Canto Restaurant in Manchester

Our server Ryan was fantastic !! He was able to recommend the best drinks and food. He was the best.. good to see someone enjoy their work… he made it the best experience. First time in Manchester from Dublin and I would come back, just to see Ryan again!! lol 🥲 x

We had an excellent meal here with great food and service. The waiters are very attentive and brought water straightaway. The food is excellent with lots of choice for vegetarians and vegans - we particularly enjoyed the croquetas and vegan chocolate tart. Highly recommended!

The atmosphere and food were brilliant and our server Ryan was fabulous! He really made our experience at Canto 10/10 and we will definitely be recommending this restaurant to others looking for a gorgeous meal in Manchester.

Not sure how these reviews are saying it’s nice !! I found the food poor, tasteless and probably the worst tapas I have eaten. Service was good and friendly but the food and drinks were very mediocre. Definitely wouldn’t go again !

The food was spot on, the atmosphere was great, and delightful service from Ryan. Would definitely recommend! 10/10 xx

The food was absolutely incredible, the staff very helpful, will be back very soon!

I had the absolute pleasure of visiting #Canto in Manchester yesterday for their #tipsytapas. I was so impressed.😍 The food is amazing! It can be quite stressful making restaurant reservation, check the food is suitable for my intolerances, as gluten and dairy are hard on their own then it's adding yeast, onion, etc in to the mix as well. 🙈 Abbie Skelton booked a table for my friend and I and sent over my intolerances to the restaurant previsit and sent me over a description of dishes I was able to have prior to the booking. When we arrived, we were warmly welcomed, and Emma, one of the staff, double-checked the dishes and made sure everything was OK. I thoroughly enjoyed the padron peppers, tenderstem brocoli, and the patatas bravas with homemade alioli made from egg. My mouth is watering, describing how delicious it was. 🤤 Chan, my friend, had the Peri Peri Chicken, Cod, and Patatas Bravas and loved it ❤️ You get a good selection of drinks for a 90-minute sitting, and the service is exceptional. We enjoyed prosecco 🥂 Aperol Spritz and Sangria 🍷 The restaurant has a beautiful interior and has a gorgeous, rustic feel to it. We booked in for 3 p.m., so we had full advantage of the ambience before the hustle and bustle. ✨️ Thank you, Abbie, the BDM for booking us in and your amazing staff for looking after us! 10/10 recommend ✨️🤍

The padron peppers were undercooked in my opinion. The rest of the food was good (ham croquettes, fried sardines). The dessert was really good and the sangria as well. The menu is a bit limited, I've been in other tapas restaurants in Manchester where they had more choice. Overall a good experience.

Went for Tipsy Tapas. Excellent choice of food, food was delicious. Lots of drinks options. Beautiful setting. Very reasonably priced. Would def visit again

Amazing food and the roast dinner I had was 10/10. Looking forward to going back again. The bottomless sticky toffee pudding was delicious

The food was awful, that was not a tapas taste. After eating we felt all sick. The ambience is spoiled by the AC. Staff was ok.

Went for the tipsy tapas and it was really good value for money. The drinks were of good quality and the food was so good, Highly recommend the butternut squash dish, it was amazing! Our server was great and really friendly and she made the birthday girl feel really special.

Wonderfull experience , very good quality and service

Came here for tipsy tapas to celebrate my birthday. The food was incredible and so filling! Compliments to the amazing chefs. Special shoutout to our servers Amy, Natalia and Tom who were incredible throughout, our drinks were never empty. Such friendly and attentive service. Thank you so much for helping make this a special day and birthday<3

We went for the 20 pound for 3 and got 6 . Started with padron.peppers then bread with fresh tomatoes very nice. Salt cod fritters and pattas bravas with the hisppi cabbage. All.were very flavoursome and for the price excellent. Rounded off by vegan chocolate tart with miso ice. Would definitely return! Great service by Tom.

Thomas made the experience so great. Food was lovely and atmosphere was great. It was busy and Thomas still made time for us and was genuinely really lovely! Good mid week deal too :)

On arrival, sit down, immediately harangued by staff, obviously under pressure for a quick turnaround. Appetiser offered which is actually a starter. ‘Have you eaten at Canto/TGI Fridays before? ‘yes, was bad 20 years ago and still is’. Cheese board okay (TBF, you get that wrong then you’re bad), Veggie option, Lentil mush with cauliflower, bloik 🤢 Patatas bravas? Microwaved, skin on potatoes in tomato sauce, not good, those that are saying that they are have plainly never eaten Patatas Bravas, otherwise they would know that authentic Patatas Bravas has no tomatoes at all. Gambas pil pil, waitress explained that prawns had heads and tails, yup?. Mushrooms croquettes, average, didn’t stick around for dessert, wine ok, but £28/bottle. Also automatically add the service charge, £11, bringing our bill to £100, probably to make you ask to have it removed, which I did as we had been ripped off enough. Felt like la tasca 90s. Would not go again.

This was my second time dining here. We tried the 3 for £20 offer this time and everything we ordered was delicious, really great value for the quality! The Hispi Cabbage is a must-try, seriously good. Big shoutout to Thomas for the excellent service, super friendly and attentive. We left full and happy.

Food was lovely, fast and friendly service. Our waiter Thomas was especially helpful and made the experience.

Came here as part of the scranchester food tour and the food was fantastic. Will be coming back!

Great for gluten free! Delicious food, nothing crazy but really tasty and flavourful. Emma was stunning at making it so ease dining with dietary restrictions.

The food was amazing and great portions for sharing (we possibly over-ordered). We did the three dishes deal for £20, which makes a great saving

Lovely food, slightly expensive but totally different. Great for special occasion. Staff really friendly and helpful.

Tom (with the terrific teeth) was just fantastic. Great service, I commented to my friend how great it was to see someone who genuinely looked like he was enjoying his job and was pleased to be there. Tom and one other chap seemed to be the only two working the dining area and they smashed it. Give them a raise! The food was amazing, generous portions I’ll definitely be back. Well Done Canto

My friend and I came for the tipsy tapas and it was fab. The food was delicious and the service was great, really friendly. They kept an eye on our drinks and were quick to offer us top-ups. We stayed for more cocktails after the session had ended. I will be returning soon and recommending to others!

Did the tipsy tapas, food was amazing and service was excellent! Our waitress was great and made sure we got the most out of our time.

I had the Sunday roast and it was amazing! Not only was the food great, but the service was amazing as well. Everyone was so friendly, the ambience was amazing and it felt very intimate even when busy. I would recommend this place 1000 times over!

Food was OK but not up to usual high standards. Drink came very late and we had to force-feed ourselves 6 dishes in 20 minutes because they came out so quickly. Rush rush rush for some reason.

Good is okay but the portions are tiny. The cod fish fritters could be described as daylighy robbery as they're miniscule. They're supposed to be the length of a big thumb, but here they made it like a little toe. The meat sandwich only had meat in the very middle, so most of the sandwich was just bread and rockets. Not good value, not particularly good service, not great vibes either.

I visited Canto on Saturday evening and despite the restaurant clearly being very busy, it was absolutely unreal!!! The food was amazing (don’t skip the butternut squash) & our service by Thomas was absolutely incredible (he’s a credit to the restaurant - thank you for making our experience so lovely). Whilst there was a vibe & the place was lively, I was still able to have an in-depth chat with my friend at a normal volume. I couldn’t recommend this place more & I will definitely return.

Last week we went to El Gato Negro ( sister restaurant ) to Canto...now please I don't want to start a turf war but for tantalising taste and aromatic flavours CANTO won hands down...I know what I like and I just Lurved my CANTO tapas.....everything was to us both 100% what a restaurant should be....oh! before I forget TOM..( our waiter ) was Brill...he is a true asset to the establishment.

Amazing food, really friendly staff, my favorite restaurant. Big thanks to Thomas as well, made it a great evening.

The food was fine if a little bland. Overpriced for what it is. Was stood at the entrance for five minutes without being acknowledged before being seated despite having a booking. Service was slow and they forgot a drinks order. It was fine but wouldn’t bother going back

Great service, lovely tasty food.

Delicious food and beautiful place!

Great Tapas, and amazing service.

The environment is great and the food is delicious, especially the fried squid. My boyfriend and I went to the anniversary and brought our own cakes. The waiter helped us store the cake machine in the outdoor area, and finally helped us light the candles and serve them. Recently, there was a 30% discount in January, and the two of us only spent 40 pounds.

A little haven on the cold Friday my friend and I went. Great food lovely atmosphere and fabulous service. It can't be better than that

Came here on Wednesday as a couple. Service, atmosphere and food was all top notch. Very welcoming vibe to the place and the staff are lovely Food is beautiful and the portions are decent

Portuguese tapas. Imaginative small plates. Patatas bravas excellent. Good range of vegetarian dishes.

Brilliant place frist time here Good service and food spot on

They had a cancellation so we got lucky but it was full. Had cocktails at the bar first and they were amazing. Food was delicious lots of new flavours ideal for sharing, really great atmosphere and great service.

Cosy place for some great food whilst enjoying a night out in town. Will definitely be back next time we're in Manchester

This place absolutely NEEDS to shout about its vegan options more! We've been twice now and have not been disappointed. Essentially the whole vegetarian tapas menu can be made vegan. Particularly recommend the vegan patatas bravas and mushroom croquetas (go for 6!) Service is always excellent and the atmosphere is wonderful. Love love love Canto.

Our visit to Canto was the perfect start to our Manchester United Thursday matchday experience! As football fans who travelled from Malaysia to watch United play, finding such a welcoming Portuguese tapas restaurant near the heart of Manchester made our trip even more special. The warmth of Manchester's hospitality truly shone through at Canto. Thomas, who took our orders, deserves special mention for his exceptional service, particularly his thoughtful attention to my daughter's shellfish allergy (even suggesting she scan the QR code to check ingredients). He demonstrated the kind of care that makes visitors feel at home. Every Portuguese tapas dish we ordered was delicious, and the desserts were phenomenal. The almond tart was the best we've ever had, and their tiramisu was simply out of this world - worth visiting for these alone! But the genuine friendliness of the staff enhanced our first meal in Manchester. When travelling far for a football match, these warm encounters make the experience more memorable. The spirit of Manchester's hospitality perfectly complemented our football pilgrimage. As they say, "Glory, glory, Man United!" and glory to Canto's team for making our first Manchester meal such a wonderful experience. Thomas and the entire team helped kick off our Manchester United adventure in the best possible way. This restaurant serves great Portuguese cuisine and embodies the welcoming spirit that makes Manchester special. For football fans or visitors to the city, Canto offers excellent Portuguese tapas, outstanding desserts, and the kind of heartwarming service that makes you fall in love with Manchester even more.

We reckon this is the best tapas restaurant in Manchester. THE BEST pan Catalan we have ever had including many sampled all over Spain. Tomato salsas on pan Catalan, with meatballs & with patatas bravas were all different & delicious. Fab, crispy calamari with lots of little ones with tentacles. Garlic aioli accompaniment was heavenly. Great service, good vibe & preferable to El Gato negro as it was better vfm. Have a drink in Edinburgh Castle before hand.

Standout things for me - lighting was great (not clinically bright, good ambient level), tables were spaced far enough apart so you weren't dining with the table next to you and the staff were super attentive even though it was fully booked. I also had to move my booking around a couple of times and it was no drama. Food tasted great, if you're hungry I'd consider ordering at least one more plate than they recommend just to be on the safe side!

Highly recommend Prego! The beef steak in a rustic roll with caramelised onions and rocket, along with their tiramisu, is an absolute delight! The steak is incredibly tender and juicy—definitely beyond my expectations! The crusty roll pairs perfectly with the steak for a fantastic bite. As for the tiramisu, it’s not overly sweet, which I loved. The ladyfinger biscuits are thoroughly soaked in aromatic coffee syrup, making it incredibly satisfying. The balance of sweetness with the spiced wine and coffee syrup is just divine! It might just be one of the best tiramisus I’ve had in Manchester—definitely a must-try!

Honestly food was okay .. waitress tried to scheme us on the bill claiming items were 3 for 20 and yet it was not so we got charged an extra £10 for lies. Watch out on your bill

¡Es increíble! La comida es absolutamente deliciosa. El lugar de servicio también. Hay un ambiente encantador, bullicioso, acogedor, cálido. Estábamos a un paseo tarde - en durante un servicio ocupado, pero nos recibieron como si fuéramos sus primeros clientes, cálidamente marcó el comienzo de una mesa. Cada plato es una obra maestra, una hermosa sinfonía de sabores que hará que tus papilas gustativas canten con cada bocado. Es tan placentero compartir platos que son tan deliciosos, y crea una experiencia gastronómica muy atractiva e interactiva. "¡Tienes que probar esto!" eran palabras pronunciadas a menudo. Pedimos gambas tigre, aceitunas, pimientos padrón, chorizo, coquetas de hongos, lentejas y coliflor. Incluso mi pareja no vegetariana pensó que las lentejas eran increíbles. La sangría también era hermosa. Cada miembro del personal de espera era encantador, amable, y aseguró que tuvimos un gran tiempo. Este es el mejor restaurante de Manchester. ¡Simplemente tienes que ir a experimentar este lugar!

The food here was on another level. The staff were also great, we sat at the bar where the chefs cook right in front of you and they were talking to us while cooking and explaining what they did and were having a laugh too. The food was probably on par with the quality you get in the Basque region of Spain.

Was here on Saturday celebrating a friend's 50th birthday, we all went for the £40 tapas meal where you select 3 dishes from a set menu and drink is included for an hour and a half. The food was good (portuguese tapas), the atmosphere was spot, looking forward to going again- recommend the piri spirit chicken, it was oh so nice!😋

Un amigo y yo vinimos aquí para ponernos al día a mitad de semana. Compartimos 6 platos en la oferta de 3 por £ 20 y cada uno era delicioso! No suelo escribir comentarios, pero el servicio era tan bueno, el ambiente era encantador y la comida era increíble. ¡Y lo mejor de todo es que tampoco era caro! Sin duda recomendaría.

Had the best time sitting at the chefs table. Great service, very quick, food cooked right in front of you and given to you by the chef. The chef Joao was fantastic, thank you so much! We will be back again.

Really cool restaurant. Good portion sizes & nice food

Lovely staff and service but quite overpriced. Still had a lovely evening though, and the food was good :)

Lovely experience at Canto in Ancoats. 3 for £20 available earlier in the week a good deal. Food all tasty and good. Waiting staff friendly and attentive. A nice buzz to the room.

Comida vegetariana / vegana muy hermosa a menudo falta en las opciones de tapas, y suficientes opciones para hacer un banquete muy bueno para un vegano y un vegetariano. Platos impresionantemente sabrosos, patatas bravas y brócoli siendo lo más destacado. Un fabuloso desierto de tarta de chocolate con delicioso helado de naranja. Me encantó la comida concisa y las cartas de vinos, gran ambiente. Es caro, pero no más que otros en esta zona de moda. Fue un sábado muy ocupado. Coincido con otro cartel en que podrían ser un poco menos brusco sobre la necesidad de la mesa de nuevo, además de que el personal a veces era difícil de llamar la atención para más bebidas porque estaba tan ocupado, pero en general muy recomendable principalmente porque la comida es muy buena.

He estado en Canto dos veces ahora y siempre tan impresionado - recomiendo encarecidamente para vegetarianos / veganos! Ambiente encantador, servicio súper rápido y comida muy bien hecha. Nuestro servidor Freya era genial!

Unfortunately, I'm giving it three stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Why? They've chosen to charge higher end wine prices, but don't have the quality to match - £42 for a low grade wine. Principally, I can't agree with that - it's a deterrent to eating there again. I never select my wine by price - I'm happy to pay anywhere upwards of £60 for a good bottle of wine for the table. But if I'm paying for it, I do expect quality wine. And at £42 for a cheap and bitter Malbec, you've got it so wrong. I hadn't looked at the price, but by its bitter taste, I expected to be paying £26, max. I was stunned to receive a bill of £150, £42 of it from the malbec. Either the person selecting your wines doesn't know wine, or you've simply accepted a wholesaler recommended choice and they've screwed you over on price. Furthermore, although the food is delicious, your overall pricing is on the higher end per head, but your service simply doesn't match it. There's nothing wrong with the service staff - they provide a run of the road restaurant service. But you're not charging run of the road - if you want to charge higher pricing, you have to provide the higher quality service. Which you don't. Overall at £150 for two people, I just don't see the dining experience is worth that. Had it been £100, I'd have returned again. At £150, I think you're overcharging hugely for what you provide and simply aren't operating in that price range. Based on that, you wouldn't see me again - there's far better restaurants in Manchester at a more appropriately priced level for their quality and higher level of service.

The lamb meatball portion was tiny, although chicken wings were great. On average, it was ok but not worth the price.

Brought 2 American friends who have been to London and Brussels,,,they said it was the best food of their whole 3 week trip , “outstanding “. The tastes were so different and tasty The Catalan bruschetta was particularly tasty …see photo my daughter comes here and loves the chicken wings particularly and it’s dog friendly too Would highly recommend the recommend this restaurant for people who enjoy tasty beautifully presented food

Food was unreal as always, great atmosphere and fantastic service from Tamara - very tentative, made the visit amazing! Thanks again - Alex & Rachel

GREAT FOOD, FANTASTIC ANTENTIVE SERVICE, WILL DEFINITELY RECOMMEND 👌 😀

Really enjoyable food and fast service. The the 3 dishes for £20 deal is also great if you go at certain times.

Been here a few times now. Very good food. Would recommend their peri peri chicken and mushroom croquettes.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was really something to behold, with upbeat music playing in the background and really adding to the vibe, and the food was all incredible - words can’t describe how flavoursome it was. The staff were extremely welcoming and friendly, with our server Darius making the night, and the kitchen staff being really helpful and kind as well. Would give 6 stars if I could, and will definitely come again.

Great food, sat at the chefs bar and I would highly recommend. Lovely service from Darius and the rest of the team. Will be coming back!

Incredible food with incredible service! We did the weekday 3 for £20 deal which worked out amazing for us. We enjoyed every single bite!!! Definitely the best meal we've had in ages. Darius looked after us, always ensuring our drinks were topped up and we had everything we needed. 10/10!!

Went for lunch with my sister. The 3 Tapas and a soft drink for £20 is superb value for money. Sorry no photographs because the food and company was so good. Excellent value and service 👏👏👏

Staff were so helpful and friendly tonight catering to allergies. Food was amazing, especially the mushroom croquettes. Will be back!

Excellent food, excellent service, everything was done right and one of the best deserts I've had in my life, and they accept cash (I refuse to give any business to cashless restaurants)

Really lovely tapas place. Food was fantastic and totally reasonably priced for the quality. Really enjoyed my meal with my girlfriend.

Absolutely Lovely! The vivacity of the Ancoats neighbourhood also offer a vibrant and researched place, carrying you for some time to the lusitan coasts. Only note is the lack of any portuguese songs in the playlist, even though everything else seemed authentic and perfect! Recommended!

Just fantastic food. Nice staff, great atmosphere on a Friday night. Their sangria is next level, not sure what they flavour it with but it's incredible

I always love going in for food, such a warm atmosphere too!

Excellent time at Tipsy Tapas. Freya was very attentive and ensured we had an amazing time. Drinks were refilled often and the food was amazing. The pasta del nata witha candle was an extra treat for my partners birthday. Good vibes all round.

Tapas plates are typical small size but extremely well presented and very tasty. Good informal lively atmosphere

The food and service was amazing! 🤩 would definitely come back again

What a restaurant this is, amazing tapas with really good service. Top 3 in Manchester!

Food is amazing and the closest we really get to traditional Spanish food over here in Manchester. Dogs can come in which makes it very welcoming and easy

Went on Saturday evening we booked the table, really busy but a great vibe staff were very attentive and friendly ordered lots of plates of food and it came out at different times really hot and fresh great flavours definitely worth the visit xx

Thus came highly recommended. Wasn't disappointed at all. Service was very good and the food was delicious!

Food was excellent, drinks a little expensive

Enjoyed meal but staff were rushing to close.

Food was average and did not taste like authentic Spanish tapas at all. Especially the patatas bravas just like baked potato with chewy skin and some sauce on top. Also, Gambas pil pil was not like the Spanish one either. For those prices I was surprised they are not given bread for customers.

Really lovely food. Service was good. Tapas style food was excellent, all very hot and very tasty. Good portion sizes and delivered to table in stages. Probably one of the nicest tapes I've had in Manchester. Not the cheapest but would definitely return

Delicious food and super friendly staff!

Delicious food and yummy dessert. Thanks!

The food is lovely, the tapas plates are stupidly big for the table size, it doesn't make it look fancier just makes it awkward. There were lots and lots of tiny flies, we were swatting them all through our meal, euk. The service was good and surrounding very nice. 2 x £20 tapas specials, 1 bottle of wine, service charge .....£70+

Very good quality but just too pricy for tapas

Great value for money getting the three tapas for £20... Top quality stuff

Delicious food and great service at reasonable price.

Great food and servie. Lots to chose from for vegan and veggie. Highly recommend

Best tapas I've ever had served beautifully! 10000% recommended!

Great atmosphere and choice of dishes We booked the "Chefs Table" which is a high backed chair at a bar that is directly connected to the kitchen, as in the Chefs are half a meter in front of you. It's very cool to see the care taken over the food preparation and speed they're working at. Was great for a date night with my wife. Nice experience to share :) Definitely recommend

I’ve been here three times now over the last 2 years and each time Canto has gotten better and better. On the first visit we felt the service and food were slightly below par but the improvements since then are so impressive. The service is excellent, attentive but not too in your face. The food is ace, salt cod fritters and beef short rib were particular highlights. The price has increased in that time but the restaurant industry has also taken a battering in that time so happy to pay more. Can’t wait to return and support a local business again.

Food and the spicy margaritas were delicious! Service was great...our lovely waitress Lucy took very good care of us. Will be back

Lovely birthday lunch with my son

Food was great, there was a deal which was 3 for £20 before 6pm on Tuesdays. Toilets were lovely with hand moisturiser which smelt amazing.