mana in Manchester

This was our fifth visit to mana & possibly the best yet. The sommelier, Nicolai, really made our visit. The wine pairing was the most interesting & memorable we’ve had from anywhere. In our opinion, mana is easily on par with the likes of L’Enclume.

As is always the case with fine dining experiences, this is my incredibly subjective review as I appreciate everyone's tastes are different. Overall, Mana was an enjoyable experience and the staff seemed to work hard and care to make it such. Positives The courses got better and better as they went on, building to the cured and smoked hogget which was easily one of the best dishes I've had ... possibly ever. The restaurant is set up around the front kitchen, so everyone is almost witnessing the theatre which makes for a great experience. The tall sous chef / chef-de-partie who seemed to be in charge of the kitchen at the front was entertaining to watch although he did sneeze all over the food and the ingredients a couple of times 😂 The dishes were all precisely executed and seemed to be well thought through avoiding the temptation to be style over substance with every piece playing a part in the overall flavour. They also managed to salvage an intolerance situation despite the booking platform failing to send it through in advance and were quite graceful about it despite the inconvenience. Negatives Nothing substantial and all minor points that could be quick fixes - There was a lot of dog hair on the back of the green sofa which I wouldn't expect in a fine dining restaurant. - The very first amuse-bouche that came out was messy (topped with flaky cheese) and ice-cold on the inside to a point where it was partially frozen and uncomfortable to eat. - We saw the chef on the BBQ/meat station test a reduction/sauce with a spoon and use that same spoon to keep stirring. I appreciate this probably happens all the time in restaurants, but you never want to see it. - All of the waiters were pleasant and nice people, but the short-haired lady who occasionally served us spoke very quietly and rushed through the dishes making it difficult to understand what she was explaining. With something so detailed, you really want to know what you're getting. Overall, it's a good experience worth having and the food was exceptional.

We went yesterday for the first time for my husband’s birthday and we had a great night. The place is lovely, the food was delicious and the selection of wines were great. We enjoyed every dish and the wine pairing. The staff were very nice, the restaurant was accommodating with my crustaceans allergy. The sommelier was one of the best we’ve ever had, he was super knowledgeable and fun! The only constructive feedback we have is that some waiters should speak louder, sometimes it was difficult to understand them as the music was loud and they were talking a bit low. Other that that, amazing night!

What an incredible experience fabulous atmosphere staff and the food was out of this world worth every penny.

Best restaurant we’ve ever been to. I simply cannot put into words the whole experience !! The food, the staff, the presentation, 110..% !!

Our first visit to Mana was September 2019 and we were very impressed by the quality of the food and its astonishingly good appearance and the set out of the restaurant. This time we visited end of August two people for the smaller five course event. The place looks similar a delightful building, spacious lay out of tables, an open kitchen providing the theatre. The food was just as good looking and fabulous in taste/texture as we had remembered. So why wont we go back? 1. The volume and nature of the music. It’s loud and very hard to hear the wait staff explain a dish. It’s headache providingly loud and jarringly out of place with the decor and layout and lighting. 2. The service is very tense and robotic. Everybody marches so quickly. It made me feel uncomfortable watching them. No relaxed confidence about the service. Little casual conversation. Uncomfortable. 3. After five course we were told there was another surprise chocolate course. We watched them all being prepared in the kitchen for the restaurant. We watched them all being delivered to the tables in the restaurant. We watched the staff packing up after the evenings service. Yep. We had sat there waiting, waiting waiting in a place we found uncomfortable and we had been forgotten. A flurry of apologies followed. We decided to wait no longer. I don’t think we will risk a third visit. A great shame as the food is great.

Amazing experience, the tasting menu is outstanding and our sommelier really made the experience special

From the moment we arrived we were made to feel comfortable. Although it's obviously top of it's game Mana is relaxed and not at all pretentious. The atmosphere was welcoming and the background music was fun and upbeat. Every element of the evening was sublime. The staff were attentive, the food was exquisite, the sommelier was knowledgeable without being pushy (and fun to talk to), and the mixologist was a fab, the rum cocktail to die for! We had a great view of the excellent chefs in the open kitchen working like a well oiled machine. Having visited a number of Michelin restaurants this is top of our list. We highly recommend a visit,

From the moment we arrived the service, drink and food were perfect. The staff are just lovely really welcoming and knowledgeable. My husband asked about the cocktails and got a detailed answer about the ingredients and then a suggestion which he loved. A special mention to the sommelier, who is just lovely. He congratulated us on choosing the cheapest bottle of wine on the menu by stating that it was one of his favourites. He didn't mention it being the cheapest to be clear. My favourite course was a mushroom, cheese and beer 'pie' which I am still dreaming about. All the food was just delicious and interesting flavours.

Fantastic restaurant well deserving of their Michelin star. One thing that really stood out is it was not pretentious and was very welcoming.

Visiting Mana in Manchester was an unforgettable experience! From start to finish, the service was impeccable, striking the perfect balance between attentive and relaxed. Despite the meticulous attention to detail, the atmosphere was far from pretentious. Instead, it felt warm and welcoming. We opted for matching wines and one of the highlights of our evening was interacting with the sommelier. Not only was he incredibly knowledgeable, but he also had a great sense of humour. We shared some laughs and left with a newfound appreciation for sake. The wine pairings were impressive—daring and refreshingly unexpected. The food was spectacular. Every dish was a delicious adventure, a collision of rule-breaking daring fun. This was my brother's first experience at a Michelin-starred restaurant, and Mana certainly set the bar high. He loved every moment of it. If you're looking for a dining experience that's both exceptional and down-to-earth, Mana is the place to go.

Great experience, pictures wouldn't do the food justice. Each dish was really good and was well curated, would happily go again.

The restaurant was lovely, nice atmosphere, good music. The staff were great. We loved that you could watch the chefs preparing the food. We did the tasting menu with wine pairing. Every dish we had was delicious and the presentation was great. However both the amount of wine and food was not worth the price. I would not come again as neither of us were full after the meal and was not good value but it was a lovely experience celebrating our 10th anniversary.

A great Michelin experience! The food was exquisite and the sommelier's recommendations were very accurate. Special mention for the staff who have been very attentive at all times.

I made a reservation at Mana in April including paying in full, up front, for the food - a total of £700. It was for a Wednesday night, my friends 60th birthday. My friend and his wife travelled from London for the meal. Except that Mana had cancelled my reservation, because they had stopped opening on Wednesday shortly after I made the booking. They informed me by email, which went to my spam folder. They did not refund my £700 despite cancelling my booking. So we showed up on Wednesday night to find a closed and deserted restaurant. Incredibly embarrassing for me, disappointing for everyone else. I feel I showed good faith by paying in full up front, and received very little consideration in return. Perhaps in future they could try harder - for example picking up the phone. Not that I will ever go near the place again.

Disappointing… I’m surprised at all the 5* reviews. The atmosphere is lovely and good service, albeit fairly slow. The amount of wine you receive in the wine tasting is criminal. Have had much better tasting menus where you don’t feel so ripped off.

The tasting menu with accompanying wine pairing was incredible and the whole experience from start to finish was perfect.

A really delicious experience with funny and knowledgeable staff, food and wine delicious

Absolutely amazing dinning experience! Fantastic service and top of the live food, great for special occasions.

Outstanding!!!! Thankyou mana for the experience ☺️

Dead relaxed. Food was great and all the staff were so friendly. The sommelier was bloody hilarious.

Very nice food and the wine pairing is fantastic. A must visit if you are in Manchester

Definitely deserves a 2-star award. Outstanding from start to finish. The service was unbelievable! Highly recommend

Mana is a wonderful restaurant in Manchester. The food is beautifully presented and tastes great. The service is top notch as well.

Unbelievable experience, I’d highly recommend to any foodie. Very pricey but worth every penny.

Exquisite food and service. We had a special occasion meal that was made extra special by the Mana experience. The chief is a genius.

Glad we tried the only Michelin in Manchester.

They cancelled our booking with one working days notice despite almost 4 months notice of my wife’s allergy. I had prepaid and advised them on the phone ahead of booking and in writing. Essentially they could not be bothered adapting their menu. As it was a major birthday for my wife I was astonished that they would not adapt - not hard for a Michelin restaurant? Due to the late notice was impossible to find anywhere else at such short notice.

The evening in Mana was lovely. It started relaxing in the "lounge" with drinks and snacks before moving to the dining area. It was very relaxed and homely. The staff were all very nice and welcoming and explained food/wine pairing without hesitation and any member of staff appeared able to recite what an element of the meal was whether they brought the meal and I produced it to you or not. Each course was presented exceptionally and tasted divine. It was very enjoyable. We opted for the wine pairing although at £140x2 for 7 (small) quantities of wine I think I would think again if I was to return. As much as the wines were lovely, I just didn't feel the value for that price (on top of already paying £175 for the food). The insult I felt was being charged £4 also to receive water on the table. While it was replenished throughout the night, water feels like something that should be complimentary. The discretionary charge of 12.5% also didn't feel too discretionary when it's already typed into the card machine upon request for payment. So really it feels like an obligation. At the expense of the evening, I would expect the company to pay their staff fairly and shouldn't need to request a service charge (many industries provide a service but don't have such a request at the end so why should hospitality?). At least if it's going to be discretionary then don't have the card machine set up with it all before they come to your table. We were only a party of 2 for my partners birthday with only 5 customers total in the restaurant that evening. But all in all, a lovely evening. Albeit I probably won't eat the rest of the month 🤣 Thank you for a lovely evening regardless of the mixed feed back x

Despite pre payment and almost 4 months notice of my wife’s allergies that were confirmed prior to booking Mana cancelled the booking with 1 working days notice - appalling for a major birthday which we then had no time rearrange. What was also fairly astonishing was being asked if she could have custard or doughnuts when she has an egg allergy and we were very clear on this. Thanks for ruining a major birthday!

We tried the lunch tasting menu and were absolutely blown away by the food. The restaurant is chic, service professional yet not stuffy and can’t wait to go back for the full evening dinner experience. So glad this is in my city, a true credit to Manchesters culinary scene.

What a find! Elegant and stylish restaurant. We went for dinner and had the chefs taster menu with wine pairings. It was excellent. A great mix of flavours and textures. Every dish was extremely well presented. Some interesting selections for wine pairings too- certainly got to try wines that I would not have selected from a wine list. Delightful staff. Not at all stuffy or pretentious. Highly recommended.

Ambience was great and so were all the servers. Food was delicious as to be expected from a michelin. Although I do have to say iv had better menus at other 1* michelins. This one had many fish dishes and some had very similar flavours. Each beautifully created and tasting great. Just not the same wide flavour journey iv had in other places.

What an amazing place Great to see chefs produce amazing food and nice to see them interact with the clients. Could not fault the food or drinks at lol Looking forward to comeback soon

Amazing experience. Cancel your theatre tickets or the opera and visit Mana it's like performance art. We had a fabulous memorable evening

Very good balance of flavor. The short menu really fit for lunch. Decent service

We went for our ten year anniversary. Gorgeous staff! Innovative & delicious food. Everything you’d want from a tasting menu!

Well deserving of their star. Everyone did a fantastic job. The food and ambiance was perfectly complimentary and appropriate. Would recommend highly.

So much thought and detail went into every dish and having eaten at a 3 star and 2 star recently, I can honestly say our experience at Mana was on the same level. The semmelier was so knowledgeable and we loved learning about the wine pairings. Truly exceptional and definitely worth a visit.

Situated in Ancoats, Manchester, Mana presents an extraordinary culinary journey merging Nordic-inspired dishes with contemporary flair. Its simplistic yet inviting atmosphere creates an ideal backdrop for an exceptional dining adventure. Under the helm of Chef Simon Martin, the tasting menu showcases his respect for seasonal produce, the environment, and impeccable culinary skills. Each plate harmonizes a diverse range of flavors and textures, from cool oysters to warm duck breast, all created with attention to detail. Service at Mana is top-notch, with a well-informed and attentive staff ensuring a seamless dining experience. The pacing allows diners to savor each moment and anticipate the next course, elevating the overall enjoyment. In conclusion, Mana stands as a culinary treasure in Manchester, delivering an incomparable dining experience that tantalizes the palate and leaves a lasting impression.

I went with my wife for her birthday celebration as a treat. We were planning to have the full menu but 3 of the first 8 dishes were too salty, including the langoustines, the celeriac and the crab in particular was very salty. They didn’t really seem to accept our view and maintained that this was how the dishes were supposed to be. In response they offered to give us a 50% refund on the food, as they said we had already had half of the menu. This didn’t really feel like fair compensation for such a disappointing experience. In the end we paid £75 for a bottle of wine plus £175 for a really disappointing afternoon.

We have been to many Michelin restaurants and were looking forward to trying Manchester’s first one. The staff were all lovely and overall the food was good The drinks were more ice than drink The dessert was more savoury than sweet Overall it is way overpriced as we paid nearly £1k for 4 people.

An outstanding and special experience, a must visit in Manchester 👌👌👌

The only Michelin starred venue in Manchester. Everything was exceptional.

Blown away by the experience. The attention to detail is insane. Allow 2-3 hours. Take it all in.

A fabulous experience- beautiful, very clever dishes with incredible flavour. There was a quite a wait between dishes, and I suspect this is to let the diners experience the flavours. Great service, and fascinating to watch the food cooked basically in front of you. That also affords a view of the chef expressing displeasure with his other chefs, but maybe that’s par for the course. Expect to be there for several hours!

Can't fault the food or service. A tad overpriced for what it is but you only live once.

What an amazing experience! Mind blowing flavour combinations, different textures and smells. The service was delivered with such care and enthusiasm that time just flew by. Thank you to all the team!

Excellent food, service, and atmosphere. Would definitely return to try out whatever they cook next or quite possible to experience more of the dishes I had

Can’t rate this enough. Amazing food and staff.

A future 2 star to try without hesitation! Delicious, inventive cuisine with dishes worth even 3 stars! Very friendly and professional staff... a "slightly cold" atmosphere...

A sumptuous delight for all the senses, what an absolute treat. Where gastronomy is an art, the open kitchen gives a glimpse of each dish, created with extreme care. Beautiful thoughtful interiors relax also excite and complement the main star, the taste. Welcoming hosts, cooks and staff add to the experience with a wonderful balance of warmth and care. Thankyou for a culinary sensation we will treasure.

Amazing food and service. I’m not qualified to comment on the intricacies of the food other than that some of it was unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before. Truly unique and beautiful food.

Waste off time, as the meals are just ordinary and does not fulfil the Cost or effort to find a Carpark space . Maybe 🤔 the Chef should stop acting like a desperate person to believe his menu should cost way above a hundred bucks..

The atmosphere and service are very good but the menu may not suit everyone.

Incredible food, excellent service and a good atmosphere. Expensive.

Excellent meal, perfectly prepared and served. Pricey, even for a Michelin star, but as a special treat or was an amazing way to spend an evening. The accompanying wines were well selected and expertly explained by the sommelier.

We have been wanting to go to mana for a while, so were really pleased to get a table for lunch. Great welcome and ambience inside. We loved that you could see the kitchen throughout our meal. The food was excellent, and some of the courses I think have the potential to push Mana towards achieving a second star. The wine pairing was well considered and our host knowledgeable and passionate about the wine she was serving. We will definitely be back as the seasons change to experience hopefully a largely new menu reflecting the produce of the season.

Amazing .If I was gonna have my last meal on this planet ,I'd have it here.

Amazing culinary experience in Manchester. The dining experience from start to finish was very well thought out. The service is immaculate. Food and presentation is what you expect from a restaurant of this type. Taste wise, most dishes were sensational, however it’s a bit too towards the salty side to the palate, but that could be due to the fermentation process in many dishes. Overall well deserved Michelin star.

Amazing experience enough said

We really enjoyed our visit to Mana. The food was right up there with anything we have tasted. We visited a 2 star restaurant recently and the standards were just as good here. The service was professional and attentive. There was a good attention to detail. We had the wine flight, which does add to the experience

Delightfully good food, the service was excellent especially since it’s designed for a more bespoke feeling with fewer tables. There’s an open kitchen with really cool views into how things were being made. Food was served by some chefs with detail of the ingredients. Drinks were really great, including non-alcoholic options.

One of the most exquisite experiences a local can have. If you visit Manchester and are into food, this is a restaurant you should prioritise. Wine selection and pairings are also 5-star. Other than the great food and wine experience, you should discover their magical coffee selection. Simon Martin and his team are working towards perfection in a united manner. Whilst everything was wonderful, our favourite dishes were the wagyu, venison and Japanese custard.

Worthy of 1 michelin stars and the cooking definitely exceeds michelin 2 stars

WOW ... Food at it's best Each dish was full of flavour and tasted sublime. We honestly could not find fault or a single criticism with the food, décor or service. Food was mind blowing - there was a monkfish dish that was to die for - would happily kidnap the chef who produced this piece of culinary art. Tasted so many flavours that I have never had before - even at other Michelin star restaurants. Service - exceptional and attentive. All the staff were welcoming and amiable. Level of service was flawless. Atmosphere - the open kitchen allows you to watch the chefs create their masterpieces. They work together so well it is fascinating to watch their artistry. This adds to the atmosphere of the immaculate designed interior. Mana deserves their Michelin star culinary recognition and I have no doubt they deserve at the least another star. Looking forward to my next visit. Thank you to all the staff.

Such a fabulous experience and definitely the best of the (fair few) one Michelin star restaurants at which we have eaten. The menu is both exciting and innovative; clearly a great deal of hard work goes into the design, execution and presentation of the dishes. The restaurant is stunning with every detail considered. I can’t recommend Mana highly enough and Simon Martin has built a venue and team to be proud of. We will definitely be back

Incredible meal at Mana! Very friendly and knowledgeable staff accompanied the amazing food. The place is our favourite meal in Manchester!

The staff were really engaging and knowledgeable about everything! The food was exceptional! Entertaining seeing the chefs prepare the food. Highly recommended!

simply amazing. Catered to our dietary requirements without any fuss. From the moment you enter to the time you leave (which was nearly 3 hours for us) the entire experience was faultless. So refreshing to see Chef Simon Martin give youngsters a chance. The eldest member of the team is 25 with the average age of front & back of house probably about 22. Everyone was working hard to give all diners an equally exhilarating experience. Thank you again for making our 20th anniversary that little bit special.

Stunning food and amazing fine dining

Absolutely incredible experience. Had the reduced lunch menu but it was not lacking in anyway. Not cheap but highly recommended The food was simply incredible - true Michelin star quality. Very inventive and delicate flavours. The wine selection was also very good. The service was impeccable. Great to see what seems like the entire staff consisting of young people. The kitchen looks very organised and harmonious - no arguing or shouting. Absolutely wonderful The restaurant decor and ambience is wonderfully minimalist but with lots of touches of sophistication

Came with my wife to celebrate her birthday and what an experience it was. Such an amazing, intimate experience, with some of the most sensational food and wine I've ever had. The staff were exceptional, providing exceptional professional service consistently throughout the night. Thank you for making my wife's birthday a very memorable experience. We will definitely be back.

An amazing place to go, it is like food art , very tasty food art. Service was impeccable, the attention to detail was flawless. Not something you will forget.

Another excellent meal at Mana. Well deserving of their Michelin Star, and heading for a second if the quality and creativity is maintained and developed.

Wonderful food and great service, very small dining room with around 24 covers. The food was outstanding, we look forward to dining there again. Mana has put Manchester on the gastronomic map.

Food wasn't for me, desert was good though.

After a few years of talking about it we finally booked a table at Mana for our anniversary. Start to finish the experience was fantastic. The food was traditionally British, drawing inspiration from our island with some exotic twists added (paired with interesting stories about where the chefs travelled to find them) which made every dish stand out from other places we have eaten. We enjoyed being sat near the kitchen, watching the chefs work away at their station like little worker bees. Really added to the experience seeing how things work behind the scenes. The chefs serving the dishes from their station and explaining their creation was also a nice added touch. Despite having eaten at multiple 3* restaurants around the country, both my partner and I agree that the venison dish we ate here is definitely the best plate of food we've ever eaten, the bread that came with it also stands out amongst the crowd. The only feedback I would have is that the tablet with the drinks menu (actually a really cool concept) had the brightness turned up very high and it was hard on the eyes at night in a dimly lit room. Would definitely recommend Mana and can't wait to visit again in the future, hopefully when they've achieved the additional stars they deserve.

Attentive staff, great atmosphere and setting, really enjoyed all the food and the music was good too! Will definitely be hunting a 2nd Michelin star this year, top standard from start to finish.

An absolutely wonderful dining experience. Incredible food and the most lovely service. Thank you to the team for looking after us.

Consigliato. Wine pairing highly suggested

All wonderful. Definitely a taster menu. Not a place to go if your hungry.

Incredible restaurant. One of my favourite meals ever. Will definitely be back

Makes no sense struggling to comprehend it all.

Stunning. Can’t really fault anything about this place. Looks amazing, staff couldn’t do more and the food was amazing (apart from the kohlrabi dish but that is just personal taste). I will 100% return and congrats to the team on such a well executed menu!

I had a lovely meal here with my husband, food was extremely high quality and the staff were truly excellent. I knocked one star off because, while I do expect Michelen star restaurants to be expensive, I think the quality (and quantity) of the food didn't quite match how much it cost.

Great place - the food was wonderful, but even better than that, the staff were genuinely excited to prepare and serve the food. Really interesting concepts, brilliantly executed.

Perfect evening, incredible food and service.

Delicious. Great service. We had a reduced menu of 7 courses that was really amaizing. Worth a try if in Manchester.

Fantastic! Fantastic food, fantastic service, fantastic decor and fantastic presentation on the plate. Simply fantastic!

What an amazing delight. I’ve been to many Michelin starred restaurants and this is as good as 1 star gets. The staff are absolutely amazing! This isn’t just a culinary experience; all your senses are tested. The pictures don’t come close to the experience. Yes it’s expensive (normal priced for a Michelin restaurant) but the experience is definitely worth it.

If ever you need to celebrate anything. Mana restaurant is the place to go. I have NEVER tasted anything as exquisite as this..we had an awesome afternoon. The staff were amazing 👏 the food was unbelievably tasty & presented beautifully. I can't recommend it more. Truly.

Incredibly innovative and fun dining experience. Well worth the cost, and well deserving of the Michelin star. The culinary team is incredibly young and talented and you can see the pride they take in their work in absolutely every aspect of the dining experience.

Phenomenal experience. Very warm and welcoming as soon as you walk in, the atmosphere was fantastic, the lighting and music made for a very relaxed vibe. I'm a vegetarian and I didn't miss out on the fantastic flavour combinations and the staff were all incredibly lovely in explaining our dishes. Would definitely go again.

One of my fave fine dining spots. A whole experience in itself. Appeals to all the senses. I could write loads but go and sense for yourself!

My first time posting a review for mana but its a 5* all round again for Simon and his talented team. What an experience! & an outstanding credit to Manchester! Keep the hard work up guys!

Stunning food and an amazing fine dining experience. Well deserving of the Michelin star! Open kitchen, chefs provide detailed explanation of every dish. Taste of dishes just unreal! Highly recommend

The most excellent lunch experience. Gorgeously presented morsels in a stylish, leisurely setting. It was a privilege to watch the chefs work & the kitchen is stunning. Pleasantly full at the end: an unexpected bonus in a Michelin starred restaurant! Cannot fault it.

Very disappointed! Table booking confirmation stated that the restaurant is ‘recommending to arrive 30 minutes before the booking time’. As recommended we have arrived 25 minutes before the booking to be not very nicely informed that we need to leave and come back at the correct time. Why would you recommend to arrive early to then tell us to go away?! That is extremely rude and not appropriate for restaurant like that. We came back later to be seated in a bar area, where we waited 45 minutes for someone to take our drink order and another 10 to be served. We didn’t move to the table and start the dinner until over an hour after the booking time! The tasting menu and drinks were very nice which saved the evening for us a little. However, the staff started to clean the restaurant and closing even before our first dessert arrived, which left us with a feeling we should be rushing to leave… very very poor service.

Brilliant meal here celebrating 2 birthdays. Food was just amazing, absolutely believe the reviews. Staff also incredible- front of house brilliant and a female sommelier 😁 who was just so knowledgeable. The wine flight was perfection, really enhanced the food. Also the chefs so talented and loved how they came and explained each dish. Loved it