Sometimes it feels like there’s so much emphasis put on restaurants that are new that we forget to appreciate the golden oldies that have been sitting under our noses for decades.
Family-run Greek Cypriot restaurant Rozafa is definitely a restaurant worth noticing, in fact, it’s an absolute must if you want a great Mediterranean scran in the city centre.
A hidden gem sitting in plain sight, this long-standing Manchester staple has been a fixture on the old Brasserie St Pierre patch for well over a decade.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
With a cracking early doors offer and a sun trap outdoor terrace it’s the perfect spot for a midweek city centre lunch – especially when the weather is this good.
Rozafa’s owners also have another site in Stockport which has been open even longer, but today we’re focusing on the Princess Street restaurant, which just so happens to be dangerously close to The Manc office.
Found just opposite the town hall, it always looks beautiful in the mid-morning sunshine – its white and blue terrace filled with dressed tables, waiting for hungry office workers to plonk themselves down and put them to good use.
Serving up huge mezze platters, stuffed vine leaves and whole shanks of lamb stifado, cooked slowly for hours until the meat just falls off the bone, Rozafa has been a go-to for foodies in the know for well over a decade,
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
The menu here is extensive, covering both Greek and Cypriot dishes with a host of colourful, heart-healthy options.
If you’re planing a visit, you can expect to find everything from mincemeat stuffed vine leaves and homemade keftedakia (meatballs), to charcoal-grilled Cypriot pork with melted halloumi and several different styles of saganaki.
Elsewhere, you’ll find the likes of grilled sardines and octopus on its fish menu, alongside some hearty favourites like moussaka and souvlaki.
Keen to give it a go, we went in: ordering a whole grilled seabass, hot pitta bread and tzatziki, a fresh Greek salad of feta, olive and tomato, steaming lamb stifado, calamari and loukaniko (Cypriot pork sausages) marinated in wine then grilled. And we still wanted to order more.
Read more:Zumuku Sushi, Ply pizza and ‘native beef’ steakhouse Tallow to open at New Century food hall
There’s so much on offer you’re definitely spoilt for choice. One visit probably just isn’t enough, if we’re being honest.
Feature image. – The Manc Eats
Manchester
New free app launches to help people find the best nature spots in and around Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A new free app has launched to help people find, discover, and visit nature on their doorstep.
Wildling is aiming to be a simple one-step solution to the growing mental health crisis and the urgent need to care for the natural world.
By helping people visit nature more easily, and giving them tools to truly connect with it at this same time, Wildling is well on its way to supporting personal wellbeing and the joy of easily discovering nature across the UK, all while nurturing a sense of care and action for the planet.
Supported by partners including the RSPB, Marine Conservation Society ,and Forestry England, and backed by advisors and environmentalists like Ben Goldsmith, Eden Project founder Tim Smit, and Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden, the new app brings the UK’s wild spaces and hidden green spots together in one place.
A new free app has launched to help people find the best nature spots in Manchester / Credit: Kitera Dent | Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
Featuring more than 1,500 locations across the country, from coastlines and woodlands, to nature reserves, the app also includes a wide range of tips to help you make your time in nature easier, more enjoyable, and more meaningful.
The app has been created with the input of research carried out by the University of Derby, based on responses from more than 68,000 adults across England over two years.
The study found that people who spend time in nature every day report up to 22% greater life satisfaction, 17% higher happiness, and an average uplift of around 19% in overall wellbeing, compared to those who rarely go out.
Regular time in nature was also found to have a ‘striking’ effect on pro-environmental behaviour too, according to the survey.
Wildling was created by impact entrepreneur Ant Rawlins who wanted to make accessing nature ‘easier’ for everyone.
“We wanted to give people the tools to engage with nature by making it genuinely easy to visit, by showing them nearby nature places and giving them everything they need to make it happen,” says Ant Rawlins commented.
Wildling connects Mancs to the outside world and all it has to offer / Credit: Sol Stock (Supplied)
Ant said the study shows that spending more time in nature just a nice idea, it makes you happier, increases your satisfaction with life, lifts your overall wellbeing, and encourages you to look after the world around you.
“That’s exactly why Wildling was created,” he concluded.
The Wildling app is available now to download for free through the App Store and Google Play, and you can find out more here.
Featured Image – Shironosov (Supplied)
Manchester
Rochdale man, 20, found guilty of assaulting police officers and the public at Manchester Airport
Emily Sergeant
A man from Rochdale has been found guilty of assaulting a man and two female police officers at Manchester Airport last year.
20-year-old Mohammed Fahir Amaaz has been convicted of common assault and two counts of actual bodily harm following a four-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court in relation to a high-profile incident that took place at Manchester Airport on 23 July 2024.
The first attack on the member of public – of which extensive footage of was shared with the court over the course of the trail – took place in a largely public area of the Airport, but despite claims made to the contrary, Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) investigation found no evidence of any ‘prior threatening’ or ‘unacceptable behaviour’ by the victim aimed towards Amaaz or his family.
Three GMP officers – one male and two female – responded to the initial assault, and as they proceeded to detain and arrest Amaaz at the Terminal 2 car park pay station for assault, they suffered a number of injuries – such as concussion, a broken nose, and bruising and swelling.
CCTV played to the jury during the trail showed Amaaz throwing 10 punches, two ‘elbow strikes’, and one kick in what was described as a ‘prolonged and violent’ attack.
This conviction follows a thorough investigation of all available footage to understand the full context to the incident.
Our officers have been supported throughout and continue to be supported.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) July 30, 2025
An investigation, led by a team from GMP’s Serious Crime Division, was subsequently launched following the incident.
Police were said to have worked ‘diligently and expediently’ through all the moving footage, including CCTV and body worn camera recordings, complemented by the testimonies of witnesses to the incident, which allowed them to present a clear and accurate picture of the facts of the events to the jury.
A jury convicted Amaaz of assaults on the two female officers, but a decision is still inconclusive regarding the incident with the male police officer.
GMP now says it will be working with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in support of a re-trial for these inconclusive counts.
A CCTV image of the brawl in action / Credit: CPS
“Whilst assaults on police officers are sadly not uncommon, such attacks can never be justified,” commented Sir Stephen Watson, who is the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, following the trial.
“Our officers are decent people who routinely place themselves in harm’s way to protect the public, and they deserve our respect and support.
“I am particularly grateful to those many members of the public who have contacted the force in order to pass on their best wishes to the officers affected.”
Georgina Pellant -
10th August 2022 
