Restaurant Reviews & Ratings

Given that I once put a formula together for choosing a three- Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris, it should come as no surprise that I’ve got one for rating restaurants as well.

It’s not enough for me to just arbitrarily decide which restaurants I like the most. I need to have an empirical system in place, so I can pretend that my decisions aren’t completely and utterly arbitrary.

Food is rated out of 30. Service is rated out of 10. The dining room is rated out of 5. Overall experience is rated out of 10. The marks are totted up and made into a percent to give a score out of 100.

I only rate a restaurant if I’ve eaten more than one course there.

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Below are the best restaurants in Manchester (plus all the others I can remember from the last few years) ranked according to my experiences. For the sake of comparison, I’ve also listed the best restaurants I’ve eaten at outside the city.

At the bottom is a rough marking scale to shed some light on the scores.

Best Restaurants in Manchester

Restaurant	Overall Score (100)	Last Visit
1. The French by Simon Rogan	71	2013
2. Aumbry	66	2012
3. The WineGlass at Etrop Grange Hotel	65	2013
4. Chaophraya	64	2009
5. Gaucho	56	2011
6. Damson Media City NEW	51	2013
7. The Lime Tree	50	2012
=8. Harvey Nichols Second Floor Restaurant & Bar	49	2011
=8. The Rose Garden	49	2012
=8. The Mark Addy	49	2012
=8. Grill on the Alley	49	2009
=12. Yuzu	48	2012
=12. Umezushi	48	2013
=14. Smoak (Malmaison)	47	2012
=14. EastZEast (Princess Street)	47	2012
=14. Michael Caines Restaurant at ABode Manchester	47	2009
=17. Mr Thomas’s Chop House	46	2009
=17. Blacksticks	46	2011
19. Puccini’s Ristorante	45	2006
=20. 63 Degrees	44	2011
=20. Damson	44	2012
=22. Italia	43	2012
=22. Jem&I	43	2011
=24. Sam’s Chop House	42	2011
=24. Zouk Tea Bar & Grill	42	2009
=24. Isis	42	2005
=24. SoLIta	42	2013
=28. Kyotoya	40	2011
=28. No.4 Dine & Wine	40	2012
=28. Yakisoba	40	2010
=28. Wing’s	40	2013
32. The Grill on New York Street	38	2012
33. Albert’s Shed	36	2008
=34. Tondori Royale	34	2012
=34. Dimitris Tapas Taverna and Restaurant	34	2008
=34. Grinch Bar & Grill	34	2007
=34. BBQ Handmade Noodles King	34	2012
=34. Aladdin	34	2013
=39. Samsi Manchester	33	2007
=39. Han Dynasty	33	2012
41. Rosso	31	2009
42. Armenian Taverna	29	2011
43. Tampopo (Albert Square)	28	2008
44. Thai Banana	27	2006
45. Genghis Khans	26	2010
=46. Rhubarb	24	2010
=46. San Rocco	24	2006
48. Yang Sing	23	2008
49. Don Giovanni’s	10	2010

Best Restaurants I’ve Visited Outside Manchester

Restaurant	Overall Score (100)	Last Visit
=1. Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester (London)	95	2011
=1. The Ledbury (London)	95	2012
=1. The Square (London)	95	2012
4. The Waterside Inn (Bray)	93	2011
5. Hibiscus (London)	78	2012
=6. Alyn Williams at The Westbury (London)	75	2011
=6. Northcote Manor (Langho)	75	2012
8. Deanes (Belfast)	66	2012
9. Goodman Mayfair (London)	66	2011
10. Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse (New York)	64	2003
11. Goodman Canary Wharf (London)	63	2013
12. The Wig and Pen (Sheffield)	56	2012
=13. The Gilbert Scott (London)	53	2012
=13. Hawksmoor Seven Dials (London)	53	2012
15. Cayenne (Belfast) Closed	49	2012
16. Koya (London)	45	2012
17. Bumpkin South Kensington (London)	42	2011

Restaurant Rating Scale

Score (100)	Meaning
>70	Brilliant – worth a special trip
70>65	Excellent – must try for locals
65>55	Very good
55>45	Good
45>35	OK
35>30	Mediocre – not worth visiting
30>20	Poor
<20	Terrible – avoid at all costs