Manchester always comes alive each winter for the Lunar New Year celebrations, which are right around the corner again, and Chinese restaurants across the city are gearing up for a busy one.
With the upcoming celebrations firmly on the brain, we thought now as good a time as any to point you in the direction of some of Manchester’s best Chinese eateries so, if you are planning on popping in, you’re not left with hungry bellies.
Of course, Chinatown is probably the first place you think to head – and for good reason, but there are also some cracking spots further afield we’ve included here too for posterity.
From dim sum to roast meats, hot pots to hand-stretched noodles, here’s where to eat when you’re craving Chinese food in Manchester.
Whole roast ducks hanging in the window at Happy Seasons, the most famous spot for roasted meats in Manchester/ Image: Happy Seasons
Where to eat in Chinatown
More than 60 years since the first Anglo-Chinese restaurant opened in Chinatown, chefs here are still putting a modern British twist on traditional recipes and cooking methods – but the scene has changed a fair bit since the 1940s.
ADVERTISEMENT
Once dominated by Cantonese cooking, today the area’s offering is more varied with dishes from provinces like Beijing, Shanghai, Hunan and Szechuan growing in popularity.
Happy Seasons
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Happy Seasons is renowned locally for its roast meats, which range from fatty cuts of pork belly to rich, lacquered whole ducks. Go early, though, as these start selling out from as early as 12pm.- they’re that popular.
For seriously good dim sum, a staple at any good Chinese restaurant, try Mei Dim – a nondescript-looking basement canteen with massive laminated, pictorial menus.
Ignore the grumpy naysayers online, the fact that the customer base here is 99% Chinese speaks volumes as to the true quality of the food.
A relatively new addition to the famous Faulkner street, hot broth steams at the centre of your table – ready for you to cook whatever you like in it. Options for veggies and vegans are numerous, as are traditional choices like tripe, ox tongue, mutton and prawn mash with bamboo fungus.
Spicy crayfish, one of the top three dishes at Hunan restaurant above Woo Sang Supermarket, / Image; Hunan Restaurant
Hidden on the first floor above Chinatown’s Woo Sang supermarket. Hunan restaurant is the only one of its kind to serve traditional Hunan cuisine from the mainland – not just in Manchester, either but in the whole of the north west, according to its owner.
Chinese restaurants further afield
Glamorous restaurant, Ancoats
A selection of dishes from Glamorous restaurant. / Image: @amberosehe via Instagram
Found above the gargantuan Wing Yip, this no-frills dim sum spot is all about the food – not the service, nor the decor. Very much nose to tail, the menu is extensive – spanning roast meats, seafood, sizzling dishes, a bakery and more – including all those delicacies hardcore foodists like to order, from chicken feet to intestines and tripe.
Chef Diao, Northern Quarter
Relatively new to the Northern Quarter, Chef Diao opened on Oldham street inside the former Penang space in October last year. Its online presence is almost nonexistent, but we have it on good authority that the dim sum here is not to be messed with.
One Plus, Charles Street
Image: One PLus
Another great place for hot pot in the city, One Plus is loved by all who visit. You can cook your own dinner from a conveyor belt (not as chaotic as it sounds), or opt to dine from either the Chinese BBQ or rice and hand-stretched noodle and rice menu.
ADVERTISEMENT
Live Seafood, Beswick
Image: Live Seafood
Described by Guardian critic Jay Rayner as both “utterly, delightfully nuts” and “a parade of the best and freshest Chinese dishes’, Live Seafood specialise in seafood that is, well, alive. A former Victorian boozer, today it’s filled with tanks of live fish> Customers handpick their meal, straight from the water. Not for the faint of heart.
Salt and Pepper, Northern Quarter
Having relocated to a new home across the road from its original Arndale market, Salt and Pepper offers a modern take on Chinese favourites. As the name suggests, everything gets the patented salt and pepper treatment here served either stuffed into wraps or atop rice, salad and/or chips.
Blue Eyed Panda, Ancoats
Blue Eyed Panda Chinese restaurant in Ancoats, ManchesterBlue Eyed Panda Chinese restaurant in Ancoats, Manchester
Highly rated by diners in Ancoats and further afield, Blue Eyed Panda is run by the same pair that once operated popular takeaway Chop Chop.. Favourites here include crispy chilli beef and salt and pepper chicken, but you’ll find everything from roast meats and dim sum to Szchezuan dishes on the menu.
Hea Toast and Dessert, Prestwich
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
If you’re a fan of milk tea and thick, white sandwich bread slathered in condensed milk, peanut butter and lashings of golden syrup, Hea Toast & Dessert is the place for you.
Opened by owner Jack Lau in June, here you’ll find butter-drenched toast, Hong Kong’s famously silky milk teas (inspired by our very own British cuppa) and Yeun Yeung – an iced drink that’s typically made from two-parts milk tea and one-part black coffee.
If you love a bottomless brunch, this could be for you. WowYauChow is the home of “the first Chinese bottomless brunch in Manchester”. Prices start at £23 for an ‘endless lunch’, for which you’ll get 90 minutes of endless bao buns, ‘salt n pepper’, cocktails, wines, and beers – including gin fizz, blushing dragon and prosecco.
Yum Cha, Kampus
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Specialising in dim sum, roast meats and flavourful big plates, Yum Cha first opened in Liverpool in July 2020 and made its way over to Manchester last year. As its name suggests, dim sum is a big thing here – all made by hand by a specialist chef who trained in Hong Kong.
Unlike many of its competitors, Yum Cha sells its bite-size dim sum (which loosely translates to “touching the heart”) all day and all night – and has built up quite a following as a result.
Elsewhere, large plates (and trust us, they really are large) can be bought for around a tenner. Fiery dishes like Singapore vermicelli and king prawn or char siu firecracker sit alongside the likes of sweet and sour chicken,, dan dan noodles and grilled chicken satay.
Housing an Asian-inspired bakery and cafe, a Vietnamese restaurant, a Chinese supermarket, and a huge food hall serving East Asian street food, this multi-storey ‘super-venue’ beneath Symphony Park on Oxford Road introduced Manchester to something entirely new in 2022.
Inspired by dining destinations like Bang Bang Oriental in London, and 1800 in Miami, at its heart is Downtown Oriental, a vast market hall with a fast-paced open kitchen where diners feast on everything from Chinese roasts to dim sum, baos to noodles, and fried rice to seafood.
Get your cameras ready, because the whole interior at Tattu screams “Instagram me”. Its huge pink sakura trees undeniably help draw a crowd, but the food’s not to be sniffed at either. Fans rave about its Singapore noodles, lobster, short ribs and prawn toast.
Manchester nightclub clamps down on no-phones policy after ‘disappointing’ rule breakers
Daisy Jackson
Amber’s, a nightclub in Manchester with a strict no-filming policy inside, has shared a strict new set of rules to prevent people using their phones.
The venue says it’s seen an ‘increased amount of phones on the dance floor’ despite its very clear policy against such a thing.
That’s included a recent set from Fred Again, where videos of his show were all over social media the next day.
Amber’s has said it’s ‘disappointing’ to see people flouting the rules of the space, leading to the venue introducing a zero tolerance policy.
Fans who are caught filming on their phones will be asked to leave Amber’s on the spot – no second chances.
There’ll even be extra members of staff patrolling the venue, to protect the ‘vibe of the space’.
“If you are spotted at any point across the night using your phone to record, you will no longer be permitted inside Amber’s,” they shared.
Amber’s wrote in a statement today: “Since our launch back in December, we have made it very clear that we are a No Phones venue. We want to create an experience for everyone where they are present in the moment and not distracted by phones.
“While the majority of people that attend Amber’s keep their phones away, there are a select few that don’t.
“This is of course disappointing.
“Over the recent weeks and months, we have seen an increased amount of phones filming on the dancefloor and we are aware of numerous videos shot on phone appearing online.
“To those that come to Amber’s and respect our house rules, thank you, you are contributing to an incredible vibe in the room.
“For those that don’t, we ask that you think about the space and the people around you before removing your stickers.
“The rules previously have been that if you are seen filming on your phone, you are politely asked to stop, if you are seen again, you are asked to leave the venue.
“From now on, as a renewed pledge to our No Phones policy, if you are seen recording in the venue, you will be asked to leave, there will be no second chances.
“There will now be extra members of staff patrolling the venue, ensuring that the vibe of the space is protected and if you are spotted at any point across the night using your phone to record, you will no longer be permitted inside Amber’s.
“Open your mind. Honour the concept. Respect the space.”
Katy Perry at AO Arena, Manchester – stage times, setlist, tickets and more
Daisy Jackson
Katy Perry will be playing a huge arena show here in Manchester this week, with a sold-out night at the AO Arena imminent.
The popstar is bringing her The Lifetimes Tour, which features an extravaganza of props and pyrotechnics, to town on Wednesday 8 October.
The Roar singer will be heading to the AO Arena this week, alongside shows in Sheffield, Glasgow, Birmingham and London.
Whether you’re going to watch hits like ‘California Gurls’, ‘Hot ‘N’ Cold’ or excited for the newer tracks like ‘I’m His, He’s Mine’, it’s sure to be one of the biggest gigs to hit the legendary arena all year.
Perry has the second most Diamond-certified singles in for a female artist in the U.S, four guiness world records and five UK number one hits.
Her latest album ‘143’, which is a numeric synonym of ‘I love you’ and the singer’s angel number, came out last year and stormed straight into the top 10 on the UK album charts.
If you’re heading to Katy Perry at the AO Arena tonight, we’ve rounded up all your essential information.
Stage times for Katy Perry at the AO Arena
The AO Arena hasn’t yet confirmed exact stage times for tonight’s show, but we do have enough information to give you a good estimate.
Doors will open at 6pm, with a show start of 7.45pm.
That will mean the support act should wrap up around 8.15pm and Katy Perry is likely to take to the stage between 8.30pm and 8.45pm.
For her Manchester show, Katy Perry will be supported by singer-songwriter Goldie Boutilier.
Goldie, who has also performed under monikers Kay, My Name Is Kay, and Goldilox during her career, will be joining Katy on most of her UK dates, before handing over the reins to Au/Ra and then Becky Hill.
Tickets for Katy Perry at the AO Arena
Katy Perry has completely sold out the AO Arena with The Lifetimes Tour, with no general tickets left at all.
However, there are a few tickets remaining on Ticketmaster’s resale platform, which are priced between £78.73 and £131.18 each.
Expected setlist
Katy has split her show into sections she’s calling ‘Levels’, as a nod to the video game inspiration behind the tour.
Each one is absolutely packed with pop bangers, as you’d expect.
Here’s the latest setlist from her most recent show in Glasgow.
Level 1: Artificial
ARTIFICIAL
Chained to the Rhythm
Teary Eyes
Dark Horse
Level 2: Woman’s World
WOMAN’S WORLD
California Gurls
Teenage Dream
Hot n Cold
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
Peacock
I Kissed a Girl
Level 3: Nirvana
NIRVANA
CRUSH
I’M HIS, HE’S MINE
Wide Awake
Level 3.5: Choose Your Own Adventure (fan requests)
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
Getting there by car and parking
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.