Cheshire

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="567" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/burton-road-1-3-1024x567.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2269" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/burton-road-1-3-1024x567.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/burton-road-1-3-300x166.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/burton-road-1-3-768x425.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/burton-road-1-3-1536x850.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/burton-road-1-3-2048x1133.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


<p>Burton Road is just another reason why Manchester is gaining traction as a global hotspot. Running through the heart of West Didsbury, this leafy and buoyant strip has evolved into one of the city&#8217;s most sought after suburbs, luring creative types to set up shop or restaurant or pioneering bar. A mish-mash of brilliant independents, from artisan cafes and inventive little bistros to design stores, it draws the freelancers tapping away on laptops, the mummies and their babes strapped in slings and matcha-drinking media types living in the grand Victoria villas around the corner. You could satirise the stereotypes and its hipster HQ label. But you&#8217;ll never come away from Burton Road feeling like it&#8217;s too cool for you. Spend any amount of time here and it&#8217;ll sweep you up into its arms, ruffle your hair and show you one helluva good time. Here we reveal some of Muddy&#8217;s fave spots on Burton Road&#8230;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-george-charles"><a href="https://thegeorgecharles.co.uk">The George Charles</a></h2>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="892" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/IMG_8227-892x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2318" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/IMG_8227-892x1024.jpg 892w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/IMG_8227-261x300.jpg 261w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/IMG_8227-768x881.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/IMG_8227.jpg 1179w" sizes="(max-width: 892px) 100vw, 892px" /></figure></div>


<p>Small is beautiful, especially when it comes to this bijou pub on the corner of Burton Road. Once a thriving greengrocer&#8217;s in the Victorian era, it&#8217;s now a lively spot to huddle around its wooden tables and grab a drink. The folk behind it clearly know a thing or two about booze, leaning very much on north west distilleries and sourcing their ale from the microbrewery at sister restaurant, The Con Club in Altirncham. Drinks sorted, you&#8217;re going to want to come hungry too, as they dish up perfectly rolled sushi and Japanese street food, courtesy of Unagi. Though if you&#8217;re here earlier in the day, you can order yourself a slap-up English brekkie or brunch-style dishes. Proof that good things come in small packages. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-volta"><a href="https://www.voltafoodanddrink.co.uk">Volta</a></h2>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/text_1.jpg" alt="Volta" class="wp-image-2351" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/text_1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/text_1-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/text_1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/text_1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/text_1-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure></div>


<p>I cannot rave about this West Didsbury institution enough. Small and buzzy with a subtle sense of cool, Volta combines a tangible passion for food with a kick-your-shoes-off sort of vibe. Bring a date, bring your mates, treat your mum or eat alone. Beautifully put together small plates on a short and considered menu, plucked from across the world, are ferried to diners by beaming staff. Tuck into a bit of everything: slices of ribeye served lovely and pink, vinegary boquerones, warming bowls of earthy black lentils and pan fried cod in an addictive Thai yellow curry sauce. It&#8217;s all knockout and the roast potatoes with aioli are quite possibly some of the best roasties to ever come out of a kitchen. But I never fail to order the dips.  Roasted aubergine and miso or the bright orange butternut squash chersi &#8211; scooped up with hunks of warm flatbread. A Didsbury classic worth travelling to &#8211; and revisiting over and over.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-indique"><a href="https://www.indiquerestaurant.co.uk">Indique</a></h2>



<p>This is Manchester. We&#8217;re surrounded by curry houses. And navigating its Indian culinary map can be a tricky business. But Indique is an absolute standout with a winning combo of a warm, clubby space and exceptional Indian food. And I promise you, this is where the gastronomic good times abound. Fluffy garlic naans, soft chicken tikka, lamb shanks sitting in a bold and fiery sauce. But my fave? Goan prawn curry, which arrives to the table simmering in a  creamy coconut and coriander sauce with prawns the size of plums. Just like in the easy breezy beach bars on the creamy beaches of Palolem. I don&#8217;t know about you but I refuse to compromise on crappy meals out because I have three kids. And Indique is one of those places you can eat terrific food &#8211; even when you bring your entire brood.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-folk"><a href="https://www.folkdidsbury.co.uk">Folk</a></h2>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="906" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/IMG_8226-1024x906.jpg" alt="Folk Didsbury. Diners sitting on the outdoor terrace" class="wp-image-2316" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/IMG_8226-1024x906.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/IMG_8226-300x265.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/IMG_8226-768x680.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/IMG_8226.jpg 1034w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


<p>Whatever time you arrive at this wildly popular neighbourhood joint, you&#8217;ll be fed exceptionally well. Delicious brunch plates, towering burgers and small plates for grazing make up much of the menu during the day. And the crew steering the bar really know how to mix up genius cocktails (start with the house Negroni). Arriving on a Sunday? The kitchen truly excels itself on the day of rest with exceptional roasts topped with huge Yorkies and thick and rich gravy. And when the sun&#8217;s out, you have to join the fun and lively crowds on its terrace.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sante"><a href="https://www.santedidsbury.com">Santé</a></h2>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="1007" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/IMG_8338-1024x1007.jpg" alt="Sante Didsbury small plates and menu" class="wp-image-2397" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/IMG_8338-1024x1007.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/IMG_8338-300x295.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/IMG_8338-768x756.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/IMG_8338.jpg 1179w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


<p>I can&#8217;t tell you how many times I&#8217;ve sat at the bar of this rambunctious spot and ordered a cosmopolitan. The precise and passionate team know just how to whip up a hard drink &#8211; which probably explains why it&#8217;s always packed to brim. But there&#8217;s also a kitchen behind the scenes crafting delicious European-style small plates, from slices of just-pink beef sirloin with salsa verde, to nduja-sizzed prawns and gnocchi cooked with sunblused tomatoes, plus grazing boards of charcuterie and cheese. Always fun, always lively, Santé is a cool, fresh spot to catch up with your pals over dangerously drinkable cocktails and banging small plates.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-porta"><a href="https://www.portatapas.co.uk">Porta</a></h2>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="819" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/image-asset-819x1024.jpeg" alt="Porta Tapas. With white wine and a candle" class="wp-image-2348" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/image-asset-819x1024.jpeg 819w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/image-asset-240x300.jpeg 240w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/image-asset-768x960.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/image-asset-1229x1536.jpeg 1229w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/image-asset.jpeg 1440w" sizes="(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px" /></figure></div>


<p>Not technically on Burton Road, but squirrelled away on Lapwing Lane, this newbie is already very much a part of West Didsbury life. There&#8217;s no doubt competition is fierce in this foodie neck of the woods, but in my world, there&#8217;s always room for Porta. Its original space sits in Chester and I&#8217;ve been a massive fan of their offshoot in Altrincham for some years now. Cosy and pared back filled with all the authenticity of a tapas bar you&#8217;d find down some atmospheric alleyway in Seville or Barcelona, it&#8217;s a brand that&#8217;s become synonymous with terrific cooking in an unpretentious setting. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-and-grab-a-drink-from-the-metropolitan">And grab a drink from&#8230; <a href="https://www.heritagepubs.co.uk/metropolitan-west-didsbury">The Metropolitan</a></h2>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="copperandolivephoto.com"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="683" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/BurtonRoad-112-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2399" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/BurtonRoad-112-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/BurtonRoad-112-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/BurtonRoad-112-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/BurtonRoad-112-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/BurtonRoad-112-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/02/BurtonRoad-112-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&nbsp;© @copperandolivephoto</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>Popping into this cavernous and iconic drinking den is always a good idea. There are board games for kids, a roaring fire and plenty of nooks to hide away in. And as the warmer months sweep in, nab a table in its packed beer garden, sipping on spritz under the glower of the sun (even if you have to cluster around a heat lamp). As for food, it&#8217;s honest and unpretentious pub food. It isn&#8217;t fine dining and they&#8217;re not reinventing the wheel, but sometimes we all just need a proper plate of fish and chips or a great pie and gravy. This is the north after all.</p>



<p></p>


6 of the best restaurants in West Didsbury

You may also like