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A Culinary Hike Down 10 Oxford Road Restaurants
If there’s one thing we love about walking down Oxford Road, it’s that there’s so much to explore and discover, whether it’s looking for things to do, places to be and of course, food to eat!
Take it from us, you can never go wrong with finding a new bite to enjoy or a new flavour to simply savour, which is why we just had to go on a food trip in Oxford Road!
We’ve scoured Oxford Road’s different restaurants, diners, and cafes to search for great eats. And wouldn’t you know it, there’s a lot to love there! Read on, and maybe you might just find your next favourite food spot!
Archie’s
Media from: @archies
Location: 115 Oxford Rd
Operating Hours:
- Monday-Thursday — 8 AM-2 AM
- Friday — 8 AM-3 AM
- Saturday — 9 AM-3 AM
- Sunday — 9 AM-2 AM
Contact: 0161 464 3654
Anyone who loves burgers, waffles, and shakes will love going down to this pink restaurant! With its retro aesthetic, it’s quickly becoming a favourite hangout spot for the cool girls and guys out there!
But down in Archie’s, the decor isn’t all there is to it – people come for the look and stay for the food. In our case, we stayed for the Good Burger. The three juicy patties with the cheese and sauce will have your mouth watering and your feet walking back here!
| Pro tip Worried about eating non-halal food? Just ask them for halal-safe alternatives, they’ll be happy to provide some! |
Listo Burrito
Media from: @listoburritomcr
Location: Floor G, St James’s Bldg, 91-93 Oxford St
Operating Hours:
- Monday — 11:30 AM-7:30 PM
- Tuesday-Saturday — 11:30 AM-8:30 PM
Contact: 0735 491 1244 (cel.), [email protected] (email)
Looking for a quick and easy meal that’s got your favourites wrapped up in some tortilla goodness? Well, in Listo Burrito, you can pick from their wide range of customisation options!
But if you want specific ideas on what to pick from their many options, we suggest the chilli con carne filling with the crumbled nachos toppings. The spiciness and meatiness of the chilli con carne contrasts nicely with the crumbled nachos’ crunchiness – it’s one good bite after another.
| Pro tip Join in on their festivities! They have special limited-time menu items during holidays like St. Patrick’s Day, so you might want to grab a bite before they’re gone! |
Federal Cafe Bar
Media from: @federalcafebar
Location: Unit B2 – 2, Circle Square
Operating Hours:
- Weekdays — 7:30 AM-4 PM
- Weekends — 8 AM-5 PM
Contact: [email protected] (email)
Need to relax or have a calming pick-me up? You can do just that in Federal Cafe Bar! With its homey design lending to a relaxed ambience and its warm coffee and brunch food, you might find yourself going here to sit back and chill.
For us, sitting down to a cup of macchiato coffee and some Emily’s Banana Bread made our day.
Their macchiato has the perfect amount of sweetness and cream to perk you up just right. As for the banana bread, it has the perfect texture that biting into it will put you in a good mood!
| Pro tip Planning on going here on a Friday? It is better to go in the afternoon, as their Friday mornings can get busy with long queues. |
Red Chilli
Media from: @redchillirestaurants
Location: 403 Oxford Rd
Operating Hours:
- Sunday-Thursday — 12 PM-10 PM
- Friday-Saturday — 12 PM-11 PM
Contact: 0161 273 1288 (cel.)
If you’re craving some authentic Chinese food, then come on down to Red Chilli! Here, the menu is filled with mostly Sichuan dishes that are packed with spices. Our favourite dish was their Fried Sliced Duck, which was served with leeks and hoisin sauce.
The duck had a savoury taste that lingered in your mouth, and the leeks added a satisfying crunch that made it enjoyable to munch on! As for the hoisin sauce? It made the whole dish a pure flavour parade.
| Pro tip Visit them during their Mid-Autumn Festival; they have some delicious mooncakes available during that time, and you wouldn’t want to miss them before the festival’s over! |
Hello Oriental
Media from: @hello_oriental_mcr
Location: Unit 3B, South Pavilion, 2 Symphony Park
Operating Hours:
- Monday-Tuesday — 8:30 AM-9:30 PM
- Wednesday-Friday — 8:30 AM-11 PM
- Saturday — 10 AM-12 AM
- Sunday — 10 AM-8 PM
Contact: 0161 655 3838 (cel.), [email protected] (email)
Those who love Asian cuisine will be eating their hearts out here! Hello Oriental is an Asian food hall that features all sorts of street foods from a wide variety of cuisines.
Whether you’re a lover of Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, or any other Asian food, you’ll find something to munch on here! Plus, the regular rotation of vendors means that there’ll be something new every day.
But if there’s one thing here that we’d try over and over, even with a new menu, it would have to be the Crispy Chilli Shredded Beef! The flavours and spices they used for the beef give it a nice kick to your tongue, plus they have a satisfying crunch.
| Pro tip Don’t forget to check out the bars here! You can get some spirits and beers from all over the world in these bars, so it’s worth adding some of them to a pub crawl list. |
Zouk Tea Bar & Grill
Media from: @zoukteabar
Location: 5, Floor G, The Quadrangle, Chester St
Operating Hours: Daily — 8 AM-12 AM
Contact: 0161 233 1090 (cel.), [email protected] (email)
Zouk Tea Bar & Grill has some of the most authentic Indian and Pakistani food you’ll find in Manchester. Everything here is cooked with a wide variety of spices and flavours that will have you seeing stars.
Plus, the food here is beautifully presented, and you’ll feel like royalty when receiving your order, especially with their own signature Zouk steaks!
This steak dish is served with chips, vegetables and sauce. The juiciness of the meat, coupled with the crunchiness of the chips and vegetables, made it a dish worth ordering.
| Pro tip Going here with some friends? Their Mixed Platter for 4 is a great choice for a shared order! It’s a mix of sweet and savoury foods that could fill up your group. |
Lula’s Ethiopian and Eritrean Cuisine
Media from: @lulasethiopiancuisine
Location: 21 Park End St
Operating Hours: Tuesday-Saturday — 9 AM-10 PM
Contact: 0784 391 6756 (cel.), [email protected] (email)
You can get a taste of authentic African cuisine here at Lula’s! Their food is cooked using traditional Ethiopian techniques and recipes, which might tickle your tastebuds if you’re looking to try out some lesser-known dishes.
From their menu, we ordered and loved trying out their Habesha Hamli, which is kale and potatoes that are cooked with olive oil and various aromatics. The vegetables in that dish have a nice bite to them, plus they taste so good with the garlic and chilli.
The place also has a warm and hospitable vibe, and not just because the staff here are welcoming – the place also has a homey design to it. You’ll feel at ease under the soft lighting and natural texture in the decor, making Lula’s great for a calmer kind of meal.
| Pro tip Do you like jazz? They do too! Stay up to date on their socials, and you can find out when their next jazz night is! Pre-book a table in advance if you want to snag one; it can get filled up with other jazz fans. |
Bunny Jackson’s
Media from: @bunnyjacksonsmcr
Location: 1 Jack Rosenthal St
Operating Hours: Daily — 12 PM-3 AM
Contact: [email protected] (email)
This local dive bar might just be what you need after a long day, especially since they’re open for extended hours! Bunny Jackson’s is where you’ll find good American food and even greater drinks.
Their buffalo wings were a great snack, and we loved munching on them in between toasts with glasses full of their signature Bunny’s Hard Lemonade. The buffalo wings were the right kind of spicy and tangy you need after a long day.
Plus, the mix of vodka and homemade lemonade in their signature drink made for a fun kick to our tastebuds!
| Pro tip You might love going here on the weekends — they have live music, bandaoke, open pool tables, and dart games. It’s excellent for destressing with some friends after a long week! |
Turtle Bay Manchester
Media from: @turtlebayuk
Location: 33-35 Floor G, Premier Inn
Operating Hours:
- Monday-Thursday — 12 PM-11 PM
- Friday — 11 AM-1 AM
- Saturday — 10 AM-1 AM
- Sunday — 11 AM-10 PM
Contact: 0161 236 4101 (cel.)
Care for something Caribbean? Then head on down to Turtle Bay, a late-night bar that’s perfect to go to for both a bite and a sip! Once you step in, you’ll find lots of flame-grilled food and mixed drinks on their menu.
Help yourself to a Curry Goat and a Raspberry Reggae, we’d highly recommend it! It’ll both fill you up and put you in a good mood! Their Curry Goat’s nicely tender, and you’ll enjoy sinking your teeth into the meat, while the Raspberry Reggae has a sour punch to it.
As a bonus, this bar is also a walk away from the Oxford Road train station. So it might be a good spot to eat and refuel in before making the commute home!
| Pro tip Head down here on Sundays to join in on their weekly dominoes club, where you can face off against other patrons and get in on the action! You’ll be awarded a bottle of rum if you manage to beat the other patrons. |
The Eighth Day Shop & Cafe
Media from: @eighthdayveg
Location: 111
Operating Hours: Monday-Saturday – 11 AM-3 PM
Contact: 0161 273 4878 (tel.), [email protected] (email)
Those on a vegetarian or vegan diet, the struggle is over! The Eighth Day Cafe is the cafe spot for those going meat-free; you’ll be thanking their delicious plant-based bites.
Our favourite order, and one we’d personally recommend, would have to be the Coconut & Almond Flapjacks. Not only are the flapjacks themselves just the right kind of crunchy, you can even get an added crunchiness from the sunflower seeds sprinkled in!
As for the drinks, we’d have to recommend their Turmeric Latte, which puts a more unique spin on your usual latte. Once you get a sip of this sweet and spicy drink, you’ll be ordering a latte more (pun intended)!
| Pro tip Mondays aren’t so stressful here! They have weekly yoga sessions every Monday evening, and it’s open for people of all skill levels! Just remember to bring your own mat, they don’t provide any. |
