Five genuinely cheap eats and great value-for-money lunch deals in Manchester city centre

Danny Jones Danny Jones best lunch time deals in Manchester city centre

A daily dilemma for us seems to be deciding what to have for dinner (you heard), especially as we’re all trying to save more pennies nowadays, but luckily, Manchester does have some great lunch deals if you look hard enough.

You just need to know where, and in some cases, exactly when to find them…

That’s where we come in; we’re not talking about anything close to a tenner either, as that’s more of a monthly treat and few can feasibly afford to spend that kind of money on scran every day.

So, without further ado, here are some of the best and ACTUALLY cheap lunchtime deals and offers in Manchester city centre.

Five of the best lunch offers in central Manchester

1. Vanilla Fudge – Bridge Street

Up first is an old favourite of ours that doesn’t seem to have changed over the years, no matter how much the cost of living crisis continues to linger. We’ll be honest, we first tried this place after a night out in Mojos next door way back when, but we’ve been coming ever since we saw the specials board.

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It may look like one of many standard Manc butty shops/kebab houses when the sun sets, but for our money, Vanilla Fudge still has one of the best lunch deals in Manchester to this day: TWO big, well-packed wraps ‘of the day’, complete with protein, plenty of salad and your choice of sauce for just £5.50.

You’ll always find a few in the know on their break.
We always hope to see Cajun chicken as the special.
You can add cheese for an extra quid, or chips and a drink for £8.50. Bosh. (Credit: The Manc Eats)

2. Zaytoni – Multiple

Any cheap eat in Manchester that starts from under a fiver in this day and age is a winner in our books, and with Zaytoni, you can get plenty for just that and no more than a ‘bluey’; better still, their menu – be it the low-end or stuff that creeps over that amount – always slaps.

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With two regularly busy sites (hardly a shock) on Oxford Road and the edge of the Northern Quarter/Piccadilly, you can get some very solid pizzas and garlic breads from between £4.50 and £7, but our advice is to go for a super-filling fatayer, with loads of fresh salad, and split one with a mate.

3. Rustica – Northern Quarter

From one simply but satisfying spot to another, you can’t do a round-up of the best deals you can grab on your dinner in Manchester city centre without mentioning the local breakfast and lunchtime institution that is Rustica over in NQ.

Run by Manc mum to many, Jeanette, she and her team have literally been given a lifetime achievement award not only for keeping their food affordable for more than 25 years now, no matter what state the economy is in – and with lines around the block almost every single day without fail, it’s no wonder.

@the.manc This spot is – and we don’t say this lightly – a Manchester institution, serving fuss-free sarnies to the people of the Northern Quarter for decades. Do you reckon anywhere does a better-value lunch than Rustica? #themanc #themanceats #manchester #nq #northernquarter #rustica #butties ♬ original sound – The Manc

4. Meridian – Spring Gardens

Next up is the still incredibly best and well-kept secret, Meridian Cafe and Bar, tucked down the side streets not far from Market and King Street, and just around the corner from Pall Mall. Well, we say ‘secret’ – it’s not really anymore, sorry… But this is some of the best halal Asian fusion in town.

That being said, it never fails to surprise us how many people haven’t heard of this place when we bring it up, and the weekly midday crowd is still relatively manageable given just how good their offer is: a massive lunch box starting from just £5.80. You can add more if you want, but trust us, you won’t need it.

‘Manchester’s best lunch deal’ that’s only available for two hours a day
The catch is, it’s only up for grabs during a specific window – find out when right here.

This and That – NQ

Last but not least, it would be nothing short of a crime to overlook one of the most legendary lunch deals in Manchester: the original rice and three offer from the storied This and That Cafe on the otherwise unsuspecting Soap Street, just around from NQ’s bustling Thomas St strip.

This place should need no introduction, really, and it may not be the only place that does this kind of offer, but with nearly four whole decades of serving up some of the tastiest curries in the city centre for cheap, this is the epitome of what we want from the Manc foodie scene on our dinner hour. Iconic.

Honourable mention

Bunny Jacksons

Last but not least, to round things up to a nice even half dozen in case none of these takes your fancy, how could we possibly forget Bunny’s? Arguably the best dive bar not just in Manchester but the entire world, this place is built on serving up great value-for-money scran, especially in hard times.

Wings from just 20p have kept us going until the end of many a long month waiting for payday, and while this place truly comes into its own come the evening when the playlist gets even louder, and the likes of bandaoke get going, it’s still a great place to nip at noon. Six is plenty, and 12 is more than enough.

We’ll cheers to that.

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

A massive World Cup ‘playground’ with pitches and big screens has opened in Greater Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A massive World Cup ‘playground’ has now opened in Greater Manchester.

Ahead of England’s first match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup tonight against Croatia, MediaCity has announced its biggest programme of events to date to celebrate – from a baller league-style football pitch, to big name creator takeovers, and much more.

But at the heart of all the action is the new World Cup ‘playground’, where football fans will be able to play five-a-side on a bespoke pitch, while watching matches on giant screens.

As the home of the BBC’s World Cup coverage, MediaCity says it’s ‘going big’ this summer, and that includes bringing some of the UK’s biggest Gen Z creators down for full takeovers and tournaments, and even getting the BBC pundits involved in the action too.

A massive World Cup ‘playground’ has opened in Greater Manchester / Credit: Sophia Carey (Supplied)

There’ll also be a pop-up gaming hub with EA FC tournaments for fans to play along, as well as community football sessions for young people organised by Manchester United Foundation and Foundation 92, providing opportunities for local talent to learn from the best in the business and develop their skills in a safe and inclusive environment. 

Fans can also enjoy live music, DJ sets, and football-themed quizzes to get the atmosphere building, as well as tuck into tasty street food from the traders at the newly opened GRUB On The Docks.

And of course, the place will be packed with photo opportunities and fan installations too.

“As the nerve centre of BBC’s World Cup coverage, we’re turning MediaCity into the ultimate football playground,” commented Alice Webb, who is the CEO of MediaCity.

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“As well as broadcasting the World Cup, MediaCity will unite fans, families and communities, bringing them closer to the action with in-person experiences throughout the tournament. Combining our world-class media platform with unrivalled public experiences is what makes us different.

“Come down and get stuck in.”

Featured Image – Supplied

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