North West Restaurant Guide

Easy, informal all-day dining is the thinking behind the MC Cafe Bar and Grill, set in the chic surroundings of the Abode Manchester Hotel.

107 Piccadilly, Manchester, Greater Manchester

Without doubt, one of the new stars of Britain's food world says Jay Rayner in The Observer about Chef Aiden Byrne who left the top London restaurant scene to take over The Church Green at Lymm in Cheshire, after a meteoric rise to fame and bagging a Michelin star at the age of 22.

Higher Lane, Lymm, Cheshire

It may bill itself as New Samsi, but this popular venue has been around since 1993 and has established itself as one of the most reliable Japanese joints in Manchester.

36 - 38 Whitworth Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester

The Manchester branch of Michael Caines and Andrew Brownsword's evolving chain of boutique hotels occupies a striking nineteenth-century building that was once at the heart of the city's textile trade.

107 Piccadilly, Manchester, Greater Manchester

'A fabulous new restaurant and bar with great views of the city', is typical of UK Restaurant Guide reporters' enthusiasm for this swish venue spread over the fifth and sixth floors of Manchester's iconic Urbis complex in the Millennium Quarter.

Urbis Centre, Manchester, Greater Manchester

Reckoned to be one of the oldest pubs in the Ribble Valley (circa 1756), the Red Pump Inn has enjoyed something of a rebirth since the arrival of Jon and Martina Myerscough.

Clitheroe Road, Bashall Eaves, Lancashire

Billed as 'Wirral's country hotel', this substantial Victorian manor was voted 'Merseyside Hotel of the Year' back in 2006. It was originally built by a shipping magnate from Liverpool and the interior still has many marvellous original features: stained glass windows and impressive oak panelling are features of the public rooms, while the Italian Room restaurant (housed in the old music room) is famed for its hand-crafted leather ceiling inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Neston Road, Wirral, Merseyside

The Manchester branch of the Bluu mini-chain has established itself as a front runner in the city's relaxed and understated Northern Quarter, and is noted for its 'lived-in' values.

Smithfield Market Buildings, Manchester, Greater Manchester

Kosmos brings echoes of the sunny Hellenic countryside and seascapes to the outer suburbs of Manchester, with its bright decor and hotpotch of Greek memorabilia.

248 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester

Hong Kong meets Las Vegas in this vast 400-seater restaurant attached to the technicolour Wing Yip Centre on the Oldham Road.

1st floor Wing Yip Business Centre, Manchester, Greater Manchester