From clams to crab, shrimps to scallops, oysters to octopus, seafood can be described as delicious fruit from the sea. Whether you’re after a Louisiana-style seafood boil experience or huge Asian platters of the finest produce from the ocean, Manchester and its surrounding areas have got you covered, even if the city is landlocked. We’ve rounded up the best seafood restaurants in and around Manchester for you to discover and simply sea-food, eat food.
1. SeaWorld
Located on the Curry Mile in Rusholme and offering a wide selection of seafood in a multitude of forms from pasta dishes to soups is SeaWorld. The platters at this Manchester restaurant are a must – whether you’re wanting your seafood boiled, grilled or fried – and great for feasting on as part of a group. Other special seafood dishes on the SeaWorld menu include Lahori fried fish served with spicy mint sauce; king prawn and courgette tagliarini; and mixed seafood soup with calamari, prawns and mussels.
📍SeaWorld, 10a Wilmslow Rd, Manchester, M14 5TP.
🍽️ Book a table here.
2. Crabbish
Taking influence from the Pelican State is Crabbish, one of the first ‘Louisiana-style’ seafood boil restaurants in Manchester. Shrimp, crab, and crawfish boils are a Louisiana Cajun tradition, with the classic boil consisting of Cajun spices like cayenne pepper, hot sauce, salt, lemons, and bay leaf added to a bubbling pot of crustaceans. For those who want a feast at Crabbish, there’s even the Golden Bucket, consisting of one lobster, four lobster tails, two crabs, 16 snow crab legs, four king crab legs, 42 head on shrimps, 36 blue mussels, 32 clams, 12 eggs, six sausages, eight corn on the cobs and 32 potatoes. So strap on a bib and get the gloves on because things will get messy as the restaurant pours a whacking big pile of seafood from a bag directly onto your table for you to get stuck in!
📍Crabbish, 187 Chapel Street, Salford, M3 5EQ.
🍽️ Book a table here.
3. Jimmy’s Killer Prawns
Like the name suggests, you’ll find some killer prawns here. Located on Manchester’s Liverpool Road, Jimmy’s describe themselves as “prawnfessionals” and here you can devour a mountain of 50 killer prawns complete with chips or rice and a trio of sauces. Prawns can also be enjoyed with a selection of sauces ranging from creamy coconut to a secret spicy recipe. Other ocean delights on the Jimmy’s Killer Prawns menu include seafood boils, surf and turf, mussels in spicy tomato chill sauce, grilled crab, Lobster Thermidor and Jimmy’s Dynamite Prawns (deep fried battered prawns with spicy mayonnaise sauce).
📍Jimmy’s Killer Prawns, 13-25 Liverpool Rd, Manchester, M3 4NW.
🍽️ Book a table here.
4. Street Urchin
What sets Street Urchin, which lies on the border between Ancoats and the Northern Quarter, apart from other seafood restaurants in Manchester is that diners receive their menu via email a few hours ahead of time based on the fresh deliveries that day. Describing itself as an ‘English market diner’, guests can expect a wide range of dishes from local farm produce as well as plenty of fish – and as the chef is the son of a fisherman, so you’re guaranteed a great catch on your plate. Although they have an ever-changing menu, Street Urchin has served up the likes of grilled king scallops with creamy curried kipper velouté, fresh mussels in cider and garlic cream, stone bass ceviche, roasted hake on the bone with seaweed crumb and grilled lobster with vermouth and paprika thermidor sauce. You’ll almost feel like you’re at the seaside and not in Manchester as you’ll spot a beach-hut-come-smoker at the front of the restaurant.
📍Street Urchin, 72 Great Ancoats St, Manchester, M4 5BG.
🍽️ Book a table here.
5. Ocean Treasure Seafood Restaurant
Situated on a Middleton industrial estate, Ocean Treasure doesn’t necessarily scream ‘must-visit’ from the outside but once inside the seafood offering is rather impressive. The Chinese-style restaurant offers three menus – a traditional à la carte, a dim sum menu and interestingly a Beijing Sichuan Guangdong menu. Diners can expect the likes of braised scallops with bamboo fungus, sautéed king prawns with lychee and cashew nuts in a bird’s nest and baked lobster tails. Plus you’ll also find karaoke here too.
📍Ocean Treasure Seafood Restaurant, Greengate Industrial Estate, Greenside Way, Middleton, M24 1SW.
🍽️ Book a table here.
6. Mamas Soul Food
If you’re after seafood dishes with plenty of soul then Mamas Soul Food is the place to head to in Manchester. Founded in 2021, Mama’s Soul Food is a family-run business specialising in New Orleans style seafood boil, gourmet fried chicken and homemade mac n cheese which can be topped with Cajun prawns. And you need to try Mama’s spicy sauce! Mama’s fully loaded seafood boil is a big boy that’s full of flavour with 36 prawns in different sizes, lobster tail, crab cluster, baby potatoes, corn, eggs, halal chicken sausages, sides and sauces. Other seafood dishes worth devouring are Mama’s giant mussels, prawn platter, ramen seafood boil and crab cluster boil.
📍Mamas Soul Food, Ghost X Kitchens, 58-60 Higher Ardwick, Manchester, M12 6DA.
🍽️ Order here.
7. The Oystercatcher
The Oystercatcher boasts not one but two seafood restaurants in Greater Manchester, one in Chorlton and one in Sale, both serving incredibly fresh seafood and fish dishes with plenty of flair. Of course, it is a no-brainer to enjoy some oysters here, classically served with shallot mignonette and lemon, or look out for accompaniments like Vietnamese dressing or apple, cucumber and dill. The Oystercatcher serves a seasonal menu with many of their fish and seafood chargrilled for that added flavour such as black sea bream cooked over coals and served with salsa verde, wild red tiger prawns, tandoor BBQ monkfish and chargrilled octopus with batata harra and baba ganoush. Other standout dishes include Kedgeree Scotch egg, seafood stew with orzo pasta and Panang curry mussels. Or if you fancy sticking to a classic, The Oystercatcher also serves up a cracking beer battered fish and chips too.
📍The Oystercatcher, 123 Manchester Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, M21 9PG | 10 Stanley Square, Sale, M33 7XZ.
🍽️ Book a table here.