The best restaurants in Stockport

A favourite in Stockport for many years now, Baekdu are located just five minutes from the train station, in a quite frankly adorable red brick house. Their main offering is Korean BBQ that you can either cook right at your table, or, if you’re not feeling it the staff can take charge of the charcoals. There’s also soup dishes, noodle dishes and a plethora of tempting sides like kimchi pancakes and wok fried spicy pork. Hot pot fans are well-served too, for around £40 you can indulge in gallons of the stuff. Yet another gem in Stockport’s sparkling foodie crown.

Out in the suburbs, this place is more of a Mediterranean small plates restaurant than strictly just Italian, but it’s so good it had to be included. This cosy spot in Stockport’s Heaton Chapel, they wholeheartedly lean into their suburban location, offering comforting, well-priced plates of food from fresh focaccia and olive oil to arancini to pizzas and salads. There are also equally delicious dishes from Spain and Italy too, but it’s so well-done it doesn’t feel like a world buffet. Their Sunday roast is suitably continental too, with dishes like Venetian prawns to start and tiramisu for dessert.

The old Blackshaws building, on Stockport’s Market Place, has one of the best views of the historic town’s centre. Think raw brickwork, retro neon signage, industrial light fittings and the odd mural adding colour, and yet more character. So when La Capilla started operating in the space, it became a must-visit for two good reasons. The menu is taco-centric, with some classics including baja fish and beef birria. Elsewhere on the menu, pork rice bowls, salt cod fritters and charred hispi cabbage prove to be flavoursome faves. Yet another jewel in SK’s foodie crown.

Starting life at Altrincham Market, and quickly graduating into their own spot right in the middle of the strip of lively independents that comprises Lower Hillgate. Founded by couple Hannah and Elliott who became fanatical about all things fresh pasta during lockdown (when else?). Their simple but trendy aesthetic, paired with pretty but unfussy pasta dishes, alongside sociable workshops has proven to be a winning formula. The menu is small and ever-changing. Don’t let that put you off – book into this tiny, welcoming space to try something delicious. 

This Hazel Grove spot is as well known for bing a centrepiece of the community as it is for its brown stew, fried chicken and peppered steak. Located on the thriving foodie corridor of the A6, Mama Flo’s are the definition of going above and beyond. They served up free kids meals in the pandemic, and her doors are open to any child in need of a meal from anywhere across Greater Manchester. Basically, if there’s an opportunity to help out, they’ll probably be doing it. The best thing about Mama Flo’s? You can pop down for an incredible meal, and know you’re supporting a vital cause at the same time.

Not to be confused with Chorlton’s favourite tapas joint Bar San Juan, Cafe Sanjaun is a cheerful, super authentic Colombian cafe. While it doesn’t have any of the hallmarks of the trendy brunch spots which have marked Stockport’s foodie reinvention, this place makes up for it in terms of punchy South American flavours and an atmosphere you just want to hang out in. Breakfasts come with smoky beans, guacamole, perfectly runny eggs and satisfying arepas. If you like your breakfasts loaded with freshness, this spot on Petersgate is a must.

Probably the epitome of ‘new Stockport’, Cantaloupe is a cooler-than-cool small plates restaurant with a paired-back menu (everything is seasonal and constantly changing) and, simply, exceptional cooking. It’s in a former vape shop on Great Underbank, and now it’s modern and cool, but in a much more inviting way. The chefs at the helm have a pretty impactful shared CV, Joshua Reed-Cooper and Mike Thomas have previously played important roles at a fair few Mancunian heavy hitters – Where The Light Gets In, The Creameries, The French and Climat. With combined talent like that, it’s one you have to try.

There aren’t many chefs in Manchester who can boast that they have cooked for five out of the last six US presidents, championship boxers and Man United footballers. Exec Chef Ryan Stafford of Fold Bistro has done all that and more in his career so far but he has now brought all that experience back to Marple, the town where grew up. Fold is strictly in Marple Bridge, that pretty little section of Marple just over the other side of the River Goyt. But either way, it’s a short skip from Marple train station if you’re not lucky enough to be local. Many of the dishes are inspired by nostalgic childhood foods like scampi fries, chippy teas and Lancashire hot pot, but don’t take these themes too literally, this is definitely on the fine dining end of the scale. Fold is not just a bistro but also a bottle shop, and it would be rude not to take a few bottles home after dinner.

There’s a strong case for Marple being one of the best foodie neighbourhoods in Greater Manchester, and The Fisherman’s Table is a partly responsible for that. Founded in 2018, they call themselves ‘seafood heaven’, which just about hits the nail on the head. From super-traditional bistro dishes, to more adventurous seafood-led tapas dishes like mussels with pancetta and devilled whitebait. The restaurant itself is rustic and modern (nautical memorabilia is kept to a minimum), and service is friendly and slick. The seafood does the talking here, and it’s absolutely one to try.

Say ‘Gatley’ to some, and they’ll call back ‘Gatley Tandoori’, such is the influence of this place as a culinary institution. serving up superb Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine for over 30 years, starting off as a small takeaway, before expanding into next door and becoming a fully fledged restaurant. When it comes to the titular tandoor dishes, the mixed grill is a best seller. Their balti dishes are super authentic too – and in a nod to Anglicisation of the country’s favourite takeaway – they even go to the extra faff of cutting their own chips. They’re exceptionally good, best when dragged through their tikka masala or makhani sauce. 

It’s the sign of a good spot when they can make a simple marinara taste this good. Honest Crust were one of the first to do the woodfired sourdough thing in the city, and they have consistently stayed up there as one of the best as others have followed suit. They work with 48 hour fermented dough, and only the best ingredients are imported directly from small-scale producers. In Stockport, you’ll find them in the covered outdoor space of Runaway Brewery & Taproom, serving up the good stuff alongside a variety of some of Stockport’s finest craft beers. A perfect afternoon out, if there ever were one.

The good people of Cheadle (it has an SK postcode!) have something special thing going on with Janan, and they know it. An authentic Lebanese joint, it’s the sort of place that every neighbourhood should have at least one of. Ideally more. Co-owner Zak’s CV also features Remal in Prestwich, so we knew the food here at Janan was going to be top-notch. Their grill maestro Mo is the man who makes this happen, flame grilling skewers of chicken and lamb, marinaded to varying levels of spice. And while Mo’s kebabs, fish dishes and sides are all show-stoppers, it’s a more overlooked menu item that quietly steals the show. Baked daily in a traditional clay oven, slipper-sized flatbreads are served up by the basketful. More fluffy than you could imagine, they’re perfect for tearing and dipping. If you’re the sort of person who doesn’t like to share, Janan might not be for you.

This family-run restaurant serves Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine from age-old recipes, which means simply, the really good stuff. We’re talking chicken shawarma wraps, comforting stews, vibrantly colourful salads and plates of tender-but-scorched meats you’ll want to share. Bread and hummus fans are exceptionally well served too. Cheadle has more that it’s fair share of gems, and this is a stand-out among them.

From the street, it’s an olde worlde looking bistro, but head into Libby’s in Marple Bridge, and you’re in for a bit of a surprise. Their open air terrace is literally up in the trees, overlooking the impossibly pretty River Goyt. In the daytime it’s all about elaborate pastries and brunch dishes, and in the evening it’s super-fresh seasonal small plates – lots of seafood, salads and dips. It’s always delightful, but on a sunny evening, it’s something truly special.

This place is a homage to noodles, and they don’t really mind whereabouts said noodles come from. Spanning Thai, Vietnamese and Cambodia cuisine, Mekong Cat at the top of Lower Hillgate. It’s a BYOB affair, as long as you pay a little corkage, and the menu is made up of equal parts broths, rice pilates and banh mi. They also have copious veggie and vegan options – a whole menu dedicated to them in fact. This place is almost permanently busy – for good reason – so be sure to book in advance.

When Beth Hammond opened Tawny Stores in Marple, there was no question it was going to be good. Having done stints at Altrincham Market, Yellowhammer and Flawd, the chef knows her way around a seasonal small plate. With an enviable location on the river, and eye-catching yellow and green signage, it looks like something from a bygone era, Inside, everything is incredibly contemporary, from flat whites, to focaccia, to delicately presented plates – think lots of beans, pickles and cured meats. An irresistibly pretty spot that’s worth making the trip for.

Sam Buckley’s sustainable labour of love needs little introduction. Where The Light Gets In opened in Stockport in 2016 when the food scene in the city centre, never mind Stockport, was a shadow of what it is now. It was a bold move, but almost a decade later, it looks like it’s paid off. The setting is an old warehouse that gives vibes of a massive New York loft, its open kitchen is the stage towards which tables are angled, theatre style. The food is either sourced from local farms – probably not dissimilar to that scene in cult US sketch show Portlandia – or grown on the top of a Stockport shopping centre around the corner in an allotment the restaurant has built called The Landing. But provenance aside, the food is beautifully prepared by the team of skilled and passionate chefs and served with natural and biodynamic wine from one of the UK’s top sommeliers. It’s also relatively reasonably priced for food of this calibre.

Yellowhammer is a bakery, deli, pottery studio and dining spot on Lower Hillgate in Stockport’s old town. If that sounds like an enticing combo, it’s because it was founded as the brainchild of some of the city’s finest: Where the Light Gets In chef-owner Sam Buckley, baker Rosie Wilkes and potterist Joe Hartley. It’s painfully stylish – filled with plants and ceramic creations – but that doesn’t mean you can’t stop by for a coffee, pastry and a natter. A super cool neighbourhood spot that by night is all things small plates and candle light – think pretty plates of cured meats, smoked fish and interesting cheeses. Delightful.