AA Recommended Restaurants in Manchester

Housed in the elegant split-level conservatory of the Alderley Edge Hotel, the two-AA-rosetted Alderley Restaurant boasts splendid views out over the Edge. Specialities include hot and cold seafood dishes, hot puddings fresh from the oven and freshly baked breads from the hotel bakery. A wine list with more than 500 bins and 100 champagnes admirably complements the seasonal Modern European menus. The hotel has 52 rooms with Presidential and Bridal suites available. ...more information

Alderley Edge Hotel - Macclesfield Road - Alderley Edge - SK9 7BJ - 0871 5299459

Opened in 2001, this multi-award winning Castlefield venue has cemented its position as one of the city's top restaurants. Modern British food in contemporary yet comfortable surroundings brought to you by husband-and-wife team Jon and Kirsty Grieves. The canalside location and stylish piano bar help make this one of Manchester's destination restaurants. ...more information

Castle Quay - Castlefield - Manchester City Centre - M15 4NT - 0871 5299463

Clippers Restaurant at the Copthorne Hotel has a great location overlooking Manchester’s picturesque Salford Quays. It’s close to Old Trafford and the Lowry Centre and is the perfect venue for both group and intimate dining. There’s a brasserie menu showcasing the best of local produce, a weekly specials menu that offers everything from casseroles to tapas and an extensive bar and sommeliers list. Clippers is open right through from noon to 10pm weekdays as well as Saturday and Sunday evening. ...more information

The Copthorne Hotel - Clippers Quay - Salford Quays - M50 3SN - 0871 2077099

Top Swiss Chef Michael Riemenschneider who runs The Abbey in Penzance, Cornwall has taken over the kitchen at Juniper Restaurant in Altrincham. Michelin-starred owner Paul Kitching has sold up and moved to Edinburgh and, once he had heard of Michael’s culinary talent, he persuaded him to transport his talents to Manchester. The fiercely ambitious 26-year-old chef and restaurateur plans to reopen Juniper by the end of the month once refurbishment is complete. The Good Food Guide 2009 has awarded The Abbey 6/10, indicating: “Exemplary cooking skills, innovative ideas, impeccable ingredients and an element of excitement.” The review states that Michael’s “creative and confident cooking has made quite a splash locally. Sourcing and timing of materials are both admirable and combinations well considered, be they pigeon with foie gras and spinach and an ‘intense’ ragout made from the leg meat, the more adventurous langoustine ‘cooked in a meaty veal stock’ with pearl barley, broad beans, and asparagus (the standout dish at inspection) or halibut with jellies of pickle and cucumber.” The Evening Standard commented that: “You’d have a long search for any food this good in London”. Meanwhile Riemenschneider confirmed he is to lead his brigade each night to replicate the winning formula that has seen The Abbey lauded by The Guardian which gushed “….new chef Michael Riemenschneider has created a menu to die for.” That menu, featuring cuisine Michael describes as “classic French with British influences and a scattering of inspiration from around the Continent,” will now appear in Altrincham. So committed is he to the quality and freshness of his ingredients Michael has arranged for a Newlyn fisherman to deliver daily the fish which will shine on a menu constantly updated by what’s just been landed from the Atlantic. ...more information

21 The Downs - Altrincham - WA14 2QD - 0871 811 4863

In the heart of Piccadilly, by the Rochdale canal, the super-stylish Malmaison Hotel is located in a former warehouse and retains the original red brick, terracotta and ceramics. The romantic brasserie has intimate booth-style seating and signature dishes include eggs benedict, steak frites with a choice of sauces and their famous crème brulée. There is a wide choice of dishes on the a la carte menu to suit all tastes and appetites and a new 'Homegrown and Local' table d'hote menu showcasing produce from regional suppliers. Malmaison Brasserie also has a private dining room that can accommodate up to 10 people. ...more information

Malmaison Hotel - 1-3 Piccadilly - Manchester City Centre - M1 3AQ - 0871 811 4876

This gem of a French restaurant is tucked away near Manchester Airport and is a byword for excellent food. In business now for more than 30 years, the Moss Nook relies on a rock-solid reputation which has never faltered over the years. Great fish menu, meats delicately sauced and one of the best wine lists in the region at some 15 pages long. Choose from the a la carte or the 'surprise' tasting menu. Open for lunch (Tue-Fri) and dinner (Tue-Sat). ...more information

Ringway Road - Northenden - M22 5NA - 0871 2076724

Over two decades this Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms at Langho, near Blackburn, has carved out a national reputation. Nigel Haworth runs the kitchens and partner Craig Bancroft tends a wine cellar that stretches to 400-plus bins. For the full-on Northcote experience, try the Gourmet Menu or the overnight Gourmet Break. Their recent venture into the gastropub market -- Ribble Valley Inns – now boasts three properties -- The Three Fishes at Mitton, near Whalley, The Highwayman at Burrow, near Kirkby Lonsdale and the The Clog & Billycock at Pleasington, near Blackburn. ...more information

Northcote Road - Langho - Alderley Edge - BB6 8BE - 0871 811 4929

This multi award-winning Italian restaurant is situated on the Chorlton-Whalley Range border. It has recently been awarded an AA rosette and recommended by the Times as one of the top 10 Italians in the country. Cuisine is an eclectic mix of Modern Italian food and the interior has just been refurbished. Owner Stefano is a disciple of the 'slow food' movement -- find out more from the Palmiro website. ...more information

197 Upper Chorlton Road - Hulme - M16 0BH - 0871 811 4885

The River Restaurant at the five-star Lowry Hotel combines contemporary and classical design in a stunning, light-filled oasis overlooking the waters of the River Irwell. It's looked after by Restaurant Manager Marc J Whitley and the innovative menu has been created by award-winning Executive Chef Eyck Zimmer, who recently took over the crown of Knorr Chef of the Year from culinary guru Gordon Ramsay. Eyck has created a contemporary European menu that draws upon the finest seasonal and local ingredients and includes a Chef’s Daily Classics menu designed to showcase some of the region’s best produce. ...more information

Lowry Hotel - 50 Dearmans Place - Chapel Wharf - Manchester City Centre - M3 5LH - 0871 2076988

Maverick Chef Patron Scott Hessel took over the former Cunning Corner Inn and after an extensive refurbishment created the comfortable, congenially quirky bar and restaurant now known as the Old Bore at Rishworth. Scott is a former winner of the Roux Brothers scholarship and has a culinary pedigree that takes in notable Michelin establishments Europe-wide. Such training forms the bedrock of his seasonal, inventive and regularly changing menus. Regular events such as Fish Fridays -- where during summer there is an extended menu of seafood from our shores -- showcases what the Old Bore does so well. There is an extensive wine list running to over 150 bins which provides a classy counterpoint to the food, complemented by their own Old Bore Bitter, credited by Olive magazine. Since opening, the Old Bore at Rishworth has been named dining pub of the year 2006 by the Yorkshire Post and dining pub of the year 2007 by Les Routiers guide, also highly commended by the Publican magazine for their Sunday lunches. ...more information

Oldham Road - Rishworth - Sowerby Bridge - Manchester North - HX6 4QU - 0871 811 4964