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Solita - Manchester

3.9 (87 reviews)
ModerateBurgers, Bars, Salad
Open • 12:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

Solita - Manchester Photos

SOLITA - MANCHESTER ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Hipster
Trendy
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating

Recommended Reviews - Solita - Manchester

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Reviews With Photos

Rana M.

Such a cool name isn't it? Solitaaaa, has a cool roll off the tongue appeal to it. What's more it's in the coolest part of Manchester surrounded by some of the coolest living spaces in the city. Alas all that glitters ain't gold. I very nearly had Solita at 2 stars but in all honesty I DO love the decor and general ambiance of the place. It does feel VERY American and rather hip, a great place to hang out. Unfortunately that's pretty much all I'd rather do at Solita. To their credit it really isn't their fault. Ever since the incredible production and editing of that monstrosity of a show "Man vs food" went 'viral". A gap in the market has developed for the Americanisation of our eating habits, which translated just means pigging out. The proprietors can express on their "passion for food" all day long but reality is they spotted a gap in the market and have profited from it. FairPlay to them. Expensive gunk is how I'd best describe the food. The song killing me softly also comes to mind (although you should substitute softly with slowly) Which by the way is absolutely fine, after all Americans eat this way don't they? Who doesn't want to pile up a sky scraper of grease, put a bun on top, a large stick through it, then force feed themselves in Fincher Seven gluttony style? I mean, they have deep fried Mac & Cheese on the menu! It's like sticking the finger up at Maccy D's and saying hey we serve heart failure too it's just we charge £6 for the privilege. But, as human beings we have the right to self loathe and self harm, it's called freedom of choice. And I for one am all for it. Heck I'd probably come here for one of those burgers that exemplify greed (No human being needs to eat that in one sitting for logical nutritional reasons apart from sheer excess) On a practical level the service was poor as JQ points out. The cheeseburger spring rolls were ok but nothing special and the burgers were also ok. The burger market in the city centre is just too saturated at present and not in a good way. They've all started to serve pretty much the same thing: Quantity and size over Quality and substance. Having said all that I'm certain that the owners are good people and genuinely just love American food and opened a place that takes that to the next level. However for me the reality is American food and the eating habits which have led to them being the most obese nation on earth isn't really my cup of tea. I disliked man v food as a concept which highlighted and glamorised a certain food narrative. And I'm not really too hot on American food, in this incarnation anyway.

Once in a lifetime burger
Jess F.

Burger heaven. The menu here is quite simply my idea of heaven. The starters are amazing. I usually go for the chicken wings (try the lime, sounds a bit dull compared to the others but it's epic!) but have also tried the flowering onion that's sometimes on the specials and the deep fried mac and cheese balls. Yes that's right they do deep fried mac and cheese. I may as well stop my review right here, you are probably on your way down there after reading that last sentence. The mains are the stuff of dreams. I may have inappropriately eaten the 'once in a lifetime' burger 4 times now. The Big Manc is a great burger too and I love the hanger steak off their amazing Inka grill. The pizza fries they had on special recently were just stunning. I'd recommend following their Twitter account to keep track of the ever changing specials. The desserts (if you have any room at all) ate great too. The Oreo cookie cheesecake was spectacular recently. Again another special. The bar staff are fantastic and will happily rustle up any cocktail I ask for, whether it's on the menu or not. Hooray for Solita, a Manchester institution and one of my absolute happy places.

Buttermilk fried chicken burger,fries and chicken gravy.....
Lee Z.

Buttermilk fried chicken. I could end the review right there and the 5 stars would be justified.I could also say bacon candy and the justification would be right there,throw in kentucky fried bacon and I want to add another star! Before going last night I was already planning on giving SoLiTa at least 4 stars for the menu alone! And when you read the other 2 reviews you think "Can it really be that good?" and the answer is yes,yes it can be that good.... You could possibly argue that it isn't exactly cheap,but neither is it expensive either,and when the food is that good the price is insignificant anyway (In my opinion),and as it was our (15th) Anniversary it was the perfect place for us to go. We started by sharing the mac 'n cheese balls which were really nice indeed,a lovely blend of crispy breadcrumb outer and an oozy cheesy centre. Ange ordered the KFB burger,and what a burger it was! cheddar,bourbon bbq sauce and what I can only describe as a slab of kentucky fried bacon,which looked and tasted beautiful. For her pud she opted for the deep fried coke,which turned out to be little donutty type things sprinkled with cinnamon and served with vanilla ice-cream,and it was stupidly nice! I went for the Buttermilk fried chicken which consisted of a large piece of fried chicken with a gorgeous coating between a really nice brioch bun. I love fried chicken,and this was some of the nicest I have ever had! the burger also came with a little pot of chicken gravy which was also very nice,especially to dip the chips in : ) For pud there was only ever one thing that I was going to go for,Vanilla ice-cream with bacon candy (Although when it was served to me it was sans bacon!! no worry, it was soon rectified).The ice-cream they use is really nice indeed,but the bacon was the real star,a rasher of sugared/caramelised bacon which was soooooo nice it has to be eaten to be believed. I was a happy little Zombi! Ange also had a Bloody Mary which she said was really nice too. SoLiTa,you are a star! (Or 5)......

Rich C.

I've been here more times than I care to mention but am I the only one who thinks that the burgers aren't quite as good as they used to be? In the last 2 months I've been to this one and the place in Didsbury and I've been left feeling slightly disappointed. Not in a bad way, just I feel he actual burger patties are now a little over cooked, at least for what you would expect in a decent burger place. It's pushing them a little too close to 'pub burger' which is something I never thought I would say. Still very good regardless but not as good as it once was? The starters are still as good as ever and the Paulaner lager is something I could drink all day and all night. The service is still decent and friendly and the total during my last visit having a starter, a normal Solita burger and a pint was £23 including a tip. Not cheap but I think pretty reasonable considering I needed rolling out of the door. Would still recommend but I feel Almost Famous or filthy cow may be my preferred choices for a burger going forward. As an all rounder I feel Solita however still has them beaten.

Jonny Q.

I'm actually quite surprised I've never reviewed Solita such is the regularity I used to hit it - if you wanted a kick ass burger in an environment that was 'less' in your face than AF then this was the place to go. Having recently checked out their Didsbury branch I really enjoyed that and think they're really on to a winner in terms of that venue and the offering in that particular part of town (I gave it a 4) On this occasion though I have to give it a 3 - probably a 3.5 but I can't give it the 4 due to a few issues that didn't really set my pulse racing. First off it wasn't massively busy and we were seated downstairs on a Weds night - there were loads of staff but it seemed like a total ball ache to get a drink. Our half of the table waited and waited and when the House IPA came it was possibly one of the worst beers I've ever tried (and I love IPA) - God knows what it is but if you're going to make it the House IPA then it needs to be good - I swiftly moved onto a bottle of Brooklyn. I massively enjoyed the cheeseburger spring rolls as a starter and then for main I had the Krabby Patty which to be honest I found dry and tasteless which was a real shame. I enjoy myself at SoLita but on this occasion it all seemed a bit rough around the edges with poor service and at £27 for food, one dodgy pint, a bottle of average stock beer and a small tip I was expecting something a little bit more!

Deep fried Mac and Cheese
Laura F.

Well well, what can I say about SoLita... Other than that it is fantastic. Now that I've been here on a few occasions I feel like I can give this place the review it deserves. Firstly, BRUNCH! The first weekend they started doing brunch I just had to go..! I had the full English toad in the hole and it was just as fabulous as it looks on the photo. All the things you could possibly want for breakfast, baked into a huge, fluffy and crisp Yorkshire pudding. Gahhh! Beans served on the side too! My mate had the Steak and Eggs Benedict and he was very impressed - he's a chef and it's difficult to do, but he scoffed the lot and smiled! Winner. I've been back for brunch once since and tried the Truffled Egg on Toast - which was a thick loaf bread with melted cheese, toasted with a fried egg in the middle and drizzled in truffle oil - again, fabulous. Definitely worth getting out of bed for. Next BURGERS! Now if you follow SoLita on Twitter then you'll be very aware of their 'unique' approach to burgers.. And pretty much anything goes here. Lucas S. tried the Jerk Experience burger here - he seemed to like it. I've tried many burgers from their menu on the times I've been here. The Halloumi burger stands out for me.. But the most recent, most wacky and the most impressive, was the special 'Breville without a cause' burger (pictured). A bacon cheeseburger, with cheese toasties on the top and bottom instead of a bun. Jeez. STARTERS - their rooster scratchings, amazing. Deep fried mac and cheese, also incredible. There's just no stopping these guys. I got to dessert once at SoLita - wasn't overly impressed.. But I can't imagine many people getting round to dessert anyway! It's definitely one of my favourite eateries in Manchester and there's still so much left for me to try! So you'll find me in a dark corner stuffing my face SOON!

Molten Individual chocolate cake #SoLIta #NorthernQuarter #Manchester #Food
Naomi H.

I visited SoLita a part of a party of 10 on Sunday evening for a friend's birthday. The restaurant has a cool vibe, an exciting menu and I have been looking forward to visiting for a while. After being sat downstairs we ordered our drinks and perused the menu. First up, I ordered a SoLita Colada, very nice the 3 sips of it I had, but the very slim tall glass was 95% ice, 5% drink and was left a bit mystified. I went on to order a bottle of white wine between 2 of us, nice and reasonably priced. The bottle was delivered table but had to ask twice for glasses. The food....wow what a menu and if you look at pictures on social media it makes it even more difficult to decide because it all looks great. My choice was the once in a lifetime burger with sweet potato fries. The pulled pork was delicious; the chicken schnitzel was moist inside and the burger juicy and full of flavour. I sent my fries back because they were all burnt but were replaced very quickly with the pizza fries, which was a good choice : ) Overall everyone enjoyed their food subject to the minors of burnt fries, a dessert with an additional random hair in it, which was swiftly replaced and a stingy SoLita Colada. I really liked the décor of the restaurant, although the bathrooms were like being in a nightclub and half of the light bulbs weren't working. Overall would I arrange to go back to SoLita? Probably not, but the burger and peanut butter fudge brownie I had with the Oreo ice cream was tasty.

One of the best burgers I've ever had!
Adam C.

I only popped in here to give it a try, but I'm really glad I did! The lunch menu was £9.90 for 2 courses. Now, the burger I ordered on it is usually £9.90 anyway, so I basically got a free dessert! Woo! The burger I ordered was cooked to perfection in the venue's unique Inka Grill, and was cooked with bone marrow too, to give it extra juice, and boy does it! Probably one of the best burgers I've ever had, and the juiciest too without being fat dripping everywhere! In fact, it gives Almost Famous Burgers a run for their money!! The fries that came with it weren't as crunchy as I would've liked, but were still very tasty! It was nice that as a tee-totaller, I was able to order Fentiman's soft drinks instead of the bog standard Coke/Sprite/Fanta offerings, so I got a lovely dandelion and burdock. That said, they did also have an extensive cocktail menu, for those interested in such things ;) I spoke extensively with the waiter, Matt, who was very passionate about the business, telling me about their Inka Grill, how their food is almost all made on the premises, nothing frozen, fresh meat etc. Really made it clear that he's actually proud to serve the food because of its quality, even raving about their home made ketchup and bbq sauces. I told him after the burger that I was full, and might have to forego the cheesecake I was eyeing up... but he told me to have a rest and see how I felt... which inevitably ended up in me ordering said cheesecake! A really creamy and clearly home-made vanilla cheesecake served with a delicious toffee sauce and a generous helping of mixed berries in coulis. Very tasty indeed!! Next time I'll probably go off-lunch-menu as their "deep fried Coca Cola" desert sounded amazing! The venue itself is modern and fresh, with a great comic book mural across one wall, and a glass window on the other, showing a big "SOUL" sign made of red light bulbs, beckoning downstairs to their larger "Soul Bar" area, which at this time of day was closed. The toilets were small but mostly functional... I say mostly because the soap dispenser was empty, but there were two bottles of nice quality hand soap provided, and the hand-dryer wasn't working, but paper towels were provided too. As for functionality, at that point I was the only customer in the restaurant (12pm on a tuesday), and the only other people there were the barman, a second staff member who was also running about sorting bits out, and two men on mobiles talking to a man sat on a laptop about some apparent problem with the venue's coffee machine, which they were angrily trying to get sorted out over the internet and by phone, as well as reading reviews and the sort about the venue itself (so its nice to see they're interested in such things!). Admittedly being the only one there with a few business focussed staff members is not going to be the usual experience, but as the kitchen only opens at 12pm and it was a Tuesday, it's definitely forgiveable. Their twitter feed that evening showed a photo of a busy and bustling restaurant dining room, so its nice to see they're getting the attention they deserve. I whole heartedly recommend this place, and will most definitely be retuning there for one of those delicious burgers! Pop in for lunch sometime if you're nearby, it's in the Northern Quarter just behind the Arndale car park :)

MacDaddy... I want you in me
Toby S.

Definitely need to come back here more often... and I think if I come back I need to get thigh deep in their menu... nay waste deep and just swim around their BBQ'd/Grill meatisciousness menu in a more experimental way... I went for the Big Manc... it was very tasty can't fault it's flavours, but it felt very standard, this is utterly my own fault, I was meeting some family and was late playing catchup, I ended up in my head rushing my decisions as they'd already ordered, I could have gone for something else or indeed added to what I'd chosen... and When you're a addict of AFB unless the burgers dripping with more BBQ sauce than bun, or has half of a farm on it then the burgers standard. I think what maybe I should have done is taken my time a bit more, I was drawn into the Big Manc by the box it has round it on the menu I thought that meant something now I'm not so sure, as looking at everything not in the boxes I think I should have chosen them lol... it's some weird kinda reverse marketing ploy. Family had various bits, the wing ribs n things looked awesome though apparently the fried cornmeal japalenos on there you need to be wary (father type person had to leave them after one taking half of a pint of beer with it) The steaks I saw going round my word they need to be in my face. So the result is I need to go more, I need to leap headlong and bury my face in it all I need to take some well deserved time over that menu to get it's full effect, Round to will be epic when I dedicate the time that's deserved to this place. In terms of trying to get a table this place is a bit like AFB, you can't book if you're less than 6 people so it's luck of the draw when you turn up, and people know this place exists so it's all about playing the timing game to get in here

Isabel M.

As some of you may have seen *here* http://www.blondehappiness.com/2014/02/the-best-burger-in-manchester.html I´m on the hunt for the best burgers in Manchester! And where to better start my mission than at Solita. To be honest I have missed a lot of the social buzz surrounding this place, until recently I wasn´t living in Manchester City Centre, however, better late than never. So thanks to twitter I noticed Solita´s tweet about now serving Paulaner. PAULANER IN MANCHESTER. ON TAP! That alone was reason enough to visit, but at the sound of proper burgers AND my hometown beer they just got me completely. We decided to go early on a Friday night, having heard of the crazy queues forming outside on weekends, especially as they are now serving some pretty amazing looking brunch from Friday to Sunday. When we came in, we had almost free choice of table, and once seated, we were already peeking over to our neighbours table in pure food envy. The menu offered a great variety in burger, hotdogs and grilled meat, with some funky twists: Home made sauces (The big manc), a Mac n Cheese burger bun, bacon popcorn, Spongebob Krabby Patty and Candy Bacon to name a few. As far as I´ve heard he menu is under constant change and improvement, next week having ordered 80kg of finest Wagyu beef. (Yes I´m already thinking of when to come back! ) To accompany the refreshing taste of home and to bridge the short waiting time, whilst our burgers were sizzling in the Inca oven, we were treated to one of the greasiest sins in this world. Fried sliced onion (Solita Onion) in very thin batter, with a delicious cocktail-like dipping sauce. Such simple goodness, uniquely presented and a pleasant twist to the usual onion rings. To my surprise they weren't fired to death and I could still taste the sweet onion. Yum! The waiters were very attentive this night, and as soon as we wiped our greasy fingers on a napkin our burgers arrived. The mister chose the KFB (melted cheese, bourbon BBQ sauce, kentucky fried bacon and jalapeños) with normal fries, having a soft spot for BBQ. I had gone for the double cheese (Monterey Jack) bacon burger with candy bacon and sweet potato fries. After trying the candy bacon ( sin sin sin ) I had a proper bite: The bun, sesame brioche was not too squishy and sturdy enough to support a thick patty of mince that was still slightly pink and juicy on the inside. Perfect. Just perfect. The only thing I would probably ask for next time is lettuce and tomato with it to give it a bit of crispy freshness. None of the flavours were too overpowering; a simple classy burger to cure all your cravings. Considering the freshness and quality of the ingredients, the price of 12 pounds including fries was more than justified. The atmosphere was very relaxed and the clientele a lot less "hip and hype" than I actually expected. Overall we had a very pleasant evening, leaving Solita with a happy belly.

Once in a life time burger
Ying L.

I was absolutely famished and hot when I came into SoLIta so we were sat inside to cool down. I ordered the bacon fat popcorn to come straight away before ordering our food and drinks. It came smelling delicious and dripping in fat which I got everywhere. My friend tried a little bit but wouldn't eat anymore as it was "wrong". Anyway, it satisfied my hunger and I was able to sit and have a conversation without constantly thinking about food. My friend ordered the Once in a Lifetime Burger. It is certainly the biggest burger he's ever eaten in his life and I had the KFB with sweet potato fries (Staff didn't mention the extra surcharge on that). Both burgers were delicious and there were empty plates at the end. Staff were friendly and chatty and an error on our bill was quickly dealt with. Overall, we were very happy customers.

Chicken wings
Penny L.

Fantastic service! This place has been bookmarked for awhile. My friends have wanted to drag me to the likes of a steak house for ages but I refused to go somewhere that was limited to a pescaterian... After a few drinks we entered this place, where the (manageress I think )seated us where we wanted. By this point I had had a few drinks so decided on something soft. It wasn't on the menu but the waiter kindly offered to make me a mocktail mojito . For starters they offer chicken wings, mac and cheese balls, jalapenos, cheese burger spring rolls , mussels and squid.. I settled for the Mac and cheese, and my companion the chicken wings. Now they do offer a very spicy sauce with the wings made out of Naga chillies, so drunkenly I tried a wing in the sauce...wow spicy and tasty! But not for the faint hearted.. the mac and cheese balls were good also ..but ironically I enjoyed the chicken wing more! For mains they have a special board where one can buy a steak for £30..or a big selection of burgers, fish and bbq'd stuff . We went for the crab burger and a bacon double cheese skewered with some bacon candy. The presentation was fab and I was curious to try some candied bacon...but it wasn't for me... The soft shell crab burger tasted similar to what I order from wasabi sushi. It was tasty but it didn't taste any different to what I normally get. Apparently the burger was amazing and there are plenty of things on the menu to chose from so I will be back again. When I came out of the bathroom I went for a snoop. The manageress spotted this and took the time to give me a full tour of the place. Overall I would come here if you have a divided group of meat eaters and veggies, the menu is creative and the service snappy.... I will be back

Once in a Life Time Burger. £16.95 (comes with standard fries)
Gemma R.

Myself and 3 friends ate here at Solita on a Thursday evening at approximately 7pm. We didn't struggle to get a table which was great as they do not accept bookings for less than 6 people. There are two floors to Solita, we are upstairs which was quite small but perfectly presented. It has a very modern feel to it, different to the other restaurants located within the NQ area. They currently have a special called 'The Dirty B*stard'... That alone is a 5*. It comes with standard fries, you can upgrade to Sweet Potato fries on any of the dishes. So what is this dish I hear you ask... It is probably the weirdest thing I've ever seen on a specials board "Deep Fried Lasagne served in a Garlic Brioche Roll" (£13) Bizarre yet GENIUS! It tasted incredible. Very garlicky and very filling. I also ordered a side of Chow Chow Slaw which was a perfect compliment to the dish. My friends ordered 'Once in a Life Time' which was a bread roll containing; Buttermilk Chicken, Pulled Pork, Beef Burger, Onion Rings, Chow Chow Slaw! It was just under £17! (Expensive we thought!) I asked my friends if it was worth the £17, they said "For the amount you got in the burger, yes. Compared to other burgers you can get (for a lot less money) in and around the NQ, No! And they wouldn't choose that if they visited again". The chef also mixed up our fries meaning we had to swap over ourselves (we opted for half and half). I do prefer another places in the NQ I must admit. The reason I gave 4* was overall it was a nice evening but I thought very expensive (compared to other places we have visited) Our bill was approx £99.50 which included: 2x Lasagne Specials, 2x Once in a Life Time Burgers both which were upgraded to come with SP fries, 1x Chow Chow Slaw, 1x Fried Pickles, 4 bottles of beer, 2 desserts. That may sound a lot for £99.50 but I have had the same and paid a lot less!

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Evelyn's Cafe Bar - All I ordered

Evelyn's Cafe Bar

4.5(45 reviews)
0.1 mi•Northern Quarter
•££

Evelyns is a place where I always saw it online and recommended but never got around to going. Im…read morenot sure why because I'm always in that area. One Sunday I went up as I could get there for opening time and decided to cross it off my list. When I got there it was already open so that was a little confusing ... but it was RAMMED. Luckily, I was going on my own so could easily be sat at the window, which was a great view, and easily got served. So many people came in after me and couldn't be seated without a reservation. But the host was very lovely and gracious and people understood. Food wise I went for the shakshuka, it sounded nice, and it really was ... it was also EXTREMELY hot because it was served in cast iron and kept its heat. It was delicious. The toast was crispy, the tomatoes were tasty, chickpeas were crunchy and a nice addition, The added sausage was very delicious, the eggs were good although I would have preferred if they had some runny yolk but its almost impossible to get that with baked eggs. Server was lovely, staff were great, absolutely need to return here when I can.

The food and drink at evelyn's was amazing! It was tasty and filling with reasonable prices. The…read moreservice was quick and the staff were very friendly. It is a cute and cozy spot perfect for a quiet brunch

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Evelyn's Cafe Bar
Evelyn's Cafe Bar - Shakshuka, eggs, chick peas, tomatoes, toast, feta

Shakshuka, eggs, chick peas, tomatoes, toast, feta

Evelyn's Cafe Bar - Table water in a lovely bottle

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Table water in a lovely bottle

Chop'd

Chop'd

4.3(4 reviews)
0.4 mi•City Centre
•£

Good first experience at Chop'd. I thought this was a massive international chain come over from…read morethe US but actually it turns out I am confusing it with an East Coast chain called Chop't! I have been seriously unhealthy recently (since about 2014, actually) and so Chop't was an ideal choice. You can build your own salad or if lazy/too socially awkward to speak to people you can get a pre-prepared one which has the advantage of giving you calorie information. It's interesting to see how many calories a dressing adds! I picked up the jerk chicken salad as thought that was a nice unusual meat for a salad and also it was the lowest calorie option - it also recommended the lowest calorie dressing, balsamic vinegar (all pre-packaged salads come with dressing recommendations but you can pick the one you want or none at all, which is cool). The chicken was nice and tasty, so nice and tasty I ate it all first then regretted I only had lettuce leaves and grilled red pepper left. My friend commented they should hide the chicken at the bottom as a reward. But wait! Chop'd had hidden some delicious sweet potato at the bottom as a reward. Winner. I regret they do not use (exclusively) rocket but other than that I liked Chop'd and will be back.

A big yes to Chop'd, infact a big massive yes to Chop'd…read more I'd heard they were opening up a while back and I'd had a look on social media to see what they were about. Salad and health food options - nothing revolutionary there but something we need more of in Manchester, so I was looking forward to trying them out. Food wise - great: big bowls of healthy salad and veg with the option to add in some protein or cheese for a treat. Price wise - also great: a 'regular' salad starts at £5.45 and only increases if you want to add more items in - but a mountain of lettuce, a choice of 3 vegetables and healthy dose of chicken was more than enough for me! All sounds pretty good doesn't it but wondering why I give 5 stars? I just love the business model - everything about it. I'm quite in awe with it still a day after being there, here's why: A lot of London imports lose their way when coming to Manchester - they seem chain-y, uninspiring and lack any local touch to really appeal to Mancunians. Chop'd avoid these errors and excel in implementation. They have Grindsmith coffee in house, what a clever touch to go with a local company (a great one I may add) and have their branding and signage way clearer than any 'chopd' logos - a massive h/t there. And finally, the speed and ease of service is second to none. You can pick up a ready made salad, you can create your own from scratch in a process that takes 2 minutes tops and you can even order online from box to full salad and collect when it's ready. It's not revolutionary as I said but whilst Manchester has been booming with investment and expansion, some of the traits the London city joints offer up has seemingly skipped our fair city - well until now. I may be blowing it out of proportion and chances are in 2 years time this same exact experience may only merit 4 stars, but in Manchester current climate Chop'd is a for sure winner. I'm a fan.

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Chop'd
Chop'd
Chop'd

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Earth

Earth

4.3(41 reviews)
0.1 mi•Northern Quarter
•£

Though I'm not vegan, I keep unintentionally eating vegan food here in Manchester - it's much more…read moreavailable/prominent than back in the US. I got lost looking for the restaurant after my phone died but finally found my friend at the top of the steps leading down to Earth. Service is set up like a cafeteria, and for just £7 you can pick 4 items from the line (up to 2 "mains".) I think everything in the line and dessert counter is vegan - I was struggling to find dairy/egg items in the menu. I feel like it's more palatable for them to sell themselves as a vegetarian rather than vegan restaurant. I picked up a hearty bean chili atop quinoa, braised cabbage, and a beautiful mushroom pie, in addition to a lime/lemongrass bottled drink and coffee/walnut cake. Portion sizes were huge and you feel very healthy eating the food - the bean chili could have used more seasoning, but the savory mushroom pie was divine! Creamy, savory, and textural, I was surprised at how well they veganized this classic. The cabbage was like tame sauerkraut, which cut the richness of the pie well. The cake was mildly sweet but had a wonderful bitter aftertaste, the scent of ground coffee lingering in my palate long after I finished the last bite. I had a taste of my friend's raw blueberry cheesecake and we had quite a bit of fun trying to guess what they made it out of. It was alright - I would've wanted to try the raw tiramisu, if they had it.

It's safe to say that Manchester has become meat mad the past couple of years, you might even say…read morethere's a carnivore craze, you also could add that.... actually I think you get the idea of what I'm trying to say! But the thing is that it's all so super tempting - and from when I used to have a steady diet of variable fresh homemade soup I'm now starting to think a burger or maybe a hotdog is a suitable daytime bite. So now it's all about fighting that urge and finding out where the antidote is to make sure I get up to the 5-7 portions of fruit and vege I supposedly need each day! I've got to say that I've been walking past Earth for 7 years and never gone in. Which is kind of a bit strange as I've been going to the buddhist centre to meditate all that time too...and it really does feel like I've been missing out! Upon entering the smell of this vegetarian, mostly organic, all homemade onsite cafe is fantastic. There's variety on offer such as curry's, chilli's ( I had the mung bean one and it was fantastic) and Italian tray options. The main set up is that you can get a main and 4 sides (including salads) for £6 which is pretty good value for the amount of food you get. They also do snacky items like the £2.50 Jamaican patties, which seem very popular as a queue was forming for the next batch but that will be a different meal for a different day. Overall the cafe is a great place for lunch, tea, catching up with friends and just generally brining balance back to your diet and life. I felt really good after this meal, felt like I'd really treated myself and it may just help me get on the road to a healthier lunch time diet - now that is good news!

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Earth
Earth
Earth

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Mackie Mayor - Chips

Mackie Mayor

4.0(17 reviews)
0.2 mi•Northern Quarter
•££

I have walked past Mackie a few times to get to ancoats, and heard good things about it. One Friday…read moreI decided to check out the menu and go over and try it. I didn't know what to expect at first but I got there around 1130am and I think they were on the switch over from breakfast to dinner .. I picked a table and got the menu up using the qr code on the table and had a browse. As most places were only opening at 12, I had a limited menu, but what was in the menu looked amazing. You can order from 1 place, or multiple places and pay on the same bill so I went for a drink from one place and an h burger from another. It was really cool, the servers brought the drink and it was very quick, and then the food came later .. but not much later. It was amazing, so delicious and juicy and just a great all around burger and great all around experience. It would be great for a group of people as each could order their own and have a mix of different cuisines. There was only the downstairs open when I went and when I go back I will go after midday but I'd have to be careful as it statutes to get a bit busy as I was leaving .. all in all it was a great place and a great experience and I will for sure be returning.

Your service totally unacceptable. Your servers poor. You do not take someone in the groups order…read moreand not take the other person in the group. And you have more than an hour until closing. Don't waste your time, money or energy.

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Mackie Mayor
Mackie Mayor
Mackie Mayor

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Soup Kitchen - From soup-kitchen.co.uk

Soup Kitchen

3.7(49 reviews)
0.1 mi•Northern Quarter
•££

Time for an update! Last night I experienced Soup Kitchen for the first time in two ways. I know…read moreyou know I've experienced it before, but a) it's been ages and b) I've never been to the gig bit downstairs or eaten meat here. 1) Gig. ACE. Just wonderful. Great atmosphere underneath, and I mean FAR underneath, as in you have to look high up to see peoples' feet going past the window. Crazy, non? Lots of places to sit, which is great for me as I'm way too old to stand up at gigs for extended periods of time and I hurt my foot this week. #passtheprunes Fab sound and a lovely way to see lesser known bands. Oh, and did I mention it was free? Yes, we like free. 2) Meat. ACE. So for a mere £6, I got a big ol' juicy cooked-pink-in-the-middle burger pile of brilliance in a giganto bun with gherkins, salad and all kinds of amazeballs sauce. The chips where somewhere between wedges and fries - long story short, they were MASSIVE. Ketchup was offered and we got a generous ramekin of the stuff, and it was served on a rustic wooden board. It ain't just about soup! My maid of honour had the same dish, while Fiancé and Jemma G both had a soup coronation chicken combo. Their sandwiches were lovely, soft, deliciously spiced and had proper hunks of chicken (I tried it of course), and the satay soup was peanutty, flavoursome and creamy (I tried that too). Top marks for both soup and chips being served in camping mugs. Me likey. AWESOME food, like, truly delicious, cheap, and it might be Northern Quarter-based, but it does not have the pretention. I didn't feel like it was remotely as Nathan Barley in here as it is in a lot of places. Lovely, lovely Soup Kitchen. Why did I leave it so long between visits?

This place is cool, albeit it's seriously trying to be…read more First point: do not ask for a cocktail in here. My friend wanted a whisky sour and got the response "we don't really do cocktails." Hm. They have a lot of liquor behind the bar for somewhere that doesn't do cocktails. I understand it's onerous to have all conceivable cocktail ingredients if you're really a beer specialist (and they do seem to have a great range of beer, btw) but I do think it would be nice if bars like this at least had 3-4 house cocktails for those of us they don't like beer or slightly dodgy house wine but wish to hang with our friends that do. Bartender also struggled with our request for tap water, which was less excusable. Meanwhile, the DJ was playing some awful music. "It's just noise, isn't it," pointed out one of the crowd, while apologising for being an Old Man. But it wasn't that we just didn't like the music or that it was too loud, is that the sound system couldn't take it and the sound quality/distortion was incredibly grating. Not relaxing. Shame really because I like the spacious layout, gig posters in the toilet, and the delicious bourbon Jonny Q kindly bestowed upon me. I'd go again if someone suggested it but given the amount of good bars in the NQ it's not top of my list for a repeat visit/recommendation in terms of drinking. HOWEVER the food might be a different story - the other reviews of meal-based visits have been great so I will try to return one lunchtime. UPDATE: went back for a Carefully Planned Festival - the music venue downstairs is one of the biggest/most attractive in the NQ although it smells SO WRONG and nobody could work out WHAT the smell was which was even more disturbing.

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Soup Kitchen - From soup-kitchen.co.uk

From soup-kitchen.co.uk

Soup Kitchen - From soup-kitchen.co.uk

From soup-kitchen.co.uk

Soup Kitchen - From soup-kitchen.co.uk

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From soup-kitchen.co.uk

PLY - Check my blog for more photos www.michellelovestoeat.com, and follow me on Instagram (@michellelovestoeat)

PLY

3.8(42 reviews)
0.2 mi•Northern Quarter
•££

Came here with an old colleague to rant the night away- she'd heard that it was good, so we headed…read morein. It's quite big, modern and clean. We were planning to just drink away, and got so carried away in conversation that we realised we hadn't eaten. But oh look, they serve pizza! Now don't disown me, people have in the past- I don't like pizza. I find that it's normally a soggy disappointment. Shop pizza is just a waste of my time and calorie allowance. I'm partial to a horrendous greasy pizza at the end of a gin filled night out, and I like properly made super fresh lovely pizza, but it's so often much easier to band it all together with a summary statement of dislike. This pizza though, fell into the latter. Plus, the wine and gin (our tipple for most of the night) were pretty cheap, and the cocktails were tasty. I reckon proper pizza lovers would be happier than me with this joint too.

This was my first time in ply and from the outside it doesn't look much, but as soon as you walk in…read moreits bright and spaces. I like the way they had lots of seating areas some long tables, sofa areas, a raised area near the windows were you could have something to eat and an area with books. We only went in for a quick drink before a yelp event and I'm really glad we did. It's a nice relaxed atmosphere and would definitely go in again. They had a big pizza oven which looked good next to ther bar and the pizzas look really good and taste amazing as tried them at federation coffee shop. Definitely a place to try.

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PLY - Check my blog for more photos www.michellelovestoeat.com, and follow me on Instagram (@michellelovestoeat)

Check my blog for more photos www.michellelovestoeat.com, and follow me on Instagram (@michellelovestoeat)

PLY
PLY - Check my blog for more photos www.michellelovestoeat.com, and follow me on Instagram (@michellelovestoeat)

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Check my blog for more photos www.michellelovestoeat.com, and follow me on Instagram (@michellelovestoeat)

Solita - Manchester - burgers - Updated October 2026

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