La Mancha has been part of Rochdale dining life since 1998, tucked on The Butts opposite Bull Brow in the old town centre. Inside, it’s all warmth and bustle: clinking glasses, quick chat at the bar, and tables built for sharing plates rather than formal ceremony. The pitch is simple and winning – classic Spanish tapas done with confidence, plus paellas that arrive to the table like a centrepiece.
The menu roams from familiar favourites to a few house picks. Standards like garlic king prawns (pil-pil) arrive still sizzling; patatas bravas are properly saucy; tortilla Española is thick-set and comforting. There are pork cheeks cooked with Pedro Ximinez sherry, croquetas with a crisp-creamy crunch, and beef strips marinated with paprika and garlic if you want something heartier.
Seafood fans can chase salt-and-pepper squid, whitebait with alioli, or queen scallops with chorizo. And if you’re here to linger, call a paella: seafood, king prawn, chicken-and-chorizo mixta, or a vegetable version — each cooked to share. Garlic potatoes are a quiet local favourite, perfect for mopping up sauces.
Sundays at La Mancha bring a different flavour, with a lunch menu that blends Spanish flair and British tradition. Roast chicken, lamb, or beef are served with all the expected trimmings — crisp potatoes, seasonal vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and rich gravy — alongside the option of tapas-inspired starters and desserts. It’s an appealing twist for those who love the ceremony of a Sunday roast but want something a little more cosmopolitan, with the restaurant’s Mediterranean warmth carrying through the whole experience.
It’s relaxed, upbeat and resolutely Mediterranean in spirit, the kind of room where a quick glass of vino becomes a small feast. As Rochdale’s dedicated tapas specialist, it’s an easy pick for date night, group grazing or a pre-theatre bite in the historic centre.
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