Mexican restaurants have been slowly popping up in Manchester city centre and peppered throughout its suburbs for a while now. We like the relaxed vibe that goes with these restaurants, the colourful decor, chilled shared tables and upbeat music. The dishes work just as well for lunch as they do for an evening meal and generally won't break the bank. Then there's the ubiquitous Margaritas which team-up perfectly with fish tortillas or loaded tacos to share. There's a great variety of Mexican restaurants to choose from across the city from high-end to take-away. Here's culturecalling.com's pick of the very best.
Liquor and Burn
100 – 102 High Street, Manchester, M4 1HP
Liquor and Burn is a cool little Mexican serving up really tasty Mexican dishes. Just make sure you’re hungry because the portions are not shy. The joint was inspired during a road trip to Mexico and serves up a jam-packed menu of all your Mexican favourites including Burritos, Tacos, burgers, loaded fries and sides. Where to start? You have to try the tasty Baja Shrimp tacos with popcorn shrimp, pickled’ slaw, Alabama white sauce and chopped chives. It’s tasty as! The Burritos are the biggest you’ve ever seen and many end up taking some of it home. We tried the Firebird burrito with vegan fried chicken, buffalo sauce, lime crema, vegan nacho sauce, black beans and BBQ sauce. A fries lover? We’d recommend the Birria fries topped with birria beef, nacho cheese, bone broth, Guajillio mayo, fresh jalapenos and topped with coriander.
Drinks wise, they specialise in tequila, mezcal and agave and have a good line-up of cocktails to choose from.
You can book a table here
Las Iguanas
84 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2ER
There’s no mistaking you’re in a Mexican restaurant when you walk into Las Iguanas on dazzling Deansgate, in the heart of Manchester city centre. It really is a slice of Latin life and boasts an abundance of delicious fresh Mexican & South American dishes on the menu alongside a legendary cocktail menu. It's the ideal place to share a celebration with friends or family or find a cosy corner for two.
There’s a couple of nice sharing boards to get started which includes a board of blue corn & soft flour tortillas with guacamole, sour cream, tomato salsa, coriander & chilli salsa, pickled slaw, cheese, fresh lime, coriander & your choice of fillings. Then there’s a vast selection of tempting dishes for the main to agonise over. We couldn’t resist the meat feast Churrasco mixed grill which contains tender marinated fillet steak skewer, chicken skewer, chorizo, fried egg, Mexican rice, sweetcorn, onion rings & chimichurri. The meat’s tender and super tasty. You can also add garlic chilli prawns to the plate for an additional £4.50 if you can’t resist. A burger fan? There’s over 6 to choose from and they look good! If you’re taking the family out, there’s a nice kid’s menu which lets them pick a starter, side, main and desert for the bargain price of £7.25.
The 2FOR1 on cocktails and coolers all day every day really sets the night off if you’re out with friends.
You can book a table here
Tortilla Manchester
50 Oxford St, Manchester, M1 5EJ
This is a chain of Mexican takeaways spanning carefully selected locations across the country serving fresh & authentic Mexican, award-winning burritos, nachos and tacos.
Manchester’s Tortilla opened recently on Oxford St and is proving to be a hit. If you’re not familiar with it, they make their dishes from scratch using fresh quality ingredients and you get to pick exactly what goes inside from coriander or Mexican rice, pinto beans, slow cooked beef, chorizo, to vegan chilli. Then you add your sauces – sour cream, guacamole, salsa verde or salsa ranchera - and sprinkle on some jalapenos and you’re ready to roll. We’re a fan of this place; it breaks the rules of your typical takeaway providing fast, filling and fresh food that doesn’t cost a bomb. We’re sure the student population in Manchester are big fans!
We also like the Club Tortilla which enables you to buy 5 mains & get your 6th free!
Peter Street Kitchen
Free Trade Hall, Manchester M2 5GP
This is one of the more high-end Mexican restaurants in Manchester city centre and features high ceilings, beautiful dark wood carpentry and marble tables. Set inside the Free Trade Hall, it offers a unique combination of contemporary Japanese food together with the heat and zing of Mexican cuisine. We said it was unique! It’s clearly working as Peter Street Kitchen has bagged multiple awards including ‘Best Luxury Restaurant in the UK’ in 2019 and 'Best Culinary Experience' in 2022 at the British Restaurant Awards. The crispy Baja fish tacos with cabbage slaw and habanero mayo are delicate and a great starter before trying out the fine cuts of skewered beef tender loin served on a hot lava stone, with lime, habanero and jalapeno sale. There’s the option to have two, three or four of them depending on how hungry you are. Veggie? There’s not one but five dishes to choose from which makes a considered change. We recommend the grilled soya mince empanadas with melted cheese, serrano chilli and cilantro red onion salad. The spiced lime asparagus is also a must side dish.
Before you sit down for dinner, we recommend having a pre-dinner drink in Rikyū Bar or in The Library Champagne Bar. If you’re celebrating, you can also book a Hibachi Experience, a table for 12 guests and a fire pit, providing a great setting and night to remember.
You can book a table here
Sandanista
City Centre, 2 Old Bank St, Manchester M2 7PF
When you enter Sandanista, you feel like you’re walking into a restaurant in Mexico with its dark wooden floors and tables and brightly painted yellow walls. The Clash inspired the bar after their 4th album ‘Sandinista’ and you’ll hear an eclectic mix that covers rock, indie, funk, soul, reggae, and 80s playing through the speakers. The menu focuses on Spanish Tapas and Mexican specialties including Taco’s, Fajitas, Chilli and Nachos and there’s a sociable focus on sharing. Combo’s for 2 or 4 people include the whole gamut – padrons, croquetas, quesadillas, nachos, corn ribs, gordos and more. There’s a whole selection of sides to go with which include favourites of bravas, fritas and red rice. Sandinista's impressively stocked bar offers a range of cocktails including: fruity, tangy twists on Mojitos, Daiquiris, Mai Tais, Margaritas and Juleps. The back bar boasts an array of quality tequilas, rums and spirits with a fine selection of beers.
You can book a table here
Revolution de Cuba
South Central, 11 Peter Street M2 5QR
Revolution de Cuba is a lively restaurant in the heart of Manchester. It plays homage to the best of Cuban, Caribbean South American food with a unique Cuban slant on it all.
This is an extensive menu and there really is something for all tastes. Start the night with a large bowl of Loaded Nachos – perfect for sharing between 2-3 and you can choose from beef, vegan chilli and beef picadillo. You’ll find a wide selection of burritos on the menu at Revolution de Cuba from slow cooked shredded beef, ginger beer chicken to veggie chilli. They’re all jam-packed with black beans, zesty rice and guacamole and sour cream and bursting with flavour as well as size! Prices start at £11.50 and there’s a whole host of sides and fries if you feel like there’s room for more. The classic churros loaded with chocolate also won’t disappoint!
You can book a table here