It's happened to us all: payday is just too far away and although you really want to head out and visit one of Manchester's restaurants, your bank balance says otherwise. But there's many ways of eating out without spending too much with a variety of great food offers in the city. Here's just five to visit when you're counting down the days until your next paycheck.
Yard and Coop
Yard and Coop are the recently-launched chicken specialists in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. If you want to taste fried chicken on a budget you don’t just have to head to your nearest fast food spot, instead you can head down to the NQ on a Sunday to take advantage of Dirty Bird Sundays. A basket full of chips, bacon, cheese, chicken thighs, blue cheese sauce, BBQ and bees' knees sauce are all served for £8 or £10 with a pint of Yard Pilsner. An entire new take on your Sunday lunch and a hearty portion for the price you’re paying. As it comes the dish has a bit of a kick but if spice isn’t your thing just ask for it without the bees' knees sauce and you’ll be fine.
Yard and Coop, Dirty Bird Sundays, £8 or £10 with a beer. All day Sunday.
TNQ
With the Northern Quarter’s mash up of quirky style restaurants and ultra cool bars it can be hard to know where to turn/try next. From the outside TNQ doesn’t jump out but once inside you’ll notice the sophisticated, low key cool that they have on offer. And speaking of which they have one hell of an offer; unlimited house wine and a three course meal - all for £29.50. Admittedly the choices are limited in this offer but the food at TNQ is always of excellent quality so whatever your three courses are, you know you're going to have a fantastic meal.
TNQ, Three course meal with unlimited house wine, £29.50. All day Monday and Thursday.
Revolucion de Cuba
Perhaps best known by Manchester locals as a great night spot for cocktails and its lively weekend atmosphere but Revs de Cuba also has a great deal for the food and cocktail connoisseurs during the week. On weekday afternoons, you can take advantage of the ever popular Mojito and Burrito deal. Get a burrito filled to the brim with either seven hour slow-cooked shredded beef, cuba libre pulled pork, marinated chicken or mushroom, bean and spinach, all washed down with a well crafted, refreshing Mojito. Oh, and all for just £10 - can’t get much fairer than that!
Revolucion de Cuba, Mojito and Burrito, £10. Monday - Friday, 12-6pm.
Cane and Grain
Nobody likes spending a lot on lunch but a supermarket meal deal never really hits the spot. Thankfully, Cane and Grain are filling that hole with their £5 lunch menu. Half a rack of Baby Back Ribs, smothered in a sauce of your choice with a side of fries all for a fiver is a pretty great way to spend a lunchtime. For those of you who don’t fancy ripping the meat off the bone there’s also a Rib Roll, essentially a rib meat sandwich, and if you’re a vegetarian then there’s a Watermelon Salad. The menu is limited but then again, ribs are what Cane and Grain do best, so what else would you want to order?
Cane and Grain, lunch menu, £5. Monday - Friday, 12-4pm.
Dimitri's
A meze is great for those people who like to pick at a variety of tastes of Greek cuisine and with Dimitri's Happy Food Hour, there’s even more to love. With this offer you can enjoy half price chorizo bravas, lamb chops or calamarakia to name a few. You could also opt for a more substantial dish such as Gamberoni (pan-fried king prawns in Ouzo and cream, roast tomatoes, olives and dill) or perhaps a halloumi salad for those looking for something a little less heavy. With options for both carnivores and vegetarians, there's definitely something for everyone.
Dimitri's, Happy Food Hour, half price on all tapas and platas when ordered 5-6pm, Sunday-Friday (excludes bank holidays).
Looking for more bargain-priced food? See Time Out's guide to Manchester's best cheap eats.