Basement has a nice bookshop and a very convenient set of computers with internet access. The food is delicious and inexpensive since the restaurant is volunteer run.

24 Lever Street, Northern Quarter (M1 1DZ) (at Piccadilly Gardens & Piccadilly station)
Tel: 0161 237 1832

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Great for those who always want what everyone else has orderd, this Italian 'tapas' restaurant offers a tasty selection of small bites. Plates are priced around the £2/£3 mark, so you can easily get carried away. Best to go in a large group to make the most of the spicy meatballs, calamari and miniature pasta dishes.

115 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2NW
0161 831 9930

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As an Aussie who lived in Manchester for 5 years, the only answer to the prepackaged lunch ordeal had to be, Shlurp!

Tucked away on Brazennose Street, opposite the town hall, Shlurp offers wonderful homemade soups, tasty salads and wonderful wraps - all made on the premises daily. It also serves the best coffee in Manchester - coming from a Melbourne-born coffee snob, that title is not lightly bestowed!

Lucy, who owns and runs Shlurp is passionate about food and people - what a combination!

The food is affordable and fresh, give Shlurp a go and say hi to Lucy from Claudine!

Unit 2, Brazennose House
East Brazennose Street
Manchester, M2 5BP
www.shlurp.co.uk

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Re-vamped greasy spoon located just off Oldham Street. The food is really good and (especially the soup) reasonably priced, not sure it will stay as cheap forever. Choice is pretty simplistic - one main and one vegetarian main per day, with soup and paninis to choose from, but it's decent fare. Just re-opened and there is a bit of a buzz about the place, with the old regulars sitting side by side with the new lot (and getting hacked off that it's now a no smoking gaff). Can't miss it now either as that Doodlebug crowd have covered the windows in graffiti. I think they were asked to, mind.....

21 Hilton Street
Manchester
M1 1JJ
Tel: 0161 228 1484

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Kabana is a simple curry house very clean situated near the Northern Quarter. It is only open Monday-Friday from 12pm till 5pm but serves some amazing cheap food mainly for nearby workers and it's always full of Asian people which is the best sign of good authentic food. The Channa Dhall was wonderful, you get free jugs of water and you can't spend more than £6 a head. I believe their tandoori chicken and shish kebab are very tasty as there were many people eating these (can't comment because I'm vegetarian!) - also their chapatis are huge and made freshly all the time, yoghurt suce wonderful - this is a great bargain and superb value, the staff are friendly. I've tried a few places around this area of Manchester but for me its the best because they just focus on the food which is what counts.
Goat:)

Kabana
Back Turner Street, Manchester M4 1FP

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The best no frills curry cafe in the city centre. Rice, 3 vegetable curies and naan for under £4. The food is always freshly cooked and delicious. Follow it with a drink at the Odd Bar or Bay Horse further along the street.

Thomas Street, city centre

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Great healthy cafe in the Northern Quarter - lovely decor and good quality wholesome vegetarian wholefood served by friendly gentle people. Good value - two people can eat for under £15. I think it's closed Mondays.

Manchester Buddhist Centre
16-20 Turner Street
Manchester M4 1DZ
United Kingdom
t 0161 834 9232
f 0870 134 7356
www.manchesterbuddhistcentre.org.uk

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Large and airy, this hostel is in an old textile warehouse. It is in a great location for exploring the city centre by day and the Northern Quarter bars by night. Some of these drinking holes are quite difficult to spot, so sign up for the bar crawl, if you don't mind Australians.

50 Newton St, The Northern Quarter, Manchester; tel: 0800 083 3848 (free in the UK);
www.hattersgroup.com

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A recently opened, value for money, daytime haunt for office workers. As you would expect they specialise in tasty, made-on-the-premises soups such as tomato and basil, cream of cauliflower, carrot and coriander and minestrone, starting at £1.95. They also do a fine line in doorstop sandwiches using lovely seeded breads- including carrot and hummus, ham and salad and tuna- from £2.50.

There’s a weekly, daily changing menu of hot main courses (for both carnivores and vegetarians).
All this can be washed down with fruit juices, canned drinks, coffee (soya milk available) or tea (including fruit teas). Delicious home-made puddings like chocolate fudge cake and carrot cake for those who can find the space.

Punters sit at cafeteria-style tables and benches as well as barstool seating with a view out of the windows- or if you prefer they do everything to take away.

Owned by the same folks that have the wonderful Bay Horse pub just down the road on Thomas Street.

31-33 Spear Street (off Stevenson Square), Northern Quarter, M1 1DF; tel:0161 236 5100; www.soup-kitchen.co.uk

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The Al Faisal Tandoori is one of the best places for a no frills Indian meal in Manchester. It's a tiny and basic place with fixed Formica topped tables and bright green chairs, each table adorned with a plastic jug of water. There's a menu handwritten on a white board, not a huge choice, but everything there is freshly cooked and delicious.

I would say that the Chicken Tikka is one of my favourite dishes at any restaurant anywhere (and I’ve been to a few), it’s nicely charcoaled on the outside, and tender and softly chickeny on the inside and served with a wedge of lemon, salad, rice and chickpeas. It’s about the best inter-shopping lunch you could hope to have.

I must also add that it’s as cheap as chapattis, we’re greedy and struggle to spend more than £15 for two. Also brilliant lamb curry, lamb tikka, soft and slightly brioche like naans and great daily specials. Don't be put off by the outside.

58 Thomas Street, Manchester, Lancashire M4 1EG; tel:
0161 834 3266

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Lovely restaurant right in the centre of town, perfect for mid-shopping dinner, a first date (especially downstairs) or going out pre-club.

Fab decor and fantastically friendly staff, the service is fast and the food is great (the garlic bread with hummous is lush) and good value for money.

Oh, and they also have a cheap cocktail menu

7 Chapel Walks, Manchester. M2 1HN

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Cheery floral pub close to the Museum of Science And Industry. Nine comfortable en-suite rooms from £44.95. A snip in the heart of the city.

71 Liverpool Road, Castlefield; Tel: 0161 839 7740; www.theox.co.uk/

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