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Food tours in Manchester: what to eat and which tour to book
Manchester's food is less about one local dish and more about the people who settled here: South Asian restaurants on the Curry Mile in Rusholme, one of the UK's oldest Chinatowns, and the food halls that took over old market buildings in the Northern Quarter and Altrincham. The Lancashire classics are still around — hotpot, meat and potato pie, black pudding from nearby Bury, Eccles cakes, and chips with gravy from the chippy — alongside a strong independent café, bakery and craft-beer scene in the Northern Quarter and Ancoats.
Use this page to decide what to order and where. Prices are given in pounds with rough euro equivalents. The tours shown are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; confirm the price and meeting point on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Manchester
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancashire hotpot | Lamb or mutton and onions slow-baked under a layer of sliced potatoes, traditionally served with pickled red cabbage. | Traditional pubs and British restaurants, more often in the colder months. | roughly £14–19 (about €16–22) |
| Meat and potato pie pie, chips and gravy | A shortcrust pie of minced beef and potato, eaten with chips, mushy peas and gravy. Pies are a big deal across the North West. | Chip shops, bakeries, pubs and football grounds. | roughly £3–5 for a pie on its own; £8–12 with chips and peas |
| Black pudding | Blood sausage with oats and fat, sliced and fried, usually part of a full English breakfast. Bury, just north of Manchester, is famous for it. | Cafés doing full breakfasts; Bury Market for the traditional version. | a full breakfast roughly £9–15 |
| Eccles cake | A small round pastry filled with currants and butter, named after the town of Eccles, now part of Greater Manchester. Often eaten with Lancashire cheese. | Bakeries, delis and supermarkets. | roughly £1.50–3.50 each |
| Curry on the Curry Mile curry, kebabs and grills | Pakistani, North Indian, Afghan, Middle Eastern and Persian restaurants on Wilmslow Road, serving karahi, biryani, seekh kebabs, grilled meats and naan. Many are alcohol-free. | Wilmslow Road in Rusholme, south of the city centre. | roughly £12–20 per person |
| Dim sum and Cantonese food dim sum / yum cha | Steamed dumplings, buns and rice rolls at lunchtime, and Cantonese roast meats, noodles and hotpot. | Chinatown around Faulkner Street and Princess Street. | roughly £4–7 per dim sum dish; £15–25 per person for a meal |
| Chips with gravy or curry sauce chippy tea | Fish and chips or just chips, with gravy or curry sauce poured over, the northern way. Often with mushy peas. | Chip shops across the city and suburbs. | roughly £10–15 for fish and chips |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Mackie Mayor
A food hall in the restored Victorian meat market building near Smithfield, at the edge of the Northern Quarter, with independent kitchens, a bakery and a bar at long shared tables.
Altrincham Market
A covered Victorian market in Altrincham, south of the city on the tram, with a food hall (Market House) of small independent kitchens and traders. Credited with the food-hall boom in the region.
Curry Mile, Rusholme
Wilmslow Road through Rusholme, lined with South Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants, dessert shops and sweet centres; especially lively during Ramadan and Eid.
Chinatown
Around the Chinese arch on Faulkner Street: dim sum, Cantonese, Sichuan, Korean and Southeast Asian restaurants, bakeries and supermarkets.
Northern Quarter and Ancoats
Independent cafés, bakeries, burger and pizza places, craft-beer bars and newer restaurants in old mills and warehouses, a short walk from Piccadilly station.
Food tours in Manchester compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester: Private Cocktail Masterclass & Sicilian Food | 1.5 hours | from €47 per person | private | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Manchester: The Coronation Street Experience | 1.5 hours | from €47 per person | — | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
| Manchester: Food and Drinks Walking Tour | 3.5 hours | from €106 per person | max 10 | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Manchester: Guided Bar Crawl with Shots and Nightclub Entry | 5 hours | from €24 per person | — | Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark. | Check dates |
| Manchester Food Tour with a Local Guide | 3.5 hours | from €100 per person | max 10 | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Manchester: Craft Beer Tasting in the Northern Quarter | 1.5 hours | from €43 per person | max 10 | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
Manchester: Private Cocktail Masterclass & Sicilian Food
On GetYourGuide · run by Dirextra Ltd
- Length
- 1.5 hours
- Price
- from €47 per person
- Rating
- 4.3 ★ from 19 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Included
- Masterclass on 3 cocktails with our mixologist Creation of 1 cocktail each from our cocktail list with the support of our mixologist Italian dinner with Italian-style vegetarian sharing board (with olives, arancinetti…
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- Dirextra Wine&Cocktails School
Manchester: The Coronation Street Experience
On GetYourGuide · run by Coronation Street The Tour
- Length
- 1.5 hours
- Price
- from €47 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 616 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Guided tour of the external set of Coronation Street Internal sets
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- FM9X+XP Manchester, UK
Manchester: Food and Drinks Walking Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Bites Tours
- Length
- 3.5 hours
- Price
- from €106 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 74 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 10
- Included
- Food and drink tastings 3.5 hour tour Guide Hotel pick up and drop off Gratuities
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Thrills Café & Restaurant
Manchester: Guided Bar Crawl with Shots and Nightclub Entry
On GetYourGuide · run by Nightlife Events
- Length
- 5 hours
- Price
- from €24 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 38 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Guide Bar crawl Welcome shot at each venue Drink discounts at each venue Fast-track entry to clubs Additional drinks
- Suits
- Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark.
- Starts
- Your guide will be waiting at the first venue between 7:30PM and 8:30PM. Please go inside the venue and inform staff that you are there to join the Manchester Pub Crawl.
Manchester Food Tour with a Local Guide
On GetYourGuide · run by Scranchester Tours
- Length
- 3.5 hours
- Price
- from €100 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 32 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 10
- Included
- All food stops in the form of small and shared plates Option of a local beer or cider at one food stop Water at each stop Small groups (maximum group size is 10) Additional drinks
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Manchester Craft and Design Centre
Manchester: Craft Beer Tasting in the Northern Quarter
On GetYourGuide · run by The RBCo.
- Length
- 1.5 hours
- Price
- from €43 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 5 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 10
- Included
- Guided beer tasting A selection of premium craft beers
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Outside 16 Tariff St, Manchester M1 2FN
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Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street food is mostly found in food halls and at markets rather than on the street: Mackie Mayor, Altrincham Market, and seasonal or event markets around the city. Expect £8–14 a dish. Pie shops and chippies are the traditional cheap option.
Sit-down meals
Restaurants range from long-running curry houses and Chinatown institutions to modern British places in Ancoats and the Northern Quarter. Book for Friday and Saturday nights, and around big football matches and concerts. Many restaurants add a discretionary service charge of about 10–12.5%.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes in Manchester are usually run by cookery schools or restaurants and cover anything from Indian and Thai to pasta and baking. They are typically 2–4 hours, often in the evening or at weekends. Check whether you eat a full meal and whether drinks are included.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | £30–40 (about €35–46): bakery breakfast, food-hall lunch, curry or chippy dinner |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | £55–80 (about €64–92): two restaurant meals with a drink |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | £120+ (about €140+): a tasting menu in Ancoats or the city centre |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Easy. Most menus have vegetarian and vegan options, the city has many fully vegetarian places, and the Curry Mile and Indian restaurants have long vegetarian menus. Gujarati and South Indian vegetarian restaurants are found in the suburbs.
Halal: Easy. Manchester has a large Muslim population; the Curry Mile in Rusholme and areas like Longsight and Cheetham Hill have many halal restaurants, butchers and takeaways, and many places in the centre advertise halal chicken or meat.
Gluten-free: Good. UK allergen labelling is strict: restaurants must tell you which of 14 major allergens, including gluten, are in each dish. Many places offer gluten-free options, and some chippies run gluten-free fryer days. Still ask about shared fryers.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- A 'discretionary' service charge already added to the bill, and then the card machine prompting you for a tip as well. Read the bill. If service is included, choose 'no tip' on the machine. You can ask for the service charge to be removed if service was poor.
- Bottomless brunch deals with strict time slots, drinks that arrive slowly, and extra charges for anything outside the set menu. Read the terms on the booking (time limit, which drinks are included) before you book.
- Matchday and concert-night price hikes and set menus around the stadiums and the arena. Eat before you travel to the venue, or book ahead in a neighbourhood away from it.
Top tours & activities in Manchester
Rent a car in Manchester
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Do I need to tip in Manchester?
In sit-down restaurants, about 10–12.5% is normal, but many already add a discretionary service charge, so check the bill before tipping again. Tipping is not expected in pubs when ordering at the bar, food halls or takeaways. Since 2024, UK law requires tips to be passed to staff in full.
Where is the Curry Mile and is it still worth going?
The Curry Mile is Wilmslow Road in Rusholme, about 2 miles south of the centre and easy to reach by bus. The mix has changed over the years, with more Middle Eastern grills, shisha and dessert places alongside the curry houses. It is busiest in the evening and during Ramadan, when restaurants fill after sunset.
Is Manchester expensive for food?
It is cheaper than London. A food-hall lunch costs roughly £10–15, a curry dinner £15–25, and a meal in a mid-range restaurant £30–45 per person with a drink. Prices are highest in Spinningfields and around Deansgate. Pubs and chippies remain the cheapest proper meal.
What should I eat if I only have one day?
Have a full breakfast with black pudding, lunch in a food hall such as Mackie Mayor, an Eccles cake with tea in the afternoon, and dinner either on the Curry Mile or in Chinatown. If you prefer something traditional, look for a pub serving Lancashire hotpot or pie with gravy.
Do I need to book restaurants?
For Friday and Saturday dinners in popular places in Ancoats, the Northern Quarter and the centre, yes, often a week or more ahead. Weeknights and lunch are usually fine without booking. Food halls don't take bookings for most tables, so arrive early at weekends.
How much should I budget for food per day?
On a budget, roughly £30–40 (€35–46) covers a bakery or café breakfast, a food-hall lunch and a curry or chippy dinner. A comfortable day with two restaurant meals and a drink is roughly £55–80. Tasting menus start around £80–120 per person before drinks.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.