An Insider’s Guide To Manchester
EAT
Mr Hong’s
For Great Chinese
This is my favourite place in Manchester and I recommend it to anyone who’ll listen. Mr Hong’s is a Szechuan restaurant in the middle of Manchester. I always order the cumin fried lamb and garlic chilli ribs.
Higher Ground
For Classic Bistro Fare
This is a great bistro run by lovely people. The team have worked in some incredible restaurants and settled in Manchester where they also have a wine bar, Flawd, and a market garden called Cinderwood from which we source some of our veg at Skof.
Visit HigherGroundMCR.co.uk
Osma
For Seafood
Osma is in Prestwich, the north Manchester suburb where I live. Dani and Sofie come from a similar restaurant background to me, so I love trying new dishes on their menu. The food is clean and light, with a focus on seafood. It’s an incredible restaurant to have in a suburb – the team are so talented.
Visit OsmaKitchenBar.com
Nell’s Pizza
For A Slice
Nell’s is a New York-style pizza joint that serves thin, crisp 22-inch pizzas. The dough is perfect, and they make the most brilliant dips. I get the ‘Magic Number’ with ricotta salata and salsa verde, and order vodka sauce for dipping. Perfection.
Visit NellsPizza.co.uk
@POLLENBAKERY
Pollen
For Baked Goods
My girlfriend and I go to Pollen at the weekend for their special. It’s a croissant baked like a muffin (a cruffin) that always hits the spot. The team creates lots of seasonal flavours, so you never know what’s coming up – last week, it was rhubarb. There’s a site in central Manchester, plus another one in Ancoats by the canal, surrounded by a beautiful garden.
Visit PollenBakery.com
DRINK
Track Taproom
For Local Beer
We created a beer with these guys for the restaurant. They’ve canned it now and it’s nice to see it popping up in a few other places. The brewery is open plan and the team has fitted out the lovely taproom with cool design features. You can pop down for pizzas and try dishes from various restaurant pop-ups. It’s a proper little community up there and I love it.
Visit TrackBrewing.co
Sadler’s Cat
For Drinks In The Sun
This is our local boozer by the restaurant, and it’s home to a huge pub garden out on the square. The restaurant has huge windows one side that let in plenty of natural light, but most stand outside to enjoy pints in the street. It’s a buzzy spot – we love seeing customers enjoying drinks there before coming to us for dinner.
Visit Sadlers-Cat.pub
Schofield’s Bar
For Classic Cocktails
Schofield’s is a classic, brilliant cocktail bar across town. They’ve somehow managed to combine the meticulous attention to detail of a hotel bar with the relaxed atmosphere of a casual barroom. They serve the best cocktails in town, as well as the perfect pint of Guinness.
Visit SchofieldsBar.com
NQ64
For Old-School Entertainment
NQ64 is a video game bar in the northern quarter. It’s a basement stuffed full of classic video and arcade games. We’ve had some great nights out there – it’s so easy to get very competitive and lose track of time.
Visit NQ64.com
STAY
The Dakota
For Something Contemporary
The Dakota is a lovely hotel, just across the road from the station. A lot of our guests stay there, and the staff are fantastic. It’s fairly affordable, but it feels luxe.
Visit DakotaHotels.co.uk
The Stock Exchange
FOR UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE
This hotel occupies a beautiful old stock exchange. It’s grand, polished and tucked away. Now head chef Niall Keating is there, we often head down for Sunday lunch in the restaurant, which is in a spectacular room on the old trading floor.
Visit StockExchangeHotel.co.uk
SHOP & VISIT
Ross Parlane Barbers
FOR A TRIM
RPB is more like a social club. It’s always a good laugh and full of interesting people, so you get more than just a haircut.
Visit RPBNQ.com
Vinyl Revival
FOR GOOD MUSIC
Manchester is still a music city, and this place has it all – rare records, new releases, memorabilia, the works. I often go in for a browse when I get a day off. Music is a massive part of the restaurant and I’m always after inspiration.
Visit VinylRevivalMCR.com
CHRIS CURRY/UNSPLASH
Junkyard Golf
FOR A FUN EVENING
For a date or an afternoon with mates, Junkyard Golf is a lot of fun. It’s indoor crazy golf on a large scale and we enjoy some healthy competition there when we get the time. Urban Playground has a similar feel, with lots of games and challenges.
Visit JunkyardGolfClub.co.uk
The Frog and Bucket
FOR LIVE COMEDY
The Frog and Bucket is a legendary comedy club. I love live comedy and it’s the best place for it in Manchester, hands down. It’s intimate, but you often see huge names practising shows before they go on tour.
Visit FrogAndBucket.com
Check out SkofManchester.co.uk and follow Tom on Instagram @ChefTomBarnes.
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