Michelin Guide: Two more Greater Manchester restaurants added just months after opening taking total to 14

Two more Greater Manchester restaurants have been added to the prestigious Michelin Guide, bringing the region’s total up to 14.

The guide’s inspectors assess restaurants based on five criteria including quality of products, mastery of flavour and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef represented in the dining experience, harmony of flavours of consistency between inspectors’ visits.

There are also Green Star awards for sustainability and the Bib Gourmand, which recognises great cooking at more moderately priced restaurants. Stockport’s Where the Light Gets In, which was also recently recognised in the AA Hospitality Awards, is the only Manchester restaurant to hold a Michelin Green Star, and El Gato Negro and The Spärrows both have Bib Gourmands.

The highest accolade awarded by the guide, however, is the coveted Michelin Star. Manchester currently only has one Michelin-starred restaurant, Mana, which is located in Ancoats.

The Manchester restaurants previously included in the guide include: Erst, mana, 63 Degrees, The Spärrows, Adam Reid at the French, El Gato Negro, Another Hand, Where the Light Gets In, The White Hart, OSMA, Perfect Match and Borage.

Here are the two new additions to the Greater Manchester Michelin Guide.

Higher Ground

Having only opened in February, Higher Ground has achieved amazing things in a relatively short amount of time. Its inclusion in the Michelin Guide is just the latest in a string of awards and achievements for the city centre restaurant.

It is one of seven Manchester restaurants included in the Good Food Guide’s best 100 restaurants in the country and it recently ranked 20 places higher than the Michelin-starred Mana in the National Restaurant Awards’ rankings.

The menu, devised by chefs that have worked in some of the best Michelin-starred restaurants in the world such as noma, Relæ and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, includes a variety of modern takes on classic British cuisine.

The Michelin Guide said: “What started life as a pop-up in 2020 is now a permanent spot in the heart of the city, owned and run by three friends who also operate wine bar Flawd and a market garden in the Cheshire countryside.The latter provides much of the top quality produce found on the menu, in dishes that are designed for sharing and packed with flavour.

“Sit at the large counter to see the chefs putting care and pride into every dish. The whole team, led by the owners, are charming and cheery, making your visit that extra bit more enjoyable.”

ÖRME

Located in Urmston, Orme is another recent opening that has already made its mark on the Greater Manchester food scene. Their focus is on taster menus, which are reasonably priced at £35-45 per person.

The Michelin Guide said: “You will find a pleasantly welcoming quality at this small restaurant run by three young owners. There’s a distinct Nordic touch to proceedings, yet British produce is at the heart of the appealing tasting menu – which gives you the option to add supplementary courses for a more bespoke experience.

“Attractively presented dishes offer bold, vibrant flavours with a mix of the classic and the modern in their influences. Wine flights are also available, including a particularly interesting British themed option.”