Explore Manchester Like a Local This Summer

1. THE MATCHA KYŌTO

Offering matcha drinks and desserts with creative twists, THE MATCHA KYŌTO is now a permanent fixture in Manchester (located inside Selfridges L3 and just off Albert Square), popular for both traditional and Instagram-worthy treats. You’ve got to try the banana pudding matcha!

2. SIPP Chorlton

SIPP (105 Beech Road) is a neighbourhood favourite for colourful matcha creations like the “Matcha Cloud” series, alongside other specialty beverages.

3. TSUJIRI

TSUJIRI (Chinatown and Circle Square) is a Japanese matcha house with true Kyoto heritage, serving a broad menu of matcha drinks, soft serve, and desserts. It’s recommended for both traditional and creative matcha experiences.

4. Matcha Made

Opened in 2026, Matcha Made (The Trafford Centre) specialises in customisable matcha drinks, from classics to dessert-inspired creations with flavoured foams and toppings.

5. OHAYO TEA – Chinatown

OHAYO TEA (95 Princess St) is a Japanese-inspired bubble tea cafe serving matcha drinks and matcha tapioca milk, highly rated by visitors for casual, fun experiences.

6. Federal Cafe & Bar

Federal (9 Nicholas Croft, 194 Deansgate and Circle Square) is an Aussie-inspired cafe serving some of the best brunch in town, alongside delicious matcha drinks. Their new special, an iced matcha latte topped with whipped honey cream and honeycomb, is now available. 

7. Tabitha's Coffee

Tabitha's Coffee (Deansgate Mews) is a cosy, scandi inspired coffee shop built with heart and community in mind. They serve up specialty coffee, ceremonial matcha and cold pressed juices. House favourites include caramelised sticky date, chocolate banana bread and whipped vanilla mascarpone.

8. Cabaña

Cabaña (41 Barlow Moor Road) is a neighbourhood coffee hatch in Didsbury serving up espresso‑based drinks alongside colourful matcha lattes and other matcha‑inspired beverages, plus light bites and snacks.

9. Blue Palm Coffee

Blue Palm Coffee (Spinningfields Square) is a small independent coffee trailer in Spinningfields, located in front of the John Rylands Library, that focuses on Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. They offer an extensive menu with banana matcha on there.

10. Half Dozen Other

Half Dozen Other (Circle Square and Red Bank) is a well‑regarded speciality cafe and bakery. They roast beans in‑house and serve coffee alongside fresh pastries and bread, with plenty of locals popping in for a reliable flat white or matcha‑style drink.

11. Gulf

Gulf (located inside Mala and 283 Deansgate) is a Middle Eastern-inspired cafe that’s known for Arabic coffee, Karak tea and a range of simple brunch and lunch‑style dishes.

12. Blank Street

Blank Street is a UK chain with several Manchester spots (Piccadilly Gardens, Cross St and Portland St). Known for consistent espresso, iced drinks and creative matcha options, it’s a reliable grab-and-go that rarely disappoints.

1. Buttercup

Buttercup (located inside General Store at Deansgate Square) is a viral Manchester dessert brand specialising in customisable banana pudding pots.

2. Mast Frozen Yogurt

Mast Frozen Yogurt (31-33 King St West) is a simple, no-frills spot in Manchester city centre serving smooth, creamy frozen yoghurt. Classic flavours like vanilla, natural, and cocoa make it a light, refreshing treat on warmer days. 

1. FRED’S

FRED’S (17 Oak St) is located inside Manchester Craft & Design Centre. Fred’s is an English-style cafe with a distinctly northern feel, focused on quality ingredients and classic British favourites. The menu is made fresh daily using local, seasonal produce, with a mix of lunches, bakes, sweets and comfort dishes - and it changes regularly, so there’s always something new to try.

2. Nagomi Cloud Bakery

Nagomi Cloud Bakery (13 Jack Rosenthal St) is a trendy Japanese‑style bakery known for its airy, richly flavoured pastries and creative baked goods. Locals and visitors alike praise items like melon pan, garlic butter & cheese pan, bird’s milk pan, taro and ube doughnuts.

3. Lottie’s Bakehouse

Lottie’s Bakehouse (10 Charlotte House) is a traditional Chinese bakery with a modern twist, famous for its croissant bows and creative buns. Tucked above street level in Chinatown, it’s known for pandan coconut buns, taro mochi, and other inventive sweet and savoury pastries.

4. Gooey

Gooey (103 High St) has become one of Manchester’s most talked‑about dessert and bakery spots, blending a casual cafe setting with a bakery counter that draws regular queues. Famous for its New‑York–style cookies, brioche doughnuts, and ever‑changing seasonal bakes, it also offers brunch favourites and all‑day sweet treats alongside coffee.

5. Companio Bakery

Companio Bakery (35 Radium St and 60 Spear St) is a much-loved artisanal bakery, known for handmade sourdough, flaky croissants, and fresh viennoiserie. Locals praise the buttery pastries and simple sandwiches.

6. Ancoats Deli

Ancoats Deli (6B Murray St) is a relaxed neighbourhood favourite in the heart of Ancoats, known for its generously filled sandwiches, salads, and charcuterie made with quality ingredients. It opens early for breakfast and lunch and stays lively into the evening with wine, cocktails, and shareable cheese and meat boards.

7. Pollen Bakery

Pollen Bakery (8 New Union St and 42 Aytoun St) is a local favourite bakery in Manchester, known for handmade sourdough, flaky croissants, pastries, and quality coffee. Both its New Islington and Kampus locations offer a light, welcoming space for locals and visitors to enjoy freshly baked breads, seasonal treats, and brunch dishes.

8. SEESAW CAFÉ

SEESAW CAFÉ in Manchester is one to know about. Tucked inside a converted warehouse on Princess Street, it’s part café, part creative hub, and a place to slow down and enjoy the moment.

The ground floor space is bright and relaxed, serving specialty coffee with regularly rotating roasters, alongside pastries and light bites and also home to RamYum  (Korean inspired street food).

9. Sticky Fingers Stockport 

Sticky Fingers (39 Great Underbank and Stockport Market Hall) in Stockport is one you really shouldn’t miss. Tucked away in the historic Underbanks, it’s the kind of place to slow down with a coffee and something freshly baked.

Run by husband-and-wife duo Adrian and Klaudyna, the bakery first built a following at Stockport Market Hall before opening this permanent spot in late 2025. Now it’s a standout in the area’s growing independent scene, known for its pastries and sourdough with a subtle Polish twist, all made on-site daily.

Part of the Underbanks’ wider revival, it’s a great excuse to explore beyond central Manchester.

1. AFFLECKS

Afflecks (52 Church St) is one of Manchester’s most iconic independent markets, packed with unique stalls and local brands. A true bohemian maze, it’s unlike anything else in the city. Give yourself a couple of hours to properly explore its many floors and hidden corners.

Fun Fact: Afflecks is home to Mars Tapes. Did you know that Mars Tapes is the actual last shop of its kind in the UK? The shop has been operating on the 3rd floor since early 2019 and stocking up an eclectic mixture of old classics and the latest releases from independent labels. More than just cassetes, the store also stocks a varied selection of analogue gear, from boomboxes to Walkmans, and offers services such as cassette player cleaning.

2. Oopstay Art Café

Oopstay Art Café in Chinatown is a creative hideaway where time slips away as you craft. Tucked upstairs on Faulkner Street, you can sip coffee or matcha while painting mini masterpieces, decorating phone cases, or trying other hands-on projects.

It’s one of those rare places where you can get creative and do something a little different - easy to miss if you didn't know it was there! 

3. UNITOM 

UNITOM (1a Stevenson Square) is an independent bookshop and magazine store located in the bustling and varied Stevenson Square, known as the centre of the alternative Northern Quarter. It specialises in visual culture, encompassing contemporary art and design, fashion, photography, and counterculture titles, with a curated mix of books, independent magazines, prints, and lifestyle pieces.

Few shops epitomise what makes the NQ the NQ more than UNITOM. 

4. MARBU (Vintage Shop)

MARBU (54 Port St) is tucked away so many people walk past without noticing it. This three‑floor vintage clothing boutique has quickly become a favourite for fans of curated retro style. Since opening in late 2025, it has drawn attention for its Y2K and early 2000s pieces from labels like Diesel, Versace, Guess, Cavalli, Miss Sixty, and Moschino.

5. Fred Aldous 

1. Castlefield Viaduct 

Castlefield Viaduct is one of Manchester’s most intriguing overlooked spots, rising above the streets in the historic Castlefield area. Originally built in the late 19th century to carry trains in and out of the city’s warehouses, this Grade II‑listed steel structure has been transformed into an elevated public space with gardens and greenery above the city, often compared to New York’s High Line.

2. Castlefield: Manchester's Waterside Neighbourhood 

Castlefield feels like a different side of Manchester. This waterside neighbourhood moves at a slower pace, with canals, cobbles and old warehouses lining the way. Parts of it might look familiar too, as the area has been used as a filming location for shows like Peaky Blinders, doubling for 1920s Birmingham.

3. Ancoats: Cutting Room Square and The Marina 

Around Cutting Room Square and the marina, Ancoats feels like a natural part of Manchester life. People drift between cafes, bars and open spaces, sitting out when the weather’s good or just passing through on their way somewhere else. It’s not a “must-see” in the traditional sense, but it’s exactly where you want to be.

If you’re looking for places in Manchester with a subtle Hogwarts feel, a few spots stand out for their atmosphere and architecture. The John Rylands Research Institute and Library is the most striking, with its neo-Gothic design, high vaulted ceilings and dimly lit reading rooms that feel almost otherworldly.

Not far away, Chetham’s Library has a quieter, more hidden feel, with dark wood interiors and centuries of history behind it. Manchester Cathedral adds to that same mood, with its medieval stonework and intricate details that catch your eye as you walk through.

Manchester Town Hall and Whitworth Hall also fit into this mix, both with that Gothic style that gives them a slightly cinematic feel, especially when you stumble across them while exploring the city.

1. Kallos Cafe + Wine Bar

Kallos Cafe & Wine Bar (5 Bankside Blvd) brings a taste of Greece to Manchester, with Mediterranean-inspired brunches by day and meze and wine by night. Named after the ancient Greek word for beauty (Κάλλος), it’s all about good food, shared moments and relaxed hospitality.

2. Maricarmen Tapas Bar

Maricarmen Tapas Bar (67 Great Ancoats/104 High St) is a popular Spanish tapas bar in Manchester, celebrated for its affordable, authentic small plates and lively atmosphere. It’s known for its “El Tableo” style service where dishes (like patatas bravas, croquetas and gambas al ajillo) are brought to your table for you to choose from, each plate just a few pounds, and paired with good wine or sangria.

3. Mackie Mayor (Food Hall)

A favourite with locals, Mackie Mayor (Eagle St) is set inside a restored Victorian market building, with 9 independent kitchens and bars sharing one open space. It’s an easy, go-any-day kind of spot – long communal tables, a mix of traders (pizza, tacos, noodles, doughnuts) and somewhere you can easily settle in for a few hours.

4. Salt & Pepper 

Salt & Pepper (60-62 High St) is one of those places you end up going back to. Known for its salt and pepper dishes and anything sticky, it’s simple, no fuss, and consistently good.

It’s usually busy, with people queuing, grabbing food and finding a spot where they can, but that’s part of it. You don’t really plan for it, it’s just somewhere that fits easily into the day and never disappoints.

5. House of Social (Food Hall)

House of Social (10 Sir Howard Bernstein Approach) is one of those First Street spots you end up in rather than plan for. A modern food hall with five kitchens and a central bar, slightly set back from the main routes so it feels a bit calmer than the centre.

It sits nicely between HOME, Oxford Road and the walk through Deansgate-Castlefield, easy to drift into if you are already moving through that side of town.

6. Erst 

Erst (9 Murray St) feels very Ancoats in how it doesn’t try to shape the moment.

Small plates, natural wine, low lighting, quiet room. The menu shifts regularly, so there’s nothing fixed or predictable about it, and that keeps it from settling into a routine.

You end up staying without really deciding to. It’s not built around turning tables or moving people on, it just holds its own steady rhythm while you’re in it.

It’s also a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, recognised for good value cooking at a consistently high level. 

7. WINSOME 

WINSOME (74 Princess St) comes from the same team behind Erst. It’s a modern British restaurant built around seasonal cooking, with a big open kitchen at the centre of the room. The food is bold but straightforward, pies, fish, cuts of meat, and dishes that lean into comfort more than cleverness.

It’s listed in the Michelin Guide under “good cooking”, which fits it well. Not fine dining, just confident, well-executed food in a busy, open, slightly industrial style space that feels very Manchester right now.

8. SAMPA

SAMPA (Hidden in Manchester's Northern Quarter) is tucked away in the Northern Quarter, not somewhere you just walk past and notice.

9. Auntie Lou's

Auntie Lou's (Inside Stockport Market Hall) is right in Stockport Market and feels like part of the place rather than a separate thing sitting in it.

It’s daytime food done properly. Sandwiches, brunch, simple plates. Nothing styled or overthought, just food that fits around people coming in and out of the market.

It’s the kind of spot you don’t plan for, you just end up there when you’re in Stockport. 

10. Cantaloupe 

Cantaloupe (71 Great Underbank) is a small wine bar with a short, changing menu and a focus on simple, well-made dishes. There’s a bit of Mediterranean lean to the cooking, but nothing fixed or overdefined.

It’s also in the Michelin Guide, listed under their “good cooking” recommendations, which matches it more than any fine dining label.