Macclesfield Restaurant Guide

This “very French” spot attracts a good volume of feedback suggesting it’s “worth seeking out” in rural Cheshire for the “inspired cooking” of locally born chef-patron Joseph Rawlins, who trained under Gordon Ramsay and has worked in Paris. He took over this well-established venue five years ago with his French partner, Gaëlle Radigon, who leads a “professional and engaging” front-of-house team.

“The landlord is the chef and he knows how to cook fish, which he sources from the best suppliers”, say regulars at this unusual and “delightful” Peak District village pub which is “supported by the community” – having bought the freehold 20 years ago when the venue faced closure. “Good ales” completes the picture.

This “brilliant inn on the fringe of the Peak District” was praised this year for its “well above average and varied fresh fare”, from a menu that skips happily from Chinese-style bao buns to Thai fish dishes and Indian-spiced cauliflower. “Dan, the owner, ensures a great atmosphere – as does a surprisingly large crowd of regulars” (plus their furry friends, this being a venue that is “very dog-friendly, which we really appreciated for our puppy’s first meal out!”). Directly next door is the owners’ more casual sister pub, The Paper Mill Inn, for pizzas, pies and regular pop-ups.

“Scandi, seasonal, local foraging vibes; small plates, fermentation and natural wines… all may be ten-a-penny in London, not so much in Stockport”, which has helped win massive ongoing acclaim for Sam Buckley’s hipster outpost, whose launch eight years ago has helped put the seal on the area’s emerging reputation as a haven of cool North Western vibes. It helps that it occupies a “nice space too” – an airy, brick-walled former coffee warehouse with large windows and high ceilings – in which is presented a no-choice menu for £110 per person (for which you are advised to allow two-three hours). All who report rate it do so extremely highly – its ratings would be even higher were it not for the fact that the volume of feedback we receive in our annual diners’ poll is always much lower than its phenomenal reputation might suggest. From November 2024 to March 2025, Sam and his crew will be aiming to take Manchester by storm with a pop-up ‘Where The Light Gets In: A Play in the City’. Till December 21 2024 this will be at the Altogether Otherwise community centre in Hanover Street – from January 7 2025 at The Bungalow at Kampus, a former security cabin on stilts in Aytoun Street. Whether this is part of a plan to shift longer-term to Manchester city-centre remains to be seen.

Named in homage to a rocky outcrop that has long been a settlement for Buddhist monks, Don Buddhika’s black-fronted restaurant is “still going strong with its Sri Lankan speciality dishes” – small plates, curries, grills and more, with dedicated vegan and gluten-free menus. Besides this venture in the swanky Manchester ‘burbs, as of late 2023 they’ve also opened a second outpost a short drive away in the market town of Knutsford.

“Long Live the Lime Tree!” – where “the best food, impeccable service and great wine is why we go time and time again”. A chic brasserie in posh West Didsbury, it was launched in 1987 by chef-owner Patrick Hannity, who has always been ahead of the game with seasonal modern British cooking using locally sourced ingredients (he invested in a 20-acre smallholding in Macclesfield Forest 17 years ago to be self-sufficient in eggs and rare-breed beef, lamb and pork). “It’s been my favourite restaurant for years even though it’s quite a schlep to get there, and it rarely disappoints in any department”.

This “bustling” Victorian covered market offering a “good variety of high-quality food” “has been a focal point for revitalising the Altrincham economy”, with “Nick Johnson, the owner, always around to keep an eye on the operation, ensuring the stallholders maintain a very high standard”.

“You really do feel like you’re in Spain” at this “lovely little tapas bar”, a fixture on a Chorlton back street since 2010. “The first time I visited, I wasn’t convinced, the second time I totally was! Can’t wait to go back”.

“Very much a place to see and be seen” in Cheshire’s Golden Triangle – “great for celeb-watching and the waiters are proud of that” – this two-year-old from the national Italian stable is the result of a reputed £3m makeover, complete with palm trees and a terrace with a retractable roof. Investment has continued, with the addition of the 60-cover ‘Il Giardino’ for al-fresco dining last summer. Marcello Distefano, who now runs the group founded by his father Carlo, grew up in the area and knows the site well from its days as Brasingamens nightclub, a celebrated hangout for WAGs in the ’90s and ’00s.

Now landed in Knutsford town centre since 2022, this wine-bar restaurant originated in North London before relocating initially to the village of Audlem, thence here. Chef Chris cooks with sustainable and sometimes foraged ingredients while his partner, Laura, serves wines from small independent producers. Too limited freedback for a full rating, but one local fan says it’s “a small, friendly restaurant serving excellent food”.

“Altogether a model for other pubs to aspire to”, this village gastroboozer sits in a “delightful” setting in the Peak District National Park, with many a ramble on the doorstep. “Luke (Payne) is the chef and can be seen in his open kitchen” turning out seasonal, sustainable British cooking “with skill and a light touch”, while “Emma, his wife is on front of house” overseeing the “smart and helpful” staff. NB pooch fans: as they themselves announce, they’re ‘completely dog-friendly’ (down to having a resident ‘Maître D’og’, Lola).

Fka Sugo, then Sud, this fresh pasta operation is back where it started 10 years ago with a single site in Altrincham – the name change to Rigatoni’s and January 2024 relaunch having failed to save branches in Sale, Ancoats and central Manchestet’s Exhibition food hall. “The pasta remains the best you will eat despite the puzzling name change and revamp”, say fans – “it’s a shame some of Sugo’s old favourites couldn’t make the trip, but a promising new start!”.

This “awesome local” in Sale is a “lovely little romantic place run by a husband-and-wife team” – Manchester-born chef Jacinda (Jazz) cooks “stunning and reasonably priced classical Italian/French” dishes which Italian sommelier Andrea matches with “really interesting wines”. “Just put yourself in the hands of the sommelier: you won’t regret it” – “Andrea is always generous with the wine”.

A sweetly named, capacious and “consistently good village pub with bedrooms” that dates back to the 19th-century and is handy if you’re scooting along the M6 in need of a fix. In addition to a “welcoming interior” (courtesy of a hefty £2.5 million renovation back in 2009), there’s a “wide-ranging menu” of pub classics with a “few imaginative edges” plus real ales from local microbreweries.