Coming top of the list out of the best affordable restaurants in Manchester is Indian eatery Mowgli. The Corn Exchange hideaway is a mecca of curries and cocktails that guarantees a filling, flavourful meal, with plenty of bang for your buck. A snug space filled with cool canteen-style bench booths and plenty of fairy lights, this restaurant is just a stone's throw from Selfridges and serves tapas-style goodies, like Agra ginger chicken, tea steeped chickpeas and Goan fish curry in trendy tiffins.

With 35 years under its belt, Don Giovanni is surely one of the best Italian restaurants in Manchester. This sleek Oxford Street stalwart offers a fine dining experience, dishing up exquisite plates of pasta, beautiful steaks and artisan booze. Boasting floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook St Peter's Square and a stunning open kitchen, here you can watch the chefs whip up fresh, quality ingredients into mouthwatering dishes like ravioli aragosta in lobster sauce and filleti di branzino. Having earned multiple accolades, it's no wonder why their commitment to authentic Italian flavours is so impressive. 

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It's not just the gorgeous vaulted ceiling and opulent chandeliers that make Grand Pacific one of the best restaurants in Manchester city centre, they're also serving up a variety of sushi, main meals and more, including a unique twist on afternoon tea. Combining the magnificence of colonial Raffles with the best of Victorian architecture, Grand Pacific is located in the former Grade II-listed Manchester Reform Club building. Perfect for a romantic date out with your beau, the menu is a blend of beautifully presented Pan-Asian plates, with goodies like tempura Szechuan sea bass, lamb massaman roti and tuna tataki with mango sambal on offer.

Delicious food? Check. Great atmosphere? Check. Wallet-friendly? Double check. Split between a cosy bar and a bustling dining area, Thaikhun Street Buffet located in The Trafford Centre is a 'tycoon' of taste, boasting street food-inspired soups and grilled delights straight out of Bangkok's playbook; we're talking goodies like chicken tamarind, creamy massaman curry and crispy pork belly. Munch on an unlimited supply of dishes, whether you're in the mood for a full feast or just a nibble of everything. Win, win.

Piccolino in Didsbury and the city centre have all your favourite Italian meals waiting for you to devour. Venture over to this contemporary space for upscale meals, including classics ranging from grilled seafood to pizza, pasta and steak prepared in an open kitchen. As it's the perfect place for a weekend lunch with friends, the menu at this airy Lapwing Lane joint features delicacies like tagliolini al tartufo, bistecca alla fiortentina and beef ragù lasagne.

Rooftop restaurant 20 Stories is an absolute beauty and well deserving of a place in our guide. Whether you fancy boozy afternoon teas, dinner with live music or just to stare out across the city while you eat, this Hardman Square venue has you covered with the best. A sky-high destination perched atop the 19th floor of No.1 Spinningfields, this glamorous joint offers sweeping views of the city. The menu features delicacies like seared halibut loin served with squash, barley and tarragon butter, as well as chocolate torta caprese and raspberry sorbet.

Bringing South American flavours to the heart of Manchester, Gaucho is an internationally acclaimed steakhouse serving the finest cuts of prime, grass-fed beef in a lavish setting decked out with cowhide decor and designer furnishings across a renovated church. This split-level Deansgate hotspot offers meaty well-aged cuts like ancho, lomo, cuadril and churrasco served with an array of marinades, sauces and sides to satisfy all your carnivorous desires. Revel in the swanky Art Deco-inspired space sporting glittering chandeliers as you watch the chefs showcase their expertise in the open-kitchen and take in all the beefy fragrances heading your way.

Among the best romantic restaurants in Manchester is Australasia, which is fronting sushi, pan-Asian dishes and some pretty swoon-worthy interiors. This gorgeous subterranean venue in Deansgate utilises European techniques underpinned by Pacific Rim flavours, showcased through an array of delish dishes; we're talking seared teriyaki beef rump topped with sweet soy and spring onion, Toban djan chicken breast with roast sesame sauce, breaded panko chicken leg and Japanese curried korokke. From snapping pics across the gorgeous space to tucking into decadent desserts, it's a dining experience truly worthy of this list.

Looking for the best restaurants in Manchester's Northern Quarter? Thanks to their bottomless brunches, juicy burgers and pizzas fronting a variety of toppings, from carbonara to 'nduja, Foundry Project should be on the top of your list. Head over for a spot of 'beer food' AKA delish small plates like pulled chilli beef tacos, sesame chicken wings, katsu halloumi fries, and hash brown nachos. Better yet, their affordable cocktails are perfect for washing down all that grub. We'd recommend guzzling flavoursome cocktails like the Juniper Bloom mixed with Bombay sapphire gin, peach liqueur, cranberry, apple and lime.

Looking for fancy restaurants in Manchester? Named in The Sunday Times' Top 100 Restaurants, award-winning James Martin Restaurant in Deansgate combines expertly crafted British fare with plush interiors. Expect a beautifully designed historic dining room boasting industrial touches, a vintage feel and a varied menu crafted using fresh produce or local ingredients. Make your way to this stunning venue and indulge in goodies like slow-roast rump of beef served with red wine gravy and Thai spice Cornish crab risotto.

Peter Street Kitchen is a stunning restaurant that's fusing elegant Japanese dishes with bold Mexican flavours. Set in the grand Grade II-listed, 19th-century Free Trade Hall, its interiors are as gorgeous as the food, sporting a mix of white furnishings, lanterns and big stone pillars. This award-winning eatery boasts a beautifully presented and balanced menu filled with goodies like grilled lobster gyoza tacos, yellowfin tuna sashimi ribbons and sliced ribeye served with truffle and wasabi butter. Feelin' fancy? Try out the curated omakase, a six-course tasting menu crafted on the day by their talented chefs.

This Manchester guide to the best dining destinations in town wouldn't be complete without Northern Quarter hotspot 63 Degrees. This high-end restaurant is known for its stunning Parisian-style brasserie presentation and top-notch service, perfect for date nights and special occasions aplenty. Bringing a taste of Paris to the heart of Manchester, the menu features innovative modern French dishes made using only locally sourced and fresh ingredients. Signature plates are cooked at 63°, making the meat incredibly tender and bursting with flavour. We'd recommend trying out the chicken 63 degrees served with truffle sauce and ending on a sweet note with a taste of crème brûlée and bourbon vanilla.

Once an abandoned Victorian boozer that first came onto the scene in 1811, Edinburgh Castle is a 19th-century pub packed with tons of history. Not only that, but the first floor dining room offers a restaurant feel with classic gastro grub to match made using only the finest locally sourced ingredients supervised by executive chef Shaun Moffat and is decked out in tan leather seating, parquet floors, and massive windows. The dining room's ever-changing menu includes mains like Harewood House estate venison sausage, Wenigbar farm pig's head and gold rush apple as well as bay leaf custard.

Another name in Manchester that's won awards? Asha's. This Indian fine dining destination (owned by legendary Bollywood singer, Asha Bhosle) takes your usual curry up a notch with the most tender chicken, succulent pulled lamb and spiced cocktails to match in an exotic and vibrant venue. Dishes here really pack a flavourful punch covering most parts of the subcontinent with goodies like Boatman prawn curry, paneer ka soola and murg makhani on offer.

Run by Michelin-starred chef Paco Perez and part-owned by Pep Guardiola, Tast Catala is a chic three-story restaurant renowned for serving high-end Spanish eats. There's a stunning Catalonian menu packed with sumptuous tapas, offering delicacies like 'boquerones' white anchovies, butifarra sausage with beans and caramelised Catalan-style rice of the day cooked in a charcoal oven.

A swanky rooftop bar, pan-Asian restaurant and British brasserie all-in-one, The Ivy Spinningfields is a hot three-in-one dining destination located within the The Pavilion. From its opulent interiors with botanical detailing to the tasty traditional English fare on offer, this swish spot is delivering the goods for the 'Gram and your belly. The menu features goodies like chicken Milanese, lobster linguine, Mexican-style flat-iron chicken and seasonal monthly specials such as tempura nobashi prawn poke bowls and roasted guinea fowl ballotine.

One of the best restaurants in Manchester for 2024, Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay is a delicious pan-Asian venue from the Scottish Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur himself. Located in a gorgeous Art Deco building at the top of King Street, the restaurant spans three floors and is designed by Russell Sage Studio. Not only is there a sultry look inspired by Tokyo's 1930s drinking dens, but also bao, sushi, robata-grilled dishes and more to match. Get ready for a gastronomic adventure like no other featuring lip-smacking delights like Korean spiced black cod, sirloin weeping tiger and the famous Lucky Cat bonito fried duck leg bao cooked up by culinary wizards Gordon Ramsay and executive head chef Andre Camilo.

Polished concrete floors, an open kitchen and floor-to-ceiling windows give Ancoats' Elnecot a lively, communal and industrial feel - something which extends to its menu. Watch the chefs sizzle away in the kitchen, knocking up a delicious range of sharing plates and main dishes like Lancashire beignets made with miso and jalapeno crème fraiche, crispy Yorkshire pork belly served with coral lentil dahl, double ferment soy and furikake as well as cinderwood squash mochi. Plus, this airy hotspot also does a delish Sunday roast with goodies like slow-cooked shoulder of Yorkshire lamb along with lemon, thyme, and butter roasted chicken on offer.

Arguably one of the best Manchester restaurants for Chinese food, Tattu is famous across the UK for its lush interiors like the signature purple blossom cherry tree, dim-lighting and a seductive colour scheme of charcoal greys and dark wood. Settle down among the blossoms and swish interiors, where you'll enjoy an indulgent meal washed down by their unique list of handcrafted cocktails. The highlights of the Pan-Asian-inspired menu includes sharing plates such as sesame roasted scallops with Chinese sausage and crushed edamame, as well as main dishes like Japanese black wagyu ribeye with green beans and truffle sesame soy.

La Bandera is a vibrant award-winning venue right in the heart of Spinningfields, bringing a Canarian-Spanish experience of paella, tapas and more to Manchester. Think marinated pepper cod cheeks, tantalizing king prawns, plenty of chorizo and more, all washed down by fine wines. It doesn't get better than this.

As our top pick of the best Michelin star restaurants in Manchester (well, it is the only one), it's safe to say that Mana should be on everyone's foodie bucket list. Chef Simon Martin has used his experience at world-famous Noma to create a seasonal avant-garde British tasting menu, which promises diners some of the finest cooking the city can offer. Located on Ancoats' Blossom Street, this chic spot creates exceptional plates of delicacies, like roasted hogget with white miso sabayon, that are filled with complex flavours. They also take pride in their fermentation practices, making miso, garum, lacto-ferments, kombucha, and vinegar in-house. To experience the restaurant's magic, be ready to shell out either £175 for dinner or £95 for a condensed menu. Don't worry, though – it's worth every penny.

Bundobust might be more on the casual side, but it's the flavourful dishes and the price that draws us to this place. Expect aromatic, veggie street food from across India, served up alongside craft beer in a 150-seat taproom and eatery on Oxford Street. We're talking delish small plates of bhaji buttys, paneer tikka and raghda pethies served alongside rotational beers like Peela pale ale, Python premium lager and Ekla single hop IPA.

TNQ is the British-style brasserie restaurant where a laid-back feel and wooden interiors combine. Situated in the Northern Quarter, this intimate spot sports exposed timber floors and large windows that showcase the nearby Smithfield Fish Markets. As for the food? Chef Anthony Fielden's skillful modern British menu highlights the finest local seasonal ingredients. We'd recommend the crispy harissa lamb breast with whipped feta and pomegranate dressing, the slow-cooked Middle White pork belly with crunchy Bury black pudding fritters or the confit duck breast sitting on ragu.

Located in the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, The Refuge is a really popular and elegant place to eat and is inspired by the global DJing trips of Justin Crawford and Luke Cowdrey. Housed in a stunning late-Victorian building, this 139-seat restaurant boasts an open kitchen, a gorgeous granite bar, and an atrium ceiling. Their globe-trotting menu includes a number of tapas-style plates such as spiced lamb flatbreads served with pomegranate and mint, cured salmon with rose fennel and lemon, as well as chimichurri pork chops with grilled pineapple, tikka octopus and daal, all ready to be wolfed down across their opulent space. Plus, their original West Didsbury destination, Volta, is worth a visit too.

Winner of the Great British Menu 2019 and with experience in various Michelin-starred kitchens, Adam Reid dishes out a tasting menu that pays homage to his Northern roots at stunning The French. A gorgeous gastronomic experience that's far from stuffy, this fancy-schmancy restaurant serves goodies like seared scallop with trout roe as well as salt-aged duck topped with beetroot and elderberries in opulent surroundings.

If you're after Manchester restaurants with halal food, then the Irani café-inspired interiors and Indian cuisine of Dishoom should fit the bill. Housed in a stunning 1920s Grade II-listed building originally used as a Freemasons' Hall, the interiors of this restaurant showcase glass windows, grand portraits and colourful leather banquettes. As for the menu, they'll be able to provide you with an extensive list of options for breakfast, curries and more serving up goodies like nalli nihari biryani, mutton pepper fry, prawn koliwada and chicken ruby.

For the perfect, floppy Neapolitan pizza that's slathered in toppings and boasts a pillowy crust? Rudy's is your mainstay. With rotating specials, Italian cocktails to match and local beers on tap, this hub isn't short of delish options. We'd recommend ordering the porchetta white pizza topped with fior de latte, sage roasted potatoes, smoked mozzarella and caramelised onions along with a side of caprese piccola and chilli honey dip.

Scouse chef Gary Usher gained fame thanks to reviews and crowdfunding campaigns, so it's worth checking out just what his culinary offering brings. Hipsi in Didsbury is a top choice when it comes to city centre restaurants, serving delightful bistro food in a homely venue. Housed in an understated, exposed-brick setting, the restaurant is airy and comfortable, dishing out modern European fare such as cured cod loin with smoked cod's roe, radish, and vermouth dressing as well as Paris-Brest with baked cheese mousse, chocolate ice cream and chestnuts.

Housed in a former Victorian courthouse, Hawksmoor is a truly stunning place to eat. The swanky Deansgate destination has received national praise for its massive Sunday roast sharing boards, though dinner is just as delicious, with plenty of meaty cuts to choose from. If you're feeling particularly hungry (and fancy), opt for the 1kg chateaubriand with a side of beef dripping fries and Tunworth mash. But if you're looking for something a bit more modest, go for a delish rib-eye steak or a juicy Hawksmoor hamburger served with Ogleshield or Stichelton cheese. Split into different sections, the restaurant also has a separate bar where you can sip luxe cocktails, like the Clear Carré with gin and pisco, Cocchi Americano or the Golden Hour mixed with jasmine, late harvest wine and sparkling moscato.

Long been a student favourite and even had Ed Sheeran visit, Rusholme's Mughli is the go-to for chargrilled cuisine and is perhaps the best Indian restaurant in Manchester. Established in 1991, this spicy spot has stood firm while many others have come and gone. Based on the country's tiffin box culture, it serves affordable meals inspired by the royal Mughlai tradition, with dishes including the likes of daal tarka, slow-cooked lamb staff balti and Goan fish kari. They also have a delicious live tandoor section serving lip-smacking charcoal chicken thighs, sizzling lamb chops, and spicy scorpion prawns—the whole nine yards. And the best part? It's BYOB. If you're a student, you can bring your own bottle from Sunday to Thursday without any extra fee (just make sure to flash your student card).

You've heard about it on podcasts, from celebrities and now our list, so it's high time you pay Bar San Juan a very overdue visit. Bringing a piece of Spain to Manchester, this cosy Chorlton tapas spot is one of the best in the business, thanks to authentic sharing plates washed down with plenty of Spanish vino. Not only a real head-turner with a bright yellow and red timber front, their menu features modern twists on old-school dishes like the almejas salsa verde (clams in garlic and parsley sauce) and morcilla de burgos (Wagyu black pudding with Burgos rice, apple compote and roasted peppers). Plus, they also have a wide variety of Spanish beers on tap, along with a carefully curated wine list boasting some of the best bottles Iberia has to offer.

Erst has made a name for itself on the city's dining scene for exquisite grilled small plates served with only the finest natural wines featuring vintage bottles sourced from small producers and made using organic processes. This contemporary, industrial-style joint in Murrays' Mill sports concrete floors, abstract art and dangling lights. Whether you go for the ox heart, seabream crudo or more of a charcuterie offering, you're bound to leave with a happy belly.

From that roof terrace through to its Catalan influences and a Michelin Guide mention, El Gato Negro is one of the coolest places to eat in town for all sorts of reasons. While the brand has now rolled out across the North, its first home is still a favourite of top restaurants in Manchester for dinner or lunch, with tapas and fresh seafood galore. Dive into chef Simon Shaw's flavorful creations ranging from harissa spiced chicken with sobrasada sauce to jamón Ibérico croquetas and vegetable paella arancini, as you sip on a variety of cocktails and eclectic wines from Spain.

Your can find OSMA Manchester sitting pretty in Prestwich, decked out in moody Scandi-inspired decor featuring plush bench sofas and low-hanging, warm lighting alongside a British, European and Japanese-influenced menu to match. The delectable small plates and set lunches here have earned a spot in the Michelin Guide with dishes like lemon sole with green peppercorn, chard, and tarragon as well as beef rump with roasted onions and Diane sauce on offer. Craving something sweet? They've got you covered. Give the damson and cherry Eton mess with almonds a try; trust us, you won't regret it.