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
ADVERTISEMENT
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
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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
ADVERTISEMENT
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
Manchester firefighter surprises partner with proposal during new recruits parade
Danny Jones
We’re a sucker for a wholesome little video as we know you are, which is exactly why we thought of you lot when we came across this video of a newly graduated Manchester firefighter surprising his partner with a heartwarming proposal.
Just the kind of heartwarming that usually sets us off after a long week at work.
The clip shared by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) on Thursday, 25 April, shows Manc fireman James popping the question to his girlfriend sat unassumingly in the audience at a recent passing out ceremony.
Pass out ceremonies are when trainees go from recruits to fully qualified firefighters after completing their intensive operational training. It’s a long-standing tradition in the emergency services where friends and family gather to celebrate their achievements – it’s almost like it’s the perfect opportunity…
As you can see, since the graduates are usually the centre of attention, James couldn’t help but size his moment and instead of walking and lining up normally like everyone else, he decided to head straight over to his wife-to-be and get down on one knee.
You already know the rest.
Welling up immediately and barely able to remove her hands from her face, Melissa nods and says yes as the crowd cheers and the pair share a smooch.
Writing on social media, the GMFRS said: “We managed to capture a VERY special moment at our new recruits pass out parade today… Congratulations to James and Melissa!”, adding, “Certainly one way to start your new career”.
If we don’t see all the groomsmen dressed as firefighters on a random viral video sometime soon we’re going to be gutted.
All the best to the happy couple and if you’ve got any more lovely clips like this to send in so we can make ourselves cry (in a good way), you know what to do.
Featured Images — Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Manchester
Whitworth Locke hotel review: This historic Manchester building is home to one of the city’s most beautiful hotels
Abbie Bartlett
Set in a beautiful 19th Century building in Manchester’s civic quarter, Whitworth Locke aparthotel is right in the middle of all the action.
As someone who works in Manchester but lives over in Leeds, this hotel couldn’t be more ideal for me. Less than 10 minutes from both Piccadilly and Oxford road train stations and St Peter’s Square Metrolink station, the ease of getting to the hotel set off my stay to a flying start.
While the beauty of the building is astonishing, it’s almost one of those hidden gems you might miss if you weren’t looking.
Nestled in between the two sides of the building a stunning conservatory marks the main entrance with comfy seating outside I imagine to be an absolute sun trap when Manchester’s weather decides to be kind to us.
As you walk through the glass-roofed bar to get to reception you literally can’t help but be in awe. New York architects, Grzywinski+Pons, embraced the cotton mills’ original features and designed a space to show off bricks and pillars but softened them with pastel paints.
The bar area has an inside-outside feel, cobbled floors and covered in plants with light beaming in from all angles. Even if I wasn’t spending the night, I could see myself spending the afternoon enjoying some cocktails in this space.
I immediately had a cheery welcome as I approached the reception to check in, which I think really does make all the difference. I was asked about my day, if I needed any help finding my way around Manchester (actually incredibly useful for someone who gets lost as much as I do) and talked through all of the hotel amenities.
The hotel hosts a large gym, perfect for yoga, which is free to use over your stay but I opted out as I wouldn’t have the time. There’s also a lovely coffee shop, Foundation Coffee, serving breakfasts, toasties and of course a lovely cup of joe.
The main attraction though, in my eyes, is the free to use co-working space which takes up a huge part of the ground floor. Happily being used by throughout my visit, the Wi-Fi was great, the seats were comfy and although it was busy, it was nice and quiet.
A large seating and working area.Comfortable king-sized beds.
Now let’s get onto the rooms, I had the privilege of trying out one of the suites and what a treat it was. Rooms are decorated with blush pink and pastel green with brass finishes, very chic and brings almost a holiday feeling even on a rainy day in Manchester.
It’s not all about style though, there’s a fully-equipped kitchen with a huge fridge, lovely comfortable king-sized beds and loads of space to unpack your things. An added touch that really made me feel special was the hand written note hoping I enjoy my stay along with a bottle of red wine and chocolates. Safe to say, you know the way to my heart Whitworth Locke.
The fully-equipped kitchen.
My handwritten note and bottle of wine.
Overall, I woke up feeling very refreshed from a good night’s sleep and even more so after a long waterfall shower. It was really easy to check out, they even looked after my luggage for the day, and with the great location I was out and on a train to my first meeting of the day with pure ease.
The moment we’ve all been waiting for, let’s talk money. Double rooms are from £99 in low season, and from £199 in high. Competitively I think it is good value for money, the facilities and location matched with the service and cleanliness there isn’t really anything I could knock.
If you’re after a really central Manchester stay with a lovely team and a super cool aesthetic, you won’t go wrong with this one. Book your stay here.