The Counter House in Manchester

Slightly surprised we didn’t have to book. Maybe it’s the plethora of eateries in Ancoats. Anyway we sauntered in and weee greeted and thereafter looked after superbly by what appeared to be the front of house person (perhaps Saturday lunch is always quiet for them). Wuu on old we like a drink to start while we peruse the menu? A nice glass of white wine perhaps? We don’t drink. In that case perhaps a freshly prepared pressed drink - an Awakener, with pressed ginger juice, something something pineapple and cranberry. Ooh yes that sounds perfect. And it was bloody delicious. Chap didn’t skip a beat in between offering the wine, getting a no, and recommending something that is clearly a specialism (they have the Awakener, the Stand Tall and the Healer aka John Lee Hooker). Fish and chips was the food - amazing slab of coley with Alhambra beer batter (didn’t ask but the chips outer crunch had either picked up some of that flavoursome beer in the oil, or the oil itself was imparting a hint of yum). Don’t know why we both went for F&C but no regrets. Will go back for a Sunday roast we reckon. Amazing Galician perry & pineapple cider too - not at all like those sickly Old Mout or Rekorderlig abominations. We didn’t go adventurous on the puddings either but the ice creams are tip top. Excellent cortado making skills too (we reckoned the front of house dude is Andalusian so knows his cortado from his cappuccino). 5 stars

Been a few times.. you need to book otherwise you'll have a long wait. Food and service is great 👍🏻

I don’t normally review however I feel this place absolutely requires a recommendation. We had a selection of small plates that were incredible in flavour, all so fresh and different. The service was fantastic and it made our night. Definitely try this place if you can.

Housed in a refurbished warehouse that seamlessly blends industrial charm with contemporary elegance. As we stepped through its doors, we are greeted by an inviting and vibrant atmosphere, where the echoes of the building's industrial past harmonize with modern design elements and a warm ambiance. The exposed brick walls, polished concrete floors, and soaring ceilings create a spacious yet intimate setting, enhanced by an eclectic mix of furnishings, including plush sofas, communal tables, and cozy nooks. The décor is punctuated by pops of color, botanical accents, and striking artwork, contributing to the restaurant's vibrant and inviting aesthetic. The heart of The Counter House lies in its innovative and diverse menu, which celebrates flavors from around the globe while embracing locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. From indulgent brunch offerings like brioche French toast with caramelized bananas to inventive small plates such as crispy cauliflower bites with tahini dip, each dish is a masterpiece of culinary creativity and craftsmanship. At the heart of The Counter House's ethos is a commitment to sustainability and community engagement, reflected in its partnerships with local farmers, producers, and artisans. This dedication to supporting the local economy and reducing environmental impact adds depth and meaning to the dining experience, allowing guests to feel a sense of connection and purpose with each bite.

Sunday roast was the best I ever had! The atmosphere is modern and sleek. My nephew had the shrimp and was also amazing! When I am back in Manchester, I will return! Thank you for an amazing Sunday lunch!

Best Sunday roast in the area. We visited The Counter House for a Sunday roast dinner and it did not disappoint. The food was fantastic quality. The service was great. Booking is definitely recommended as the place filled up quickly as soon as it opened.

Fantastic place to go for some food or drinks, staff were top notch in terms of service / attentiveness and the food was amazing.

Came in for a meal with my partner and family. The service was amazing from start to finish, staff knowledgable about everything on the menu and their friendliness made us feel so relaxed. Lots of choices on the menu, we went for lots of small plates tapas style. This style of dining along with the ambience and feel of the place made for one of the best dining experiences we’ve ever had! They also have a gorgeous range of cocktails and were able and willing to make pretty much any drink to our taste. We will definitely be back again soon!

First time at The Counter House recently, as somebody new to the area, and I was beyond impressed! Food was just brilliant, hot and tasty, small plates perfect for sharing with friends, and service was immense! Staff were fab, so sweet, really took care of us and had a good giggle with them! Can’t wait to come back and try the famous Sunday Roast! ❣️

This is mine and my families favourite restaurant by far in manchester. Best Sunday roasts enjoyed by us all - kids and adults and always practically lick our plates! We come here so often as it has such a lovely friendly vibe, high and consistent standard of food, clean and fresh environment. We are all huge fans! Thanks to The counter house for many special family times 🥰🥰🥰

Fantastic experience. We brought the kids for a Sunday roast and they are super picky about where they eat. The food was incredible, probably the best roast I’ve had in years. The ambience was lovely, very vibrant. The staff were amazing. I can’t rate it highly enough. We’ll definitely be coming back again to try out the rest of the menu, which looked amazing too.

First of all the service was outstanding. The staff and chefs were very personable and welcoming. The food was excellent and the drinks were great too. It was pricey but when you get quality product and service you can’t complain. Will 100% visit again.

Came for quick spot of brunch while shopping in town and highly recommend ! Didn’t have a booking but I got seated straight away, food arrived in 15 mins and was delicious. The couple next to me suggested I should come back for the Sunday roast as it’s apparently the best in Manchester so will have to return, great friendly staff ⭐️

Wonderful ambience and food, but more importantly, te greatest service ever. Panos was very attentive to what we needed and he demonstrated great knowledge of wine. Thank you very much, we will certainly be back again.

Called in here early today for breakfast.......I needed the toilet so went straight there......As I was leaving I saw 4/5 mice running from the kitchen area......I immediately decided to go elsewhere

One of the best places for food in Manchester and I went there 2 times in 1 night. The servers were extremely nice. My favorite was the pan fried salmon and the sirloin steak. Absolutely amazing. 5/5 ⭐️

One of the tastiest gafs in town. Staff are all sound and really helpful, drinks are good, food is spot on can’t go wrong there. 10/10 every time

We came in as a large group and although we were told we would be on two adjacent tables we weren’t told we couldn’t push them together and as it was laid out was not at all conducive to conversation across the tables, which was a shame. They shouldn’t accept bookings over a certain size if they aren’t going to let people sit together. The food was sensational and I enjoyed it. The service for initial drinks and food was ok but after that I really struggled to get anyone’s attention to order more drinks so I gave up and walked to the bar. They did also let us go over our time by quite a bit so I did appreciate that.

I had- hummus, fish tacos, fries, sauvignon blanc. So, so fresh and tasty. Attentive, relaxed service. Great atmosphere. Staying in Manchester for a gig and so glad we found here!

Had a fantastic Sunday roast here. Service was brilliant, quick and attentive. Food was super tasty (Yorkshire puddings were ginormous!). 10/10 and definitely a must if you are looking for a Sunday roast in Manchester!

Dined as a family for Sunday roast, absolutely fantastic! Roast Beef was soft and tasty, gravy was very flavourful. The sticky toffee pudding was also delicious!

What a great find! Understated, in the best sense; incredibly friendly owner and waiting staff, who were top-notch observant and attentive. Simple menu, with great-tasting food, at a very reachable price point. Nice, relaxed, green-ish/industrial-ish environment. One star mark-down, because, having chosen a smaller meal (fish taco with straw fries), it then became 'tapas', and couldn't be delivered all together?? It meant we all got our meals at slightly staggered times, which wasn't great. Maybe a small point, but I'm sure it's solvable. Otherwise, a really great experience: I would go there again, without hesitation.

Nice place to have a cocktail. Sat at the counter and nice cocktails which were well made

We booked ahead and were quickly shown to our table on a busy Saturday evening. The ambience was great with chilled music and some great artwork on display. We were recommended a great Spanish wine from Galicia which was excellent and then perused the menu which is displayed on a small tablet. Although not huge there is plenty of choice on the menu with a combination of small and large plates. We started with pardon peppers and skewers, followed by a chicken curry and salmon dish which was cooked to perfection. The curry flavours were superb with lemongrass and ginger combining to produce a memorable dish. We managed to make room for desert with the sticky toffee pudding being described as excellent by my partner. The staff are both knowledgeable and attentive which helped to make the meal really enjoyable.

We came for Saturday brunch. The food took an hour to be served. When it arrived the breakfast was good, though they missed an egg so the server had to bring it 5 mins later, the toast was dry, not buttered and no butter provided. I had the cali hash. My egg was over cooked as was the bacon, the whole dish seriously lacked seasoning, but was resolved with plenty of salt at the table. The menu, staff and location have the ability to be absolutely outstanding but the kitchen need speed and to actually taste their food, seasoning is an absolute basic.

As with many Manchester restaurants in January, the Counter House is offering a significant (30%) discount on food & drink so decided to try it for dinner with my wife & daughter. Overall we had a very enjoyable meal. We made the right decision by ordering several of the small plates and one large plate between us, which meant we could sample more of their food. We ordered the fish taco, beef taco, lamb flatbread, halloumi chips & king prawn from their small plates selection and their chicken curry from their large plate selection. We also ended the meal with their indulgent & delicious bread and butter pudding. The atmosphere inside is casual elegant. I liked the layout of the restaurant especially the wall to wall counter, which on one end contained the bar and on the other the kitchen. The rest of the space was utilized for the restaurant in a clean open plan formation. Everything we ordered was very good. My fav dish was the lamb flatbread but I enjoyed everything else too. I’d definitely go back again. Our total bill for 3 people was £75 (after discount & including service charge) which for the quality of food we had is incredibly good value for money. Highly recommended!

Great place and they also let you bring your dog. 🐕 Thank you

THE 2nd BEST BURGER IN MANCHESTER!! Tuesday night out in Manchester and we went here for tea and we can honestly say THE BEST BURGER IN MANCHESTER! The service was amazing, very nice chilling atmosphere with the selection of music. We had padron peppers to start with The counter house burger and we absolutely recommend it 💯😋

Can't fault on anything the staff couldn't do enough to help you we had the roast beef dinner can't wait to come back

We had a night out here in January as they had a 30% off drinks and food offer which was found through an online newspaper review. However, (and be warned!) I booked through the website from a link in that review, and should have included the words 'January offer' in the text box when I booked - unfortunately I didn't. Needless to say, when the bill came we were charged the full price. Queried this with the staff but they were very unhelpful and refused to give us the 30% discount! A very odd thing for the restaurant to do given the January offers are there to get people through the door during a usually quiet month and entice them to come back. No offer to even split the difference or knock a dish off the bill. Surely, a venue either has an offer on in January and makes it available to all their clientele or they don't! So, needless to say, we ended up paying full price and five very disappointed ladies left the venue and won't now go back there again which is a real shame as the food was lovely - tasty and beautifully presented, and the waiting-on staff were good too. Such very, very poor customer service which definitely left a bitter taste!

Very friendly staff, great food, nice atmosphere at a very reasonable price!

Was in midweek for dinner, we were lucky enough to catch the good weather. We felt like we were on the continent. Really nice neighbourhood and a lovely restaurant.

Thank you guys! We were a family of 8 for Sunday lunch. It was my grandmas 80th. They treated her like a queen! her first meal out for some time, but she loved every minute of it (and the attention they all gave her!). We no longer live in the area, but will be back when we're next in Manchester.

We popped in for snacks on a Monday. It was surprisingly busy for the start of the week, but the weather was nice that evening. Some really nice choices, not an enormous menu but plenty of favourites and very well priced, in particular in the current climate. The coffee was very good too, which in my view also says a lot about a place.

What a find. Lovely atmosphere, great food & service. Perfect venue for a family celebration.

Last minute reservation needed and the staff were so helpful and accommodating. will definitely visit again.

Great food and atmosphere, I would have given full marks ... but my pet hate, NO MENUS! Just a tablet to scroll through and share. Grrrr Please guys, it's not such a big deal to print off a few sheets of paper.

How have i only just found the Counter House! Ancoats really does have some great spots, such a different pace to the other parts of time, laid back but you can tell they care. Will be back for sure.

Just popped in for after work cocktails, I had the uncle wrays rum punch...and yes it packed a punch! Couldn't stay for long as we already had dinner plans elsewhere, but will be back to try more soon.

My go to place now in the city! The place is definitely informal, but boy are they on it. Give it a go if you haven't already

Fantastic meal. For a lunchtime it would be good if there was a set menu, maybe just an idea.

We’d reserved and received a good welcome. Not massive fans of menus on tablets rather than printed but guess it’s easier to change things. The manager and waitress were running around and delivered great service. Had small eats with a friend; 2 beef tacos with rich gravy and one fish taco, both brilliant. Straw fries were ok, wish we’d had the regular ones we saw on another table. Recommended wines were a perfect match. Coffees to finish also strong and hot. Lovely place and we’ll be back.

Was our first time visiting TCH & what a lovely experience! Found the staff friendly & the atmosphere was incredible! The food was beautiful, both me & partner enjoyed everything we tried. The katsu was outstanding!

One of the best restaurants in the area. Full of energy and the food is always great!!!

Can only describe the food today as One of the best Sunday lunches . Great quality food , lots of vegetables, plenty of meat great value for money Will definitely be back for another meal .

The food in this place was absolutely the nicest I’ve tasted in Manchester x the staff were great x myself and my family all ate something different from the menu , must say the food presentation and staff were amazing thanks really enjoyed everything x will visit again ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️👍👍👍👍👍

Our group of six had the BEST time at ‘The Counter House’. We found the staff to be very friendly and engaging. All meals were served at the same time and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their food. The steaks were cooked to perfection and the fish and chips were divine. I was happy to pay a deposit in advance to secure our booking and I found the food and drinks to be reasonably priced. There was a lovely, cool vibe and it was a shame we had to rush off to catch a train as we’d have liked to have stayed for desserts and coffees. We’ll definitely return again to do this.

My family and I found this place after a day of travel from a week in Italy. Atmosphere was classy and the service was impeccable and spot on. We ordered the counter burger w/bacon, the fish and chips, the fish tacos and and order of the blue chips/mango pico and avacado. The food was outstanding. Can’t recommend this place enough. Just wish we were here long enough to go back! Thanks guys.

Great small plates, lovely funky setting. Panos the waiter was exceptional and helped with food recommendations . Music and ambience great for a group of friends and food cooked in open kitchen which was delicious. Fish tacos were a hit as we're the prawns.

Great food, amazing service. Really nice cocktails.

I was on the hunt for a Sunday roast and stumbled upon The Counter House. This restaurant is clearly run by seasoned professionals who focus on providing quality food, drinks, and service. Big thanks to the team for accommodating us.

Went here for birthday for Sunday lunch booked table for 9 was told when we arrived they didn’t have another chair so had to squeeze in together, very difficult when the men was all six foot, no apology it was a total shambles meal just ok, service rushed and to have a service charge put on laughable, needless to say would not recommend this to anyone why pay for bad service

A real shock and a shame to see Counter House so quiet for the second time during a Sunday roast service. Unfortunately I can see why they might be losing customers. Food was nice, if not slightly tepid. Yorkies a bit crusty but a really...

Love the restaurant area. The food is nice and the staff very friendly!

Nipped in for lunch midweek. The short rib tacos were the stand out dish however everything else was great also. Our server was attentive and we received our food in approx 20 mins. Great spot for a bite to eat.

Came here in the summer for meal with a friend was just thinking about it! Food was gorgeous, not my usual kind of venue not a fan of the decor. But the service was soo lovely! Every time I’ve been here had the same waiter, may be the gm not sure but he’s so welcoming and accommodating. Would recommend for a meal or drinks. Food was pricey for what you can get in the area though

Late lunch with friends who I haven’t seen for a while. Was quiet as expected mid week but perfect for us. The service was very good, not overbearing nor insincere. enjoyed my club sandwich with tasty fries. The cooked breakfast looked great. Liked the atmosphere. Would recommend for casual get together and return for the roast lunch that I’ve heard good things about.

A slight mix up with our reservation when we first arrived was swiftly put right. We enjoyed a delicious Sunday roast and attentive service from the staff. With 2 coeliac members of the party, the staff were very thorough in ensuring we knew what was...

I do enjoy a good Sunday roast. The beef was cooked perfectly, just pink like how I would like it. I wish they have a little more heavy and the roast potatoes was slightly too hard for my liking (personal preference). I love the atmosphere here and also the service was friendly and attentive.

THE BEST BURGER IN MANCHESTER!! Tuesday night out in Manchester and we went here for tea and we can honestly say THE BEST BURGER IN MANCHESTER! The service was amazing, very nice chilling atmosphere with the selection of music. We had padron peppers to start...

By far the best roast dinner in the world.

What a lovely little place this is. Visited on a Sunday at 1pm and it was packed out. We were shown to a table within about 10 mins. Half an hour later people were queuing out the door! The food is lovely. Roast beef dinner ( pink or Well done ) was so so good. Cauli cheese was crispy on the top. Everything about the meal was 10/10. Will definitely return!

Accommodated a large group of us in advance, booking was straightforward. Food was hot and tasty, really nice burger! Service was polite and friendly. Reasonable prices.

Great food, great atmosphere! Can’t wait to go back next time we are in Manchester.

We did our research for the best sunday roast in Manchester and it payed off!! Arrived at 2pm the place was heaving! Managed to get a table at the bar we didn't mind we would have sat anywhere's just to sample the food that was...

I booked a table the day before for 4 of us as a birthday treat for my partners daughter. We arrived 10 minutes before to an extremely busy restaurant and were told to wait. A queue formed and it was obvious we would have to...

£13 for house double vodka and mixer is a joke. Being in Ancoats is no excuse

First time here today and it was amazing! We all had the Sunday roasts which were delicious, the Yorkshires were bigger than our heads 😍 and we shared a sticky toffee pudding and chocolate torte for dessert, both amazing. Will definitely be back!

Fab breakfast and very friendly attentive staff

Warm vibrant , friendly, went for brunch, faultless, I had the full English, quality fabulous Only complaint they added 12.5%service charge, we would have happily tipped as service was excellent, but don’t like it added routinely.

Booked a table for a Sunday roast with friends. Unfortunately two of the party arrived late. The staff were so accommodating about this! We ordered one person's food for them, and they kept it under the heat lamp until they arrived. We were a difficult group with various requests (nut allergy, vegan, non beef eater) and they were more than happy to answer our questions and provide alternatives. The food was absolutely gorgeous and the Yorkshire pudding was huge! I had the 3 sorbets for dessert and they have got to be the tastiests sorbets I've ever had! Very impressed and thankful for the great food and service x

Decent mixed menu something for everyone but always pretty good. Friendly staff and nice atmosphere inside and decent tables outside. Worth a visit when you can’t decide what you want to eat.

Horrible service. From sitting down to eating food we waited 2 hours. Each member of staff we spoke to was rude. One girl turned around and rolled her eyes when we asked to be served (after 45 mins). Good location, good food, good music.

Love it here, Sunday roasts are unreal. In fact all the food is great and location/setting is just right. Lovely staff always as well.

Nice place , avoid the fish tacos. 3 tiny little things. barely 2 bites each.

It was my second time visiting this restaurant and it was incredibly disappointing. We entered the restaurant not long after it opened, so it was still quiet. It took us a long time to receive our drinks, and over an hour for us to receive...

This place was recommended by family and didn’t disappoint. Staff were excellent and very attentive and the food was delicious. Definitely returning. Thank you for a lovely evening. 10/10😀🙌🏻

Great, place to eat and drink food was absolutely fabulous, and we had great service from the lovely Jordan who was Friendly and attentive and catered for all of our hen parties needs and put up with our inane banter. Thank you so much.

Really great food. Nice, unpretentious, atmosphere. Lovely staff.

We arrived on Saturday with a very warm welcome from the team. Our server (didn't get his name but he had Christian Bale vibes!) was very attentive and we felt very well looked after. My friend and I both had the California Stack and we...

Called in today for a drink with my daughter.........I got a pint of the house lager which was £6.50 for regular 4%ish house lager.........I asked for a pint of coke.......They only had the small 250mlish bottles so used two of them which us actually less...

Food was brilliant, and the manager had a great understanding of my grandad's dietary requirements being coeliac - it really put him at ease and was very appreciated :) will be back!

£3.50 for a tiny glass of soda water?? 😭 They only do Schweppes bottles no postmix apparently... Which is quite stupid. Wouldn't have minded if the service would have told me about this when I ordered. Because then I would have ordered something else!! £3.50 for water is ridiculous.

My partner and I regularly visit the counter house and really enjoy the food and environment. We especially love the California Stack, but they have recently changed it and it isn’t as good as it once was! I have uploaded photos or before and after...

Good selection of drinks didnt eat here so cant comment...but it looked good

First time in Ancoats so was guided by review , pics , menu options etc ... And it didn't disappoint! The food (counter burger and chicken burger) was absolutely fantastic - fair sized portion and so tasty ! The place itself was light, airy and modern - benefitting from double doors that opened straight onto the square outside. To top it all off , the staff were all friendly, attentive and professional. This place made our sunny day out in Ancoats perfect ! Would recommend and will definitely be returning! 👍🏻

No menus provided when sat. We asked what wines they had, the waiter mentioned 4 of them and we chose the Sauvignon. Our mistake that we didn't ask for the price, but when it was served we were asked £45. The rest were 25-29 so we thought it would be nice to get that detail from the waiter before it was served in our glasses.

Food was OK. The staff on the day we visited were obviously new starters, which isn’t the problem but seemed like there was no structure between them all. We ate outside and our drinks were spilt all over our table (and us) because staff were rushing rather than being a little more attentive. Based off our first experience here we wouldn’t be in a rush to return any time soon.

We called in early evening on our way to a concert nearby and just wanted something quick it is a modern industrial setting with lots of greenery there is quite loud music aimed at the young clientele the menu is mainly small plates with a...

Bloody good spicy Bloody Mary’s!

Great Sunday Roast and Great service.. has a vibrant atmosphere

Highly recommended if you’re in Ancoats. Great ambiance, yummy food with wide options. Friendly staffs.

Our second visit to The Counter House and again we were blown away by … well Everything!! The atmosphere, the spectacular service from Panos and the clear attention to detail by Martin the chef in his flavour combinations. Our first visit coincided with our first overnight stay in Manchester whilst looking at an apartment for our potential move to Manchester … I mention this as we’ve been spoilt by the quality of restaurants in London and The Counter House proved that we’ll not miss anything with a move to Manchester. Amazing everything & well worth checking out.

A very funky spot. Enjoyed several spicy tapas dishes. Something a bit different.

Perfect lunch experience. Food was great and service was impeccable. 5 star for Panos who looked after us from start till we left. Personal and genuine service.

Everything is great about the place. Nice atmosphere, clean, friendly and quick service, and tasty food!

Amazing! Had the Cali stack for brunch was incredibly delicious and coffee was fantastic too. Super friendly and welcoming staff. Really recommend.

Love The Counter House. Always really great food and brilliant service.

Last visited: March 2023. 5 stars..... don't do this often. Very understanding on accommodating a group of 8 for a late Sunday roast. Could only make it until late due to a football match The food was great and the staff were on the ball. Thanks.

Came here for lunch and we all had either a chicken burger or the club sandwich. Both of which were very good! Lots of good beers on tap also.