10 great wine places in and around Manchester 2026
It was time to venture out into the rest of the UK and we’ve kicked off by checking out good wine places in and around Manchester, in the friendly and formerly industrial North. London will always dwarf other UK cities but as it gets ever more expensive and competitive to sustain a business there it’s not uncommon to see homegrown talent choose to opt-out and open in smaller, more accessible cities and towns or the beautiful surrounding countryside.
Manchester has long had a reputation for music and football (and rain!) but a burgeoning restaurant and bar scene with quality at the fore have given it just as bright a future for food and wine as well. Cheers!
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![Where The Light Gets In, a restaurant in Stockport, UK.]()
Phone: +44 161 477 5744
Address: 7 Rostron Brow, Stockport
Sustainability Prize UK, presented by Esterházy 2026
Housed on the first floor of a former coffee warehouse in Stockport Old Town, just outside Manchester, Where The Light Gets In is a special and unique experience. The intimate, open plan space only has 30 seats, with the kitchen team as much part of the evening as anyone else (or lunch, on Saturdays). As many ingredients as possible come from their farm and, as such, they serve a set tasting menu only. Nature, sustainability and organic nourishment are key, with a light and hyper seasonal Nordic (or perhaps Northern?) slant. Down the road, you’ll find their own bakery and wine bar named Yell...
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![Isca, a wine bar in Manchester, UK.]()
Address: 825 Stockport Road, Manchester
A Manchester wine bar and bottle shop specialising in natural wine and organic food, with snacks, plates and desserts from locally sourced produce served all day and evening. Their ‘list’ is what’s on the shelves or via the online shop, with everything available to drink in or take home. Bottles range from familiar, reliable options to the more ‘weird and wonderful’. Eco conscious throughout, they are plastic free and working towards zero waste. Keep an eye out for a regular programme of events and themed tasting nights.
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![Covino, a wine bar in Chester, UK.]()
Address: 118 Northgate Street, Chester
Covino is a small owner-run wine bar & restaurant in the heart of Chester, serving a daily-changing menu of seasonally inspired small plates, with the focus firmly on simplicity and flavour. The wine list has over 130 references from around the world, ranging from the classics, all the way through to the more left field. And for a special occasion or event, Covino also offers a cosy private dining room, seating up to 12 people.
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![Higher Ground, a restaurant and wine bar in Manchester, UK.]()
Phone: +44 0161 236 2931
Address: Faulkner House, New York Street, Manchester
A relative newcomer to Manchester city centre, Higher Ground was first set up as a pop-up in 2020 and led by a talented international trio - Joseph, Richard and Daniel who met back in 2016 whilst working at New York-based Blue Hill Stone Barns under chef Dan Barber. The threesome also boast the likes of Fera, Relae and Noma on their impressive CVs. Following the opening of Higher Ground the threesome then went on to open Flawd, a neighbourhood natural wine bar and bottle shop in Ancoats, just north of the city, in 2021. The wine list encourages discovery and curiosity, via a focus on smal...
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![Adam Reid at The French, a hotel and restaurant in Manchester, UK.]()
Phone: +44 161 235 4780
Address: 16 Peter Street, Manchester
Adam Reid at The French is the flagship restaurant of the historic grade ll listed Midland Hotel in central Manchester. He took over as chef-patron in 2016 following Simon Rogan's departure. Just like the rest of the hotel the interior of The French is pretty grand and classical - high ceilings, plush sweeping banquettes and old school elegance. The food is contemporary and seasonal fine British dining using top ingredients. There’s a choice of tasting menus and wine pairings.
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![Mana, a restaurant in Manchester, UK.]()
Phone: +44 161 392 7294
Address: 42 Blossom Street, Manchester
Mana opened in 2018 and received Manchester’s first Michelin star just a year later. A multi-course tasting menu is the only option for lunch and dinner with wine pairings available alongside their wine list. The interior is pared-back luxe, and the never-ending stream of small dishes are ambitious and creative using hyper seasonal ingredients and inspiration drawn from the natural world. Mana, along with a handful of other places in the city, represents an exciting new era for Manchester dining, putting the city firmly on the quality map.
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![Erst, a wine bar and restaurant in Manchester, UK.]()
Phone: +44 161 826 3008
Address: 9 Murray Street, Manchester
Erst is a natural wine bar and restaurant in the Ancoats, a historical and recently regenerated area of Manchester now filling up with independent businesses and trendy places to eat and drink. The interior is stylishly pared back – clean lines, a brushed steel bar plenty of wood. A series of simple but flavourful European small plates and wine friendly snacks – oysters, salami, anchovies and grilled flatbreads – are on the menu.
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![Hawksmoor Manchester, a restaurant in Manchester, UK.]()
Phone: +44 161 836 6980
Address: 184-186 Deansgate, Manchester
The Manchester outpost of the hugely successful British steakhouse Hawksmoor is located in a former Victorian Courthouse in the heart of the city. The interior is true to the building using lots of reclaimed features from the era - parquet flooring (from another courthouse in fact), wood panelling, classic leather banquettes and glazed bricks from a public lavatory in Liverpool – which they promise have been well cleaned! Food and drinks are consistently excellent, sourcing ethically reared cattle from small British farm along with sustainable seafood from around the British coast. There are...
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![Moor Hall, a restaurant in Aughton, UK.]()
Phone: +44 1695 572511
Address: Moor Hall, Prescot Road, Aughton, Ormskirk
Best Sparkling Wine List UK, presented by Laurent-Perrier 2026
Moor Hall is a luxurious grade II listed restaurant with rooms, with a history dating back to the 13th century. Since being transformed in 2015 by the present owners they’ve received rave reviews and a coveted two Michelin stars. As well as the main restaurant they have private dining and a ‘kitchen experience’. The uber talented chef is ex-L’Enclume (another two star) and El Celler de Can Roca. The cuisine is new British - delicate and produce driven, presented in exceptional and natural surroundings. It’s all tasting menus, either four or eight courses at lunch, eight only for dinner and win...
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![JÖRO Restaurant, a restaurant in Sheffield, UK.]()
Phone: +44 114 299 1539
Address: JÖRO Oughtibridge Mill, Main Rd, Wharncliffe Side, Sheffield, S35 0LB
Best Short List UK, presented by The Buyer 2026
Located in 19th Century Oughtibridge Mill, Luke and Stacey Sherwood French have transformed a once derelict paper mill into restaurant JÖRO with seven rooms. [Editor’s note: this review is pending an update.]
