Manchester City Centre: what are your favourite places to eat?

[OMGitsnotgood]

We have reason to be in Manchester City centre every now and then but with so many places to eat, I'd like some recommendation please.

Generally this will be midweek, if that makes a difference.

We've enjoyed the Ivy and Ivy Asia; El Gato Negro; Browns; Evuna; La Vina; Fazenda; Australasia; Miller & Carter; Thaikun and several more I can't remember.

Enjoyed the 20 stories experience but thought the food very average for the price.

Hawksmoor and Dishoom are on the list but stalling due to mixed reviews.

We're as interested in down to earth, lower price options as well as more expensive

Probably wouldn't go for Indian, Chinese or Italian as we have plenty of those in our home town.

We would want to eat in the city centre, not take a tram out elsewhere (as we can do that separately)..

Thank you

I like Tast and La Bandera for Spanish food.

I know you said not Italian, but Pasta Factory is a bit different to most Italian restaurants so I’m offering up that one too! It’s all fresh pasta with imaginative sauces.

I like Greek so Rozafa is one of my faves.

You might like Fenix - the food is really very good.

Others…

Enjoyed Musu recently, which you’d probably enjoy if you like places like Australasia. Excellent cocktails too.

Refuge is still going strong, although admittedly I haven’t been for a few years. Sunday lunch has always been very good there.

Sam's Chop House

Kala on King Street is great.

Zizzi's on Market Street, short walk from Piccadilly station.

Armenian tavern, near the town hall.

If you're into Thai food there's a lovely restaurant called Try Thai in Chinatown

La Vina is one of my favourites. If you like tapas, El Rincon de Rafa is very good too.

Can't beat San Carlo. Sea Food linguine mwah!

I love Japanese and there are a few decent restaurants. Samsi is one of the best big / more traditional Japanese restaurants. But the one I'd recommend is Waku Waku on Portland Street. It's definitely not fancy. If anything it's pretty basic but it's fab, very reasonably priced and very very quirky. It's a '2D cartoon' theme. (See pics in the link below)

https://confidentials.com/manchester/forget-the-rijksmuseum-waku-waku-portland-street-reviewed

It's only been open since August but is very popular already due to it's Instagram appeal. But it's definitely not just about the imagine. The food is fantastic and much more authentic 'proper Asian' Japanese rather than a lot of the more mainstream westernised ones we are used to. When we went there were people queuing out the door for an hour to get in! On a Saturday afternoon. And it is an experience. You do walk out afterwards blinking as if you've stepped back into the real world.

I think it's a pain to see their menu online. It is on their Instagram though if you have a bit of a hunt.

Peaky Blinders restaurant is a hit with us.

Mackie Mayors. It’s not one restaurant - it’s a converted market hall with little food stalls round the edge. You pick what you want, pay and give them your table number and then it’s table service. Lots of options such as steak, pizza, noodles etc. The food is fab and the advantage is everyone can order whatever kind of cuisine they fancy.

Thank you - some old favourites suggested which I forgot to put in my OP and lots that I hadn't heard of, thank you .