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10 Restaurants in Stretford We Return To
It’s part of our job to go around the city (and even beyond the M60) to bring to you, our readers, the best of the best in many things in Manchester. This time, our feet led us to the outskirts of town, Stretford.
Stretford is awesome and all, thanks to the cricket and football stadiums, but we really think there’s more treasure to find along the row houses and less crowded areas of town.
Without further ado, read through our list of restaurants in Stretford that are worth discovering and revisiting every weekend, or whenever you can.
Stretford Canteen
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Address: Ground Floor, Stretford Mall, 118 Chester Road
Contact details: [email protected]
Operating hours:
- Wednesday to Friday – 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM
- Saturday – 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM
- Sunday – 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM, 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM
- Monday and Tuesday – CLOSED
Stretford Canteen successfully brings the homey but chic look and smells of an authentic French bistro into the drab and industrial Stretford Mall. It’s the spiritual successor to the Beaujolais, an old (now closed) local favourite for French steaks.
What truly makes this bistro lovely is the food. Recently lauded by the Square in the Good Food Guide as one of the top ones to taste in Manchester, we can’t help but agree when we tried the immaculately plated pan-fried sea trout ourselves.
The menu changes based on the seasonality of ingredients, so we can’t really pick a certain standout. Nonetheless, we’ll keep coming back!
Pro tip:
Trying out the scran at Stretford Canteen is a labour of love in itself, because this restaurant doesn’t do any deliveries. You’ll need to set aside a proper amount of your time to dine in or grab takeaway from here, but it’s pretty well worth it!
Bando Boxes
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Address: 2 Seymour Grove
Contact details: 0161 410 1000, [email protected]
Operating hours: Daily – 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Pricing: £
Website
Menu
For banging seafood and chicken over rice, go to Bando Boxes. The food it serves—like the Man vs Food box, with rice, chicken wings, lobster, and prawns—is a great example of how to do mixed Asian, American, and Caribbean food well.
It’s quite popular for its heaping servings in its somewhat ‘signature’ styrene boxes, so a meal here is more akin to eating street foodz.
Moreover, the shop itself is quite small, with only a single, short bar available for seating. Thus, it’s better to do takeaway via pickup or delivery instead.
Pro tip:
Bando Boxes loves doing promos. Keep your eyes peeled for promo codes and announcements via its Instagram page.
Uplift @ The SQ.
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Address: Unit 138, Stretford Mall
Contact details: 07895937308, [email protected]
Operating hours:
- Monday to Wednesday, Friday and Saturday – 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Thursday and Sunday – CLOSED
If you’re looking for a local enterprise in Stretford that makes a difference, then head on to Uplift at the middle of Stretford Mall. It’s a literal ‘heart’ of the events in the premises, serving good food and worthwhile experiences.
We highly suggest dropping by for its breakfast food. The food here is always made fresh. Uplift prides itself as one that makes food as fast as they can (as opposed to fast food, if you get it), and it shows with the great, delicious plates.
A full English with a cup of freshly brewed joe from Uplift will help you perk up on a slow day.
Pro tip:
Uplift hosts a couple of community groups you might want to be a part of, including a book club, a knitting group, and a foreign language conversation group. Just ask the friendly staff for further details.
Nila’s Burmese Kitchen
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Address: 386 Third Ave, Trafford Park
Contact details: 07913 045845, [email protected]
Operating hours:
- Monday to Friday – 11:30 AM t0 2:30 PM
- Saturday and Sunday – CLOSED
Sitting unassumingly at Trafford Park is Nila’s Burmese Cuisine. For the unfamiliar, it serves affordable dishes from the culinary traditions of Burma (now called Myanmar).
Even though it only does lunch service on weekdays, it’s a favourite amongst its neighbouring offices for its ever-so-tender tamarind pork. This stew heavily features the sweet-sour-spicy mix of sautéed onions and tamarind curry, which pairs well with rice.
Nila’s also does events (usually on the weekends) where the entire menu is 100% composed of Burmese specials (compared to the daily menu, where there’s still some Indian and Brit ones to suit a larger audience).
Pro tip:
If you end up liking Nila’s cooking very much, you can also have her cater to your private events!
PaPa Don
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Address: 2 Longford Road
Contact details: 07400581564
Operating hours:
- Tuesday to Thursday, Sunday – 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- Friday and Saturday – 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM
- Monday – CLOSED
Stretford really has a lot of aces up its sleeves. Another one of these is the Asian powerhouse, Papa Don.
So why did we call it a ‘powerhouse’? It’s not mitochondria, but it’s got tasty dishes from Thai, Chinese, and South Korean cuisines. Pad Thai’s the go-to for this kind of restaurant, but we urge you to experiment a bit.
The Thai-style chicken rice washed down by Thai red iced tea (with whipped cream on top!) is a buzzin’ option for those looking for a truly filling meal. You’ll be surprised to find out another use of the pineapple once you try the seafood pineapple fried rice!
Pro tip:
Papa Don’s seems to have a rather irregular operating schedule (contrary to what its usual hours say). We understand that life happens, so better to check its Facebook page first for announcements before going in.
Emilia’s Della Roma
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Address: 30 Davyhulme Road East
Contact details: 0161 283 3375, [email protected]
Operating hours:
- Wednesday to Saturday – 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM
- Sunday – 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
- Monday and Tuesday – CLOSED
Pricing: ££
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Emilia’s Della Roma is consistently cooking delicious Italian meals at very affordable prices. You wouldn’t feel you’re going in for a tasting menu, though, because the servings are quite hearty, giving you real value for money.
The spaghetti Bolognese with its massive meatballs here is always a safe, great choice. However, it wouldn’t be complete without the house speciality, Roma pizza—filled with cheese, chicken, salami, and spicy peppers.
As for dessert, we won’t stop you from grabbing a slice of tiramisu, but if Emilia’s has it in stock on the day you visit, give your attention to the cannolis instead.
Pro tip:
Emilia’s is a definite crowd favourite, given its proximity to Old Trafford. So, make sure to book a table in advance if you fancy some Italian scran after cricket.
Yeah Man Caribbean
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Address: 63 Norway Street
Contact details: 0161 864 3259
Operating hours:
- Tuesday to Saturday – 11:00 AM to 10:30 PM
- Sunday – 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM
- Monday – CLOSED
Jerk chicken aficionados looking for their Stretford hotspot will be glad to know about Yeah Man Caribbean. It sits in a corner spot with a no-frills dine-in setup, but the food is (figuratively and literally) fire!
Alternatively, grab the curry goat or mutton for a gamey flavour. We also love that Yeah Man also has real plantains that can be ordered as a side, if you want the additional carb.
The drinks here deserve a shout-out, too, as they’re genuinely Jamaican-branded. That’s a noble attempt at Caribbean culinary authenticity that we appreciate.
Pro tip:
We hope you don’t mind eating on polystyrene takeaway containers, because that’s how Yeah Man serves its food!
Nishi Sushi Stretford
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Address: 164A Barton Road
Contact details: 07900 097766, [email protected]
Operating hours:
- Tuesday to Saturday – 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM
- Sunday – 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- Monday – CLOSED
Stretford’s dining scene is also home to light and balanced Japanese cuisine. Nishi Restaurant is one brilliant spot for one of your weekend mooches, thanks to its scrumptious sushi.
Play safe with the California maki or live a bit more and head onto the nigiri (hand-pressed) sushi right away. These, with fine fresh fish like tuna and eel, represent the cuisine better, at least in our books.
If you’re okay with eating raw food, then Nishi Sushi’s salmon tartare is a feast you should try at least once. The softness and mild taste of the fish, with just enough soy sauce, is just sublime.
Pro tip:
To get the best of all the bites Nishi Sushi has to offer, get a sharing platter! These are available in 20-, 30-, and 40-piece variants.
Ship-Shack Kitchen
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Address: 4 Seymour Grove
Contact details: 07922 266922
Operating hours:
- Monday to Friday – 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM
- Saturday and Sunday – 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM
The Ship-Shack Kitchen is conveniently in the neighbourhood around the Trafford Bar tram stop, making it a great pre- or post-game stop on an Old Trafford trip.
As a family-run business, it promises Turkish and British dishes that will make you feel right at home.
The restaurant itself looks very simple, with a few tables, just enough to accommodate longtime patrons and the occasional new customer. However, the dining experience just improves a lot once you have a bite of the food.
Ship-Shack’s daily fresh-baked bread and the chef’s special moussaka sealed the deal for us to schedule a return visit.
Pro tip:
The owner and chef of Ship-Shack Kitchen is a professional chef who used to cook at other restaurants in the area, so you’re in good hands.
CLUCK‘A’RITO (Cluckaritos)
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Address: 65 Great Stone Road, Old Trafford
Contact details: 0161 971 0078
Operating hours:
- Tuesday to Sunday – 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM
- Monday – CLOSED
Cluck‘a’rito is a great addition to the list of home-grown Stretford fast food restaurants. It’s a hit with locals and with visitors of Old Trafford, given its corner location at the Great Stone Road’s roundabout.
People from all over stop by its doors for the spicy chicken fillet burger, and we don’t beg to differ. There are other butties on the menu (BBQ fillet and grilled peri chicken are good ones), but somehow the spicy chicken just ticked all our boxes, too.
There isn’t much seating, though, so you’ll be eating more comfortably outside in the roundabout parking space.
Pro tip:
Dine in (or in your car) instead of going the delivery route. Orders from Cluck‘A’rito just seem to come in a better state, sans the third-party delivery service.
