A City Break in Manchester.
It’s been a while since I ventured to Manchester for anything outside of work. My mum insists that it’s always raining up there, and with national rail fares costing more than seven nights in Benidorm, I hadn’t been bothered with a UK city break until recently. To ease myself into 2025, I wanted a quick weekend in a place that still had enough to do to keep me active, but with a change of vibes and scenery that would give me the refreshing start I needed.
Manchester’s position in the largest UK city polls is often debated, coming in joint second with Birmingham or third depending on who you ask (although it’s undisputed as the second most influential). The city has a pretty good reputation for being the next best thing to London that we have. As the world’s first industrial city, I think they’ve done a very good job of preserving that architectural history despite any regeneration. Also known for its eccentric nightlife and a great mix of food, culture, history and sport there’s quite a bit to see and do if you want an eventful break outside of London.
My main focus, as always, was comfortable accommodation and amazing dining experiences. For all the details on where I stayed, check out my review of Whitworth Locke, as this post focuses on the food. Although most people’s first thought of eating in Manchester is their infamous ‘Curry Mile’, here are four other places I ate at in Manchester—most of which I loved.
Medlock Canteen
Large portions, American diner style, suitable for all occasions
Inspired by the “informality, accessibility and hospitality” of Parisian bistros and American diners, Medlock Canteen is a relaxed restaurant designed to suit all occasions.
“We’ve gone back to basics,” our waiter explained. “We don’t do small plates here—full meals, big portions!”. In a culinary world dominated by sharing plates, nibbles and a recommended 3-4 dishes per person, this felt quite refreshing to hear. They’re open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a self-described menu of “eats you wanna eat, drinks you wanna drink.” Although we popped in for lunch and decided to skip the cocktails and just have water, the menu had some great offerings, from which we picked our top choices.
My mum loved the food at Medlock Canteen—straightforward, well-cooked, full of flavour. If left to her, we would have eaten here for every meal of every day of the trip. The service was fantastic, and our waiter even went to the lengths of tasting the new deep-fried toffee apple pie dessert just for us to see how sweet it really was - turns out it was perfect. Every dish was a hit, but the grilled cabbage with leeks exceeded my expectations, easily some of the best cabbage I’ve ordered in a restaurant for a long time.
We started with a warm baguette and extremely fragrant confit garlic butter (thankfully my afternoon meetings were on MS Teams), smoked cheese croquettes, and a seasonal masterpiece of fried potato skins with chestnut dip. For a shared main, we had half a rotisserie chicken in the most perfect jus, brown buttered mashed potato, and honey mustard carrots, which reminded me of the ones I made for Christmas dinner. We left feeling warm and fuzzy inside, as if we’d just had Sunday lunch at a friend’s house. The portions are large, so order wisely or go with a large group and try everything! I’ll definitely be returning on my next trip, and I’m extremely curious about the breakfast offering.
El Gato Negro Tapas
Spanish tapas, small plates, award winning
I almost, very nearly, didn’t bother coming here as I originally booked a table at La Bandera, but changed my mind last minute to check out this Michelin Bib Gourmand awarded tapas restaurant instead. My mistake. Although the service was fine and we were able to sit quite comfortably at the chef’s counter on the second floor, the food was rather underwhelming, with certain key flavours lacking and just a general sense of “hmm” throughout the experience.
Translating to “The Black Cat,” El Gato Negro is a Simon Shaw restaurant (former executive chef at Harvey Nichols) with a menu that seeks to combine modern and traditional Spanish flavours and techniques, focusing on seasonal, high quality Spanish and locally sourced ingredients. One of the North West’s most successful restaurants, it’s very popular with locals and tourists alike, so I’m probably going against the grain when I say I wouldn’t bother returning on my next trip.
As this was a Friday night dinner reservation, we started with a pitcher of champagne sangria—one of my favourites—which was nice enough. As it’s a tapas restaurant, it’s essentially small plates that come out as and when they’re ready. I skipped the padron peppers this time and started with the Catalan bread, which, while a strong start, set my expectations for a bit of a fall. The salt cod croquettes came next and tasted more like a potato-based fish cake than anything else. To me, good salted cod has a fishy flavour parallel to the depth of dry-aged steak, but these tasted like someone had boiled the life out of the salt fish—flat.
The calamares fritos did what any self-respecting bowl of calamari should do, and the gambas pil pil, although flavoured nicely, were served without being deveined, which for me is a faux pas. The grilled salt cod, again, was flat and disappointing. We ordered a couple of vegetable dishes, which were much stronger, and I did enjoy those. We attempted to end on a good note by ordering desserts, which lifted the mood slightly. I loved the chewy texture of the Tarta de Santiago—an almond tart with salted caramel mousse.
Having discussed the Michelin Guide over on Sonder & Salt a few months ago, I have an appreciation for their process but not always their outcomes. Although fairly reasonably priced for the offering, El Gato Negro Tapas will probably never see me again as the juice just wasn’t worth the squeeze.
The Firehouse
Good drinks, grilled chicken, lively atmosphere
After walking around the town centre all day, we retreated back to the hotel for a nap. Somewhere along the way, I decided that our 8pm dinner reservation at Firehouse was at 9pm. Folks, the kitchen closes at 9pm! Thankfully, the restaurant attempts to contact you if they think you’re running late, and a reminder text at 8:20pm gave us just enough time to make it for last orders.
The Firehouse is a food and drink experience that focuses on slow-fire cooking, wild spirits, late-night parties, live music, and lively brunches. Located in what looks like a warehouse, it’s a very casual setting, great for socialising in large groups or catching up with friends. The food menu is rather specific: a selection of dips served with fresh pitas, great vegetable-based dishes, a robata grill selection, and the main attraction, Firehouse Chicken—quite simply charred peri chicken, lemon, and salt.
We didn’t overindulge, starting with a couple of pitas and the stracciatella dip: heritage tomato, mint, sherry vinegar, EVOO, and crispy parmesan. If I had a second stomach, I would have ordered more—absolutely divine, creamy, crunchy-textured goodness. For a shared main, we ordered another half chicken, the slaw salad, and roast squash with whipped labneh. Every part of the chicken, including the breast, was juicy and succulent. Although my mum found the slaw a little too spicy (she’s quite sensitive these days), I loved it.
Overall, it was a great dinner. We ordered dessert hastily before the kitchen closed, later realising we didn’t need it, but it was already too late. Not sure if this was the source of our indifference or if the desserts themselves just weren’t for us, but when I visit again (which I 100% will), I’ll order another drink instead.
Again, the service was great, and our waitress recommended the Palnoma mocktail, which my mum ordered twice. I went for the smokin’ pineapple spritz, a seasonal offering that felt like a slightly more refreshing mezcal margarita—right up my street. The atmosphere is very lively, so if you prefer a quieter environment you may not love it, but if you’re up for a good time, I’d definitely check it out.
Sourdough bakery, brunch, relaxed Sundays
Apparently, if you have a mild enough gluten intolerance, you can enjoy sourdough. A few years ago, I resented sourdough bread—a health and safety hazard in my eyes that ruined the roof of my mouth and was a nuisance to chew. Turns out, good sourdough bread and a quality bakery are right up my street and not too bad for my health!
Pollen is a sourdough bakery and café with two locations in Manchester (sadly not yet in London), one of which is a short walk from Manchester Piccadilly station. After a late checkout from the hotel on Sunday afternoon, we carried our bags to Pollen’s Kampus location before heading back to London. The perfect ending to a wonderful weekend.
The menu is seasonal, with a few classics like croissants, cinnamon buns, and cruffins. They have a substantial brunch and lunch offering with their take on favourites such as eggs Benedict and Royale, breakfast buns, porridges, and sandwiches. If visiting after 10:30 am, you can get lunch, so we opted for a mixture of dishes to make the most of the experience.
My mum ordered the Egg Breakfast Bun—set egg, Westcombe cheddar, watercress, and kimchi mayonnaise—while I went for the Eggs Royale. Both were 10/10, no notes. High-quality ingredients, well-cooked. Simple, standard brunch dishes that tasted so good I’d get back on the train to Manchester just to relive it the Pollen way.
As this was our last opportunity to indulge, we also tried the Sweet Bell Turnip soup and Cherry Trifle French Toast. No regrets.
For a final hurrah before heading home, I picked up a few bits and bobs from the front of the café, which is like a mini deli counter—apple and raisin chutney (which has been going great in my breakfast sandwiches), their infamous croissant butter (which honestly tasted like speculoos—nice but nothing special for me), and their amazing everything granola, which didn’t last more than five days in my house. Can’t wait to return.
A Couple of Other Places We Popped Into
Knoops - Hot Chocolate
A small chocolate café located near the shopping centre (but found across the UK). You can pop in for hot or cold chocolate drinks of varying percentages and flavours using their theory called “Knoopology.” A cute little experience if you’re already local. I went for the 43% Single Origin with notes of hazelnut and butterscotch, which is apparently a customer favourite, with a marshmallow on top. My mum had the 49% Single Origin from Venezuela with notes of molasses, pecan, and toffee topped with vegan cream. Milk alternatives are available and we both requested oat.
Wright’s Fish and Chips - Quick Eats
Another spot in the city centre where we stopped for a quick bite, sharing a portion of fish and chips. Fresh fish, lovely chips, and good service. The portion felt a little small (or maybe we were just really hungry and shouldn’t have shared), but at £10 in total, it felt fairly reasonable compared to London.
Foundation Coffee House - Breakfast, Brunch or Lunch
Located at the back of the Whitworth Locke hotel, we popped down for a quick brunch on the Saturday morning and a couple of smoothies. Great service, and the smoothies were lovely, although I didn’t enjoy my potato hash. My mum ordered the sweet brioche French toast, which was served with a strawberry and lime compote I could have eaten by the spoonful and pistachio cream, so the rest of the menu has potential. Nice and convenient if you’re staying at Whitworth Locke and don’t want to venture out.
Manchester, it was a pleasure. See you soon x
