5 of the best restaurants for lunch in Manchester

Manchester has no shortage of restaurants for lunch, with all manner of eateries on hand to make the most of a midday pit stop. So, whether it’s laid-back small plate sharers, gourmet European brasserie classics or creative pizzas, take a look at our top 10 places for lunch in Manchester. 

Brasserie Abode – Manchester 

Brasserie Abode – Manchester

Relaxed all-day dining is the speciality at Brasserie Abode, making it a great place for lunch in Manchester city centre. Popular brunches offer up classic treats like crushed avocado and poached egg on sourdough, moving on to continental flavours like French onion soup, steak frites and coq au vin. There are well priced prix fixe menus served all week, while the bar at this Grade-II listed former textile factory is also packed with carefully selected wines and champagnes.

Browns Brasserie & Bar – Manchester 

Browns Brasserie & Bar

Another stunningly converted building, Browns Brasserie & Bar Manchester is an all-day brasserie inside the former Athenaeum, filled with Edwardian baroque detailing. Gourmet British and European flavours on the lunch menu include chicken and ham pie, with desserts like salted caramel chocolate pot to finish, while dedicated children’s menus make this a family-friendly choice. At the weekends, Browns Brasserie & Bar is celebrated by many for for serving one of the best Sunday lunches in Manchester.

Hawksmoor Manchester 

Hawksmoor

Often lauded as the UK’s best steak restaurant, Hawksmoor Manchester is perfect for a gourmet lunch in Manchester city centre. The lunch special of a rump steak and chips for £15 is amazing value for money, with other mouthwatering treats including the kimchi burger, and a whole native lobster with sides like short-rib macaroni and buttered English greens. The Sunday roast here was also voted best in the UK by Observer Food Monthly.

Second Floor Bar and Brasserie, Harvey Nichols 

Second Floor Bar and Brasserie, Harvey Nichols Manchester

Overlooking Exchange Square, the Second Floor Bar and Brasserie at Harvey Nichols offers all-day dining with an eclectic range of dishes. Tuck into the likes of ox cheek with truffled celeriac purée or the flat iron steak frites with béarnaise sauce, before finishing with a Harvey Nichols cheeseboard or rice pudding dim sum with lemongrass and rhubarb.

Asha’s – Manchester 

Asha’s – Manchester

This superb Michelin Plate-awarded haunt offers some of Manchester’s finest gourmet Indian cuisine. From internationally acclaimed Bollywood star Asha Bhosle, Asha’s Manchester serves vibrant traditional recipes with an innovative twist inside an exquisite Victorian palazzo building.