The story
At Stow, the kitchen is built around one element: flame. Cooking exclusively over open fire, fuelled by wood and locally made charcoal, the team lets seasonal ingredients take centre stage. The menu changes with the weather, reflecting the natural charm and shifting flavours of each season. This is Modern British cooking at its most elemental – smoke-kissed, honest, and driven by what’s best at the market.
The bar is no afterthought. Stow pairs its fire-cooked plates with a carefully curated list of cocktails and wines. The drinks programme is designed to complement the bold, smoky notes of the food, whether you’re stopping in for a lunchtime glass or settling in for an evening of small plates and shared dishes. The space invites you to stay, sip, and savour.
Set on Bridge Street in the heart of Manchester’s Deansgate, Stow feels both intimate and convivial. The open fire is the visual and emotional heart of the room, drawing diners together. With outdoor seating for warmer days and the capacity for private parties, it adapts to the occasion. The restaurant’s tagline – “Food by Fire, Cocktails & Wine, Nice People” – sums up the ethos: relaxed, warm, and genuinely welcoming.
In 2026, Stow was awarded a Michelin Recommended distinction, a nod to its singular focus on open-fire cooking and the quality of its Modern British cuisine. It’s a recognition that rewards the team’s dedication to seasonality, simplicity, and the craft of fire. For Manchester diners seeking a restaurant that feels both grounded and exciting, Stow delivers on every front.
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It may be fronted by a cocktail bar but there is nothing fancy about this cramped, barebones space. However, you really won’t care as all eyes are on the kitchen – Stow is all about open-fire cooking, delivered in a rush of heat and flames. We recommend booking a seat at the chef’s table if it's offered, the better to immerse yourself in the whole spectacle of big cuts of meat and fish being licked by fire. The short, regularly changing menu covers a lot of ground. Sharing plates of ‘overnight-coal’ beets with ricotta and smoked honey (a dish full of compelling, smoky flavours) or celeriac pappardelle dotted with black garlic in a punchy, golden anchovy sauce benefit from some soft, fluffy milk bread with burnt-onion butter to mop up the juices. After that, a whole monkfish tail perfectly timed and served in a delicious trout roe and dill beurre blanc should suffice; alternatively, opt for an ex-dairy ribeye and team with garlicky ratte potatoes liberally showered with finely grated Corra Linn cheese. If you’re sweet of tooth, the smoked cream tart with forced rhubarb is a must. Don’t flinch when it arrives with its top blackened to a crisp – it's an unusual flavour combination reminiscent of cinder toffee and dulce de leche. Otherwise, play it safe with a white chocolate crémeux and pistachio. Service is friendly and engaged. To drink, there are excellent cocktails and beers on draught, or you can settle for a bottle from the all-French wine list.
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