Manchester food & drink latest: 7 excellent things that should be on your radar

Medlock Canteen has returned for its second stint in the city, and we couldn’t be happier to have the team’s hearty spin on bistro-style cooking back in our lives. In a world of small plates, Medlock veers the opposite way, offering up quality, generous servings that are frankly brilliant value. On our visit, we went for an excellent slow-cooked Pork Collar and were taken aback by the size of the thing given its £22 price point. The Grilled hake, which arrives swimming in a rich chowder, is equally as fantastic.

The new location sits within the über cool Side Street, in the kitchen formerly occupied by Tartuffe, so drinks are taken care of by Side Bar across the venue. On that, the neighbouring team have also launched a stellar new cocktail menu, which you can enjoy in what is undeniably one of Manchester’s best-looking, Mad Men-esque spaces.

I was genuinely gutted when Red Light announced its shock closure in summer — it had quickly become one of my go-to favourites amongst Manchester’s many magnificent cocktail bars, and it always felt like the team genuinely loved and cared deeply about what they were doing.

Luckily, my disappointment hasn’t had to last too long, as Red Light has now re-emerged, this time taking over the former El Capo site in the Northern Quarter. What’s more, the quality and vibes are still top-notch — highlights from our first of what will be many trips back were the Oishi, a sort of plummy, sticky Negroni, and the Especiado, a dangerously moreish spicy Martini with jalapeño brine.

From one familiar name in Mancunian mixology to a brand-new one. Well, sort of brand-new, in that the stupendously stylish Bar Dos is the younger sibling of the much-and rightfully-lauded folks behind Stray in Mackie Mayor.

While outstanding cocktails are still very much central to the new venue, which sits beside another celebrated newcomer in Proloco, Bar Dos has allowed the team to lean more into late nights and live DJs, with carefully curated music a focal point of the bar’s identity.

Treehouse Hotel’s rooftop bar and restaurant, Sister Moon and The Nest, have opened with a flourish, adding to the venue’s culinary offering that already boasted the Michelin Guide-listed Pip by Chef Mary-Ellen McTague.

Sister Moon, which is led by the renowned Sam Grainger, specialises in elevated Southeast Asian cooking with a keen focus on fire. Think BBQ octopus with rich massaman curry, delightfully charred monkfish in rendang, and, what is quickly becoming a cult favourite, chunky slabs of red prawn toast with red curry bisque.

Meanwhile, just across the way, The Nest might well have snatched the title of ‘Manchester’s Bar With The Best Views’, with an impressive menu of expertly crafted cocktails to match.

We’ve known how good The Queens Arms is for some time. I grew up just around the corner from it, and I’ve found myself visiting on a near-weekly basis over the last couple of years when I’m back to see family. Now, though, the wonderful team, who are so fiercely passionate about making the place special, took over just two years ago, can officially flaunt the title of Best Pub in Britain, after being crowned top in the Good Food Guide’s Top 100 Pubs list.

Part pub, part izakaya, the gloriously unique setup means you can sip on crisp Sapporo while also tucking into some of the best Japanese-inspired cuisine you’re likely to find anywhere. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier for the folks.

White Label is a supremely stylish new coffee-shop-come-bar in a prime, convenient location on the corner of Depot Mayfield, barely a 3-minute stroll over from Piccadilly Station. Music is at the heart of the concept, with endless stacks of records cascaded around the exposed brick walls, and marvellous-looking wooden speakers scattered throughout.

By day, it’s all about coffee, bakes and chunky sandwiches, with attention shifting to pints and cocktails later on… or whenever you fancy; who are we to judge. A seriously lovely spot for boxing off work in the afternoon, sticking around for a drink and missing your train home.

Bringing together the realms of literature and cocktails, Prologue had understandably been one of this year’s most talked-about openings. Joining the ranks at Weir Mill, which is essentially Stockport’s answer to Kampus in the city centre, we’re thrilled to confirm that the multi-faceted venue is every bit worth all the chatter that surrounded it.

 

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From the award-winning team behind Simply Books, meaning it was always in good hands, visitors can peruse shelves upon shelves of new releases, prize-winning novels, sci-fi classics and everything in between, and when you’re done, pull up a chair and sip on a sublime Fig Negroni.