Where to eat and drink in Chorlton – including restaurants, delis and cocktail bars

The South Manchester suburb of Chorlton is well known for its food and drink scene. Over the years, many restaurants have come and gone from the area, but there are a few that have stood the test of time and helped make the suburb the foodie hub that it is today.

These days, it is regarded as one of the city’s more affluent areas, often cited as a prime example of suburban gentrification in Greater Manchester. But criticisms of “champagne socialism” aside, it is still a go-to destination for food-loving Mancunians from across the region.

We’ve put together a list of some of our favourite Chorlton food and drink spots – including cafes, delis, takeaways and dessert spots. Have we missed any out? Let us know via our Facebook page.

Beech Road

Beech Road is a quiet and leafy area that connects the high street with the historic Chorlton Green. It is here that you will find tapas restaurant Bar San Juan, which is widely regarded as one of the best in Manchester – including by actress Michelle Keegan, who included it in her “dream meal” when she appeared on the Off Menu food podcast.

The Lead Station is another popular spot on Beech Road, having first opened in 1995. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but is on the pricier end of the scale, with main meals costing between £13.50 for a salad and £26 for sirloin steak. The team behind The Lead Station also own cocktail bar 97, which we reviewed when it opened in March. This cosy yet classy drinks spot, whose menu comes in the form of Top Trumps cards, is perfect for date nights and more intimate gatherings, or when you just want to treat yourself with a cocktail or two.

The Laundrette is another popular food and drink venue, particularly if you want some content for your Instagram feed. Their tag line is “cocktails and carbs,” serving fun and inventive cocktails, as well as comfort food items like burgers, pizzas and desserts.

Wilbraham Road

When travelling to Chorlton on the tram, Wilbraham Road will be your first port of call. There are loads of bars and pubs, including the Chorlton Tap, Brewski and Electrik, and it’s also the place to go if you’re looking for a late night snack as there are several chicken shops along the way. Our recommendation for fast food on Wilbraham Road, however, is Post Box Shawarma, which serves generously sized kebabs and Middle Eastern street food.

Manchester Road

Manchester Road is where you will find The Beagle, which is the Chorlton home of Nell’s Pizza, which also has locations in the Northern Quarter and Kampus in the city centre. The great thing about Nell’s is that they offer reasonably priced pizza by the slice, which is great if all you want is a drink and snack.

Continuing with drinks and snacks, Proof is also a great bar for this. They specialise in classic and signature cocktails, and you can order off-menu if you can’t find what you’re looking for. That’s what we did last time we visited, and although they didn’t have all the right ingredients, they improvised an alternative.

Two other reasonably priced spots on Manchester Road are The Font, famous for its cheap cocktails, and Mary and Archie, which has a great selection of wraps and burgers. There is also another cocktail bar here, Henry C, which again serves up all the classic cocktails.

Smoak also comes highly recommended for its New York style salt beef bagels. You can also find seafood restaurant The Oystercatcher, which is a rare thing in Manchester. They offer fresh seasonal seafood dishes, inspired by cuisines from around the world. And right next door, you will also find the Thirsty Korean, which serves up authentic Korean food and drink, including Soju. If you have room left over, then Oasis ice cream parlour has an extensive range of weird and wonderful ice cream flavours. Last time I was there, I had blood orange and Skittles flavours.

You can’t talk about Manchester Road without mentioning the Barbakan deli, which is one Chorlton spot that has truly stood the test of time. They specialise in homemade artisanal breads, deli meats, cheeses and salads, as well as continental grocery products, but they also serve up great hot ciabattas and on Saturdays they sell Polish, French and German sausages, freshly cooked on their massive outdoor sausage pan.

Lily’s Deli, which has an award-winning restaurant in Ashton, also has a smaller deli on Manchester Road, where you can pick up curries to eat at home, as well as a wide selection of other Indian starters, including pakoras and bhajis, and grocery items. Jerk Junction is another popular spot – you can’t go wrong with their classic jerk chicken, rice and peas.

Barlow Moor Road

The final stop on our food tour of Chorlton is Barlow Moor Road, which has a string of restaurants serving Middle Eastern, Neapolitan pizza, Indian, Caribbean, French, Mediterranean, Japanese and Nepalese cuisines, pretty much all in one row.

To highlight a couple of these spots – Double Zero is one of the best independent pizza restaurants in Manchester, in our opinion. And if you’re not dipping your crusts in the truffle oil, then you’re doing it wrong. The Drop is another great little spot if you’re in the mood for Caribbean food. They do a great rum punch and if you can’t decide which main you want, definitely go for their Hench Box, where you can get a little bit of everything.

• Have we missed any out? Let us know via our Facebook page