The best restaurants in Didsbury

Right in the centre of Didsbury Village, 2Nakhon is a contemporary Thai (think pink neon and bamboo-clad nooks) restaurant inspired by the Nakhon Ratchasima province in which owner Wole and head chef Ekachai grew up in. Ekachai is from the South of Thailand and has over 25 years’ worth of experience in the kitchen making dishes like these. Alongside the classics you’d expect, you’ll find some more leftfield chef’s specials too like the ‘weeping tiger’ sizzling sirloin steak and a tamarind sea bass. Because it’s Didsbury, there’s also an indulgent brunch menu too, with Thai inflections such as spicy tiger prawns.

Winner of 2023’s National Curry Award for Best Nepalese Restaurant, among countless other wins over the years, The Great Kathmandu’s trophy cabinet has no doubt been extended several times by now. Opened by Gopal and Jhunu Dangol in 1986 with the mission of bringing the flavours and culture of Nepal to England, its longevity speaks volumes about how successful they have been, serving up ever-popular Indian tandoori dishes alongside distinct Nepalese influences coming in the form of dishes like Sunakothi seafood cooked with ginger and garlic, and Makhan fish cooked with butter, cream and tomatoes. Their Instagram page is an absolute hoot too.

Understated and unfussy, but with a relentless focus on great cooking – this is a Gary Usher enterprise after all – Hispi is a bone fide Didsbury favourite. Aside from an outstanding Sunday roast, they serve a super seasonal menu stacked with classic bistro dishes, with just the right amount of contemporary deviations. They also offer a ‘two courses for £20’ menu in the week, with lots of Mediterranean-influenced favourites. One of the best and most reliable restaurants in Manchester.

The Original Third Eye has been a mainstay of Didsbury Village since 2000 and has a link to Indian cooking royalty. Chef Arun Kumar was trained by his father from India, who worked at the legendary Moti Mahal, Delhi. For those less familiar with the subcontinent’s restaurant scene, this spot lays claim to being the birthplace of butter chicken and many more dishes. So obviously trying the butter chicken is a must, although many of their Nepalese-inspired dishes are must-trys too, including the momocha dumplings (served steamed or fried) or the creamy dal makhani, another Moti Mahal hero dish.

Another South Manchester gem, Namaste Nepal is a family-run spot which has been serving Indian and Nepalese food to the diners of West Didsbury for over twenty years. Serving favourite Nepalese dishes like momos, Makhan fish and sadekho kebabs, alongside your kormas and massalas, it’s an ideal curry spot if you’re wanting to mix things up a bit, while still wanting to enjoy some more familiar options too. Seafood lovers are especially well catered for too; there’s spicy barbecued mackerel and aromatic king prawns aplenty. And if we’re being strictly on-theme about things, it should all be enjoyed with a bottle of Ghurka beer.

Pomegranate owners Sia and Parisa extend the warmest of welcomes at their terracotta-fronted spot on bustling Burton Road. Serving a contemporary take on Persian cuisine, there are all your classic mezze-style dishes like olives and hummus, kofteh meatballs and stuffed peppers. Aubergine features heavily, as does grilled meat, and of course the eponymous ruby ref fruit. It’s perfect for ordering a little bit of everything for the table. Seek them out – it’s difficult to miss.

Starting life in Chester, with a gorgeous little spot tucked right by the historic Roman walls, Porta now have three equally pretty spots this side of the M56, Didsbury’s being the latest addition. All three are subtly lit, clad in dark wood, and have the ideal ambience for lazily exploring their thoughtful menus. People will tell you to try the tenderstem broccoli with romesco, which you definitely should, but don’t skip the zamorano cheese with quince either, the blue cheese with honey, sultanas and walnuts or whatever the croquettes of the day are – they’re always excellent. With great, regularly changing specials, Porta is reliably excellent, and the service is exceptional.

If you had to dream up the ideal neighbourhood bar and restaurant, it might look a lot like Volta. Born from the minds of DJ duo-turned-hospitality heavyweights Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford (formerly known as The Unabombers), this warm and stylish spot fuses laid-back energy with a sharp sense of taste. Serving globally-inspired small plates alongside indulgent steaks and Sunday roasts, the food here is confident, clever and consistently good. A casual lunch can easily become evening cocktails, and on a sunny day their outdoor terrace is perfect for watching the comings and goings of ever-trendy Burton Road.

This colourful Didsbury spot serves mainly Filipino food, but there are tonnes of Malaysian flavours in the mix too. Founded by Zos Fulwell and Yen Tham, Yes Lah is a bright and relaxed cafe which celebrates an array of Asian dishes both sweet and sour, their neon green pandan cheesecake and bright purple ube cream cake being joyous examples of such. On the savoury front, you can tuck into bao, rice bowls and fusion dishes served on mix-matched vintage crockery for full kitsch-factor. We challenge you to not come away smiling.

Serving food from all across the Levant – that’s Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, with a good dose of Turkish and Greek influence too – Zena is a cosy, wood panelled restaurant at the top of Burton Road. Inside, the decor is a cacophony of colours and textures, to match the pan-continental cuisine on offer. Serving heaps of mezze dishes, dips and flatbreads, savoury pastries and platter upon platter of scorched, tender meat, this is the sort of restaurant you head to with foodie mates, and get a bit of everything for the table. Take that approach, and it’s scientifically impossible to order wrong. It’s also BYOB, so the bill always feels like an absolute bargain.

You can find Zumuku Sushi sitting on a historic parade of shops along Lapwing Lane, a stone’s throw from the Metrolink stop and within walking distance of pretty much everything this part of the city has to offer. The point being, there’s plenty to take people away from the restaurant, so the fact it’s always so busy says a lot about how good it is. There are a few Zumuku’s across the region, with subtle changes to the menu in each. Didsbury’s has a focus on elaborate platters of sushi rolls, bao buns, sushi tacos and poke bowls.