Simon Martin's Michelin-starred restaurant in Ancoats, Manchester brought a new level of fine dining ambition to the north of England. The Nordic-influenced tasting menu uses exceptional produce from northern England and beyond, with extraordinary technical precision. A must for serious food travellers visiting Manchester.
Mana on Blossom Street in Ancoats, Manchester is the restaurant that established the neighbourhood as Manchester's most interesting dining destination and earned the city a Michelin star it had not seen in decades. Chef Simon Martin trained at Noma in Copenhagen and brings the New Nordic sensibility — intense focus on local foraged and farmed ingredients, restraint in presentation, immaculate technique — to the produce of northern England. The tasting menu runs to around fifteen courses and changes entirely with the seasons, drawing on ingredients foraged from the surrounding Pennines and sourced from small northern English producers. The dining counter wraps around the open kitchen, meaning that every seat has a direct view of the brigade at work. Service is knowledgeable and unpretentious. The wine pairing is outstanding and leans toward low-intervention producers. Mana opened in 2018 and the first Michelin star followed in 2019. The restaurant seats only 26 covers per service, making it one of the most intimate starred restaurants in England. Reservations open on a monthly rolling basis and sell within hours; this is genuinely one of the north of England's most competitive bookings.
Location
53.4842, -2.2166 View on map
Highlights
- One Michelin star earned within the first year of opening — the first in Manchester for decades
- New Nordic-influenced cooking with northern English foraged and farmed ingredients
- Counter dining for 26 covers with a direct view of the open kitchen brigade
- Chef Simon Martin trained at Noma Copenhagen, bringing rigorous technique to Ancoats
- One of England's most competitive reservations — tables open monthly and sell within hours
Tips for visiting
- Tables release monthly — set a calendar reminder and book the moment the window opens.
- The non-alcoholic pairing using fermented and foraged drinks is worth considering alongside wine.
- Ancoats has become Manchester's most dynamic food neighbourhood; plan to explore before or after.
- Counter seats mean the kitchen is visible throughout — a more immersive experience than table dining.
- Dietary requirements must be communicated well in advance given the tasting menu format.
Accessibility
Mana is at street level in a modern building in Ancoats with step-free access to the dining counter. The open-counter format accommodates wheelchair users with advance notice. Contact the restaurant when booking to confirm specific arrangements.
Frequently asked questions
What is the food like at Mana?
Mana serves a tasting menu of around fifteen courses influenced by New Nordic cuisine, using ingredients foraged from the Pennines and sourced from northern English farms. The cooking is technically precise and the presentation is restrained, with clean, intense flavours.
How do visitors book Mana?
Mana releases tables on a monthly rolling basis through its reservations system. Demand far exceeds supply and tables typically sell within a few hours of release. Creating an account and checking the website at the start of each month is the best approach.
Where is Ancoats and how do visitors get there?
Ancoats is a neighbourhood approximately a 15-minute walk east of Manchester city centre, or a short taxi from Manchester Piccadilly station. The area has transformed significantly in the last decade and now has a concentration of excellent restaurants and bars.