Australasia

Australasia Manchester is a restaurant and bar you can bet the entire city has heard of. Its iconic glass prism entrance on The Avenue is right next to John Rylands Library and impossible to miss as you head down Deansgate. At this entrance, you descend down a staircase and into a stylish but laid back slice of modern Australian life thanks to a restaurant and separate bar that are both nail-bitingly stylish. In terms of food, the Australasia menus fuse Pacific Rim flavours with European cooking techniques as well as strong Southeast Asian influences. Reservations at this Spinningfields institution are essential, especially at weekends.

Australasia Manchester is where to head for the finest modern Australian cuisine in the city. For lunch as well as dinner, there are two ways of eating here: local and traditional. If your occasion is a quite a social one or there’s a big group of you, you may want to dine local. This means you choose several smaller dishes from the main menu, each of which is designed for sharing, then they will arrive in waves at the centre of your table. If your occasion is more intimate, however, then dine traditional, where starters can be served to the centre of the table if you like, but the main course is just for you.

The main evening menu at Australasia Manchester is one of the most popular in Manchester, featuring everything from oysters, sushi and sashimi to California rolls, tempura, steaks and indulgent mains like pork belly or confit duck. Everything is as beautiful to look at as well as to taste but, if you don’t feel like eating, the bar at Australasia Manchester is perfect for a few drinks too. It’s an intimate setup with an exceptional wine list and exclusive, expertly crafted cocktails, then if you get hungry there’s a bar snack menu as well. All of this, combined with in-house and guest DJs mean Australasia Manchester is not one to miss.