North West England
Manchester on a shoestring
Good food, small bill
Updated
Manchester city centre is full of good, cheap food. Bundobust does vegetarian Indian street food and craft beer on Piccadilly, and Freight Island fills the old railway depot behind the station with traders. In the Northern Quarter, This & That has served rice and three curries for decades, and Northern Soul Grilled Cheese is a good lunch stop. Nell’s in Kampus does giant slices, New Wave Ramen is off Cross Street, and Society is the food hall next to the Bridgewater Hall. For a trip out, take the tram to Ashton for the vegetarian Indian feasts at Lily’s.
Our picks
Bundobust
Piccadilly, city centre
Address: Bundobust, 61 Piccadilly, Manchester M1 2AG- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Share a spread of Indian street food and a couple of craft beers at the big, buzzy hall on Piccadilly.
Why it's a good date: Everything's vegetarian and made for sharing, so you order a few small plates each and keep going. It's a short walk from Piccadilly station, which makes it an easy first stop on a night out.
This & That
Soap Street, Northern Quarter
Address: This & That, 3 Soap Street, Manchester M4 1EW- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Grab a plate of rice and three curries at the no-frills Northern Quarter canteen that's been feeding the city for decades.
Why it's a good date: You queue, point at what looks good and sit down at a plain table a minute later. The curries change through the week, so it's worth coming back, and it sets you up well for a wander round the Northern Quarter after.
Northern Soul Grilled Cheese
Tib Street, Northern Quarter
Address: Northern Soul, Unit G20-21 Smithfield Building, Tib Street, Manchester M4 1LA- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
Share a couple of loaded grilled cheese sandwiches at the little cheese-toastie shop in the Northern Quarter.
Why it's a good date: Proper comfort food for a cold afternoon, and fun to split two and compare. It's a daytime place that shuts early most evenings, so make it a lunch date before the shops.
Lily's Vegetarian Indian Cuisine
Oldham Road, Ashton-under-Lyne
Address: Lily's, 85 Oldham Road, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7DF- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Take the tram out to Ashton for a vegetarian Indian feast at the family restaurant that grew out of a cash-and-carry café.
Why it's a good date: It's been run by the same family since the 1970s and the cooking is the reason people make the trip. Order more than you think you need, share it all, and pick up something sweet from the counter on the way out.
Nell's Pizza, Kampus
Minshull Street, Kampus
Address: Nell's Kampus, 20 Minshull Street, Manchester M1 3EF- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
Split a giant New York-style pizza at Nell's in the Kampus garden quarter, a few minutes from Piccadilly.
Why it's a good date: The slices are huge and the room is relaxed, so it's an easy, cheap dinner before a gig or a film. Kampus has some nice spots for a drink afterwards too.
New Wave Ramen
Tib Lane, city centre
Address: New Wave Ramen, 16 Tib Lane, Manchester M2 4JB- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Warm up over big bowls of ramen at the small noodle bar on Tib Lane, just off Cross Street.
Why it's a good date: A good rainy-day pick: steamy windows, rich broth and a quick, friendly turnaround. They keep space for walk-ins, but booking is safer on a Friday or Saturday.
Society
Barbirolli Square, near the Bridgewater Hall
Address: Society, Basement, 100 Barbirolli Square, Manchester M2 3BD- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Pick from a handful of independent kitchens and grab a long table at the basement food hall under Barbirolli Square.
Why it's a good date: You can each order from a different kitchen and meet back at the table, and there's a proper bar in the middle. Handy before a concert at the Bridgewater Hall next door.
Freight Island
Baring Street, Mayfield, behind Piccadilly station
Address: Freight Island, 11 Baring Street, Manchester M1 2PZ- Restaurant
- Cheap and cheerful
Wander the street-food traders at the old railway depot behind Piccadilly station, then find a table among the lights.
Why it's a good date: There's a lot of choice, so it's good when you can't agree on what to eat, and there's often music or sport on. It gets lively at weekends; go earlier in the evening for a calmer table.
Quick answers
Is there a cheap dinner near the Bridgewater Hall?
Society, the basement food hall under Barbirolli Square, is right next door. You can each order from a different kitchen and meet back at a long table.
Where can we eat cheaply near Piccadilly station?
Bundobust is on Piccadilly, a short walk from the station, and Freight Island is in the old railway depot just behind it. Nell's Pizza in Kampus is a few minutes away too.
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