New restaurants and bars opening in Manchester in August 2026

Milo Bagels is the bagel, doughnut and coffee shop in Tangerine, right opposite Salford Central station. They make delicious, fresh bagels everyday, from the simple (cream cheese and tomato) to the classic (smoked salmon, red onions and capers) to the outrageous (slabs of salt beef and pickles with Thousand Island). They’re also the first in town to be serving ‘cruller’ style donuts, deep fried pastries that are light, crisp and similar to the type you get from the seaside.

Up on the roof of the DogHouse Hotel – which is an excellent city centre roof terrace by the way – is Strada Pasta who are serving a neat little menu including things like cavolo nero pesto, vodka and mascarpone and short rib and brisket varieties. You can supplement your pasta with delightful antipasti like patatas bravas, focaccias and salads. A great addition but it’s a pop-up, so they won’t be around for long, only until the end of summer.

A new addition to Altrincham’s so-called ‘Irish Quarter’ is a new hybrid concept: Paddy’s Pizza and Flakey. By day, they’re doing stuffed croissants – filled with both sweet and savoury flavour combinations, and by night it’s all cocktails and individual sized pizzas in a handful of classic and less classic toppings (Irish sausage and red onion, for instance). There are also specialty drinks like banana biscoff lattes and ube lemonade. With a great little outdoor space for people watching, it’s one to head to next time you’re in Alty.

A new addition to Stretford’s King Street development on what was previously the once-iconic Stretford Mall. It’s a tiramisu cafe offering an impressive range of variations on the classic Italian dessert from lemon to pistachio to ‘intenso’ coffee versions. They’re also serving lovely speciality coffees. Go and find them in their cafe up on the very fancy King Street mezzanine.

Homemade cookies have come to Wilbraham Road in Chorlton, and these come in a variety of flavours like caramel, strawberry and double chocolate. There are also brownie-based cookies (brookies!) and they strongly encourage you to order yours with a side of flavoured milk for dunking, which is adorable. Join the queue though, it’s gone a bit viral.

A very exciting addition to Castlefield. Sandy’s Smokeshed is set to open this month, and there’s lots of excitement, most of which is centred around their beast of a smoker, affectionately named Angela. They say: “Slow-smoked brisket sandwiches and slow-smoked short rib coming to a shed near you”. We say: “How soon is too soon to form a queue?”

Fans of FORT’s original coffee shop – which opened as a pop up on Deansgate in 2023 – will be pleased to know they’re opening a vast new spot in the Northern Quarter. They’re moving into what was once Foundation, and more recently Northern Pour. The extra square footage means even more sleek design, scientific brew methods and friendly service. One for the coffee obsessives to keep their eye on.

Coming to the Arndale food court this month is Lucky Gyros, a permanent home for the little blue truck more often spotted at festivals and gigs. They do chicken, lamb and vegan gyros on really fresh flatbread, as well as loads of sun-soaked sides like fries with feta, pomegranate and herbs.

The Old Tollgate pub by Trafford Bar has been temporarily closed to undergo a near half a million pound transformation into Grandstand. A staple for football fans en route to Old Trafford, regulars can expect an electric match day atmosphere with cinema-style big screens, tiered seating, sports memorabilia and a brand-new menu. We can’t wait to see what they’ve done with the place.

Pitching up outside Deansgate station from the crack of dawn is a new coffee van from Slow Goin’. It’s an adorable, three-wheel Piaggio Ape (if you know, you know). They’ve got everything you need for a great little brew on your morning commute, with beans roasted by the ever trendy All Caps.

Brand new to Urmston town centre is Equal Tea, a coffee spot with a social purpose. It’s a gorgeous looking place which also provides meaningful employment pathways for individuals with assessed needs in the local community. Just lovely stuff all round.