The story
On the corner of Blossom and Murray Street, across from the Hallé St Peter’s Cathedral, mana anchors Cutting Room Square with quiet confidence. A ten-minute walk from Piccadilly Station, the restaurant sits in a part of Manchester that blends city energy with residential calm. Here, chef Simon Martin leads a kitchen that has earned a Michelin star for its precise, thoughtful cooking.
The people at mana are its foundation. Simon Martin works as head chef alongside sous chef Thomas Kooy and a small brigade that includes chefs-de-partie, commis, and kitchen porters. On the floor, Holly Walker, Guillermo Saenz, and the Touray sisters—Awa and Bella—handle service. The restaurant’s own description of its team speaks to the relentless passion and hard work that makes guests feel comfortable and connected. That sentiment carries through every detail of a meal.
mana’s approach to modern British cuisine is rooted in a deep commitment to sustainability. The restaurant sources ingredients with care, letting the produce of the British Isles speak for itself. The menu changes with the seasons, and the cooking is clean, focused, and ingredient-led. This is not a place for unnecessary flourishes—every element on the plate has a reason to be there.
The dining room offers table service, a chef’s table for those who want to watch the kitchen at work, and semi-private dining for smaller groups. There is outdoor seating when the weather allows, and the space is fully wheelchair accessible. For those who want to go deeper, mana also offers culinary classes and catering.
The Michelin star awarded to mana recognises high-quality cooking that is both consistent and distinctive. It is a natural fit for a restaurant where the kitchen’s ethos—relentless, passionate, and precise—translates directly onto the plate. In a city with a growing food scene, mana stands out for its clarity of purpose and its refusal to compromise on the things that matter: the ingredients, the people, and the experience of sitting down to a meal that feels both of its place and entirely its own.
Recognition
Details
History
4 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
High quality cooking
A power move across multiple courses, Mana is the home of the heavy culinary flex. It's not just about the money (although at around £175 for 13 courses, it is inevitably somewhat about the money). The double-height space, monolithic open kitchen and white-hung windows, drawing a veil between Mana and the rest of Ancoats, are robustly impressive; so, too, is the commitment to obscure grains and the fondness for conjuring palate cleansers with koji mould – if you like that sort of thing. A serving of turnip and lemon thyme broth provides a 'lovely welcome', ahead of a roll call of 'intricate, interesting, complex food'. Snacks are served at the bar and in the kitchen (including a delicate cep and Jerusalem artichoke tartlet, eaten at the pass), and these are succeeded by some real moments of triumph – from sensational laminated onion bread with ethical foie gras to loveable Scottish lobster, carved with surgical precision and served with preserved truffle and verbena in a kintsugi bowl. Hogget is barbecued 'perfectly pink' and paired to great effect with the richness of a young miso sabayon, although it makes an unwelcome return in a petit four of parsley root and hogget fat. There are also missteps in flavours that are 'occasionally, perhaps, too strong', such as the pool of (unripe) habanero chilli sauce surrounding prime, but sadly overwhelmed, pieces of tuna. Service can feel stiff and one-sided, especially when it comes to an otherwise 'very good' wine pairing – although when enthusiasm for what's being served peeks through, things can soften a notch.
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