Tucked above a takeaway in Manchester’s gay village is one of the city’s best-kept foodie secrets.
It’d be easy to miss if you didn’t know it was there, with a very small sign only really visible from neighbouring Richmond Street – not from Sackville Street, where you enter.
Accessed through the Istanbul Express takeaway via a winding staircase, it feels like one of those bar-in-a-bar gimmicks – except this isn’t the Northern Quarter and the hidden entrance isn’t designed to be an ‘Instagram friendly’ photo opportunity.
At this no-frills joint, it’s all about the food – not your social media pictures.
The legendary restaurant is tucked above a takeaway on Sackville Street. / Image: The Manc Eats
The dining experience here pretty much revolves around the injera, with curries either served on top of a huge sharing plate-style sphere or accompanied by rolls on the side / Image: The Manc Eats
The authentic Ethiopian restaurant once laid claim to being Manchester’s only such eatery – but has recently been joined on the scene by another of the same name, located in Ancoats and at Mala. As far as we can tell, the two aren’t connected.
Serving up traditional Ethiopian curries on soft, spongy sourdough-fermented injera bread, Habesha has been quietly ticking away for years pulling in a steady stream of regulars.
The dining experience here pretty much revolves around the injera, with curries either served on top of a huge sharing plate-style sphere or accompanied by rolls of the soft, fluffy bread – perfect for scooping up all those little last morsels of sauce at the end of your meal.
To get the most out of the experience here you should really also eat with your hands, although there is cutlery on hand for those who might need it.
Habesha has been quietly ticking away for years pulling in a steady stream of regulars. / Image: The Manc Eats
The eatery serves up traditional Ethiopian curries on soft, spongy sourdough-fermented injera bread. / Image: The Manc Eats
For meat-eaters, there’s a couple of different options to choose from and it’s customary to order a few and share. If you’re a lover of spice, something like the Awaze Tibs will probably be up your street.
A dish of tender lamb cubes well cooked with onion, tomato and hot pepper sauce, it comes with a ‘hot and spicy’ warning suggesting it is not for the faint-hearted.
Elsewhere, there’s a slow-cooked, tender chicken dish made using thigh meat called Doro Wot that comes served with an egg, and the Ethiopian answer to steak tartare, beef Kitfo.
This dish of lean minced beef mixed with chilli powder, herbal butter and cardamom can be cooked either medium or well done to request, but is also not untypical to be eaten raw.
You’ll find a selection of Ethiopian and Eritrean beers on the menu here. / Image: The Manc Eats
The authentic Ethiopian restaurant once laid claim to being Manchester’s only such eatery, but not anymore. / Image: The Manc Eats
There’s plenty for vegans and veggies here, too, not just meat-eaters – with a small selection of dishes like Yetsom Beyaynetu (spicy red lentils, yellow split peas, cabbage and carrots, shiro and house salad) and Shiro (powdered chickpeas cooked with onion, garlic and pepper) catering to those with a plant-based diet.
And on the drinks front, you’ll find a selection of Ethiopian and Eritrean beers and wine alongside more typical American brands like Budweiser and Red Bull.
A true hidden gem, if you’re in the village this weekend celebrating Pride and fancy a scran seriously consider giving it a look in.
Whilst its homely decor will make you feel a world away from the street parties below, the speaker systems on Richmond Street are guaranteed to still bring the vibes through the open windows.
To find out more about Habesha and view the full menu, click here.
There’s a World Gravy Wrestling Championship near Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
Just on the outskirts of Greater Manchester, there’s a country pub set in a rural village that hosts a world gravy wrestling championship.
Leave it to us northerners to organise a world gravy wrestling championship because let’s face it, there’s nothing more northern than plummeting yourself into bucket loads of gravy.
At The Rose ‘N’ Bowl in the village of Stacksteads, it’s not just their meals they’re drenching in the brown nectar; they drench any willing guest in this beige saucy goodness too as part of the World Gravy Wrestling Championships.
Here’s a little taster from nearly a decade ago.
Participants are expected to wrestle in the gravy for two minutes, with the winner being judged not only on their play-fighting skills but also on their choice of fancy dress, comedy effect and entertainment.
Past wrestlers have rocked up as zebras, racehorse jockeys and famous TV characters like Ali G and Mickey Mouse.
Each wrestler is encouraged to raise money on behalf of a charity of their choice, but if you don’t have one, donations will be sent to East Lancashire Hospice, which has helped people countywide suffering from life-limiting illness for the past 30 years.
The World Gravy Wrestling Championships have been held outside this very pub for over a decade, with the first ever event taking place at a car park in Wigan before it found a permanent home outside The Rose ‘N’ Bowl.
And if swimming in a pool of gravy isn’t for you, don’t fret because there’s a handful of sauce-free activities you can get involved with spread throughout the pub’s car park.
Fret not, past events have included bouncy castles, cheerleading performances, craft beer stalls, cake and tombola stands and even a BB gun shooting range that are all completely gravy-free.
There will even be help from a local fire brigade who will be on hand to wash down wrestlers in between their gravy-filled tournament, so they can wander round all the stalls too.
The 2025 World Gravy Wrestling Championships are coming to The Rose ‘N’ Bowl in Stacksteads on 25 August, with tickets available in person only, but plenty of information about the event HERE.
If you’re after signing up to be one of the wrestlers at this event, applications are still open and you can get stuck in with all the details you need HERE.
And if that wasn’t enough Northern food competitive action, we’ll catch you at the World Black Pudding Hurling Championships, innabit.
Inside this Victorian mansion with 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool and more near Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
There’s a million-pound Victorian-style mansion that has 10 bedrooms and its own personal swimming pool just outside of Greater Manchester.
Just like the childhood nursery rhyme, “There were three in the bed and the little one said… there’s another seven beds, roll over!” or at least that’s how they remember it in this character property.
Located in Warrington, less than an hour away from Manchester city centre, this property is a semi-detached Victorian property built in 1860, with 10 bedrooms and its own private swimming pool, all spread across four floors.
As soon as you enter the foyer, your eyes are drawn to the sleek silver chandelier before you notice the grand staircase, which feels like a piece of living history.
Inside this Victorian mansion with 10 bedrooms and a swimming pool near Greater Manchester / Credit: On The Market)
The ground floor hosts two of a whopping 10 bedrooms alongside a teal-toned farmhouse-style kitchen and that extremely impressive swimming pool with its own built-in projector.
In the kitchen, the focal point is the large wrap-around kitchen unit, which is accompanied by a variety of hanging lights and a big central island.
On the way to the swimming pool, there are a handful of lockers identical to those found in a leisure and as you enter the room, your eyes are drawn to the island-inspired feature wall.
Venture upstairs to the first floor and you’re greeted by five spacious bedrooms with one having its own en-suite while the rest share a main bathroom.
Each of these bedrooms follows a completely different design style, with the largest following a muted grey palette with pops of yellow thanks to the artwork and bed accessories.
The grand staircase and one of ten bedrooms inside this Victorian mansion near Greater Manchester / Credit: On The Market
As you go upstairs again, you’ll find (you guessed it) even more bedrooms, three to be exact, with the standout
The stand-out of this second floor is the navy-walled bedroom with a vintage vanity unit, patterned floor-to-ceiling curtains and a similarly dark-blue rug to match its four walls.
Another flight of stairs and you’ve finally reached the top of this property, and there’s an LED-lined ceiling and a neutral bedroom colour scheme of greys, whites and everything in between.
There are various amenities nearby, including three schools and three train stations… for if you get fed up of strolling around your four-floored ten-bed, swimming pool-owning mansion.
Two contrasting bedrooms found within this Victorian mansion near Greater Manchester / Credit: On The Market
We know this property may not be in the price range and might not be affordable for a lot of readers, ourselves included, but we can dream, right?
You can check out this Victorian mansion and flick through even more pictures of this property – Snooping never hurt anybody? Official site HERE.
As always, make sure to check out The Manc‘s property page to check all the other stunning structures currently on sale/in progress across Greater Manchester and in the nearby North West.
Georgina Pellant -
21st August 2023 
