No matter where you’re living, it can be difficult to dine out when you’ve made a pledge to eat more healthily.
Restaurant menu options taunt you with their calorie-rich goodness, and you’re constantly tempted just to break the diet for one day so you can enjoy whatever’s on offer. The good news is that you don’t need to do this, especially in Manchester; there are plenty of amazing healthy eating restaurant options available, whether you’re in the city centre or further out.
We’re about to get into the best healthy eating restaurants in our fair city, but before we do, remember that healthy eating isn’t just good for your body; it’s good for the environment, too. Going vegan – or, at the very least, cutting out a lot of meat from your diet – will have beneficial effects on the environment, because a lot of greenhouse gas emissions come from the meat industry. Take a look at this information delow.
Without further ado, let’s get into the healthiest restaurants you can visit in Manchester.
Remedy Kitchen – Royal Exchange Arcade
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This chic little spot is situated within the Royal Exchange Arcade shopping centre, but don’t be fooled; it might be a touch out of the way, but its food deserves to be mainstream. From Thai curry to protein-rich pancakes, you’ll find everything that you could possibly need after a workout (or while you’re watching the carbs) at the Remedy Kitchen. A five-star TripAdvisor average speaks for itself; this is healthy food, but it’s also utterly delicious.
The Allotment Vegan Eatery – Lloyd Street
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If you’re a vegan, you’ll know that vegan cuisine isn’t necessarily healthy by default; after all, there’s nothing stopping you slathering food in sweet chilli sauce, which is delicious and incredibly bad for you in large quantities. However, at The Allotment, you’ll only find healthy vegan dishes. That doesn’t mean they’re not delicious, though. We’d recommend the jackfruit tacos, which are bursting with flavour, but you can’t go wrong no matter what you order.
KBK (Kettlebell Kitchen) – Great Ancoats St
“Healthy” doesn’t have to mean “low-calorie”, and at Kettlebell Kitchen, the chefs know this. That’s why many of their meals are packed with nutrients and calories to help you recover after a workout. This isn’t the place to go if you’re not obsessed with your fitness; there’s a reason it’s called the Kettlebell Kitchen, after all. With meal prep and calorie-counted options available, as well as specific macronutrient-targeting meals, KBK is your one-stop Manchester spot for fitness nutrition.
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Evelyn’s Cafe Bar – Smithfield Building, Tib Street
You’ll find plenty of Asian-inspired cuisine and menu options at Evelyn’s, which runs a brunch menu for busy diners and a dinner menu for the evening. This venue’s take on fish and chips infuses the classic British dish with Asian flavours, bringing a chilli tang to the chips and a ginger beer twist to the tempura sea bass. We’d also recommend the ribeye steak, which is tender and cooked to perfection whichever way you like it. Don’t worry, though; everything on this menu is pretty healthy, too!
Vertigo – multiple locations
Vertigo is a plant-based chain (its slogan describes it as a “plant-based eatery”) with multiple locations across Manchester, so whichever one you visit, you can’t go wrong. The jackfruit chilli is particularly stunning here; we previously believed that you simply couldn’t make a delicious chilli without meat, but Vertigo has convinced us otherwise. You’ll also find a range of smoothies and other drinks to accompany your meal, all of which use only plant-based ingredients.
The Green Lab – Dale Street
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The Green Lab describes itself as a “health studio concept”. We’re not sure about that slightly pompous designation, but it does serve some mighty fine food. Its vegan spiced cauliflower wrap is delicious and has just 557 calories in it, which you won’t believe while you’re eating it. The smoothie bowls are also excellent; they’re packed with fruits and healthy ingredients, but they’re also sweet and delicious, making them perfect for helping you recover after a particularly grueling workout.
The Counter House – Blossom Street
Describing itself as a “vibrant neighbourhood eatery” (a description it’s difficult to disagree with if you’ve been), The Counter House isn’t just about healthy eating, but it does have plenty of options for you if you’re watching your intake. The roast salmon with miso potatoes is an excellent choice for diet-conscious individuals, while the scrambled tofu with toasted sourdough makes a surprisingly convincing substitute for the traditional eggs on toast.
Nam – Blossom Street
Another Blossom Street gem, Nam is, as you might expect, a healthy take on classic Vietnamese cuisine. The baked sea bass with turmeric and ginger broth is warming and comforting without being unhealthy, while the traditional Vietnamese goi salad can be eaten either with chicken or with mango (or both if you’re feeling adventurous!). There’s also a brunch menu if you’re walking past and need somewhere to satisfy a craving. Take it from us: Nam is the only place to go in Manchester if you love Vietnamese food.
There are plenty of other healthy eateries in Manchester, of course, but these are some of our favourites. As the world’s food consciousness increases, we’re only likely to see the number of healthy eating options skyrocket, so even if you don’t find somewhere you love among these restaurants – which we think is pretty unlikely – you’re bound to discover your new favourite haunt eventually.
Manchester
Plans lodged to turn Ducie Street Warehouse into huge food hall
Daisy Jackson
Ducie Street Warehouse could be transformed into a massive food hall, with new plans lodged.
The historic warehouse building near Manchester Piccadilly has worn a few hats over the years.
When it first opened, it was a home to Bistrotheque, a London export that bowed out from the beautiful Grade II-listed building after just six months.
Since then, it’s become a bustling all-day space where you can sit with a laptop for hours (and many do), snacking on a simple menu of flatbreads and salads as well as great cocktails.
But now it looks like Ducie Street Warehouse is in store for a major shake-up again, with plans now lodged to transform the space into huge food hall with more than 500 covers.
The planning application comes from the same team behind Edinburgh Street Food up in Scotland, which is packed with street food traders serving a range of cuisines.
If the plans for Manchester Street Food go ahead, the warehouse on Ducie Street will become the home of a 10-kitchen food hall.
It would flip most of the ground floor, including the terrace, while the upstairs continues operating as a hotel.
The plans also show that the existing private dining area will be turned into a casual games room, with the addition of pool tables, arcade machines and foosball tables.
Ducie Street Warehouse could be turned into a food hall. Credit: The Manc Group
Manchester Street Food will join a flurry of food halls across the city, with Mackie Mayor just a short walk away, along with the waterside venue Society, and the newly-opened House of Social.
The plans also mention minor changes to the exterior of the building, illuminating an external lift shaft in a rainbow hue.
Their application states: “The ‘Street Food’ brand works with a range of vibrant and independent street food vendors to provide varied yet complementary choices, whilst showcasing local breweries and distilleries.
“Their operations focus on supporting local businesses and to diverse the food and beverage offer to create a welcoming and accessible food experiences.
“The ’Street Food’ brand was first established in the form of Edinburgh Street Food which opened in 2023, and which welcomes a broad demographic. It is recognised as a cultural and culinary hub whilst contributing positively to the local economy.
“Building on the success of Edinburgh Street Food, the Applicant is keen to expand further and enhance Manchester’s hospitality, gastronomy and evening economy.
“As such, this full planning application has been prepared to enable the operation of Manchester Street Food from a prime city centre location at Ducie Street Warehouse.”
Do you think Manchester has the appetite for yet another street food hall?
Castlefield is being transformed into Gotham amidst more Hollywood filming in Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
Castlefield, with its iconic viaduct and cobbled streets, is once again being used for big-budget filming as the latest Batman/DC Universe title, Clayface, looks to be setting up in the eye-catching Manc corner.
Whether it’s football kit reveals and brand shoots, BBC dramas or the next upcoming Netflix series, production crews can’t get enough of Castlefield, it would seem.
For those who hadn’t heard, work on the new Clayface movie revolving around the cult favourite Batman villain is well underway, and the North West has been used as the backdrop on multiple ocassions this month already.
You can see early glimpses of the set being put together down below.
Come on, how cool is it that we get to stumble on stuff like this right on our doorstep so often?
Speaking to The Manc, a source detailed that the set is being assembled today (Tuesday, 16 September) ahead of a single day of principal photography on what we can only assume is more Clayface filming sometime tomorrow.
While she could not confirm with us directly, she said, “If you’re a comic book nerd and look at the posters, you’ll be able to figure it out.” We’ve certainly been studying all the easter eggs already.
It might not quite be as dark and gritty as Gotham City, but this particular part of Manchester has been used in TV and film – especially period dramas – many times for good reason.
The Victorian-era steel structure, dark red brick and overall industrial aesthetic work so well when it comes to creating a believable and cinematic world.
Besides perhaps the most famous instance of Peaky Blinders shooting in these parts, you can add multiple music videos, several Manchester United and Man City shirt launches, and so many more that we’re starting to lose track.
As for Clayface, this isn’t even the first time the upcoming DC ‘body-horror’ flick has popped up in Greater Manchester.
Last week saw the equally striking Art Deco facade of the old The Plaza Super Cinema in Stockport turned into a fictional movie premiere to stunning effect:
Speaking of, another childhood favourite is filming here in Manchester right now, too.
Besides perhaps the most famous instance of Peaky Blinders shooting in these parts, the new Narnia adaptation by Greta Gerwig may just be one of the biggest projects that has ever landed underneath the familiar ‘birdcage’.
ln fact, it just so happens that there are actually multiple noteworthy small and silver screen works fighting over the Castlefield shooting schedule at the moment…