Eats

All the August Manchester restaurant deals, discounts and offers you need in 2023

50% off wine, free pizzas, half-price meals and plenty more to get excited about.

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 5th August 2023

August has arrived, and with it, we’ve unearthed some cracking Manchester restaurant and bar deals.

Plenty of local bars seem to be capitalising on the terrible weather we’ve been having by launching rain-specific happy hours, and the proliferation of 50% off dining deals doesn’t seem to have slowed down at all.

There is also a pub in Salford giving its diners the chance to win £72,000 worth of prizes when they dine from its £22 set menu this month that is well worth a look-in.

Keep reading to discover the best dining deals and drink offers in Manchester this August.

50% off food and drink – Manchester August dining deals

Image: The Bay Horse
Image: The Firehouse

Corbieres

The offer: Free pizza

T&Cs: Free pizza when you buy a drink, every Tuesday to Friday from 4-7pm

Disorder

The offer: 50% off bottles of prosecco, 50p wings

T&Cs: Drinks offer only available when it’s pouring down with rain. Say ‘If it rains, it pours’ at the bar to get the deal. 50p wings every Wednesday.

Ducie Street Warehouse

The offer: £5.55 selected drinks and dishes

T&Cs: Available Monday to Thursday from 5 to 5.55pm.

Elnecot

The offer: Soup and sandwich £8

T&Cs: Available Monday to Friday, 11am to 3pm.

Italiana Fifty Five

The offer: 50% off food

T&Cs: Available Sunday to Thursday throughout August, booking required.

La Bandera

The offer: 50% off food

T&Cs: Mondays and Tuesdays, maximum six per booking. Booking required.

Muse Uppermill

The offer: 50% off the menu*

T&Cs: *some exclusions apply. Available every Thursday

On The Hush

The offer: 50% off food

T&Cs: Available to walk-ins 12pm to 2pm, Thursday and Friday

Read more: The French at The Midland – the unsung hero of Manchester’s food and drink scene

Public

The offer: BOGOF Burgers

T&Cs: Available on 24 August only from noon until they run out.

The Bay Horse

The offer: 50% off all food

T&Cs: Every Wednesday in August, all day long

The Firehouse

The offer: 50% off bottles of wine, Aperol spritz, pittas and hummus, stracciatella, and beetroot borani.

T&Cs: Available Wednesday to Friday from 4 to 7pm, booking required.

The Pen and Pencil

The offer: 50% off all food

T&Cs: Available all day Monday, booking required.

What’s Your Beef

The offer: £1 burgers

T&Cs: Available from 12pm on Thursday 24 August until sell out.

More Manchester August dining deals

Image: Hawksmoor
Image: Edinburgh Castle

20 Stories

The offer: Three courses for £35 with a glass of Mirabeau rosé

T&Cs: Monday to Thursday 5.30 to 6:30pm.

Albert’s Schloss

The offer: £6 spritz and seasonal cocktails, £5 pints of Pilsner

T&Cs: Monday to Friday, 4-7pm

Almost Famous

The offer: £10 burgers with fries

T&Cs: Monday to Friday, 12-4pm

Bab

The offer: £5 children’s menu, two courses with a drink. 

T&Cs: Monday to Saturday 12-10pm and Sundays 12-8pm

Canto

The offer: Three dishes for £18

T&Cs: Monday to Wednesday 3 to 6pm, Thursday to Friday 12 to 5pm, Saturday 12 to 4pm, all day Sunday

Ciaooo Garlic Bread

The offer: £7 garlic bread with a drink included

T&Cs: Available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 12-3pm

Cote

The offer: Two courses for £18.95

T&Cs: Available Monday to Friday from 7pm

Dokes

The offer: Two mains and a bottle of wine for £25

T&Cs: Available every Sunday from 12 to 8.30pm.

Edinburgh Castle

The offer: £15 for a main and a drink.

T&Cs: Available Thursdays and Fridays, 12 to 4pm. Glass of wine, pint or soft drink available, main option changes weekly.

Read more: Three diners at Salford pub The Black Friar win over £1000 of prizes in 2 days

Embankment Kitchen

The offer: Three small plates £17.50, five for £27.50

T&Cs: Available Wednesday to Saturday, 4 to 10pm.

El Gato Negro

The offer: Three dishes for £18

T&Cs: Available Monday to Friday 12 to 4pm, all day Sunday.

Exhibition

The offer: A dish and a drink for £10

T&Cs: Available Wednesday to Friday, 12 to 4pm.

Habas

The offer: Main, side and a drink for £15.

T&Cs:  Available Tuesday to Friday, 12 to 5pm.

Hawksmoor

The offer: Two courses for £26, £15 steak and frites ‘strike offer.

T&Cs: Set menu available for reservations made Monday-Saturday until 6.30pm and all day Sunday. Steak and frites offer applies whenever there is a rail strike (book quoting ‘strike steak’).

Henry C

The offer: £5 negronis (from a choice of ten)

T&Cs: Available Thursdays 4pm-late.

Juice Box

The offer: £5 negronis

T&Cs: All day every day, 12-10pm.

Our Neighbourhood Bar

The offer: 30% off pizza

T&Cs: Available every Monday in August

The Black Friar

The offer: Two courses for £22 

T&Cs: Available from a set menu all day Monday, 12 to 6pm Tuesday-Friday. Walk-ins and bookings welcome

The Famous Crown

The offer: Four bar snacks for £22

T&Cs: Available throughout August.

The Jane Eyre Ancoats

The offer: £7 cocktails, £30 house wine with two snacks, £8 classic cocktails on Sundays

T&Cs: Tues – Thurs 3 to 6pm ongoing, every Thursday throughout summer, Sundays from 6pm.

The Jane Eyre Chorlton

The offer: Lunch menu 3 for £15

T&Cs: Tuesday to Friday, 12 to 5pm.

Public

The offer: £4 pints and wine, £6 daiquiris

T&Cs: Available only when it’s raining, weekdays until 8pm.

Santé

The offer: £15 for 3 small plates or tapas

T&Cs: Available weekly, starting from 4pm Tuesdays and finishing at 5pm Fridays.

Featured image – The Manc Eats

Eats

Mélange by Red Hall is a jewel in the crown of Bury’s burgeoning hospitality scene

Danny Jones Danny Jones Mélange Red Hall review Bury

We recently had the pleasure of staying at the understated and most definitely underrated Red Hall Hotel over in Bury, and got to try their stunning new Mélange restaurant while we were at it.

Now, we say underrated not because it hasn’t received glowing reviews in the past; the AA-star hotel has enjoyed plenty of plaudits over the years and currently averages 4.5/5 from over 900 reviews.

However, what we will say is that the food now being served from this quaint little outpost located in the tiny hamlet of Walmersley, just on the border of Ramsbottom (regularly voted one of the best places to live in the UK), is well worth more than the hotel’s three-star rating on it’s own.

Not only did we have the pleasure of staying in this charming little village getaway, but we were treated to a whopping 11 courses, followed by a morning meal, for a truly wonderful bed and breakfast vibe with all the added luxury of a Kayak Awards and 2021 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice-winning destination.

red hall hotel review bury
The Mélange restaurant at Red Hall Hotel
melange restaurant bury
Such a striking room when you first walk in.
Credit: The Manc Group

The first thing that struck us about the local favourite venue is that, despite being located beside Manchester Road, once you’re inside, it’s a quiet, tranquil and calming little escape from what is already a nice out-of-the-way escape from the bustle of the city and even Bury town centre.

Even if not, how inviting the actual Mélange restaurant itself is definitely will; the golden sign glistening from the soft white dangling bulbs immediately catches your eye, and then you walk in to see the big conservatory and almost orangery-esque windows, with sloped ceilings and lots of light.

You get just as warm a welcome from the staff as well, which is a feeling maintained throughout your entire dining experience, as they really do communicate that sense of comfort whilst “drawing from mamma’s childhood memories and unforgettable holidays” through the food.

Speaking of which…

Mélange – which quite literally translates to ‘a mixture’, often even hinting at things that don’t usually fit together – promises a fusion of British and Mediterranean cuisine, and delivers both familiar flavours but with plenty of contemporary punch and visual appeal.

melange menu bury
red hall bury food
Mediterranean restaurants Greater Manchester
red hall hotel restaurant
Credit: The Manc Eats

We may have begun our meal with something as simple but satisfying as a mini round loaf of bread freshly baked in a cast iron pot with some acidic, tapenade-esque chutney, along with a couple of very refreshing and lemon-forward spritzes, but it didn’t take long before we dove headlong into indulgence.

See, the trouble was the mezze: we wanted to try a little bit of something from each section of the menu, but we couldn’t help but be drawn in by starting with three selections from what was advertised as ‘small plates, big flavours’.

In actuality, what happened was a board featuring our trio of choice appeared, and the bowls that sat upon it were pretty filling on their own. It’s a good job we didn’t spring for the eye-catching charcuterie board as well, otherwise we really would have struggled to finish this feast.

We went for these naughty ‘nduja arancini, some ever-so-smoky chicken wings in a slightly spiced aioli, and quite literally the best halloumi fries you’ll ever try; we don’t know if it was the light fried batter, the perfectly tearable texture of the cheese, or the subtle hot honey dip, but they were incredible.

We also opted to try two more delicate, lighter bites to somewhat cleanse the palate – the corn and duck salad, both of which were fantastically balanced and still not skimpy on the portions either.

The point being is that, at this stage, we started to worry this, plus our main courses of maple-baked salmon (paired with the most impressively smooth and sweet potato purée imaginable), gambas al ajillo (giant black tiger prawns in garlic) and a stuffed, herbaceaous, rolled pork number might be overkill…

Perfectly soft, gooey arancini with a slight heat to them.
gambas al ajillo
You could see the quality of the prawns before tasting it.
That tweal on top alone was packed with flavour.
Light, seasonal and yet more than a few mouthfuls.

Having said that, we still found time/room for another round of cocktails – again, sticking with the spritz theme (’tis the season, after all) – and just about managed to squeeze in two desserts.

The lemon posset was just tangy enough without being too tart and was devoured within seconds, while the cheesecake with an extra dusting of pistachio on top was superb. Topping each with a thin, honeycomb-design biscuit felt like a nice little Manc finishing touch as well.

We’ll confess, a fair few belt notches were loosened throughout the duration of this meal, but we kept persevering for a number of reasons: we wanted to get a comprehensive sweep of what’s on offer, we didn’t want to waste a morsel of food if possible, and most importantly, it was stunning.

Honestly, there wasn’t so much as an average mouthful of food all night. We can’t believe it’s taken us this long to try what’s being served out of the Mélange kitchen; pair that with a brilliant breakfast and relaxing stay at Red Hall itself, and it’s up there with one of the best hotel packages in the area.

Plenty of food and drink spots help, but the great in Greater Manchester, and we can’t say where exactly we’d rank this amongst all 10 boroughs, but we firmly believe you won’t find many better all-round hospitality offerings in Bury – if, indeed, at all.

best hotels in bury
red hall hotel rooms
walks in the bury area
There are plenty of lovely day and evening walks nearby.
red hall hotel offers
Or you can just curl up content on the sun-soaked terrace.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Eats

Eats

A total of 20 Greater Manchester pubs have been named among the best in the UK

Danny Jones Danny Jones 20 Greater Manchester pubs best in England

A new round-up of the so-called ‘best pubs in the country’ has been published online, and you’ll be glad to hear that 20 different pubs from the Greater Manchester area have made it onto the list.

We’d argue a bunch more should have made it on there, personally, but we’ll take it.

Shared by The Telegraph this week, the list doesn’t include Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, but nevertheless, it does go on to name a whopping 500 UK pubs, of which 20 of those are here in our particular part of the world. Proud.

So, breaking the collection up into areas ordered alphabetically, here are what the outlet considers some of the best pubs in the nation.

The Great-er Manchester boozers that made it into ‘The 500 Best Pubs in England’

1. Fletcher Moss – Didsbury

Up first on our list is a south Manchester favourite: Fletcher Moss pub down in Didsbury Village, which may just have one of the best gardens in all the boroughs. Noting the refurb that’s taken it from another traditional pub to a local classic, they’re not wrong.

It also happens to be one of the busiest stops on the famous Didsbury Dozen pub crawl.

2. The White House – Littleborough

You have to head up to the reaches of Rochdale to find this testament to old Lancashire tucked away in the rolling hills – a proper old school, country-style pub.

“This brick-built former coaching inn has a predictably sublime view, and attracts diners by the dozen as a result, but the beer is pretty reliable too”, according to the outlet.

white house rochdale
the white house littleborough
Credit: Facebook

3. The Angel, Manchester

Once a forgotten pub on a quiet corner sat frustratingly close to an otherwise busy part of town, The Angel Pub reopened back in 2019 after nearly seven whole decades away from the Manc boozing scene.

As per the paper: “In a city that rarely forgets to tell you how it does things differently, The Angel charts its own course.”

4. The Britons Protection – Manchester city centre

Moving into the city centre now, and we have the legendary Britons Protection, which is also one of the oldest and most iconic pubs we have to our name.

The Telegraph said, simply: “Come for the tiled corridor, with its vivid images of the Peterloo Massacre, stay for the atmosphere.” We’d also wager it happens to be one of the best cosy pubs in all of Manchester city centre. We can’t afford to lose it.

CAMRA speaks out as petition to save Briton’s Protection nears 8,000 signatures
People are rallying behind them, but they’re not out of the woods yet.

5. The Castle Hotel – Manchester

Now just down the road to NQ and to a place known for great Guinness, live music in an intimate setting, a joyous jukebox selection and a close-packed but pretty interior. They said that “Northern Quarter is not short of places for a drink, but few are as effortlessly comfortable as the Castle Hotel.”

We couldn’t agree more, and as a bonus, it’s also a place where things like this happen:

6. The Circus Tavern – Manchester

Famed as the smallest bar in Europe (by which we mean the actual bar, not the size of the pub itself, which is a common misconception), The Circus Tavern on Portland Street is a little gem in every sense.

You can find out more about the cool history behind it down below:

7. The City Arms – Manchester

Not too far away from there in the city centre, you’ll find the stunning City Arms, which – alongside its next-door neighbour, The Vine Inn – has one of the best ‘punters spilling out onto the street after work’ communities you’ll find in Manchester.

The Tele writes: “The City Arms sits in the middle of a Mancunian pub one-two-three on Kennedy Street, sandwiched between The Vine and The Waterhouse. It’s the best of the three, in my opinion, largely because the beer is so good.”

the city arms manchester
A great little lineup. (Credit: The Manc Group)

8. The Marble Arch – Manchester

Ok, up next is ‘r Daisy’s favourite pub in central Manchester and maybe of all time: the marvellous Marble Arch, which is a gorgeous Grade II-listed building over on Rochdale Road.

They described it as having played arguably “a bigger role in Manchester’s brewing renaissance over the past thirty years” than perhaps any other boozer.

@the.manc Friday means a pint is needed, so Daisy took us to her favourite pub The Marble Arch 🍻 #manchesterpubs #manchesterbars #manchesternightout #fyp ♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim

9. The Grey Horse Inn – Manchester

Literally spitting distance from the aforementioned Circus Tavern, The Grey Horse Inn has a lot of similar charm, as well as plenty of Manc, and more specifically, Manchester United memorabilia plastered all over the gaff.

“The Grey Horse is run by Hyde’s, one of Manchester’s four traditional family breweries. It might be the best place in the city centre to try their beers; it’s certainly one of the cosiest, with a wood-panelled bar and plenty of comfortable seating.”

grey horse inn pub manchester
hydes brewery pubs
Credit: Hydes Brewery

10. The Hare and Hounds – Manchester

In at number nine is what they sell as a “city-centre classic that hums with Mancunian warmth”, and while it may be one of what feels like countless Hare and Hounds up and down the UK, this one can be over on Shudehill.

Situated right near The Lower Turks Head – another boozer we believe should have been on this list – it may not be the biggest, most different or most eye-catching from the outside, but inside is a proper pub.

the hare and hounds manchester city centre
hare and hounds shudehill
Credit: Facebook

11. Peveril of the Peak – Manchester

“It fulfils all the pub cliches: warm welcome, good beer, cosy atmosphere. The tiled exterior is a delight, too.” To be honest, this doesn’t nearly do it justice. That glistening green institution not only boasts the longest-serving landlord in the city but also some of the best Guinness in Manchester.

There’s something special about joining the crowd leaning against its walls or sitting on the benches in the shade of its solitary tree. We can’t quite explain it, but it’s always been loved and always will be. It has a cool history behind it, too.

peveril of the peak best pubs in greater manchester
pev of the peak
Credit: The Manc

12. Salisbury Ale House – Manchester

Now this one gets a hard agree from us. The Salisbury over on ‘Little Ireland’ is a truly brilliant boozer, and the steps leading down to it are possibly some of the most photographed in the entire city.

With a legendary albeit very loud playlist, it’s a regular haunt for both before and after gigs, even serving up pizza from their in-house brand ‘Dough161’ (very good), which is best enjoyed out back in their little back-alley beer garden.

13. Smithfield Market Tavern – Manchester

Back to Northern Quarter now and just on the edge of Ancoats, where you’ll find Smithfield Market Tavern. We firmly believe the neighbouring Rose and Monkey rivals it too, but we can certainly see why it made it onto The Telegraph‘s list.

As they put it: “The pub itself is modern but not jarringly so, with sofas, low tables and pub games, plus plenty of excellent beer, much of it produced at Blackjack’s brewery less than half a mile away.”

14. The Baum – Rochdale

Ok, that’s us done with the city centre; we’re heading out back Rochdale way now to what has been described as a ‘hidden gem’ here in Greater Manchester, even if that term is being thrown around at will these days. Here’s what The Telegraph had to say:

“This place is as pubby as it gets, all dark wood, hand pumps and Victorian beer vessels above the bar (although there is a brighter, conservatory area at the back). Food is a big part of the Baum’s business: when I visited recently, I had rag pudding, a tasty Lancashire dish not unlike steak pudding.”

The Baum – a cosy pub in the heart of Rochdale serving nostalgic, top-class pub grub
And here’s what we had to say.

15. The Eagle Inn – Salford

Onto Salford now, and a cult favourite watering hole that also happens to serve as a rich hub for the independent music and arts scene. It may be surrounded by ever-more cranes and skyscrapers, but that pretty little piano and backroom are still perfect.

The Tele says, “It’s a little tucked away, certainly, but for good beer and interesting music, you’d have to go a long way to beat it.” Pretty much nail on the head, to be fair.

16. The New Oxford – Salford

Quite possibly one of the prettiest refurbishments that’s taken place in Greater Manchester in recent times, and most certainly one of the best pubs in Salford full stop, backed by an Irishman who knows his stuff and has even had fixtures from the ‘Emerald Isle’ shipped over to make a statement.

The brilliant little boozer on Bexley Square has a fantastic range of beer, ales, whiskey and more from all over, and when the sun’s got his hat on, you won’t find many better places to sit and soak it up.

17. Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar – Stalybridge

It can seem odd sometimes to see odd to see broadsheet covering quiet corners like this one in Tameside, but anyone who really knows there’s stuff is confident that Stalybridge has an up-and-coming scene all of its own – which is why this is seen as one of the best pubs in Greater Manchester.

“High-class station pubs are relatively common across the North and Midlands now, most of them based in revitalised and repurposed station buildings. None of the others, though, is quite like the Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar, which is both authentically Victorian and has a genuine pub flavour.”

They know a thing or two about drinking around here, and we’d recommend this spot as well…

18. The Magnet Freehouse – Stockport

As we approach the end, we arrive in familiar territory, as it isn’t the first time we’ve written about the underrated and what was an unsung public house, but has steadily become a name that’s used to getting accolades from various directions.

Here’s what they say about it: “This sturdy whitewashed pub located by the clattering, humming Wellington Road is one of the best places to drink beer in England.”

The Magnet Freehouse in Stockport has been named as one of National Geographic’s 12 ‘perfect’ UK pubs

19. The Northumberland Arms – Stockport

Nearly done, just two more and the penultimate pick by the paper is the final one in SK: The Northumberland Arms up in Marple Bridge, a community-owned treehouse which is, indeed, nothing short of a belter.

The Telegraph said the following: “‘The Thumb’, as locals know it, is a freehouse with a traditional feel, offering pop-up food options, social clubs – from darts to running – and, of course, high-class beer.” The clue’s in what natives consider its full name: community pub.

20. The Swan & Railway Hotel – Wigan

Last but not least, we pop over to another old bastion where Lancashire meets Greater Manchester and what The Telegraph believes is one of the best in Wigan and in England altogether, adding: “There are so many marvellous details inside the Swan and Railway that it is hard to pick just a few.”

It’s fitting that we end on one that we haven’t yet had the pleasure of trying because we promise that, just like you should, we’re going to make it our mission to try it for ourselves.

Cheers.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/The Manc Eats

More Eats

new final kitchen manchester food hall house of social

City Centre

Upcoming Manc food hall House of Social confirms final kitchen ahead of opening

How Chapter One used to look

Eats

Mancs slam ‘glow down’ of beloved Northern Quarter book shop cafe

new food hall opening in Ryland building old Debenhams department store Manchester

Eats

The first new tenant of the old Debenhams department store on Market Street has been confirmed

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches