Manchester & Salford · city guide

Best Chinese Restaurants in Manchester 2026

From Sichuan noodles in Chinatown and Cantonese dim sum in the city centre to vegan Chinese cooking in Withington and a traditional Cantonese dining room in Eccles, Manchester and neighbouring Salford have plenty worth exploring.

Chinatown & city centre

Sichuan noodles, hotpot and dim sum in central Manchester.

Sichuan dish served with chilli oil and herbs at Noodle Alley

Basement, 56A Faulkner Street, Manchester M1 4FH

Noodle Alley

SichuanNoodlesRegional street food
StyleSichuan noodle bar
Known forChilli and peppercorn
NeighbourhoodChinatown

Downstairs on Faulkner Street, Noodle Alley draws on the cooking of its owner’s Sichuan childhood. Chilli oil, the tingle of Sichuan peppercorn and noodles with plenty of texture are at the heart of the menu, alongside dumplings and snacks made for sharing.

What to look for

  • House special rice noodles: Steamed beef and pickled vegetables give this bowl its savoury depth.
  • Wan za mian: Noodles with minced pork, yellow peas and house chilli oil.
  • Su jiao mian: A sesame-rich noodle dish with minced pork and chilli oil.
Richly spiced Chinese cooking at Red Restaurant, Manchester

Basement, 103 Portland Street, Manchester M1 6DF

Red Restaurant

SichuanHotpotChinese barbecue
StyleSichuan cooking
Good forSharing and hotpot
NeighbourhoodCity centre

Just off Chinatown, Red Restaurant is an unassuming basement address for Sichuan food, hotpot and Chinese barbecue. The cooking draws on chilli, garlic, cumin and Sichuan peppercorn, with cooked dishes to order as well as hotpot and grill options for a longer, shared meal.

What to look for

  • Fried lamb with cumin: Tender lamb carrying the savoury, aromatic flavour of cumin seeds.
  • Mapo tofu: A Sichuan favourite bringing chilli heat and numbing peppercorn.
  • Sichuan-style hot and spicy fish: Fish with the deep, warming flavours of chilli and spice.
Chilli-seasoned Chinese dish at Home Chinese Manchester

16 Chorlton Street, Manchester M1 3HW

Home Chinese Manchester

CantoneseDim sumSichuan dishes
StyleCantonese & Sichuan
Good forDim sum and dinner
NeighbourhoodCity centre

Home pairs an extensive dim sum selection with Cantonese roast meats, seafood and Sichuan dishes. The Chorlton Street dining room is contemporary but the food has familiar Chinese foundations, making it a good place for a table shared between dumpling enthusiasts and diners after larger plates.

What to look for

  • Har gau and prawn-and-chive dumplings: Delicate steamed parcels from the dim sum selection.
  • Roast duck and crispy pork belly: Cantonese roast-meat favourites with rich savoury flavours.
  • Fish congee: A gentler, comforting alternative to the spicy dishes.

Northern Quarter & Ancoats

Chinese neighbourhood dining just east of the city centre.

Selection of Chinese dishes served at Blue Eyed Panda in Ancoats

3 Jersey Street, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6JA

Blue Eyed Panda

CantoneseSichuanVegetarian options
StyleCantonese & Sichuan
Good forNeighbourhood dining
NeighbourhoodAncoats

On Jersey Street in Ancoats, Blue Eyed Panda covers Cantonese favourites alongside a proper Sichuan selection. It's a neighbourhood restaurant with a broad menu, from aromatic duck and wontons to chilli-oil dishes, with plenty of vegetarian and plant-based choices as well.

What to look for

  • Hot-poached monkfish in chilli oil: Monkfish and glass noodles in a numbing, spicy broth.
  • Braised pork belly and monkfish casserole: A substantial dish with tofu and deep savoury flavours.
  • Salt-and-pepper soft-shell crab: Crisp crab with fragrant seasoning, made for sharing.

South Manchester

Plant-based Chinese cooking on Wilmslow Road.

Colourful assortment of vegan steamed dim sum at Lotus Plant Based Kitchen

536 Wilmslow Road, Withington, Manchester M20 4BY

Lotus Plant Based Kitchen

Vegan ChineseCantonese classicsDim sum
StylePlant-based Chinese
Good forDim sum and sharing
NeighbourhoodWithington

Lotus brings a fully plant-based approach to Chinese cooking in Withington, with Hong Kong and Cantonese influences throughout the menu. Familiar roast-meat and dim sum traditions are reworked using tofu, seitan and vegetable preparations, without losing the richness or range of the originals.

What to look for

  • Triple roast rice: A vegan take on Cantonese roast meats, featuring crispy 'duck', 'pork' and char siu.
  • XO turnip cake: Golden-fried turnip cake finished with smoky, savoury XO sauce.
  • Steamed dumpling combo: A selection of homemade vegetable-based dim sum.

Salford

Cantonese dim sum and sharing dishes in Eccles.

Platter of steamed and pan-fried Cantonese dim sum at Pacifica Cantonese in Eccles

5–7 Church Road, Eccles, Salford M30 0DL

Pacifica Cantonese

CantoneseDim sumBanquet dining
StyleTraditional Cantonese
Good forDim sum and groups
NeighbourhoodEccles, Salford

In Eccles, Pacifica is a traditional Cantonese dining room where dim sum, seafood and banquet-style sharing dishes take centre stage. It's particularly appealing for a table that wants to move between bamboo baskets of dumplings and a longer selection of Cantonese dishes.

What to look for

  • Har gau and siu mai: Prawn dumplings and pork-and-prawn parcels, steamed in the Cantonese tradition.
  • Wor tip: Pan-fried dumplings with a crisp edge, served with Chinese red vinegar.
  • King scallop and Chinese chive dumplings: Two of the more distinctive choices from its luxury dim sum selection.

Chinese food in Manchester

There is plenty beyond Chinatown.

Chinatown and the surrounding city centre offer Sichuan noodle shops, hotpot and Cantonese dining, while Ancoats has developed its own neighbourhood restaurants. Heading south brings you to Withington's plant-based Chinese cooking; cross into Salford and Eccles for Cantonese dim sum and shared dishes.

The six restaurants here range from casual noodle bowls to larger dinners built around several dishes for the table. From chilli oil and peppercorn to rice rolls and roast-style vegan cooking, the food is the reason to visit.

How we choose: The Noodle Guide considers public reviews, food-hygiene standards, menu distinctiveness and independent editorial judgement. Restaurants cannot pay to qualify for editorial recommendation.

Restaurant menus and addresses reviewed October 2026. Dishes and availability can change.

More UK restaurants

Keep exploring.

Explore our Nottingham, Sheffield and Brighton city guides, or visit the national guide to recognised Chinese restaurants across the UK.

Explore UK restaurants