Every restaurant has its own personality but sometimes you want to eat somewhere where the venue and atmosphere really add to the experience. From places with robot waiters to unusual dishes you won't find anywhere else, Manchester's food scene is full of unique places to eat that promise diners a memorable meal every time. If you're keen to explore some of the city's most distinctive eateries, you'll find lots of inspiration in our guide to quirky restaurants in Manchester.
Quirky restaurants in Manchester
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Manchester's quirkiest restaurants
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1Sakura Japanese Restaurant Robots at your service
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2Waku Waku Surrounded by an optical illusion
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3Dog Bowl Food and games
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4Lucky Mama's Original Italian food
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520 Stories Don't miss the view
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6Crazy Pedro's Quirky pizza and cocktails
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7House of Fu Food and fun
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8Albert's Schloss Escape to the Alps
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9The Lawn Club Al fresco at any time
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10BLVD Multi-sensory experiences
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11Bunny Jackson's Eclectic and outrageous dive bar
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12Ciaooo Loaded Garlic Bread For garlic lovers only
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13Six by Nico Fun with fine dining
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14Archie's Insta-worthy surroundings
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15Hachi Unique pan-Asian restaurant
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16Mughli Original Indian street food
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17Peaky Blinders Immersive themed restaurant
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18Three Little Words Add some gin in
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19Impossible Fun and immersive entertainment
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20Peter Street Kitchen Combining diverse cuisines
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Jump to
Manchester's quirkiest restaurants
Robots at your service
The service is a little different at Sakura Japanese Restaurant. Here you order via tablet and your food is delivered by a robot waiter, offering service levels customised to your preferences. At this bright and modern establishment, you can sample limitless sushi and small plates along with colourful cocktails. The setting is vibrant with botanical details.
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175 Cheetham Hill Rd
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Website
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Sakura Japanese Restaurant
016-183 499 88 - Read more on Thatsup
Surrounded by an optical illusion
Inspired by the comic cafés found in Asia, Waku Waku is a distinctive monochrome venue where all of the details have been drawn by hand to create a mind-bending optical illusion. In this distinctive Chinatown eatery, diners can try out Japanese favourites like donburi, noodles, and sushi. You can also get a takeaway here.
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54 Portland St, Manchester City Centre
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Waku Waku
074-359 694 98 - Read more on Thatsup
Food and games
Have a meal at Dog Bowl and have some fun too. This large venue feels cavernous and is full of colour. As well as a bar and restaurant serving sandwiches, burgers, pizza, and cocktails, there are five bowling lanes that you can book in advance. There's also an arcade full of retro consoles where you can play all your favourite old-school games.
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57 Whitworth Street West, Manchester City Centre
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Website
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Dog Bowl
016-122 828 88 - Read more on Thatsup
Original Italian food
Lucky Mama's is bold, buzzy, and full of energy. The dining space is bright and colourful and the Italian dishes served here really stand out. Opt for a Roman-style pizza or freshly-made pasta, or get the best of both worlds – a portion of pasta served in a pizza dough bowl. This venue also does takeaways.
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565 Barlow Moor Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy 217 Monton Road, SalfordLucky Mama's Chorlton
565 Barlow Moor Rd, Chorlton-cum-HardyLucky Mama's Monton
217 Monton Road, Salford -
Website
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Lucky Mama's Chorlton
0792-721 25 97Lucky Mama's Monton
0792-721 25 97 -
Lucky Mama's Chorlton Lucky Mama's Monton
Don't miss the view
Ranked as Manchester's best restaurant in 2023, 20 Stories is located in Spinningfields and offers attractive city views from its 19th floor location. Floor-to-ceiling windows ensure no one misses out on the vista at this modern venue. A variety of menus are on offer here, centred around British dishes. Guests can also sample wines from around the world.
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No.1 Spinningfields, 1 Hardman Street, Manchester City Centre/Spinningfields
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Website
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20 Stories
016-120 433 33 - Read more on Thatsup
Quirky pizza and cocktails
It's all about fun and letting the party unfold at Crazy Pedro's. This place dishes up pizza with some unusual toppings - beef Monster Munch anyone? Added to that, there are exciting cocktails, including frozen margs by the litre. The venue is vibrant and eclectic with interesting decor all over the walls and ceiling. Outdoor seating is also available.
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1 Short Street, Manchester City Centre/Northern Quarter 55-57 Bridge St, Manchester City CentreCrazy Pedro's NQ
1 Short Street, Manchester City Centre/Northern QuarterCrazy Pedro's Bridge Street
55-57 Bridge St, Manchester City Centre -
Crazy Pedro's NQ
crazypedros.co.uk/crazy-pedros-pizza-parlour-nqCrazy Pedro's Bridge Street
crazypedros.co.uk/manchesterCrazy Pedro's NQ
016-135 930 00Crazy Pedro's Bridge Street
016-135 930 00 -
Crazy Pedro's NQ Crazy Pedro's Bridge Street
Food and fun
You're promised a fun and lively experience at colourful House of Fu. This place is known for ramen, cocktails, and karaoke, with bookable rooms where you can belt out your favourite tunes. Japanese dishes are served in the vibrant restaurant and downstairs there's a basement cocktail bar with music until late and inspiring original cocktails with Asian flavours.
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113-115 Portland St, Manchester City Centre
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Website
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House of Fu
016-138 835 35 - Read more on Thatsup
Escape to the Alps
Visit Alpine party palace Albert's Schloss for a fun and unusual meal. This vibrant venue has live oompah music, roaring fireplaces, fun events, and an energetic atmosphere. Added to all that, guests can try out German beers, hearty treats like fondue, schnitzel, wurst, and burgers, as well as a satisfying family-style Sunday roast accompanied by live entertainment.
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27 Peter St, Manchester City Centre
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Website
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Albert's Schloss Manchester
016-183 340 40 - Read more on Thatsup
Al fresco at any time
It doesn't matter what the weather does, you can still enjoy al fresco food and drinks at The Lawn Club. This covered terrace has a lively atmosphere and is enhanced with lights and botanicals. Bottomless brunch and Sunday lunch are served here, plus tempting all-day options like pizza, burgers, and sandwiches. This on-trend spot also does cocktails.
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Hardman Square, Manchester City Centre/Spinningfields
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Website
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The Lawn Club
016-151 330 30 - Read more on Thatsup
Multi-sensory experiences
Based in Spinningfields, BLVD is an Italian-inspired restaurant and late-night venue. It aims to create a multi-sensory experience through food and drinks, colourful decor, and plenty of lively entertainment. Food options include pizza, pasta, and steak, plus there's an extensive choice of drinks. This creative venue also does bottomless brunches, parties, and club nights.
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The Avenue North, Manchester City Centre/Spinningfields
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Website
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BLVD
016-142 591 80 - Read more on Thatsup
Eclectic and outrageous dive bar
The detailed and eclectic decor at Bunny Jackson's gives the venue a lot of character and make this one of Manchester's most quirky spots for drinks or food. This American dive bar is known as a vibrant party venue and also dishes up some seriously affordable food, including outrageously spicy wings and other satisfying snacks.
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1 Jack Rosenthal St, Manchester City Centre
- Website
- Read more on Thatsup
For garlic lovers only
What sets Ciaooo Loaded Garlic Bread apart from the rest is that it's a restaurant dedicated to serving garlic bread. Located in the city centre, this modern walk-in only eatery has a menu that revolves around garlic bread with mouthwatering extra toppings like pesto and burrata or nduja and honey.
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93-95 Shudehill, Manchester City Centre
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Ciaooo Loaded Garlic Bread
016-183 282 19 - Read more on Thatsup
Fun with fine dining
Six by Nico offers fine dining that doesn't intimidate. These restaurants deliver an immersive dining experience, serving themed tasting menus that change every six weeks, with matching decor to really bring the idea to life. You'll want to visit again and again with themes as diverse as Hanoi, Neverland, and the funfair.
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2 John Dalton St, Manchester City Centre 60 Spring Gardens, Manchester City CentreSix by Nico Deansgate
2 John Dalton St, Manchester City CentreSix by Nico Spring Gardens
60 Spring Gardens, Manchester City Centre -
Six by Nico Deansgate
sixbynico.co.uk/deansgateSix by Nico Spring Gardens
sixbynico.co.uk/manchesterSix by Nico Deansgate
016-187 056 66Six by Nico Spring Gardens
016-183 218 15 -
Six by Nico Deansgate Six by Nico Spring Gardens
Insta-worthy surroundings
The eye-popping pink colour scheme at Archie's really makes this place stand out from the crowd. These unique modern restaurants are made for Instagram and have quirky touches like subway carriage seating, ball pits, and sculptural decor. The menu is halal, including burgers, chicken, and fries, alongside sweet waffles and shakes.
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Manchester Arndale, Manchester City Centre 115 Oxford Rd 72 Oxford St, Manchester City Centre 132-134 The Orient, The Trafford Centre, Trafford Park Manchester Airport, Terminal 2 Gateway House, Piccadilly, Manchester City CentreArchie's Manchester Arndale
Manchester Arndale, Manchester City CentreArchie's Oxford Road
115 Oxford RdArchie's Takeaway
72 Oxford St, Manchester City CentreArchie's Trafford Centre
132-134 The Orient, The Trafford Centre, Trafford ParkArchie's Manchester Airport
Manchester Airport, Terminal 2Archie's Piccadilly
Gateway House, Piccadilly, Manchester City Centre -
Archie's Manchester Arndale
archies.comArchie's Oxford Road
archies.comArchie's Takeaway
archies.comArchie's Trafford Centre
archies.comArchie's Piccadilly
archies.comArchie's Manchester Airport
archies.comArchie's Manchester Arndale
016-146 439 58Archie's Oxford Road
016-146 436 54Archie's Takeaway
016-153 231 21Archie's Trafford Centre
016-174 777 76Archie's Piccadilly
016-182 008 10Archie's Manchester Airport
016-167 611 20 -
Archie's Manchester Arndale Archie's Oxford Road Archie's Takeaway Archie's Trafford Centre Archie's Piccadilly Archie's Manchester Airport
Unique pan-Asian restaurant
Hachi opened in 2024 and serves pan-Asian cuisine. The setting is quirky with vibrant and colourful decor, plus robots that'll make bubble tea or candy floss for you. On the menu you'll find dumplings with assorted fillings, noodle soup, and mains like katsu curry and roast duck. This lively restaurant in Ancoats also offers a set lunch.
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67 Great Ancoats St, Ancoats
- Read more on Thatsup
Original Indian street food
Although there are many restaurants in the Curry Mile, the creative and unusual dishes at Mughli Charcoal Pit make it stand out. The restaurant is spacious and bustling, decorated with neutral colours and Indian posters. Here you can try out creative dishes like Punjabi poutine, a Bombay sandwich, and Indian favourites like daal or saag aloo.
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30 Wilmslow Rd
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Website
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Mughli Charcoal Pit
016-124 809 00 - Read more on Thatsup
Immersive themed restaurant
Taking inspiration from the hit TV show, Peaky Blinders Manchester is an immersive 1920s-themed dining experience. You'll see staff in costume, period decor, and fun extras like edible betting slips, with live music adding to the atmosphere even more. A variety of dining experiences are available including bottomless brunch and Sunday roasts.
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23 Peter St, Manchester City Centre
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Website
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Peaky Blinders Manchester
016-188 412 92 - Read more on Thatsup
Add some gin in
What makes Three Little Words different is its commitment to gin, with spirits distilled next door. That means the place offers a diverse array of gin-based cocktails, with the options constantly changing. Food is important too, serving Japanese small plates designed to pair well with the spirits. It's a sophisticated spot with high ceilings, exposed brickwork, and on-trend style.
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10-15 Watson St, Manchester City Centre
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Website
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Three Little Words
016-151 944 00 - Read more on Thatsup
Fun and immersive entertainment
You'll get a fun and immersive meal at Impossible. This venue has its own theatre for lively entertainment like cabaret shows and themed bottomless brunches. Club nights, life drawing, and live performances take place as well. The venue is eclectic, combining contemporary and rustic decor to create unique and exciting surroundings whilst serving diverse global dishes.
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36 Peter St, Manchester City Centre
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Website
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Impossible
016-166 101 03 - Read more on Thatsup
Combining diverse cuisines
Peter Street Kitchen is a refined destination for a meal, serving a quirky combo of Mexican and Japanese cuisines. The restaurant is set in a grand and impressive space within Free Trade Hall. Breakfast is served here but for dinner there are set and à la carte menus that blend these two distinct culinary traditions.
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Free Trade Hall, Peter Street, Manchester City Centre
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Website
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Peter Street Kitchen
016-183 589 41 - Read more on Thatsup
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