Although there may be one restaurant in Manchester with one Michelin star, Mana, which successfully retained it for 2024, fine dining spots most definitely exist across the North West region. In the Michelin Guide, there are a number of restaurants which have retained their stars, received new, green or additional ones. The 2024 Michelin Guide ceremony took place in Manchester for the first time on February 5, and it’s worth mentioning that two North West restaurants (although over an hour’s drive from Manchester) have achieved a Michelin star this year – Cedar Tree by Hrishikesh Desai in Brampton and Lake Road Kitchen in Ambleside. Check out our round-up of all the Michelin star restaurants which are less than an hour’s drive from Manchester.
Green Michelin star restaurants
Where The Light Gets In
Led by chef Sam Buckley, the restaurant became one of just 23 recognised in 2021 and it continues to retain this accolade which recognises the establishments championing sustainability. Known for its ‘no menu’ approach, Where The Light Gets In has its very own farm and garden where they grow their own produce, helping them to cook with as many home-grown and sustainably-sourced products as possible. Guests can also expect matching wine flights as they dine in a loft-style restaurant on the top floor of a Victorian coffee warehouse in Stockport.
📍Where The Light Gets In, 7 Rostron Brow, Stockport, SK1 7JY
🚗 Drive from central Manchester: 30 minutes (or 19 minutes on the train)
One Michelin star restaurants
Sō-Lō, Aughton
After years working in multiple highly-regarded restaurants, chef Tim Allen has gone solo, hence the name. Located in a converted pub in Aughton near Ormskirk, guests can expect contemporary, seasonal dishes with some unique touches. Plus, Sō-Lō also has a vegan option as well as reasonably priced three course lunch and four course Sunday lunch menus.
📍Sō-Lō, 17 Town Green Lane, Aughton, Ormskirk, L39 6SE
🚗 Drive from central Manchester: 53 minutes
Northcote, Langho
Not only can you dine at Northcote but you also enjoy an overnight stay and cookery class too at the beautifully-refurbished Victorian house on the edge of the picturesque Ribble Valley. Known for its culinary festival Obsession where an impressive line-up of talented chefs each take guests on a culinary experience, the food of Northcote’s Lisa Goodwin-Allen is an absolute must to try. The tasting menu at Northcote features sophisticated cooking, beautiful presentation and incredible flavours with seasonal produce as stars of the dishes, all of which is accompanied by an outstanding wine list.
📍Northcote, Northcote Road, Langho, BB6 8BE
🚗 Drive from central Manchester: 56 minutes
The Barn, Aughton
Do not be fooled by the name as this spot in Aughton certainly does not lack class and is a great visit for a special occasion without breaking the bank too much. This rustic restored barn is the more informal sister to Moor Hall, both of which use seasonal produce from the five-acre grounds in which they both sit. Guests can marvel at the exposed beams, open kitchen and the elegant, delicious food. Hand-crafted cocktails with their own fermented produce give the drinks here a real, refreshing boost and on a sunny day you can sit on the hedge-enclosed terrace by the lake.
📍The Barn, 17 Town Green Lane, Aughton, Ormskirk, L39 6SE
🚗 Drive from central Manchester: 54 minutes
The White Swan, Fence
North of Manchester towards Burnley you’ll find Michelin star restaurant The White Swan. To locals, it will always be known as ‘The Mucky Duck’, named after the coal miners who would stop in on their way home from work. And even now it continues to be a traditional, laid-back spot serving good pints. The restaurant in Fence offers good value dishes in contrast to other Michelin star establishments and according to Michelin “the cheeseboard with homemade crackers and English truffle honey is a must”.
📍The White Swan, 300 Wheatley Lane Road, Fence, BB12 9QA
🚗 Drive from central Manchester: 50 minutes
Two Michelin star restaurants
Moor Hall, Aughton
Another Aughton showstopper but unlike the others, it is one of the only restaurants in Lancashire with two Michelin stars to its name. Located within a 16th century country house, the Scandi-style restaurant near Ormskirk is surrounded by charming grounds that features a lake and a fountain. Moor Hall even has its very own Cheese Room and a wine cellar housing impressive wines. Your meal starts with a tasty array of snacks with the last served in the kitchen where you can chat with Head Chef Mark Birchall for an added personal touch. Plus, with rooms on site you’ll want to collapse on one of those beds in blissful contentment after such a meal.
📍Moor Hall, Prescot Road, Aughton, Ormskirk, L39 6RT
🚗 Drive from central Manchester: 53 minutes
Three Michelin star restaurants
L’Enclume, Cartmel
Yes it is over an hour’s drive from Manchester but with three Michelin stars, it might just be worth it. Run by Simon Rogan, also owner of other Cartmel Michelin-starred restaurant Rogan & Co, the restaurant serves classic dishes which are reworked and more refined alongside new, stunning and creative plates. The chef has a 12-acre farm nearby which produces so much of the superb produce that the kitchen takes inspiration from. Better still, it also has a Michelin Green star as the restaurant aims to keep ingredients as local as possible.
📍L’Enclume, Cavendish Street, Cartmel, LA11 6PZ
🚗 Drive from central Manchester: 1 hour 33 minutes
You can find the full list of Michelin star restaurants in the UK and Ireland here.