Ancoats was once the industrial hub and the beating heart of the cotton trade in Manchester, much of that is still evident today with it’s beautiful Mill conversions and ‘The Ancoats Peeps’.
In the last 5 years Ancoats has changed dramatically and gone from having near on no bars or restaurants, to the beating heart of the city’s food and drink scene. It’s amazing how quick this area has evolved.
The main area? Cutting room square. Now the new trendy spot for food and drink and the place-to-be (The new Stevenson square) Boasting a majority of independent bars and restaurants, One of the best awarded pizzas in the world (Rudys) Awarded one of Manchester’s best cocktail bars (Jane Erye) And Manchester’s only Michelin star restaurant (Mana)
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The Smartblend rating system
FOOD
The food rating is based on constancy, taste, look and innovation
DRINK
Drinks are rated on constancy, taste, look and innovation. All apply to cocktails, wines, No ABV and pretty much any other drink menu the venue has
AMBIENCE
Ambience is all about the vibe, the environment and the interior. Ratings are based on everything from how close the tables are, how it smells and the views, all the way to the toilets and music.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Customer service is based on the friendliness and accommodating attitude of the staff. How welcomed do you feel?
VALUE £££
Price is all about the money. This isn’t about if it’s cheap it gets a 10 and if it’s expensive it gets a 1. It’s all about the value you get for what you spend. Does the cost make sense?
Rules of reviewing
Don’t rate a restaurant or bar a zero in everything just because you didn’t like the customer service. That has nothing to do with how good the food or drinks are.
Don’t review a place you work in or your best mate works in.
All reviews are reviewed before being added to the average score to wean out any petty or fake reviews.
If you score a restaurant or bar 10 or 0 points to any section, you must add a note to explain why.
How it works
Once you submit your review it will be added within 24 hours worked out as an average. This means the highest review a bar or restaurant can achieve is 50.
You may also add a review note if there is something you would like to say about the bar or restaurant.
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The Smartblend Guide To Manchester, Ancoats Bars & Restaurants
Last updated: 17/08/2020
Canto
Style - Mediterranean inspired tapas
Description - El Gato Negro’s younger sibling; serving up fast-paced, exciting Mediterranean-inspired tapas. Using the freshest and finest seasonal ingredients sourced from both local and continental suppliers to create small plates designed for sharing and savouring, combining the vision of El Gato Negro’s Simon Shaw and Head Chef Carlos Gomes. They also offer a specially-curated selection of wines, spirits and beers to accompany their food.
Location - Cutting Room Square, Blossom Street, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 5DH
Official website - https://www.cantorestaurant.com/
Smartblend Score for Canto
FOOD
8
DRINK
6.5
AMBIENCE
7.5
CUSTOMER SERVICE
8.5
VALUE £
7
TOTAL SCORE
37.5
Elnecot
Style - cocktails • British small plates • weekend brunch & Sunday roasts
Description - Elnecot is Ancoats neighbourhood bar, built in a way to accommodate any situation: Popping in to do some work, celebrating a birthday, or date night. Their food and drinks menus mirror this intention with a wide range of small/large plates, brunch, Sunday roasts, cocktails and hot drinks.
Location - 41 Blossom Street, Cutting Room Square, Manchester, M4 6AJ
Official website - https://elnecot.com/
Smartblend Score for Elnecot
FOOD
7.5
DRINK
8.5
AMBIENCE
7.5
CUSTOMER SERVICE
8.5
VALUE £
7
TOTAL SCORE
39
Erst
Style - Natural wine • Small plates made for sharing
Description - Co-owned by two members of the team at Trove cafe + bakery. Patrick Withington: Who was the head chef over at Trove and helped the venue snap up multiple awards. And William Sutton: Who was a Barista within trove and rose to help develop there drink menus, which gave him his passion for natural wine. The two have now joined forces to bring you Erst, Serving up small plates alongside a wide selection of Natural wines with Patrick taking the reigns of chef patron/Co-owner and William as the restaurant manager/Co-owner.
Location - 9 Murray St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6HS
Official website - https://www.erst-mcr.co.uk/
Smartblend Score for Erst
FOOD
9
DRINK
10
AMBIENCE
8
CUSTOMER SERVICE
10
VALUE £
9
TOTAL SCORE
46
The Jane Eyre
Style - Cosy • Cocktails • Good for groups
• Small plates
Description - Two brothers running a warm and welcoming neighbourhood bar. Serving classic cocktails with a twist, an eclectic range of keg and bottled beers and simple, great tasting food using the highest quality ingredients. Built and named in memory of the brothers mum.
Location - 14 Hood St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6WX
Official website - https://www.thejaneeyre.co.uk/
Smartblend Score for The Jane Eyre
FOOD
7.5
DRINK
10
AMBIENCE
8
CUSTOMER SERVICE
9
VALUE £
8
TOTAL SCORE
42.5
Top reasons to visit
One of the best places for a cocktail in the city
Second City
Style - American-style eats • Sports bar
Description - Second city, the sports bar re-invented. As well as all the usual aspects you would expect from a sports bar they also have a focus on serving up classic comfort foods such as wings, nachos and burgers.
Location - 7 Blossom St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6AJ
Official website - http://www.secondcitybar.co.uk/
Smartblend Score for Second City
Yet to be scored.
FOOD
0
DRINK
0
AMBIENCE
0
CUSTOMER SERVICE
0
VALUE £
0
TOTAL SCORE
0
Seven Bro7hers
Style - Beerhouse • Comfort food
Description - As said by the team of brothers that own Seven Bro7hers (yes, there’s really 7 of them!) “We make really good craft beer”.
Location - 39 Blossom St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 5AF
Official website - https://www.sevenbro7hers.com/beerhouse-ancoats/
Smartblend Score for Seven Bro7hers
FOOD
8.5
DRINK
8
AMBIENCE
6
CUSTOMER SERVICE
7
VALUE £
8
TOTAL
37.5
Top reasons to visit
Honeycomb Pale Ale - An absolute must-try
Rudy’s Ancoats
Style - Neapolitan pizza
Description - Fancy yourself an authentic Neapolitan pizza (top 10 in.the.WORLD) then you’ve come to the right place! Did we mention it’s also located in one of the official* coolest neighbourhoods in the world too?
*so says Time Out and, who are we to argue with those travel giants!
Location - 9 Cotton St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 5BF
Official website - https://www.rudyspizza.co.uk/ancoats/
Smartblend Score for Rudy’s Ancoats
FOOD
9.5
DRINK
7
AMBIENCE
6.5
CUSTOMER SERVICE
7.5
VALUE £
9.5
TOTAL SCORE
40
Top reasons to visit
Award winning pizza
The Edinburgh Castle
Style - British • Pub • Whisky • Cocktails
Description - serving the residents of Ancoats with exceptional food & drink – from classic, considered dishes to great beers & a generous whiskey selection downstairs in the pub. Upstairs, you will find progressive and imaginative dishes with a wine list to match their 36 cover restaurant.
Location - Henry St &, Blossom St, Manchester M4 5AW
Official website - https://www.ec-ancoats.com/
Smartblend Score for Edinburgh Castle
FOOD
8
DRINK
10
AMBIENCE
8
CUSTOMER SERVICE
8
VALUE £
9
TOTAL SCORE
43
Top reasons to visit
One of the best signature Negronis in Manchester
Hip Hop Chip Shop
Style - Hip hop style fish and chips • British • Street food
Description - What started as a pop up food stall at places such as B.Eat street and grub is now a permanent restaurant in Ancoats. Combining the teams love of hip hop and fish and chips. The menu puts its hip hop styled, quirky twist on the classic chippy tea with dishes such as the “Feastie boys” (Chunky skin-on chips and battered fish bites) and “Halloumi, myself and I” (Battered Halloumi fingers, chunky skin-on chips and minty mushy peas)
Location - 44 Blossom St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6BF
Official website - https://www.thehiphopchipshop.com/
Smartblend Score for Hip Hop Chip Shop
FOOD
8
DRINK
7.5
AMBIENCE
7.5
CUSTOMER SERVICE
6.5
VALUE £
7
TOTAL SCORE
36.5
Viet Shack
Style - Vietnamese restaurant
Description - Owned by two friends who are practically family. Leo, originally from an accounting background and Nelson, a fashion designer. Both with a passion for bringing you traditional Vietnamese food. Straight from Saigon to Manchester.
Location - 65 Great Ancoats St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 5AB
Official website - https://www.vietshackrestaurant.co.uk/
Smartblend Score for Viet Shack
FOOD
9
DRINK
7.5
AMBIENCE
7.5
CUSTOMER SERVICE
8
VALUE £
8
TOTAL SCORE
40
Nam
Style - Vietnamese restaurant • Classic cocktails
Description - Family run, independent vietnamese restaurant using traditional techniques they learnt from their Mum & a bit of TLC. Located in the middle of the buzzing cotton room square. As they say “There are few things that can beat a hot bowl of great Pho, just ask Mum!”
Location - Unit 2, 33 Blossom St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6AJ
Official website - http://www.nammcr.com/
Smartblend Score for Nam
Yet to be scored.
FOOD
0
DRINK
0
AMBIENCE
0
CUSTOMER SERVICE
0
VALUE £
0
TOTAL SCORE
0
Sugo Pasta Kitchen
Style - Modern Italian fare specialising in pastas • Vegan options
Description - Passionate and obsessive about making Italian food exciting again. Drawing from deep rooted southern Italian heritage and creativity, the people of Sugo pledge to put there soul, mind and character on to each and every plate they serve.
Location - 46 Blossom St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6BF
Official website - https://www.sugopastakitchen.co.uk/about
Smartblend Score for Sugo Pasta Kitchen
FOOD
9
DRINK
6
AMBIENCE
6.5
CUSTOMER SERVICE
8
VALUE £
7
TOTAL SCORE
36.5
Counter House
Style - Brunch • Sunday roast • comfort classics and health inspired dishes
Description - A vibrant neighbourhood eatery in the heart of Ancoats, Manchester. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving the best in comfort classics and health inspired dishes. All day, every day.
Location - 5 Blossom St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6AJ
Official website - https://www.thecounterhouse.co.uk/
Smartblend Score for Counter House
FOOD
9
DRINK
7.5
AMBIENCE
7.75
CUSTOMER SERVICE
9
VALUE £
9
TOTAL SCORE
42.25
Mana
Style - High-end • Michelin star • reservation-only British fixture with a locally sourced avant-garde menu & wine pairings
Description - Manchester’s first Michelin star restaurant since 1977. Mana managed to snap up it’s Michelin star after not even being open for a full year! Thanks to it’s chef patron Simon Martin. In Simon’s own words “If I were to sum up my restaurant in three words, they would be; alive, evolving and immersive, but above all of this; mana is my canvas, my studio, and my home” The menu has a focus on the very best produce of the British isles prepared with a combination of science and art.
Location - 42 Blossom St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6BF
Official website - https://manarestaurant.co.uk/
Smartblend Score for Mana
FOOD
8
DRINK
8
AMBIENCE
9
CUSTOMER SERVICE
10
VALUE £
8
TOTAL SCORE
43
Top reasons to visit
A michelin star restaurant experience
Street Urchin
Style - Seafood
Description -Street Urchin is a constantly evolving restaurant that specialises in seafood. Set with floor to ceiling windows and an open kitchen overflowing with fresh growing herbs. The menu at Street Urchin changes weekly, so each visit is different from the last. Just check out there currently “Black board” menu to see whats being served.
Location - 72 Great Ancoats St, Manchester M4 5BG
Official website - https://street-urchin.co.uk/
Smartblend Score for Street Urchin
FOOD
10
DRINK
7.5
AMBIENCE
9
CUSTOMER SERVICE
10
VALUE £
10
TOTAL SCORE
46.5
Top reasons to visit
Friendly staff
Amazing food
Cocoa Cabana
Style - Chocolate • Sweet treats • Cafe • Cocktails
Description - Chocolate by day - Cocktails by night. Cocoa Cabana is one of Ancoats newest additions, serving up deliciously sweet cocktails by night and even sweeter chocolatey treats by day. Founded in 2012, Cocoa Cabana has gained a loyal following for its artisan, additive-free chocolates, homemade cakes and chocolate afternoon teas.
Location - 7 Murray St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6HS
Official website - https://cocoa-cabana.co.uk/
Smartblend Score for Cocoa Cabana
FOOD
9
DRINK
6
AMBIENCE
9
CUSTOMER SERVICE
9
VALUE £
8
TOTAL SCORE
41
Top reasons to visit
Craving something sweet, these guys are experts in chocolate.
Blue Eyed Panda
Style - Chinese - Venezuelan - Vegetarian options
Description - Offering authentic Chinese cuisine such as steamed Dim sums, Stir Fry, Salt and pepper and Casserole dishes, but also serving some special Venezuelan influenced fusion dishes with a wide range of Vegetarian choices.
Location - 3 Jersey St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6JA
Official website - http://www.blueeyedpanda.co.uk/
Smartblend Score for Blue Eyed Panda
Yet to be scored.
FOOD
0
DRINK
0
AMBIENCE
0
CUSTOMER SERVICE
0
VALUE £
0
TOTAL SCORE
0
Want to check out more locations? How about the bars and restaurants of Manchesters Norther quarter. Or how about the fine-dining experiences of Manchesters Spinningfields. Got somewhere else in mind? Check out Manchester bars and restaurants elsewhere in the city