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Fancy some street food in one of the best food markets in Manchester? You’ve come to the right place!
Manchester is one of the best cities in the UK when it comes to food. It’s a cosmopolitan city with many cuisines and unique places to eat.
One of the best way to enjoy the food scene in Manchester is by going to one of our amazing food halls and food markets in Manchester.
From the famous Mackie Mayor to smaller spots, we tell you everything you need to know about the best food markets in Manchester.
So, are you ready? Let’s get started!
Mackie Mayor
Mackie Mayor is the most famous food market in Manchester.
Located in the trendy Northern Quarter, it offers a wide range of cuisine from some of the best street food vendors around.
It’s set in a stunning 1858 grade II listed building and is one of the most beautiful historical buildings in Manchester.
Inside, you can find several stalls with food as well as a bar, micro brewery and coffee shop.
A lot of tables are located on the ground floor but there is also a lot of seats upstairs.
In terms of food, there are a lot of option but we particularly recommend:
- Honest pizza: delicious sourdough pizzas
- Chilli B: amazing Thai food. Make sure to order the green curry, it’s amazing!
- Pico’s: tacos with frozen margaritas
It’s also important to note that the Mackie Mayor is dog-friendly. You can take your pooch anywhere you want (but don’t forget it can get busy so if your dog gets overwhelmed when there are a lot of people, it might not be ideal).
It’s also a child-friendly place. There even is a play area under the stairs.
PRO TIP: I recommend getting there a bit before lunch or dinner time so you can get a seat and order calmy. The Mackie Mayor is a popular place and it can get a bit busy.
Freight Island
Freight Island is the latest food market in Manchester.
Located in Depot Mayfield, near Manchester Piccadilly, this place is a paradise for anyone who loves street food, cocktails and craft beer.
The place has an industrial vibe with lots of outdoor seating which makes it perfect during summer months (or anytime you want to enjoy some fresh air).
There are more than 15 street food stalls located inside, with a wide range of cuisine from all over the world.
The most popular stalls include:
- Burgerism: delicious burgers
- Smoking coal: slow-smoked beef brisket, lamb shoulder and pork belly
- Payal: Indian street food
- Voodoo Ray’s: New York style pizza
The cool thing about Freight Island is that you can enjoy the outdoor space when it’s nice and sunny but there is also a lot of entertainment inside all year round.
If you are into sports and would like to watch the games, you can also go to the sports bar. It’s one of the best in the city.
It’s also important to note that all parts of Freight Island are dog-friendly so no need to leave your pooch at home.
Finally, if you fancy doing something a bit different and fun, you can go to Backyard Cinema. It’s a unique themed cinema located in Freight Island. It’s a very unusual experience.
Radcliffe Market
Radcliffe Market is a Manchester market hall located in Radcliffe, near Whitefield and Bury.
This is by far one of the best food halls in Manchester and such a good place to go to if you want to support local businesses.
This community owned market focuses on helping businesses from Radcliffe and the atmosphere is incredibly friendly.
More importantly, you can get delicious food here!
During the day, the ‘normal’ stalls of the market are open. You can find a butcher, hairdresser and more.
And from thursday to sunday night, you can go there to eat. There are loads of tables and you can order from any of the food stalls as well as from the bar.
The bar offers all sorts of drinks including local products such as Bolton gin.
In terms of food, here are our favourite:
- House of buns: by far one of the best burgers in Manchester and their tater tots are simply out of this world
- Acapulco: amazing burritos and tacos
- The Cow Shed: they serve incredible ice cream desserts
Radcliffe Market is also dog-friendly and everyone here loves dogs so don’t hesitate to bring your pooch.
Finally, it’s important to note that Radcliffe market organises events and games. For example, you have quiz night on thrusday at 7PM and there is often live music on Saturday.
Corn Exchange
The Corn Exchange is a stunning building located on Exchange Square in Manchester city centre.
Unlike the markets previously mentioned, this is not a street food market but it is a historical building that was turned into a bit of a food hall.
Basically here you will find all sorts of chain restaurants such as Banyan (known for their bottomless brunch and 2-4-1 cocktails), The Cosy Club, Croyaki Tea (bubble tea), The Real Greek, Doner Haus, Mowgli Street Food, Pho…
And even an activity bar, Sixes Social Cricket.
So if you’d like something that is not quite as relaxed as the other food market but has more upscale options and offer a more traditional dining experience, the Corn exchange is a good option.
Trafford Centre
If you are looking for a shopping experience with a food element, the Trafford centre is probably your best option.
This massive mall located in South Manchester offers all sorts of shops as well as many restaurants and cafes.
You will find at least one of each major restaurant chain such as Nando’s, Pizza Express, BarBurrito, Archie’s, Wagamama, Pret…
Plus there is a huge food court downstairs with all sorts of international cuisine.
It’s a very nice food hall that features the deck of a boat.
There are many tables so you will always find a place if you’re opting for take away.
There are also some themed places. For example, you will find a chinese themed area where all the Asian restaurants are which is quite nice.
It’s the perfect place to go if you want to have a bit of everything and are looking for a day out with the kids.
Society MCR
One of the best food halls in Manchester is Society MCR.
You will find Society at Barbirolli Square which is less than 10 minutes walk from Manchester Oxford Road train station.
Society is a new cultural venture that opened in 2021.
They host a space for street food, craft beer, wine and cocktails. Some of the traders you can find at Society include Vocation, one of the UK’s fastest growing craft breweries.
There’s also top grub from Slap & Pickle.
They are well known for their juicy burgers and loaded fries.
For a taste of some of the best Asian street food you will find outside of the continent itself try something from Yoki Social.
They’ve got fried mandu (Korean dumplings) and vegan bibimbap.
It will certainly be a unique culinary experience.
Society MCR opens between Monday and Thursday from 12pm to 11pm, from Friday to Saturday from 12pm to 12am and on Sunday from 12pm to 10pm.
HATCH
The HATCH is another of the best food halls in Manchester.
You will find the HATCH just six minutes walk from Manchester Oxford Road train station, close to the Mancunian Way Ring Road.
The HATCH is a rather trendy retail space selling food, drink and retail items.
The quirky element of this place is that it’s made of containers!
There are handbag boutiques and hairdressers as well as multiple eateries.
There is food for every taste at the HATCH. If you are searching for something hearty try the Black Steak Shop.
Pukht serves up global favourites like burgers, tacos, and burritos but with an Indo-Pakistani twist. For dessert, you have to check out Crumbled.
They serve the classic dessert crumble but with unique flavours and an array of toppings.
The HATCH is open seven days a week: on Monday from midday to 9pm, Tuesday and Wednesday from midday to 10pm, Thursday from midday to 11pm, Friday from midday to 12am, Saturday 10am to 12am and Sunday from 10am to 9pm.
Altrincham Market
If you are searching for food markets in Manchester, check out Altrincham Market House.
You will find this food spot on Greenwood Street in Greater Manchester around 30 minutes drive from the city centre.
Altrincham Market is an indoor food hall with a market selling craft and produce.
There’s also a play area for the little ones. Altrincham is filled with history. Altrincham was one of the original market towns dating back to 1290.
There are 20 independent food operators at the market including the incredible pizzeria Honest Crust.
There’s Tender Cow for incredible steak and chips and why not round the meal off with a craft beer from Jack in the Box.
If you are only looking for something small to eat, how about a pie from the Great North Pie Co. If you need to buy a gift then you must head to Sam Joseph for handmade chocolates.
The market is open between 9am and 10pm from Tuesday to Saturday and from 9am to 6pm on Sundays.
GRUB MCR
For street food markets in Manchester check out the largest venue of its kind in the city…GRUB MCR.
You will find GRUB at Cheetham Hill around 10 minutes’ walk from Manchester Victoria train station.
It should be noted that GRUB is closed on Monday and Tuesday but they are open from 5pm to 10pm from Wednesday to Friday, from 12-10pm on Saturday and 12-6pm on Sunday.
There are many food events happening at GRUB. Their “Midweek Grub” is open on Wednesday and Thursday.
The local independent business trader of the week will be on hand to satisfy those taste buds.
Their vendors change but past vendors have included Nina’s Tacos Truck, the Korean Grub Club, Igloo Pizza Kitchen and Osaka Local.
Vegans and vegetarians will love and appreciate GRUB’s “plant powered Sundays”. This is Europe’s first weekly vegan street food event.
Not only is the food vegan but the GRUB Bar is also 100% vegan friendly.
Hello Oriental
Claiming to be one of the best food halls in Manchester, Hello Oriental serves up pan-Asian street food as well as hosting a market and café.
Hello Oriental is close to Manchester Metropolitan University and around six minutes walk to Manchester Oxford Road station.
The food market is spread across three floors.
They’ve got everything from a Vietnamese restaurant, to the Hello Oriental Supermarket, an Asian-inspired café and bakery and of course the Oriental food hall.
They have some irresistible food items on their menu, including the Spicy Korean Chicken Burger, Sourdough Prawn Toast, Sichuan Fries for something spicy or the famous Katsu Chicken Fries.
From Chinese roasts to noodles and hot pot there’s plenty on offer for Asian food enthusiasts.
They also offer vegan, gluten-free and halal options as well.
They are open from 8am to 11pm from Monday to Friday, 10am to 12am on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 10pm.
Arndale Market
The Arndale Shopping Centre on High Street is one of the most popular places in the city, especially for satisfying your retail therapy needs but it’s also a great place for eating.
There’s an abundance of street food outlets to choose from, so many in fact that only a local could touch the surface on trying all the dishes.
There’s a bit of everything from around the world so you will be satisfied whether you are eating for lunch or dinner.
If Mexican is your go-to cuisine head to Pancho’s Burritos. For hearty burgers with “dunkable” gravy try Dunkin Burgers.
A Little Piece of Bahia serves a unique blend of Brazilian and African delights.
If you are searching for something you can grab and go whilst shopping check out Viet Shack for banh mi (Vietnam’s famous sandwich).
The Arndale is open from 9am to 8pm from Monday to Saturday and from 11:30 am to 5:30pm on Sunday.
Stretford Food Hall
Another of the best food halls in Manchester is Stretford Food Hall.
You can take the purple line Metrolink from St Peter’s Square in the city centre and head to Streford (13 minutes).
From the Metrolink station, it is less than a 5-minute walk to the food hall.
The food at Stretford Food Hall varies from time to time so it’s best to check out their calendar to see what vendors will be there when you plan on visiting.
Two of the popular vendors at the food hall are “What’s Your Beef” and “Waffle Kart”.
What’s Your Beef is well known for its decadent burgers.
For something different from the standard burger try the Lamb Kofta burger, there’s also Got No Beef burger which is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
The Waffle Kart isn’t about powdered sugar waffles instead they have more of a savoury focus. Their waffles include fillings like buttermilk chicken, bacon and sausage.
Stretford Food Hall is open from 8am to 10pm from Monday to Wednesday, 8am to 11pm from Thursday to Saturday and 9am to 10pm on Sundays.
Stockport Produce Hall
The Stockport Produce Hall is in Stockport, Greater Manchester. This produce hall is steeped in history spanning 160 years.
The building the market is now housed in was once a fish and meat market, a cheese stall, a sweet emporium and a public library.
Many of the original features are still there today but with modern amenities.
The bar at the produce hall has a big focus on beer and their selection is ever-changing. The food you can expect to find ranges from British fan favourites to Spanish dishes.
There’s Burgatory for awesome burgers and shakes.
Kambuja serves up a variety of Cambodian dishes with a wide selection of vegan and vegetarian choices.
There’s also Mamma G’s for Italian and American fare and Odyssea for something more gourmet.
The Stockport Produce Hall is open from 11am to 10pm from Monday to Wednesday, 11am to 11pm from Thursday to Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 9pm.
The Piccadilly Gardens Street Food Market
The Piccadilly Gardens Street Food Market is (you guessed it) at Piccadilly Manchester in central Manchester.
The market runs between Wednesday and Sunday from 11am to 5:30pm.
This is one of the best Manchester street food markets in the city and it’s a great place to get chatting with other like-minded foodies.
The market is home to 18 stalls representing dishes from all over the world.
You can expect to find epic Yorkshire pudding wraps, Chinese food like chow mein noodles and dim sum.
There are also a ton of baked goods for a quick and easy sweet treat as well as Caribbean and Indian curries if you are feeling really hungry.
In addition to the food, there is also a Street Crafts Market held on Friday and Saturday that sells vintage stuff and arts and crafts.
New Century
New Century is a food court on Hanover Street less than five minutes walk from the National Football Museum and Manchester Victoria Station.
New Century is a multipurpose venue.
The old music venue has been recreated into a social hub which now hosts an array of events.
The ground floor of this modern venue is home to a resident independent food stall.
The food venue has a large bar at its centre and they serve everything from pizza to dishes suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Some of their vendors include Banh Vi, Koi Sushi, Wild By Pl (for pizza) and Tallow (for steaks and burgers).
The kitchen is closed on Monday and Tuesday but open from midday to 9:30pm from Wednesday to Friday and 10am to 9:30pm on Saturday.
Bury Market
The final venue on this list of the best Manchester street food markets is Bury Market. Bury is north of the city in Greater Manchester.
This open-air market is on Murray Road. Bury Market has a large market hall as well as stalls selling fruit, flowers, clothes and other everyday items.
This is a great place to head to if you aren’t looking for something specific.
You can tuck into treats from Harry Muffin, a northern baker who does amazing cheese and onion pies.
There’s also Chadwick’s Bury Black Puddings which is a fan favourite among lovers of the unique British food. There’s Dewlay’s Tasty Lancashire for scrumptious local cheese.
The market hall is open from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Saturday.
The open market is open on Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 4:30pm and on Saturday from 9am to 5pm.
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