A Food Walk in Manchester's Northern Quarter
The Northern Quarter used to be an industrial area and has maintained many of its old buildings so it’s often used as a film set. It’s centrally located featuring a wide variety of independent stores and restaurants.
One of the most famous stores is Afflecks, an "emporium of eclecticism".
As we walked around the neighbourhood, the guide, John, pointed out interesting stores and other restaurants worth visiting. I was intrigued to be told that a convenience store was actually a secret bar.
Street art is encouraged in the Northern Quarter so there are places where graffiti artists are invited to contribute on a rotating basis. I particularly enjoyed the parrots perched on buildings along a street which used to be home to pet stores. The story is that these are the birds that were set free when the stores closed.
Our first stop was at Slice Pizzeria and my mouth is still watering at the memory of a slice of Roman-style pizza. There was a wide choice of pizzas by the slice – if you’re in Manchester, you don’t want to miss out. Unlike North America, where pizza is one of our staple foods, pizzerias are new and trendy in Manchester at the moment.
Our second stop was at Chakalaka, a South African restaurant that had only been open for a few weeks. It was bright and colourful and I enjoyed chatting with the owner who was serving behind the counter as well as in the kitchen. The cheesy maize balls with chakalaka sauce (peppers, carrots, onion, tomatoes, and beans flavoured with curry and chili) were very tasty.
The next stop was Siop (Welsh for Shop) where we picked up big filled donuts with a variety of interesting flavour combinations. Siop was a very busy place with both meals and baked goods. I would definitely return.
The Victorian fish market has been transformed into the Manchester Craft & Design Centre. We had a small bowl of soup (I really appreciated all the small servings, which meant I could enjoy all the flavours without feeling bloated) and I had a chance to wander around and look at some of the displays and boutiques.
Our final stop was a bit of a surprise and was certainly not a place I would have gone into on my own. Located down a grungy back alley, This & That serves rice and 3 curries with a different selection every day of the week.
It’s a no-frills kind of place that pays tribute to the area’s past as a centre of the South Asian textile trade. Workers would stop by one of the area’s curry houses on a daily basis for a cheap, filling lunch. This is good food at a good price and has many regular customers.
John was a friendly, interesting guide and I have no hesitation in recommending Manchester Food Walks.
See Also
Manchester Proud
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