Mackie Mayor

The Northern Quarter has come a long way when it comes to food. While old school rice and three curry cafes still hide away down backstreets — serving the real taste of Manchester city centre — the perennially hip district now also has cuisine to suit pretty much any taste. From fine dining to Japanese fusion, visitors are spoilt for choice. Not least if they opt to check out Mackie Mayor, an upmarket food hall which occupies a spectacular old market building that dates back well over a century. Grade II listed, the ornate address is matched by stunning food, and the place is almost always bustling. 

Spearheaded by the team behind the renowned Altrincham Market and Market House Altrincham — two institutions in a South Manchester town renowned for dining — Mackie Mayor comprises six independent kitchens, two shops and two bars. Customers can pick, choose, mix and match between these vendors, making this a perfect option for group dining as it doesn’t limit tables to a specific cuisine. Rotisserie Chicken, fresh fish and chips, gourmet pizzas, authentic tacos, bao buns and more have all featured on the menus here, although the choice does change as it would in any traditional restaurant. 

As for drinks, Mackie Mayor keeps its customers refreshed with one of the area’s best wine bars and bottle shops, run by Reserve. The guys are experts in anything and everything viticulture, and host regular tastings. In the past these have included celebrations of the burgeoning English sector,  now the challenger brand of European sparkling and white varieties. Prefer hops? Jack In The Box is an award-winning real ale and cider bar which specialises in craft and small brewery produce. Like everything else in the building, you don’t necessarily need to book in advance, although it can definitely help at peak times.