Metro Cafe

On the surface, Metro Café in Chorlton looks like a classic local caff. Opposite the tram stop, it’s long been the place for a no-nonsense fry-up, strong brews and the sort of warm welcome that regulars treasure. But behind the standard greasy spoon menu lies something altogether more unique: a daily changing spread of Persian home cooking, prepared by owners Majid and Zahra using recipes handed down through Zahra’s family.

The dual identity is what makes this spot so special. One table might be tucking into a halal full English, while the next is sharing bowls of khoresh fesenjan – a rich chicken stew with saffron, walnuts and pomegranate, perfectly balanced between sweet and sharp. Another group might opt for ghormeh sabzi, melting lamb with herbs and more of that precious saffron Zahra insists on sourcing properly, even at eye-watering prices. Vegetarians are well looked after too, with dishes like mirza ghasemi, a smoky blend of aubergine, garlic and tomato that’s as satisfying as anything with meat.

It’s this combination – comfort-food café classics alongside deeply authentic Persian cooking – that turned Metro Café into a cult favourite, long before television cameras arrived to spotlight its charms. When The Hotel Inspector gave the place a spruce-up and introduced the name The Persian Stop, it simply made official what regulars had known all along: this was already one of Manchester’s best-kept secrets.

The atmosphere remains as easy-going as ever. Fry-ups are still plated with the same generosity, mugs of tea are still poured without fuss, and the Persian specials continue to rotate, meaning there’s nearly always something new to discover. Few places manage to embody both the everyday and the extraordinary quite like this. For Chorlton locals, it’s part of the furniture. For everyone else, it’s well worth the tram ride to taste the kind of soulful cooking you won’t forget in a hurry.