Manchester doesn’t really do quiet years, but 2025 felt particularly busy. New openings landed thick and fast across the city and beyond, ranging from tiny, obsessive independents to heavyweight hospitality arrivals with serious ambition. Some came with queues from day one, others quietly embedded themselves into neighbourhood life, but all of them earned their place through quality, character or sheer bloody-minded confidence.
What’s been most interesting isn’t just the volume of new places, but the variety. This year gave us Champagne boutiques, Polish bakeries, Hong Kong coffee obsessives, low-waste British cooking, cult sandwich counters, sprawling markets, revived pubs and more than a few genuinely excellent pizza joints. It also showed how far Greater Manchester’s food and drink scene stretches — with standout openings in Stockport, Ramsbottom, Prestwich, Chorlton, MediaCity and Salford playing just as big a role as the city centre.
As ever, this isn’t a list of everything that opened. It’s a curated snapshot of the places that felt important — whether for the food they’re cooking, the ideas they’re pushing, or the way people have taken them to heart. Some are polished, some are rough around the edges, and a few are already fixtures despite only opening their doors this year.
Below, you’ll find our pick of the best new Manchester openings of 2025 — the spots that gave us something genuinely new to talk about, eat, drink or queue for.
Almanac
Seasonal small-plates restaurant celebrating classic British cooking, thoughtful drinks and quietly confident hospitality.
Artista Perfetto
Precision-led coffee bar where high-tech brewing meets playful experimentation — for people who really care about the details.
Bangkok Diners Club
Thai barbecue meets smoky Americana in this fire-driven kitchen bringing serious heat, heart and innovation to the table.
Bar Shrimp
An exceptional bar, with exceptional cocktails and exceptional food from the crew behind Flawd and Higher Ground.
Big Tray BBQ
Proper American-style barbecue serving smoked meats by weight, big trays and even bigger flavours.
Cellar Door
A relaxed, design-led wine bar focused on thoughtful bottles, rotating by-the-glass pours and an easygoing, neighbourhood feel.
Chin Chin
Neighbourhood wine bar with Northern soul, natural pours and Brit-inspired small plates
Circolo Popolare
A full-throttle Italian restaurant built for sharing plates, big moments and joyful excess.
Conni’s
An all-in Italian bakery and pizzeria doing proper pizza, pastries and panuzzo sandwiches the way they’re meant to be.
Cru
Laid-back wine bar with a serious love for sparkling bottles and playful, wine-led plates.
Forbici
Meaning ‘scissors’ in Italian, these authentic pizzas come with shears to cut them up, while the toppings range from authentic Neapolitan to those with a northern twist…
Get Baked
Home of the legendary 24-layer Bruce cake, and a slew of other sensational sweet treats
Glossop Market Hall
A newly reimagined market hall combining a modern food hall, independent retail and community space under one restored historic roof.
The Horse & Jockey
Chorlton Green’s historic pub reborn with restored period charm, modern British dining and timeless neighbourhood appeal.
House of Social
Striking two-floor food hall pairing bold independent kitchens with a buzzing all-day bar and plenty of character.
Kallos Cafe & Wine Bar
Modern take on Greek café culture, serving shareable plates and well-chosen wines without the fuss.
Lina Stores
Iconic Italian deli-restaurant bringing fresh pasta, timeless recipes, and aperitivo charm to its first Northern home.
Loafi
A modern bakehouse reviving Lancashire classics with soulful breads, nostalgic pastries and sell-out custard tarts.
Lottie’s Bakehouse
Modern Chinatown bakehouse mixing soft, traditional buns with creative pastries influenced by Japanese and Southeast Asian flavours.
Maricarmen NQ
A walk-in-first Spanish tapas bar built around El Tableo service, Basque pintxos and the kind of warmth that makes you want to stay for one more plate.
Mckeown’s Slices
New York–style pizza slices served hot from a former taxi rank, with proper chew, crisp bases and zero nonsense.
Mollie’s
A playful, design-led hotel and diner blending retro Americana with modern comforts.
Morning Glory
Playful café serving loaded bagels, specialty coffee and a reinvented Manchester Tart, all wrapped up in unapologetic Manc attitude.
Nell’s Media City
Oversized New York-style pizzas, frozen margaritas and games-led chaos.
Ōdiobā
High-end sound meets refined drinks at Stockport’s coffee house-turned-listening bar.
Pip
Seasonal British cooking meets low-waste principles at this fresh, thoughtful restaurant inside the Treehouse Hotel.
Portfolio
The UK’s first ‘Champagne boutique’, Portfolio on Bridge Street boasts more than 250 Champagnes.
Posie
Refined, independent cocktail bar from the 10 Tib Lane team, blending crafted drinks and elegant plates in Manchester’s Bloc.
Royal Nawaab
Grand-scale Indian and Pakistani dining with theatre kitchens and vast banqueting spaces.
The Salmon Of Knowledge Media City
A proper Irish pub built on great Guinness, live music, big-screen sport and food that hits the spot every time.
Soho House
Design-driven members’ club spread across the former Granada Studios, with restaurants, bars, wellness spaces and a rooftop pool.
Sipp
Speciality coffee, indulgent brunch dishes and inventive mushroom-based drinks done properly.
Soots
Playful, handmade vegan pasta served in a stylish setting, with small plates, desserts and a sharp little wine list.
Sticky Fingers
Polish bakery turned all-day café, serving immaculate pastries, proper coffee and the kind of hospitality that keeps queues forming.
Stockport Provisions
Modern market deli bringing top-tier local meat, cheese and wine together under one very well-stocked roof.
SWIG
An independent coffee favourite stepping out from a van and into its first permanent home, with quality brews and zero fuss.
Tangerine
A multi-layered food, drink and music hall that shifts from daytime canteen to late-night martini bar and performance space.
The Anglesey
A lovingly restored, no-nonsense pub bringing classic beers, heritage interiors and proper boozer energy.
The Morris
A pub-and-cocktail bar hybrid serving proper pints downstairs and playful, nostalgia-driven cocktails upstairs.
The Thirsty Korean
Crispy fried chicken and cold soju lead the way at this vibrant spot inspired by Korean drinking culture.
To Be Frank
Stevenson Square-adjacent bar with a loft-like feel and an abundantly stocked bar.
V. Goode Pies
A no-nonsense pie shop serving East End-style pies with creamy mash and flowing gravy.
Viet Deli
Compact Vietnamese café serving banh mi and inventive phin-brewed iced coffees on Blackfriars Street.
Voyeur
Expertly-crafted cocktails in dark, intimate surroundings, with a nod towards risqué photography on the walls.
Zaxxfried
Fried chicken specialist with all homemade sauces, and the home of iconic fried Oreos.
