The best seafood restaurants in Manchester  

Regarded as one of the best chippies in the UK, Prestwich’s Chips at No. 8 saw their recent relocation (to bigger premises at No. 10 of the same street) as an opportunity to open a new dining room. The upstairs restaurant serves up fish-focussed signature dishes like Maryland crab cakes, fish pie and even moules frites, as well as all the comforting fried goodness from the chip shop downstairs. And if the idea of that doesn’t make you happy, we simply do not know what will.

Supposedly the only Louisiana-style seafood boil restaurant in Manchester (we can’t think of any others), Crabbish don’t do seafood by halves. Simply put, they boil up an array of shellfish – you pick exactly what you want from shrimps and clams to crab and lobster – then you choose a sauce and a spice level. Everything is mixed up together in a bag and then delivered to diners directly onto the table. If this sounds outrageous, that’s because it is – but it’s all part of the experience. Disposable tablecloths and gloves are in high demand. Then all you have to do is tuck in, discarding shells as you go. It might not be an ideal first date spot, but for seafood lovers who aren’t scared of heads, tails, claws and the like, it’s a must-try.

This little Heaton Moor fishmonger opened in 2008, and in 2014 they decided to open an intimate, 30-cover restaurant. In fact, they had too – they were simply missing a trick by not preparing their award-winning wares, and Stockport diners were simply poorer for it. Menu-wise, it’s all about letting the flavours of that supremely high-quality fish do the talking. Dishes are all classics, done to perfection, with the right amount of creative flair. There’s a plaice schnitzel and fries, a tarragon-crusted cod loin, and a seared sea bass with prawn dumplings and ginger, but if you prefer, there are vast sharing boards of the good stuff accompanied by enough dips, breads and sauces to keep everyone happy. When it comes to really special seafood in an environment you just want to spend time in, these guys make the near-impossible look easy.

One for the seafood purists who are looking for a unique experience. If you like your seafood as fresh as it comes, head up to Ashton Old Road and experience the Asian-inspired crustaceous delights being served up at Live Seafood. Probably not one for vegans, this place has tanks of seafood from which you can pick your dinner. There’s everything you might expect, like crab and oysters, as well as wildcard options like eel and razor clams. Their eye-catching displays aren’t just a gimmick, the food is genuinely excellent, with seafood prepared in a variety of ways including salt and pepper and Sichuan styles. And for non-believers, there’s loads of noodle-based dishes too.

While its location out on a Middleton industrial estate might not scream ‘must visit’, Ocean Treasure doesn’t need to look glamorous from the outside when the offering inside is this strong. They offer three menus – there’s a traditional a la carte and a dim sum menu, but things get really interesting on the Beijing Sichuan menu. Want to get straight down to business? Seafood-wise you can expect braised scallops with bamboo fungus and Cantonese stir fried king prawns, baked lobster tails and even salt and pepper frog’s legs. The space has a banquet hall feel, so we advise ordering mountains of the stuff. And for after dinner? There’s karaoke, obviously.

DIY hot pot and Chinese BBQ with a conveyor belt twist and a strong penchant for fresh, delicious seafood by the platter-load. A favourite of serious foodies, this is budget-friendly, immersive dining where you can be the chef. Take your pick of three floors: The basement level offers the rice and noodle bar, while the ground floor is a hot pot lounge where you select your ingredients from a conveyor belt, and there’s a Chinese BBQ too. From sweet and sour sea bass to razor clams with black bean sauce, salt and pepper lobster and steamed scallops, their marine offering is as aesthetically-pleasing as it is ambitious. If you think you’ve seen everything, try here next.

With spots in Chorlton and Sale, The Oystercatcher are all about ultra fresh, ultra sophisticated seafood with loads of foodie flair. Yes, the oysters are a given, but the restaurant extends its reach to a spectrum of fish and seafood dishes on the menu, all brought to life on their in-house chargrill. Their menu is a seasonal one, but you can expect to see the likes of chargrilled octopus with batata harra and harissa, tandoori BBQ monkfish, and black sea bream with salsa verde. You can even stick to comfort food with an elevated fish and chips meal. There’s simply nowhere quite like it in Manchester.

A love letter to the most glistening gems of the ocean, visitors to Street Urchin can usually expect something special. A wall of greenery greets guests as they arrive foliage cascading over a handwritten chalkboard menu, crammed full of constantly-changing dishes. The chefs here tend to favour unpretentious ideas made with the finest possible ingredients. Starters include dishes like smoked crab thermidor with parmesan and parsley crumb with a hunk of crusty bread and stone bass ceviche with prawn and plantain fritters. Mains include roast hake on the bone and whole red gurnard, while meat-lovers are catered to with the likes of English veal striploin with boulangère potatoes and tikka-marinated hogget chop. So, nothing down at heel about this place then. 

Vermilion is a luxurious restaurant out in Sports City that serves what you might broadly term as pan-Asian cuisine. Don’t be fooled by its off-the-beaten-path location, this place knows how to put on a show. From the second you step through the doors, it’s clear Vermillion is a theatrical kind of place, full of vast banqueting tables and moody, low-lit dining rooms. The menu is similarly opulent, you can eat your way through seafood-centric Thai, Indian, Korean and Japanese. With Tandoori giant prawns sharing table space with spicy salmon maki and curried sea bass, seafood fans can enjoy a continent-spanning feast.