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Best Of Cheap Eats...Help Us And Win A Prize
Help us out with your suggestions and win a meal
LAST month you helped us out with suggestions for our Best of Manchester Steaks piece - click here.
The only condition is that we are not talking about take-away places but dining experiences where you can sit down and chew the fat with mates.
This time we crave your aid with a Cheap Eats 'best of' for Manchester.
Let us know your favourite venue for a meal in Manchester for under a tenner including a drink. Under £8 would be even better.
The best suggestion will win a meal for four including drinks in the establishment the ranter recommends.
There are curry cafes, neo-burger bars galore, pub hotpots, veggie dips and delicious Middle Eastern cuisines to choose from. Illuminate us.
The picture at the top of this page shows a haggis and eggs dish from Koffee Pot in Stevenson Square, £5.50 for the food, £1 for a mug of tea. £6.50. Job done.
The only condition is that we are not talking about take-away places but dining experiences where you can sit down and chew the fat with mates. Literally in the case with the Koffee Pot delight above.
Rant away below.
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Manchester Arndale food Hall.
Zorbas being a favourite of mine
Meat balls and rice £4
I agree - their Greek Meze is only £3.50 and is very impressive
I like the Halloumi kebab too. Making me hungry so close to lunchtime.
I have a soft spot for Leo's on Oldham Street too
Very nice Beef Stifado as well - thumbs up from me
Not just the NQ folks
Koreana business lunch (max £8). Or the two-course set menu with a glass of tap water (£9.90).
Easy - Organic Salmon Don at Yuzu £7.95 at lunchtime comes with pickles, sushi rice and miso soup. BOSH!
hungry gecko at the beech, £4-£6 asian street food every weekend out the back of a converted american trailer. lamb shashlik chapati wraps with asian slaw and malaysian jungle curry last weekend, plus some korean and vietnamese things i didnt' try. beef rendang in a turmeric bun was a hit as well. sold out by the time we got there.
I agree, it's a wee hidden Gem!! We had the slow-cooked beef on Saturday, after walking in the Peak district and while the Rugby was on ... What a day!!!
I can vouch for this, great on a Sunday whilst everywhere else on Beech road is crammed to the rafters fighting to get a table for Sunday roasts
Where's this, please?
beech rd in chorlton.
Having gone here on your recommendation/tip off - got to admit I was quite disappointed. OK Jackie has got some of the lovely flavours of South & S.East Asia going on. Although she was not cooking/present when I went. Her Masala Chai was spot on & as close as you can get to those served on those epic train journeys in India. Her Rendang was extremely disappointing and lacked any depth of flavour - although texture of meat was very good & rendang like. Daal was quite good but the lamb dish was very disappointing and quality of meat we received was very poor. Also for £14, street food served with 1 cup of chai was quite a bit over priced - even for Beech Road.
THE HUNGRY GECKO in The Beech Beer Garden, Beech Road, Chorlton. A unique approach to quality street food. They have an aluminium retro trailer fully kitchened out for gourmet quality food at reasonable prices in the biggest beer garden in Chorlton. They use local produce wherever possible and always sustainably sourced. Cheapest meal was £4 up to £12 for thali style taster plate (would feed 2 people) I think the food is delicious and have never been dissappointed. Personal favourite - tofu puffs, or singapore style noodles with prawns, although they change they menu regularly. I'm surprised Ize was dissappointed as I haven't met anyone who hasn't had great things to say about Hungry Gecko.
I have to agree with Ize. I was excited to try it out but was very disappointed. We went on a Sunday and Jackie wasn't cooking. I had a Pad Thai that was served to me covered in chilli sauce which cancelled out every other flavour and the so called 'crispy ginger tofu' was anything but crispy. Worst part had to be the Lamb Shashlik, shop bought wrap filled with nothing but poor quality fatty lamb.
Kabana just of Thomas Street. King of the 3 curries and rice restaurants. You can get three curries on rice, a chapati and a drink for under 7quid. Great value and great food!
Then you can go to Thomas Street and pay £7 for tea and cake! And remarkably...we do.
EATS at University Place, Oxford Road. Nine breakfast items, plus toast and a regular hot drink. All for £5 [£3.95 for a six item]. 30p per slice of toast.
Their quote;
"Our breakfasts are delicious and fresh and most importantly excellent value for money! Start your day with one of our full, hot and hearty English breakfasts made daily in our kitchens using the freshest ingredients and only free range eggs. If a lighter continental option is more your style then grab a pastry, slice of buttery toast, porridge pot or a fruit salad. Wash it all down with a cup of our special Fairtrade coffee, selection of tea or a refreshingly cold, fresh fruit juice!"
Beat that!
Nowhere to park
Oh boy!...the editor didn't include parking as a criteria JAMES, just the food, drink and price. But whilst I'm on, there's a multistorey car park within a minute's walk. But there's a squillion buses that go up and down Oxford road and you can always walk there from the city centre. Maybe even choose a 'cheap eas' that's convenient to you.
Do you work at Manchester Confidential Manc Guy?
this and that.
Manchester institution.
9 fresh curries every day and all top notch.
chapati or nann all fresh to order.
can of rubicon and your laughing.
under 6 quid. boom.
This and That is definitely my winner, and so central in the city too. Such a hidden gem I don't want other people to know about it!
New Hong Kong in chinatown. If you go before 5pm, they have half price dim sum so you could get you choice of 4 dim sum dishes a pot of chinese tea for under a tenner. Or alternatively, a plate of three succulent roast meats and rice for £7.50.
There is a Korean Cafe next to Bicycle Boutique near the Sugden Sports Centre that does special offers everyday, you can get a delicious curry or bibimbap for £4.
Fresh Loaf, Oldham Street. - a good honest no-frills cafe - great prices too.
What are the prices DIANA? The editor wants prices too.
Croma. Might not be as trendy as the places above, but if I want a quick, cheap lunch/dinner whilst I'm out that's my first pick. Reliable good quality, nice service, proper cutlery and napkins. Fresh pizza and a soft drink always comes in under £10. And quite often will leave you enough change from £10 to split the price of a plate of dough balls!
Croma a favourite of mine too :-)
The £7.95 crab and samphire pizza (from the specials menu) was absolutely delicious. Paired with a soft drink, you can just about eat for a tenner. Yum!
I love Chroma theatre specials - i go at least once a week great service as well 2 courses , 2 drinks =tenner Bargain
The Ducie Arms on Devas Street near Manchester Science Park. Great food at very reasonable prices. The chicken makhani curry £4.95 swilled down with one of the guest ales £3 is a must try, as are the unusual burger and sausage selections.
Umami-noodle bar Oxford - Lunch deal - starter and main for £5 - excellent quality food - and v good service - refiled tea as often as you like for a £1 etc.
Oxford road near aquatics centre
Dough in the NQ. Imaginative pizzas for undre a tenner, plus restaurant is not bad looking either.
Trouble is they are called Dough and their dough tastes horrible. I hated my pizza there, particularly the base.
On the plus side, they do gluten-free pizzas for those who need to avoid wheat but want to join in with a pizza night out ...
Imaginative? Who really wants fish and chips on a pizza?
The only decent ones are the standard,
Weatherspoon's' do a beer and burger for 5 £
Now this is what I came to Manchester Confidential for.
I can see why you'd want to remain anonymous, making recommendations like that.
Extra horsey...
Here are a couple of my faves:
The £5 Wolverine Burger at Simple (comes with fries or home made chips)
Katsouris on John Dalton Street do a great carvery and salad bar – all for under a fiver!
Katsouris carveries are definitely large enough and of high enough quality to be good value at less than a fiver.
Sugar Junction in the NQ, you can get a tasty tart, share a large pot of tea and a cake all for under a tenner!
Definitely Velvet on Canal street for their £8 lunch which includes a glass of wine or a bottle of beer. the food is consistently good. I always have half a pizza which is the bee's knee's:) comes with a lovely rocket and Parmesan salad. Hungry thinking about it!
Jaffa on the Curry Mile, great chicken and lamb shawarmas (£4-4.50), small mixed mezze salad (£2.30) and a can of Rubicon for about £7 all in!
Kukoos on Oxford Road do loads of great lunch boxes/wraps and salads especially the chicken masala dosa, never coming to more than £5-6 with a drink.
after ridiculously thorough research, yadgar is by far the best of the curry cafes. yoghurt curry with bhajis on tuesday, lamb and daal on wednesday fish curry on thursday and the kofta and egg masala on fridays are some of the best curries out there. the plain daal on every day is also better than all of the others. never had a meal costing over six fifty in there.
Seconded. Only place in NQ that can compete with the actual sub-continent for food. Best daal (try the mixed daal on a wednseday) and also the bhindi dishes and lamb on the bone are sublime.
Agreed. I'll only eat at the others (This'n'That, Kebabish et al0 if Yadgars is closed. The lamb is fantastic, aubergine too.
after ridiculously thorough research, yadgar is by far the best of the curry cafes. yoghurt curry with bhajis on tuesday, lamb and daal on wednesday fish curry on thursday and the kofta and egg masala on fridays are some of the best curries out there. the plain daal on every day is also better than all of the others. never had a meal costing over six fifty in there.
I've conducted (what I can only assume is) a similarly thorough examination of the Rice'n'Three curry cafes and agree with Anon. This'N'That is excellent too, but Yadgar has a little bit more spice and individuality between dishes in my opinion. Kabana a distant third for me.
24Bar &Grill
moules or steak frites and a glass of wine or a pint for a tenner
excellent quality and value, going again tonight :-)
Went to a place called Sanctuary in the Gay Village recently. £5-6 for a steak sandwich on ciabatta with home made chips. Good value.
DosaXpress and Kyotoya both on Copson street in Withington - brilliant value
Kyotoya is in Withington by the Co-op. It's a Japanese restaurant, family-run with a lovely old gentleman handling the cooking. The food is excellently priced and very yummy. Fantastic atmosphere and better than Samsi in town by a country mile. It has a very different feel to Umezushi - both are good in different ways. Here's their lunch express menu: fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/…/55574286_n.jpg…
I prefer Samsi, but there can't be too many places in the country with two decent Japanese options so close by.
I also rate the kebab shop in Venus Turkish supermarket on the corner of Anson Rd and Dickenson Rd M14. Everything from sheep brains and balls for something different to excellent breads and salads.
Sajaans in Fallowfield. Large chicken on garlic naan with all the 'trimmings'. I'll tell anyone who'll listen. I'll shout it from the rooftops.
£3.60, had one last night!!
Yes, yes and thrice yes! Saajan's is a firm favourite of mine, won't have a kebab from anywhere else!
adele b
Can we include stockport in this?? if so rootz bistro the chambers is the great for afro carribean food served 12-4 £5 for a main meal like goat curry or jerk chicken and cup of tea or coffe!£5!!
Wasabi Sushi & Noodle Bar on Faulkner Street in China Town. I flipping love this place, their set menu £8.50 - 3 plates of excellent sushi from the belt and a noodle or rice dish with a pot of green tea for £1.30... all to the tune of the latest Japanese pop tracks :-)
Mon - Fri 12-3pm £1 sushi off the belt! Hhhhhm! :-)
Shhh! Don't tell everyone about it - I'm often to be found waiting fro them to open so I can get a seat.
Check out music venue Band on the Wall's Picturehouse Cafe Bar. A fresh bistro menu that changes daily and is served from 5.30pm on concert nights. You don't need to book in advance but if you do and spend over £10 you get a FREE ticket to a future concert! Beat that.
Gorilla on Whitworth Street. The Gorilla dog sets you back 7.50 and is AMAZING! You can easy get food & a beer for under a tenner. It's beltin
but not good value. v expensive for whats on offer
Black Lion, chapel street..tasty pies and chips and good beer
How much? The editor wants prices too.
Falafel on the curry mile, I think the falafel wrap is still £2.50, or you can get falafel, flat breads and a tasty selection of salad/hummous/olives etc for around £5. This is the original and the best falafel place in Manchester!
Falafel is amazing, small mezze for £2.50 and an arabic coffee for £1. That's a £3.50 lunch and tastes fantastic :)
Yuzu - astonishing quality of food for the prices. My recommendation is to get four or five of the appetisers between two of you. All the sauces/dressings/etc are home-made and so tasty. I love the jug of katsu they give you so you can pour it over the food yourself (and then clean it out with your finger if no-one is looking).
Croma, Pizza and a beer for less than tenner. Superb quality and great value.
Rice Bowl on Cross Street, best value Chinese business/shopper lunch in town by a mile.
How much is Rice Bowl? The editor wants to know the prices too.
Slice in Stevenson Square NQ. Two slices of pizza and a drink for under £8. Job done!
Yes
They are nice but isn't really a cheap eat. You would need about 4 to be of equal size of a normal pizza
not strictly manchester, but the globe is glossop is incrediballs, vegan fayre, you can get a 3 course meal for about £6, and a pint for £1.70!!
Wow, that is good. Do they do non vegan too?
Sorry Manc Guy. Exclusively vegan. However, the grub's that good that it attracts card carrying Glossop carnivores as well. All this and a belting boozer as well!
Sorry Manc Guy. Exclusively vegan. However, the grub's so good that card carrying Glossop carnivores keep coming back. All this and a belting boozer to boot!
Anonymous 'and' Blue Peter?
Yeh, good question Manc guy but how much is the non-veggie food? The editor wants to know the prices too.
Oh boy, MAGGIE!
Zouk on Chester St. Lunch time tiffin for £6.99 - 3 curry dishes, rice and naan. Bargain!
Happy Seasons in chinatown - duck and rice off the bone (not on the menu - ask for it!) a beer and some green tea... all for £9.95 a person! You can't get better than that!
I didnt know rice grew on a bone? ; )
Agree about Band on the Wall- great food, nice beer and free gig tickets. Perfect.
Try Thai - China town, beautiful authentic Thai surroundings and food, Friday, Saturday or Sunday lunch time, starter, main course with a coffee or desert £8.50
:) happy days highly reccomend in fact im going this Sunday!
Wasabi in china town (or opposite print works) lunchtime deal 12-3pm each plate is only £1 - I ate four plates and was full all day. Plus it's healthy!
So many!!!!!!!
Ho's Bakery
Fu's Chinese Cafe (get the Chinese menu)
Happy Seasons (Meat and rice or soup noodle)
Almost Famous (if you can stand the bullshit)
Pacific for Dim Sum Lunch (fantastic seafood)
ALL the Middle Eastern places in Rusholme
Chani Dosa in Stretford is the bomb
Aladdin's in Withington - Middle Eastern
Aladdin's in town - Kebabs and curry
I am Pho
To name just a few!
...but name those prices JOHN. The editor wants prices too?
Chennai Dosa in Stretford is excellent. Dosas are about £3.50 and curries around the £5 mark. Cannot recommend a dosa there enough....
Another thumbs up for Chenna Dosa. Damn- all my suggestions have already been bagged!
Wasabi, both in Chinatown and the Printworks. £8.50 for 3 plated of sushi (that's 6 pieces) and a noodle dish. The whole a la carte menu is always 30% off. We had a Pad Thai each, a Gyoza to share and a cuppa green tea last night, 8 quid each. Good portion sizes, Japanese pop videos, what more could you want :)
Hello Zoe!! Sounds delish!
BARBURTITO (Piccadilly, Deansgate or Trafford Centre). 2 burritos and 2 beers for £17, or 2 burritos and a bottomless soda for less than £12. Great food, caters for all tastes, you can choose from a range of fresh ingredients so each time can be different ... and there's something great about eating with your hands ;)
barburritto is horrendously expensive for what it is.
Obviously has an interest in the company and fails to spell the name correctly
What's a 'soda'?
Barburrito has been 'value engineered' to within an inch of it's life. It is not the place it once was. Pancho's in the Arndale Market far better.
There's a new burrito place opening on Oxford Street in the St James' Building. Stiff competition but you can never have enough Mexican food.
Agree with M - Panchos is much better. I lquite like Barburrito, but it's not especially good value. Charging extra for onions and peppers a case in point.
Arian in Chorlton is a fantastic little restaurant. Really good Iranian food, proper sit down service - mains for under £9 and starters for under £3. You can bring your own wine if you want.
Its got to be Rice on Deansgate for me. Massive selection of food, especially love the Mexican Chilli beef at £6.95 and the Mongolian lamb and ginger. They are also more than happy to flip different types of rice or noodles for my favorites.
Great info folks but it's obvious none of you have heard of "Gravatar"! Don't forget the prices!
What are the prices PEDRO1874? The editor wants prices too?
Al Faisal NQ. Not been for a while but it used to be a crackerjack!
How much and what food STEPHEN? The editor wants prices too?
De Nada on Manchester Road in Chorlton does amazing feijoada with rice for £5.50 so you can have that with a pint and still get change from nine quid. They do a great selection of empanadas also.
I hope this place has improved since I went there close to opening. Extremely disappointing when I sampled their empanadas & feijoada - poor quality meat and quite lacking in any real flavour.
IZE...I would like to say that De Nada serves very tasty food, I have eaten there on many occasions and have not been disappointed, the service is also spot on. I recommend that you try it again!
Dosa xpress in Withington do a huge assortment of dosas-indian savoury breakfast pancakes-and curries for a different idea of a fry up. Only other place that seem to sell dosa is the Punjab in rusholme, it's a different eating experience, you're a little bit on India time, things come out when they're ready, and the breakfast special means your fed and watered for £5.
Vnam opposite the sorting office has Vietnamese food, and again the lunch menu means you can try a number of unusual dishes, with a drink for under £10.
Chennai Dosa in Stretford and also Sindhoor in Burnage do dosas (and are better than Dosa Xpress IMHO).
Vnam however is very highly deserving of the award though!
For me its a choice of one. This and That on Soap Street in the NQ is a place I have been going for about 27 years. Keema, Steak Pasanda, Lamb and Spinach, Rice, 2 siekh (sheik?) kebabs, naan bread ....£6. Its a belly burster of a meal. Its not a lunchtime special, its always that price, and cheaper if you just have the veggie options. Top class and a worthy winner ? Other place of note, for me at least, Katsouris on Deansgate. They do a brill "Big Kat" breakfast for £4.95 which puts other English breakfasts to shame.
Katsouris on deansgate! You can feast for under a tenner! Best lunch in town.
I was just about to say...This and That. Lovely family run cheap proper Indian food and that is coming from an Indian! :-)
You can't beat the newly- revamped Buffet City, both the food and decor have improved 200%. It's on Portland Street so very handy for combining with a theatre, concert or Cornerhouse visit
I think Cafe North is a very congenial plce, too, offering great variety and value for money
How much and what food CHRISTINE? The editor wants prices too?
Bluu bar lasagne and chips with a drink £5.50. Every weekday. Not a bad lunch at all.
La delicatezza di Bruno, Ashton New Road, Clayton. Tremendous quality authentic Northern Italian food in a spotless place with friendly staff. £20 for three people with wine and coffee at lunchtime last weekend. This place is a bit of a hidden gem and is well worth a visit. Close to the Etihad and just over the road from the Velopark Metro Stop.
Chennai Dosa in Stretford Mall, of all places. The best and greatest variety of South Indian in Greater Manchester and cheap as the chips they mercifully don't serve. Masala Dosa - £2.85....
I was going to recommend Chennai Dosa - such great value. You can even get a 5ft long dosa for about a fiver (if you really wanted to!). Really yummy food, their weekend buffet is great too.
Thirded - great value on the food is bob-on.
Tokyo Season on Portland Street, the bento boxes are a great lunchtime treat with a cheeky Japanese beer.
How much ANON? The editor wants prices too?
Can the editor please bar Manc Guy, he's soooooo boring
I think I'm great, even though I know that I have a personality only a mother could love.
Al Jazeera on Wilmslow Road, Rusholme - stunning Afghan, Peshwaar/North West Frontier food. I would go for any of the Kebabs cooked in a clay oven with amazing naan bread for under £5 with salad, add £1 for a drink - extremely filling and satisfying. Or there is the legendary Quabily Pilau for some of the most amazing rice you will ever taste cooked with lamb, carrots and sultanas - £5.50, or the lovely half marinated chicken with rice (choose from grilled or roasted chicken - £5
Agree on Withington spots dosa xpress and kyotoya for reasons stated earlier. Most curries under a fiver at Dosa as well as dosas. In town yuzu set lunch is as good as anything. Katsouris great and solita has new menu with everything 5.95 including pulled pork toasties kfb club sandwiches etc.
This n That gets my vote. Cheap, tasty and quick. Water gratis too!
Has anyone posed about This & That yet?!
Water should always be free!! complain if not and speak to the Council if not
Panchos inside the Arndale food market. Easily the best burrito in town and well cheap. 4.50 for a massive burrito if you ate a student and 5.99 for a burrito bowl.
After eating a student, I'm not sure that I could manage a massive burrito.
Seoul Kimchi on Upper Brook Street is fantastic, especially the Bibimbap and the Bulgogi. Pho on Faulkner Street is another great choice.
How much MINDY? The editor wans prices too?
Oh God, anyone else bored of reading Manc Guy's price reminders??
Yes Em, I am!
Hey now, MAGGIE!
The Edge Indian Restaurant, Swinton for its Sunday buffet at £6.95. Add a half pint of Cobra and it's just over the £8 mark
Lunch for under £6 at Revolucion de Cuba - JOB DONE!
What's the lunch?
Hopefully not cuban food.....
Slut and Lettuce in Albert Sq and Spinningfields have 50% food all day Monday's which means you can get Chilli Con Carne, Lincolnshire Pork Sausages, Cottage Pie, Sweet Potato Salad, Baked Linguini Carbonara, Penne Arrabbiata, Goan Vegetable Curry all for just £2.63. Add a glass of wine beer or soft drink and you're still way under £8! There's also an option of Caribbean Flavas next door to Salford Central where you can get Jerk Chicken with Rice & Peas for a bargain £2 and a can of Coke for 60p (ish).
Font bar - very student-y but if you get there early eve 5-,7 Mon - Thurs its pretty quiet and you can have a cocktail for £2 and main meal for £5ish.
I'm surprised nobody's mentioned This And That! Three curries, great value, free bar, free taxi ride home, a Manchester treasure and all that.
Yeh! but how much is the taxi home. Manc Guy wants to know the prices too!
Rice and four meats and a drink for £6.50, and the taxi is free.
Cheeseburger toastie from Home Sweet Home- 5 quid your toastie, 2 quid for a coffee. It shouldn't work, but it does.
You think £5 for a toasted sandwich is good value?!?
Cafe Mozaic in Ashton-under-lyne offers fantastic value for money. Fresh and authentic Moroccan and Arabic food.
How much though?
Second recommendation for Mozaic - Prices around £4-£5 for a wrap (halloumi, falafel, spiced chicken etc)and 'salad'. Salad is more like a cold mezze and is delicious in its own right.
can this n that on soap street be included? if so this place has really cheap good food.their best deal is the rice & three curries, prices start from £3.30 - £5.50, they also serve a lovely thick mango lassi.unfortunately due to popularity at lunchtime it can be difficult to get a seat but who cares when food is so tasty
umezushi's lunch menu is about £8 and great, common bar'd meal deal is worth a look, frankies in didsbury's pretty ace too.
San Giovanni, Lostock Road, Urmston - pizza or pasta with a glass of wine or soft drink @ less than £9 for lunch - food is superb!
Yo Sushi on Mondays is just £2.50 a plate which is better for some of the dishes than others. I've just had a plate of prawn tempura, chicken firecracker rice and unlimited miso soup for less than £7
Trove in Levenshulme has to be in the running they bake their own amazing bread which beats Bakery's hand down. With a seasonal menu that changes weekly you can never get bored but they also have their dependable sandwich menu with gorgeous creations such as smoked mackerel with wasabi mayo and wild salad (freshly foraged from glebe land) all the sandwiches at under £4 and the most expensive specials never top £6.5. All the soft drinks come in at under £2 with cordials from 70p. The atmosphere is friendly and convivial and the service and attention to detail is thoughtful and considerate. They also do a brilliant weekend pizza night with pizzas starting at a £5 and amazing puds from £3.5 and its BYOB so you can really enjoy a great night out with friends on the cheap.
Agree! The homemade pizzas are great and an absolute bargain... BYOB always good!
Also the eggs benedict is one of my fave breakfasts of all time...
This 'n' That in the Northern Quarter. Surely, this should have been mentioned above on more than one occasion.
Mish on King St West
Its gone, closed down after a few weeks!
Who made Manc Guy the head prefect... give it a rest! I'm sure the editorial staff have the ability to use a search engine\ask themselves!
haha, agreed!
Yes but Jenny, HOW MUCH?
Who made Manc Guy the head prefect... give it a rest! I'm sure the editorial staff have the ability to use a search engine\ask themselves!
Who made Manc Guy the head prefect... give it a rest! I'm sure the editorial staff have the ability to use a search engine\ask themselves!
Who made Manc Guy the head prefect... give it a rest! I'm sure the editorial staff have the ability to use a search engine\ask themselves!
I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, PLEASE STOP, I CAN'T ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, ARRRGH!
And now it's my turn to give it a rest- It said server error at Manchester confidential and now there's far too many of me-sorry!
ECHOOOOOOO!!! So what's your 'cheap eats' JENNY love?
Tampopo does a lovely two course lunch menu for about £8! x
Does that include a drink though?
The express menu has a limited selection of mains and small starters. £8.95 or £9.95 for one of each but no drink is included.
Hmmm...I only asked because the editor wanted cheap eats "under a tenner including a drink", so perhaps Tampopo shouldn't be included.
Surprised no-one's mentioned This n That yet.
I was gonna say.
I love Wasabi and Tampopo too but one of my favourites is Las Iguanas. Lunch menu - starters from £1.90 (although a little on the small side). Mains from £5 to £7.70 and beer is £2.00. During happy hour (which has always been during lunch when I've been there) its 2-4-1 on some cocktails, including virgin ones at £2.90. One of my favourites is the Big Burrito at £6.90 (a real filler) & a 2-4-1 cocktail, which comes in at £9.80. Plus great atmosphere, music and friendly staff.
This and That, Rice Bowl (lunch deal), the Bar in Chorlton and Odder are all great value. Although, I would like to hear of some new places.
glad someone mentioned This n That
Not been for a couple of months, but The Old Abbey Inn on Manchester Science Park (Pencroft Way) does massive portions of things like fish and chips, Jamaican curry, good quality burgers, and varying specials, and most dishes are around a fiver, or less for staples such as filled baked potatoes. Does feel like a bit of a Man vs Food challenge at a lunch time though (and sadly they're only open at lunch times)!
Abergeldie on Shudehill. It is a takeaway aswell but has plenty of sitting down areas. Great quality cheap food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The business lunch deals in Chinatown restaurants such as The Great Wall are also handy and about a fiver.
Koyoto in Withington... Amazing food
Moghul taste on bury new road,get a massive rice & 3 and great naan bread for about £6.50. They do really good kebabs for under a fiver,plus free water. By far the best curry cafe in manchester, check it out people.
The Guardian reckon the top 10 cheap eats in Manchester are...
Common
Slice
Gorilla
Pancho's
Mark Addy
This & That
AFB
KuKoos
Vnam
and Habesha
www.guardian.co.uk/…/top-10-budget-restaurants-manchester…
Odder on Oxford Road - their pizza and a beer for £5.99 deal is great (or £4.99 if you don't want the beer). They also do really good burgers and wraps with fries and salad for only £6.95, plus daily specials. Cosy eclectic surroundings, friendly staff, good music and cheap enough to have a slice of cheesecake for dessert - though I never have room!
Kim By The Sea, opposite Hulme garden centre on Old Birley Street (ten minutes' walk from Oxford Road or take the 86) is also a good bet if you like your atmosphere relaxed and your decor quirky. While most specials hover around £11 their awesome soups with a huge chunk of bread are under £4 and there is a wide selection of meze/tapas, omelettes and salads that come in under budget. My favourite however is their pizzas* (£8), which are massive and gorgeous and come with a bowl of good fresh salad with mustardy dressing - add a half of Staropramen and you're still under a tenner.
*I recommend the halloumi, jalapenos & olives or goat's cheese and roasted mediterranean veg but they'll mix & match for you
POD DELI in Levy is marvellous, tasty varied food, lovely atmosphere, wouldn't mind eating there every day.....
I agree, Clare, POD on Albert Rd in Levenshulme is definitely worth a visit (or several) - great menu, specialist burgers on a Wednesday and varied nights on over the month, decent coffee or you can have a pint! Recommended!!!
Great homemade food - love their frittatas and beautiful cakes!
THE HUNGRY GECKO!! @ Beech Inn
Gourmet Asian inspired street street food by a masterchef finalist! Always really friendly & tasty, no more expensive than a footlong sub.
Jack Spratt's. Can't believe it's not been said. My lunches are pretty much split between them and Katsouris.
The Hungry Gecko
Authentic, seriously tasty inspired asian street food!
Great location too. The Beach Pub (Beer Garden), Chorlton.
Perfect for Summer, with a bottle of beer!
Recommended!!
Zouk's meat tiffin for £6.95 is not only good value but the quality of the food is high as well, very tasty. Doubt you'd get a beer for £3.05 there though, so you'd need to have a soft drink to be under a tenner.
Red Chilli on Oxford Road also do a three course lunch menu, which you could get with a soft drink for under a tenner. Big portion sizes as well, ordered some ribs as a starter and had a shock that they were just for me.
Topkapi Palace...
Amazing two course lunch menu for £7.95 with a range of delicious, authentic Mediterranean dishes to choose from and just enough money to get yourself a nice little beverage fir under that £10 limit we all love so much... :)
My personal options would be Mini Meze to start and then a Pilic Kebab
Great shout, I love that place!
Kabana is a great cheap eat, much better than This n That!
Just out of town, Venus Turkish Supermarket, you can sit in or take away, there is parking and you can get the best kebab in town, a drink, salad and fries all for under £10, plus loads of other cheap options on the menu!
Kim by the Sea in Hulme is another great one!
Pod in Levenshulme is fantastic! Warming homely goodness, big portions, varied menu, great prices (usually around £6 for a main I think?!), discount with a TAG card, community atmosphere, friendly staff...an absolute must!
"EATS at University Place, Oxford Road. Nine breakfast items, plus toast and a regular hot drink. All for £5 [£3.95 for a six item]. 30p per slice of toast."
I win. Prize please!
Barburrito definitely gets my vote! Also, not been there since moving out of the area but Jam Street Cafe used to be a delicious bargain.
Have things improved at Jam Street and the prices dropped since the ManCon review?
www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/…/Jam-Street-Cafe…
The lunch time deal of soup and a sandwich for £4 at The WhimWham cafe on Whitworth street is a bargain. Plenty of money left from a tenner for a soft drink or gin cocktail. Good portions, tasty food, friendly staff.
Also Kukoos on Oxford road - less than £8 for meal and a drink.
PostBox in Chorlton is also good - their veggie fry up and tea came to less than a tenner last time I went. Delicious food, great service.
Jam Street has improved - not sure of prices exactly but I think you could eat and drink for less than a tenner.
Went to hungry gecko in chorlton last week, great value bit of everything plate -which i shared with my partner and was very tasty fully recommend!
Also had pad thai the week before there and thought it was pretty authentic and really fresh tasting (a nostalgic flashback to trips in asia), will surely be returning! some great ale too which is always a bonus
Darn it, I missed the Hungry Gecko Pad Thai!! My friend said it was the best he'd had in the UK. Hope it will be back on soon.
Definitely This and That! The best curries in town and sooo cheap! Love this hidden gem!
agree with all the recommendations for this n that, also for kebabs Sajaan on the curry mile, lovely kebabs in perfect naan bread, with a drink all within the £8 (veg kebab + drink = £3.20)
Found the staff at Slice to be unfathomably rude and their pizza to be average at best. Ratio of food to money does not make this place a cheap eat either. If you're on the complimentary tea rather than beers a meal in Red n Hot on Faulkner St would definitely come in under £10
"EATS at University Place, Oxford Road. Nine breakfast items, plus toast and a regular hot drink. All for £5 [£3.95 for a six item]. 30p per slice of toast." I win. Prize please!
Sorry to rain on the Hungry Gecko parade but.... it's not cheap, good value OR somewhere you can sit down and chat with mates, unless it's not raining (for those who don't know, you're buying from a trailer in a pub beer garden). The food is tasty but they have slapped on a surcharge for the fact it's on Beech Road and portions are small so we won't be going back in a hurry.
To be fair, you can sit in the pub if it's raining. The portions and price reflect the high quality produce used. ALL local suppliers, sustainable meat and fish. If you want horse meat for less than a fiver, go somewhere else.
Alborz in Levenshulme. Top priced main is about £6.70 I think, food is always spot on (and those naans, mmm!)
When do I get my prize?
So...who won?