The Best Restaurant in Manchester, Liverpool, and the Peak District, England

Background Illustration for Restaurants

Dining options in Manchester and Liverpool vary from smart cafés offering Modern British, Continental, or global fare to world-class international restaurants for all budgets. Manchester has one of Britain's biggest Chinatowns, and locals also favor the 40-odd Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Indian restaurants along Wilmslow Road in Rusholme, a mile south of the city center, known as Curry Mile.

One local dish that has survived is Bakewell pudding (never called "tart" in these areas, as its imitations are elsewhere in England). Served with custard or cream, the pudding—a pastry covered with jam and a thin layer of almond-flavor filling—is a real joy of visiting Bakewell.

The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop

$$

With so much competition, it takes a bold establishment to claim its Bakewell puddings as "original," but those served here are among the best. The "pudding" in question is actually a dense, sugary pie with a jam and almond filling and a puff pastry crust, eaten cold or hot with custard or cream (a more common variant, the Bakewell tart, is made with short-crust pastry, but aficionados consider the pudding to be more authentic). The cozy oak-beam dining room also turns out commendable brunch dishes, sandwiches, and main courses including a "blacksmiths' skillet" (local black pudding and farm bacon in a peppercorn sauce.)

The Square, Bakewell, DE45 1BT, England
01629-812193
Known For
  • Breakfast sandwiches
  • Afternoon teas ("All Things Bakewell" includes both pudding and tart)
  • On-site deli counter
Restaurant Details
No dinner

Something incorrect in this review?