In our last ‘where to eat’ blog, we took you to London, sharing our top restaurants to dine at when we fancy a night off cooking. From Daisy Green’s epic Aussie-inspired brunch to Cocotte’s unmissable roast chicken, there was definitely something for everyone. Missed it? Take a read here.
In this week’s blog, we’re off to Manchester, and we were pleasantly surprised by the number of ‘healthier’ restaurants we found. The days of a side salad being the only healthy thing on the menu are over, it’s all about bright, colourful, flavoursome dishes that really do taste as good as they look.
1. Foodwell
American and Asian influences come together to create an unmissable all day dining menu. Start with a freshly pressed juice and an Aussie Beach Breakfast, or maybe some avo on toast if you want to keep it small. Come lunchtime, the Mindful Bowls are a delicious light option but there’s no denying how good the wagyu burger is. Cocktails are up next, and they’re as much about theatre as they are about taste – prepare to be wowed. Still hungry? It’s sushi time, and they’ve got all your favourites… including spicy tuna rolls.
As the restaurant says: ‘There’s no restrictions on taste, only the way we prepare our food just happens to be healthier than most and better for you.” Tempted?
You’d think if you took all the gluten, dairy and refined sugar out of food it would make it boring, right? Wrong. The Remedy Kitchen truly is the healthiest eatery in Manchester, making dishes with love and consideration that are full of flavour and goodness. For brunch, try the Green & Wild: wild mushrooms, poached eggs & avocado on toasted sourdough, served with watercress, omega seeds, micro greens and wild herb oil. For lunch, choose from the Koreon steak, with eggs and black rice, or keep it light with a satay chickpea buddha bowl. They’re not open for dinner but the afternoon is the perfect time to grab a sweet treat: toasted banana bread, carrot cinnamon bagel… or both – zero guilt.
Fine dining but vegan. That’s the best way to describe The Allotment. Using the best local and seasonal ingredients, they’ve created an entirely new plant-based experience.
From roasted butternut squash with a deep miso sauce to jackfruit tacos and banana blossom fish and chips, this wonderful restaurant has effortlessly made vegetables the highlight of the dish. This is without a doubt the place to take your ‘I don’t eat vegan food’ friend and convince them once and for all that meat isn’t the king.
You know those perfect smoothie bowls you see on social media? The ones with the berries, nuts and seeds sprinkled in perfect lines? That’s the type of thing you can expect from The Counter House, and so much more. It’s a neighbourhood eatery, serving food all throughout the day. Favourites include the rump steak with sweet potato crisps and chimichurri, seared tuna with a soy wasabi dressing, and baked almond chicken katsu. What really sets this restaurant apart though, is the Sunday roast. Piled high with all the trimmings, perfectly cooked meats (or a nut roast), and a big Yorkshire pudding. Top it off with the baked chocolate chip cookie dough and vanilla ice cream – we didn’t say we were perfect…
Evelyn’s is a great all-round eatery. Open from dusk until dawn, the chic restaurant has something for everyone: Vegan, gluten free, healthy, indulgent.
It’s perfect for people who like to share, with an array of small and large plates. Try the fresh turmeric pita with labneh, the gravadlax pineapple cured Chalk Stream sea trout, a superfood bowl and maybe the lamb steak with charred almonds too – you may need to dine with a few friends, there’s just so much to try. Cocktails and wine are aplenty and they even stock some truly wild hot drink combos such as the peanut butter jelly cappuccino – we’ll let you be the judge on that one.