Rapper Big Zuu has grown quite a reputation as a foodie personality, receiving rave reviews with his new ITV series Big Zuu’s 12 Dishes in 12 Hours.
So when he teamed up with the prestigious Conde Nast Traveller to share a list of the best restaurants in Manchester, expectations were high.
Most of us expected him to dig out some authentic little local gems – and he did almost exactly the opposite.
Big Zuu’s favourite restaurants have been labelled by fans as, quite bluntly, ‘bulls**t’.
So where did he think was worthy of a place on his top five restaurants? Was it the Michelin-approved independents like The Sparrows or the newly-Bib-Gourmand Higher Ground, or cosy local favourites like Erst or Bar San Juan? Yeah, not exactly.
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Instead, Big Zuu has chosen a selection of mostly chain restaurants, with a couple of actual Manchester businesses chucked in for good measure. Though he calls the city ‘Mani’ the whole way through which is a little controversial.
At the top of his list comes San Carlo, the Italian restaurant group that you can find in several major UK cities at this point.
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Big Zuu said it’s his favourite place to go before a night out, stating that it’s ‘big and extravant but not very expensive’.
The grime star and TV personality also said that his favourite dish to order at San Carlo is the half-and-half pizza.
Next up? Jimmy’s Killer Prawns, which to be fair is a fun place to eat if you don’t mind wearing latex gloves and a plastic bib – but doesn’t exactly scream authentic Manchester to us.
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Big Zuu said he hasn’t actually visited the Liverpool Road restaurant, and prefers to order his mountains of prawns for delivery, and said ‘it’s great value – you just can’t go wrong’.
Jimmy’s Killer Prawns was listed as one of Big Zuu’s favourite restaurants in ManchesterJimmy’s Killer Prawns was listed as one of Big Zuu’s favourite restaurants in Manchester
He also listed Dishoom, an Indian group that started down in London but has indeed become of Manchester’s most popular restaurants since opening on Bridge Street in 2018.
Our site of Dishoom its ‘own flavour’ apparently, and Big Zuu raved about the daal and naan bread.
He said: “I’ve got a real soft spot for the Manchester one. It’s big and a little bit easier to get into. I love the décor: it’s in a beautiful building, with beautiful architecture” – and no one could argue with him about that.
Big Zuu gave a shout-out to Chorlton’s The Drop Bar Cafe, a Caribbean restaurant famed for its ‘Hench Boxes’.
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He said: “Most places people go to in Manchester are in the city centre, but this is out near Old Trafford, so this is a bit out there.”
The Drop Bar Cafe in Chorlton is also one of Big Zuu’s favourite restaurants in ManchesterThe Drop Bar Cafe in Chorlton is also one of Big Zuu’s favourite restaurants in Manchester
Big Zuu continued: “They do a Caribbean Sunday roast and it’s just so good. You can get everything you want – lamb, chicken and all the usual sides like coconut rice with peas and fried plantain. And there is an epic ‘reggae roast,’ which is jerk chicken with things like mac ‘n’ cheese and the ‘veggie rasta roast,’ which is toasted pumpkin.”
And his final pick went to Chai Latte Cafe on Stevenson Square in the Northern Quarter, which he said ‘may not be the best in the universe’ but is good after a night out when you’re ‘starving’.
Siri, show me a bigger back-handed compliment.
Since sharing Big Zuu’s insights on social media, Conde Nast Traveller has received a fair few comments questioning his choices.
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One person asked on Instagram: “Is this a joke?”
Another said: “When you have chain restaurants in a guide to the BEST a city can offer… I think we know its a bulls**t guide! Thank you, next.”
Someone else posted: “I doubt that in the city with one of the coolest food scenes the top 5 restaurants are almost all chain restaurants…”
And another wrote: “This is a wack list and nobody calls it ‘Mani’”
And one final cynic shared: “This looks like the restaurants w the biggest PR budget.”
Microdot exhibit for BRITs 2026: the artwork of Oasis, Verve and more up in Manchester Piccadilly
Danny Jones
If you’ve passed through Manchester Piccadilly of late, you might have noticed two things: one, it’s really quiet, and two, there’s loads of cool Britpop merch and memorabilia on display, including original Oasis, The Verve, Inspiral Carpets art and more – all courtesy of Microdot.
Set up as part of the city’s own BRITs celebrations, along with a raft of other nationwide festivities, as the annual music award ceremony prepares to make its Manc debut at the Co-op Live this month, the showcase features special edition frames and more, all pride of place in the middle of the train station.
This collection, simply entitled ‘A Microdot Design’, is all done by the legendary Brian Cannon, the graphic designer and art director behind so much recognisable visual material within the genre.
We recently had the honour of speaking to the man himself in person ahead of Piccadilly’s temporary closure; you can see our interview with him right here:
The Wigan-born artist and visionary didn’t just make promotional materials for some of the biggest bands in the 1990s; he’s responsible for what has gone on to become some of the most familiar iconography in British music history.
With this pop-up exhibit available for a limited time only, we strongly urge you to go along and, for once, take your time rather than rushing around the station as you peruse the boards placed right near the main entrance.
Charting his work from circa 1990 up until now, it’s crazy to see just how many of Brian and Microdot’s fingerprints are all over so many different bands and artists.
From native names like Oasis, The Verve and the Inspirals, as mentioned, as well as the likes of Cast, Super Furry Animals, Suede and Ash, plus so many more, this guy has been nothing short of prolific over the past few decades.
Audio North took a little tour of the King Street South unit last year in the lead-up to Oasis Live ’25 reunion world tour, and we felt like kids in a Britpop sweetshop.
While this site has sadly since closed, shutting up shop back in July, Brian’s mini, modest, but nevertheless magic Microdot Boutique up in the Lake District is still standing.
Located in the popular North West town and tourist attraction, Kendal, it’s worth a trip there to see more of his portfolio alone.
Currently on display at Manchester Piccadilly ahead of the full 2026 BRITs Week and shindig at Co-op Live, it’s one of the best completely free things you can do in town at the moment – but the exhibition finishes on Sunday, 1 March, so make sure you don’t miss it.
Speaking of the BRIT Awards, if you’re wondering what else is on as 0161 gets ready welcome them for their two-year stint (at least), look no further…
Two brothers from Oldham are beating out the likes of Taylor Swift in the iTunes charts
Danny Jones
A pair of brothers from Oldham who simply go by Two Connors are now holding on to the top spot in one of the biggest iTunes charts, and they’re beating the likes of Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Bad Bunny and many more.
Stuff your global music stars, we’ll back a duo from Greater Manchester all day long.
Danny and Callum Connor, a couple of blokes from Oldham in their mid-30s, are currently number one in the iTunes singles charts with their latest song, ‘Familiar Faces’, but this isn’t the first time they’ve gone big with a release online.
Carving out their own little corner not only in the old Lancashire borough but a small pocket in the UK’s wider grime, drill, rap and hip-hop scene, they’ve only gotten bigger over the last 18 months or so.
After releasing their first two tracks back in 2024, Callum and Danny have been on a very gradual rise, but they quickly gained a cult local following in and around Oldham.
Writing about life and around the area, with high personal and anecdotal lyrics that feel like niche references and in-jokes specifically for‘Roughyed’ residents – it’s not just music by them but FOR them.
In addition to recording their own unique cover of ‘Bad Habits’ by Ed Sheeran, they also went fairly viral for releasing a music video featuring crowds of local children.
Putting their own chant-based chorus slant on ‘Hi Ho, Hi Ho, “It’s off to Work We Go”‘, written by Mitch Miller and The Sandpipers (yes, as in the main theme from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), it was a fairly radio-friendly tune that was easy for kids and more to sing along with.
With various other natives getting involved in the music video, joining them on the town centre streets and lip-syncing the lyrics, it was circulated online all over Britain and beyond.
You can watch it in full down below.
Fast forward to February 2026, and not only have they grown their following across the region, but even further afield now, as it turns out; currently sitting ahead of ‘Opalite’ from worldwide smash-hit album, The Life of a Showgirl, who needs big label backing, eh?
Bringing smiles to even more Greater Mancs by quite literally shining the spotlight on ‘Familiar Faces’ and punters from nearby pubs such as The Up Stepps Inn and former nightclub Sruples, it is a real tribute to their homeland.
Only time will tell how long they’ll cling to that iTunes top spot, but with nearly 73,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and counting, they might be one of the biggest music names to come out of OL in some time.
In other big news over in Oldham, on the sporting side of things, RLFC are staring down yet more uncertainty, with local hero Bill Quinn also wrapping up his time at the club.
Daisy Jackson -
1st February 2024 
