Manchester restaurant named 2nd in UK's Top 100 Restaurants for 2026

Skof by Tom Barnes has skyrocketed into the hearts of fine dining foodies after only two years.

A lot of work has gone into turning Manchester’s iconic Hanover Building into a slick, spacious restaurant that still pays homage to its roots as an Edwardian drapery warehouse.

Tom Barnes arrived in Manchester with a CV to match anyone in the country, but Skof remains to be warm and welcoming.

Barnes and team are turning out some of the best food in the country. Immaculate bites emerge at perfect intervals, from a dinky cured mackerel flatbread with fermented gooseberry, to an astonishing glazed langoustine, which reclines majestically on a sourdough croustade, dripping in langoustine emulsion. If you're worried that all this excellence comes at a price, there's an outstanding lunch menu at just £50 a head, and it doesn’t skimp on portions either.

OpenTable said: “There are other restaurants that can match the level of cooking at Skof, but few do it with the same exceptional balance and warmth. If there were doubters, they can be silenced now - Skof has instantly put itself in the conversation as one of the UK’s very best restaurants.”