well worth spending you’re free time in and just a short tram ride from the city centre.
4. Mughli Charcoal Pit – Curry Mile
Credit: The Manc Group
We’ll confess that our penultimate pick is a bit of an exclusive one as this technically only applies to students but we couldn’t do a BYOB restaurants round up for Manchester without mentioning the mighty Mughli Charcoal Pit.
Similar to Double Zero, this one is up there in the conversation when it comes to the best places on Wilmslow Road over in Rusholme, a.k.a ‘The Curry Mile’. We don’t even have a standout when it comes their food, just order whatever and you’ll be blown away no matter what you get.
Better yet, for those of you who are fortunate enough to still be at uni and making the most of them savings, you can get added discount as well as BYOB so long as you show a valid student ID. Lucky sods.
Last but not least is Cafe East, which only recently came on to our radar thanks to word of mouth but one that has seemingly been a go-to in OL1 for a hot minute, regardless of the BYOB bonus.
Opened back in 2021 by Oldham native Kamran Ghafoor, the Indian restaurant, breakfast and brunch spot sits proudly at the top of Yorkshire Street in the shadow of the Parish Church. Even the grand front door gives you a hint that this is much more than a local curry house.
Famed for its Ramadan buffets, authentic Punjabi food and even their breakfast and lunch offerings which cater to an even wider customer base throughout the week, it’s one of Oldham‘s culinary gems by all accounts and we intend to do some extensive research for ourselves very soon.
Honourable mention
One last nod…
Hawksmoor – Deansgate
We couldn’t look past Hawksmoor’s own BYOB offer that although limited is still worth shouting about.
Mondays at the stunning steak restaurant sat on the corner of Spinningfields and the main Deansgate strip are your opportunity to save on what would typically be a fairly substantial bill by bringing your own bottle of wine.
The ‘corkage’ is just a fiver and it’s a great way of being able to experience their incredible food without having worry too much about how much you’re spending one booze.
The ‘ultimate’ free-to-attend sandwich festival is coming to Manchester city centre
Danny Jones
An event dubbed ‘the world’s greatest sandwich festival’ is coming to central Manchester, and if there’s one thing you need to know about us, it’s that we love things between bread.
Consider us already there.
Following a hugely successful showcase at Camden Town Brewery down in the capital, the butty bonanza known as ‘Sarnie Party’ is making its way from down in London all the way up to Manchester for the very first time.
Better still, it’s coming to the beloved city centre neighbourhood and ever-growing hospitality district that is Kampus next month, and it’s completely FREE entry.
Sarnie Party is the lovechild of seasoned festival curator Molly Hutchinson and Allie Behr of Hot Sauce Society, who have decided to bring together their passions and expertise once again in another ode to the most versatile and almost universally eaten foodstuff: sandwiches.
Promising “big energy, good vibes and full bellies”, it’s already supported by some of the most recognisable brands you’ll find in Britain, including Heinz, Deliveroo, Kraken rum and more.
All of the above will be featuring at the inaugural Manc sandwich festival in some fashion, but most excitingly, some of Greater Manchester’s best and most beloved sarnie artisans will be taking part.
In addition to the usual suspects like Bada Bing and Rack, Pollen, Madre, and OSMA will also be serving up sandwich specials, as well as Liverpool favourite Derek’s, and The Big Deal’s ‘Bodega’ from Norwich.
Each vendor will be building a unique, never-before-seen (or eaten) sandwich for the 2025 festival, looking to best impress the locals.
And you best believe we know a good butty around here…
Guests can also expect more food and drink specials from existing on-site Kampus businesses, plus an outdoor bar with cocktails from Kraken and Tito’s Vodka, as well as a selection of ice-cold beers.
While admission to Kampus costs nothing, these indie traders are, of course, hoping to cover their costs, so sandwiches will be able to be purchased via tokens.
A single token will cost you £8, or you can buy a three-token Sarnie Party bundle for just £22; let’s be honest, you’re not going to stop at just one, are you?
More importantly, it’s worth reminding you that the stocks won’t last forever, and once these creations are gone, they’re gone, so you’d better make quick work of this scran-fest.
Local radio station, Reform, will also be serving as the resident DJs and entertainers for the day, meaning you’ll have plenty of time and reason to try and burn off all those carby calories – before inevitably consuming more, of course.
Credit: Supplied
Speaking ahead of the festival, Kampus’ general manager, Harriet Downey, said: “We’re looking forward to bringing Sarnie Party to Manchester and hosting so many sandwich lovers in our garden neighbourhood.
“We’re lucky to have some of the best independent food and drink brands in the city here at Kampus, and it’s exciting to have them joined by so many other great operators to celebrate all things sandwich!”
As for the organisers themselves, they have a simple mantra for you to follow: “Come hungry. Leave happy.” Love that.
Spread across a full weekend, Sarnie Party MCR takes place on 12-13 September, with day one getting underway from 4-10pm, and Sunday running from 11am-9pm. We’ll see you there.
And if this doesn’t quite satisfy your food and drink festival cravings, then you’ll be glad to hear that there’s another event dedicated entirely to pina coladas happening here in town, also.
Magnificent new food hall House of Social opens in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
A whopping great new food hall is opening its doors in Manchester this month – House of Social is officially ready to launch.
This much-anticipated new opening will be a hub for some of the UK’s top food and drink traders, including homegrown talent and lust-after operators from other cities.
With five traders inside, House of Social has taken over a huge space on the ground floor of a new Vita Group student accommodation building.
The venue itself is a modern giant, wrapped around a central bar and huge colour-changing light fixtures.
Spread across two floors, plus an outdoor terrace area, there’s space for hundreds of diners at once across cosy booths, large group tables, and window seats overlooking the First Street neighbourhood.
There are five fantastic traders operating inside House of Social – check them out below.
Mughli
Mughli has moved into House of Social Mughli’s lamb sausage roll with bone marrow gravy
This Curry Mile icon is finally heading to the city centre for the first time in its three-decades-long reign, serving up its popular Punjabi curries as well as contemporary small plates.
Menu highlights include an Indian sausage roll, where the meat is a lamb seekh kebab, and the pot alongside is filled with a bone marrow gravy – think birria taco, but a curry house pastry.
There’s also a giant helping of butter chicken, gently smoked and spiced and made with tandoor chicken; and street snacks like a plate of stracciatella dotted with beetroot, chutneys, and crispy scraps.
Dough Religion
Subs and slices from Dough ReligionA trio of sides at House of Social
These slow-fermented, in-house, New York-style pizza slices are going to be a popular choice at House of Social – but that’s not all that’s on the menu.
Dough Religion is also making gigantic subs, packed with fillings like a fried chicken Caesar, or house beef and pork meatballs.
And there are puddings too, like fat swirls of cinnamon roll thick with frosting, and the ‘Burnt Yorker’, a cheesecake hybrid from somewhere between the Basque region and New York City.
OK Taqueria
OK Taqueria’s tacosThe birria taco from OK Taqueria
Taco paradise has touched down at House of Social with this brand-new California-inspired Mexican food concept.
There’s a rotating menu of tacos, including crispy pork belly al pastor, Tinga chicken thigh, a Baja fish taco.
But for god sake, don’t skip the beef shin birria, served with a pot of consomme gravy for dipping. It’s a stunner.
Burger & Beyond
Burger & Beyond in House of SocialHouse of Social
This is the first time London favourite Burger & Beyond has left the capital, and of course, it’s Manchester who gets it first.
These guys serve up exceptional buns, like a fried chicken hot honey burger, classic cheeseburgers, and a signature dish of the bacon butter burger, topped with crispy pancetta, burnt butter mayo and onion.
There’s also signature tots drizzled in ranch sauce, hot sauce and bacon bits.
Choi Wan
Prawn toast crumpets from Choi WanA full House of Social spread
Prawn toast crumpets! PRAWN TOAST CRUMPETS!! That, and more, are on the menu at Choi Wan, a Chinese street food spot in House of Social.
Charlie Yu has brought his famous satay here, all served with half rice and half chips (an old faithful), then there’s also a half chicken rotisserie served with salt and pepper chips, and kimchi slaw.
And for dessert, it’s Mr Whippy, in various formats.
House of Social will open on Coleman Street on 19 August.
Danny Jones -
17th January 2025 
