This and That is an indian restaurant in Northern Quarter, Manchester.
Family-run Indian cafe since 1984, on Soap Street behind the Arndale. Rice-and-three counter, canteen-style, still under ten pounds a plate.
Signature dishes: Rice and three curry, Vegetable curry
Must order: Rice and three curry: pilau plus chana, saag and a meat curry.
Tip: Open 12:00 to 19:00 weekdays; takeaway queue moves fast at lunch.
Address: 3 Soap Street, Manchester M4 1EW
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, Lemon garlic halibut kebab
Order: Flat iron steak kebab with whipped blue cheese, truffle and pickled raisins.
Tip: Book ahead Thursday to Saturday; basement Honey Trap Club for after-dinner cocktails.
All-day kitchen on Tib Street with a global menu and a plant-leaning bias. Brunch through dinner, Middle Eastern and pan-Asian small plates from afternoon.
Signature: Vegetable plates, Pan-Asian and Mediterranean
Order: Confit chickpeas on toast with whipped feta; the saffron and turmeric chicken.
Tip: Brunch crowds 10:00 to 13:00; the late-afternoon shift is the best time for a quiet table.
P G and Lilawati Sachdev opened Lily's in 1972; pure vegetarian, family-run, packed with regulars. Best Vegetarian at the 2018 Food Festival.
Signature: Gujarati thali, South Indian dosa
Order: The Lily's thali, a daily-changing tour of Gujarati and Punjabi vegetarian plates.
Tip: Ashton-under-Lyne is twenty minutes by tram from Piccadilly; closed Monday and Tuesday.
Neighbourhood tasting room in Urmston; Michelin Guide listed. Small kitchen, regularly changing menu, walking distance from the Metrolink stop.
Signature: Tasting menu, Local produce
Order: The six-course tasting; vegetarian version is the kitchen's strong second.
Tip: Dinner Wednesday to Saturday; the room is small, book three weeks ahead.
Levenshulme neighbourhood Italian on Stockport Road that grew from a market stall. Pizza, regional pastas, cicchetti, weekly specials and Italian-leaning Sunday roasts under chef-owner Lorenzo Liveri.
Signature: Pizza Napoletana, Italian Sunday roast
Order: Pizza of the week; the Italian-style Sunday roast on a Sunday afternoon.
Tip: Closed Mondays; book the back room on Saturdays for the wider tasting plates.
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, Lemon garlic halibut kebab
Order: Flat iron steak kebab with whipped blue cheese, truffle and pickled raisins.
Tip: Book ahead Thursday to Saturday; basement Honey Trap Club for after-dinner cocktails.
All-day kitchen on Tib Street with a global menu and a plant-leaning bias. Brunch through dinner, Middle Eastern and pan-Asian small plates from afternoon.
Signature: Vegetable plates, Pan-Asian and Mediterranean
Order: Confit chickpeas on toast with whipped feta; the saffron and turmeric chicken.
Tip: Brunch crowds 10:00 to 13:00; the late-afternoon shift is the best time for a quiet table.
Simon Martin opened Mana in Ancoats in 2018. Manchester's first Michelin star in over forty years when it landed in 2019. Open-kitchen tasting room.
Signature: Tasting menu, British seafood
Order: The full tasting menu; British produce-led, often built around coastal seafood and seasonal vegetables.
Tip: Reserve six weeks ahead for Friday and Saturday; weekday lunch slots open the same season.
