Last Updated on 6 June 2026 by Colette
Manchester’s Northern Quarter is easily one of my favourite parts of Manchester, from fancy restaurants to independent coffee shops and more brunch options than you can shake a stick at. The vibe in Northern Quarter is relaxed and cool – whether you want a romantic dinner, late night cocktails or are day drinking with your mates in the sunshine (my favourite), you’ll find what you’re looking for in the Northern Quarter.
The Northern Quarter is a short walk from Manchester Piccadilly Station and Piccadilly Gardens. Popular Northern Quarter streets include Oldham Street, Tib Street, Newton Street, Lever Street, Dale Street, Hilton Street and Thomas Street – I must admit my favourite spot though is Edge Street which, during the summer months, is packed with outdoor seating and strung with festoon lighting. You could easily spend all day hopping from bar to bar – Liquor & Burn do a mean Paloma and have frozen margs on tap so that’s typically our first port of call! (Lust, Liquor & Burn has closed down as of Sunday 25th August 2024).
Check out these handy links to plan your next adventure …
Ezra & Gil, 20 Hilton Street, Manchester M1 1FR
Ezra & Gill is a longstanding favourite of mine for brunch or lunch and definitely offers up some of the best food in the Northern Quarter – I am low key obsessed with their smashed pumpkin on toast (a great vegetarian option), Dave loves their poke bowls. You can’t book and there’s often a bit of a queue but if you’re happy to wait your efforts will be rewarded!
You can read more about Ezra & Gill here:
Ezra & Gil, Manchester – Review
Evelyn’s Café Bar, 44 Tib Street, Manchester M4 1LA
Evelyn’s Cafe Bar is tucked away on Tib Street in the Northern Quarter, just down from Affleck’s Palace. With large windows, high ceilings and industrial vibes, Evelyn’s is very cool. (I love the big wall of hanging plants and would have quite liked to recreate that vibe at home!) The staff are all really chilled and friendly and, though the menu is fairly limited, the food is delicious.
If you’re planning a visit to Evelyn’s, I highly recommend you book a table – we were very surprised to turn up shortly after 10am on a bog standard Thursday morning to be asked if we’d booked and then told they could probably squeeze us in for an hour!
Ramona, 40 Swan Street, Manchester M4 5JG
If you love a margarita and super chilled vibes, you’ll love Ramona.
Ramona is currently one of my most favourite places to go in the Northern Quarter – aided and abetted by their Happy Hour offering three hours of £6 classic and frozen margaritas and some pretty epic food. We went hard on the margs during “Fun Week” this summer (basically our childfree time!) and the Rhubarb & Grapefruit frozen marg stole my heart! (They also do a great value bottomless brunch on a weekend.)
TNQ, 108 High Street, Manchester M4 1HQ | Permanently Closed
Sadly TNQ announced their closure in February 2026
We first went to TNQ (The Northern Quarter Restaurant) for my birthday last year – we wanted something a little fancier (it was the first time I’d been able to celebrate my birthday out for the house for three years so I wanted a proper fuss!) TNQ gave us exactly what we were looking for.
They do a cracking lunch menu – the steak is delicious though that’s a dreadful photo of it – an excuse to go back perhaps? TNQ is definitely the most upmarket of the Northern Quarter eateries we’ve tried!
Keep an eye on their instagram as they often post really generous special offers and I know they are famed for doing the best Sunday roasts – something I’m super keen to try for myself!
The Foundry Project, Thomas Street, Manchester M4 1BD
Unlike many of the independent bars and restaurants in the Northern Quarter, The Foundry Project is actually part of the Pitcher and Piano family!
Offering up small plates, hand stretched pizzas and burgers alongside an impressive desert menu, The Foundry Project is perfect for eating with friends – especially as they do welcome bookings.
The Foundry Project have both a bottomless brunch and a bottomless lunch menu – you can get more details here: The best places for bottomless brunch in Manchester
Federal, 9 Nicholas Croft, Manchester M4 1EY
Right on the edge of the Northern Quarter and at the back of the Arndale Centre, you’ll find Federal. Federal is one of those places that just always seems to have a queue – which I tend to think is either a good sign or indicates they’ve had some content go viral on social media. In this case I think it’s likely the former as I’ve never seen Federal without a queue down the street!
Federal definitely has a reputation for being one of the coolest places to eat in the Northern Quarter – known for great coffee and a cracking brunch menu, Federal is well worth a visit. (Though personally, I don’t would spend the time queuing – there are plenty of other Northern Quarter places to eat on this list so I’d try one of those instead!)
Mackie Mayor, Smithfield Market Hall, 1 Eagle Street, Manchester M4 5BU
Housed in a beautifully restored former market building, Mackie Mayor (sister of Alty Market) is a food hall featuring a whole range of independent food vendors and communal seating. The vibe is relaxed but with a lovely buzz about it and, thanks to a whole range of food vendors, there’s something for everyone! (Though apparently not Ben, he didn’t like it when I took him at Christmas a couple of years ago!) I personally recommend the pizzas from Honest Crust Pizzas and Picos Tacos.
Yard & Coop, 37 Edge Street, Manchester M4 1HW
Yard & Coop had been on my hit list for ages before we finally made it through the door! Their instagram account regularly has me drooling over their mouth-watering, buttermilk-fried chicken dishes. Dave and I both went in on variations of loaded fries and absolutely did not regret our choices!
If you’re looking for a super relaxed lunch in the Northern Quarter, like chicken, and cock puns a plenty, then Yard & Coop is for you and I’m really chuffed to be able to offer you a cheeky discount too – pop the code ADVENTURE25 into the note section when you book!
You can read more about Yard & Coop here:
Rudy’s Neapolitan Pizza, 9 Cotton Street, Ancoats, Manchester M4 5BF
This is a bit of a sneaky one as officially Rudy’s is in Ancoats and not the Northern Quarter itself but it’s close enough right? Although Rudy’s now have pizzerias across the country – including six in Manchester alone – Rudy’s Ancoats was the very first.
If you’re a pizza lover, Rudy’s Neapolitan Pizza is a must-visit. They serve authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas with high-quality ingredients cooked in a wood-fired oven. I’ve not actually been to the Ancoats one but I do regularly eat at their Chapel Allerton branch in Leeds and I can vouch for their pizzas – definitely make sure you check out the specials!
Northern Soul Grilled Cheese, 44 Tib Street, Manchester M4 1LA
If you’re in the mood for gooey, comforting grilled cheese sandwiches, heavily laden burgers or mac n cheese – this is the place to go (the mac n cheese waffle fries are singing to me right now). Basically if you don’t like cheese, this probably isn’t the place for you!
Where are the best places to eat in Northern Quarter, Manchester?
So I’ve shared with you ten places that I recommend trying in the Northern Quarter – either places I’ve tried and loved myself or ones that come highly recommended by friends and Manchester locals. This is a list I will definitely come back to and add more options as I try them out – there’s so many restaurants, cafes, and bars to explore in the Northern Quarter, offering a diverse range of cuisines and culinary experiences that I think you could happily never eat anywhere else again!
If you’ve got a favourite that I’ve missed off the list, give me a shout and I’ll pop down and try them out!
Check out these posts next:
The best gourmet sandwich shops in Manchester
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