La Bandera is a canarian spanish restaurant in Deansgate, Manchester.
Family-run Canarian-Spanish restaurant on Ridgefield off Deansgate, in the heart of Spinningfields. Tapas counter, seven-course tasting at the chef's table, all-Spanish wine list.
Signature dishes: Iberico pork pluma, Canarian wrinkled potatoes with mojo
Must order: Iberico pluma; papas arrugadas with red and green mojo.
Tip: Book the kitchen table for the seven-course tasting; bar walk-ins fine for tapas.
Address: 2 Ridgefield, Manchester M2 6EQ
Manchester branch of Will Beckett and Huw Gott's London steakhouse. Native-breed British beef dry-aged in cellar; weekday Steak and Sides at nineteen.
Signature: 35-day dry-aged rump, Lobster mac and cheese
Order: The 35-day dry-aged rump with bone-marrow gravy and triple-cooked chips.
Tip: The £19 Steak and Sides lunch runs weekdays 12:00 to 17:30; book ahead.
60-cover Northern Quarter room just off Stevenson Square from The Pen and Pencil team. Theatre-style open chargrill kitchen, flatbreads from scratch, mezze with locally-sourced marinades and sauces.
Signature: Flat iron steak kebab with whipped blue cheese, Lemon garlic halibut kebab
Order: Flat iron steak kebab with truffle and pickled raisins.
Tip: Book ahead Thursday to Saturday; basement Honey Trap Club is the after-dinner option.
Sourdough pizza stall inside the Mackie Mayor food hall. Forty-eight-hour ferment, wood-fired oven, the queue moves fast even at Sunday lunch.
Signature: Sourdough pizza, Margherita
Order: Margherita with extra basil; the daily special if it's a sausage and ferment combo.
Tip: Order at the counter, hold a spot at the communal tables, food brought to you.
Native-breed beef counter inside Mackie Mayor. Dry-aged rump and a smashburger built around the same beef; the burger queue is the long one.
Signature: Rump steak, Smashburger
Order: The smashburger double; rump and chips if you want a fork plate.
Tip: Sit at the long table by the kitchen; the burger is faster from the bar.
Mexican counter inside Manchester's Mackie Mayor food hall. Soft corn tortillas pressed in-house, three filling options on rotation, agua fresca by jug.
Signature: Tacos, Tostadas
Order: Al pastor and birria tacos; tostadas with the daily ceviche topping for two.
Tip: Order at the counter, then find a seat at the long communal tables and they bring it across the hall.
Stockport Road neighbourhood Italian that grew from a Levenshulme market stall. Regular pizzas, regional pastas, cicchetti and weekly specials, plus Italian-leaning Sunday roasts.
Signature: Pizza Napoletana, Italian-style Sunday roast
Order: Pizza of the week; the Italian Sunday roast on a Sunday afternoon.
Tip: Twenty minutes south of Piccadilly by train; pair with a Levenshulme Market stroll on Saturdays.
Manchester branch of Will Beckett and Huw Gott's London steakhouse. Native-breed British beef dry-aged in cellar; weekday Steak and Sides at nineteen.
Signature: 35-day dry-aged rump, Lobster mac and cheese
Order: The 35-day dry-aged rump with bone-marrow gravy and triple-cooked chips.
Tip: The £19 Steak and Sides lunch runs weekdays 12:00 to 17:30; book ahead.
