Manchester's best French fries

Whether you prefer them thin and crispy, or chunky and triple-cooked, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t love these salty spuds. Deep fried to perfection, they can come in the sweet potato variety, fully loaded or swimming in cheese and gravy, poutine-style. But are French fries really from France? The origin of this universal savoury snack is often a point of contention – some say they were invented in Belgium and adopted by soldiers during World War I, others say they were first sold by vendors on the streets of Paris. Regardless, the French fry has certainly made a home for itself in Manchester, with countless restaurants, bars and burger joints serving their own takes on the tasty taters.

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Named after the original title of the area now known as Ancoats, Elnecot is a neighbourhood eatery serving up seasonal British grub with a focus on traditional cooking methods such as foraging and fermenting. The menu has recently been updated for summer, featuring dishes influenced by southeast Asian flavours. Alongside the likes of slow-cooked lamb ribs and roasted pollock, Elnecot serves what it’s affectionately named ‘Spicy, Tingly Fries.’ As well as these French fries, there’s the option of Tripe Cooked Koffmann Skin-on-Chips, which are thick, crispy and paired with a tangy mushroom ketchup. If that wasn’t enough potatoes for your plate, there’s also loaded Koffmann Roasties, which come piled high with salsa, chipotle jam, melted cheese and nduja.

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Situated beside the iconic Manchester Hall on Bridge Street, Honest Burgers has a reputation for some of the juiciest burgers around, using 100 per cent British beef direct from its own butchery. However, the venue is also famous for its fries, which come with every item of the menu. Fried in a fragrant rosemary salt for that epic crunch, these fries are even more decadent when dunked in Honest Burger’s signature beef and bacon gravy. You can also pair them with a refreshing pint of Burger Beer – an exclusive crisp lager brewed just 15 miles from the farm that grows their potatoes. 

While Albert’s Schloss may be most famous for its live entertainment and raucous parties, the Bavarian bar also features a Cook Haus restaurant. Inspired by indulgent Alpine cuisine, the impressive menu includes traditional dishes such as schweinshaxe and schnitzel, alongside kebabs and bratwursts. The fries here are the stuff of legend – the ideal accompaniment to steak frites and fish frites, which take inspiration from the brasseries of Europe. They also come as a standalone dish, smothered in truffle and parmesan, and perfectly matched to the decadent atmosphere of Manchester’s party palace.

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This venue is currently not accepting online reservations through Dish Cult. 

Located on the vibrant strip of bars on Thomas Street, Cane & Grain is a popular rib joint and tap room, with interiors inspired by the venue’s previous life as a skate shop. With a menu spanning all things beef and bourbon, it’s no surprise that the eatery serves some epic chips to pair with its iconic smoked meat trays. The classic French fries, seasoned in Tiki salt, come with a huge range of toppings – choose from the likes of slow-cooked chilli, juicy pulled beef or smoky pit beans. For fans of cheesy chips, we’d recommend the decadent truffle poutine, which comes slathered in cheese curds and homemade bourbon gravy.

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Who said fries must be made from potatoes? Street-food superpower Bundobust is responsible for creating the ‘ultimate beer snack’ with its signature okra fries. With its menu of bhajis, dahl and other vegetarian staples, the restaurant is hugely popular thanks to its winning combination of local craft beers and casual Indian dishes. No meal is complete without the okra fries – the vegetable is fried in crisp chickpea batter and dusted in black salt and tangy mango powder. It even comes with its own beer pairing – the hazy ‘Faith’ pale ale from nearby Northern Monk brewery.

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No guide to French fries in Manchester would be complete without Almost Famous getting an honorary mention. As the original pioneers of super messy beef burgers, these guys also excel when it comes to loaded fries. Served in New York diner-inspired plastic baskets, they come as a mix of skin-on and sweet potato fries as standard, topped with various wacky and wonderful toppings. The Phoenix fries are almost a meal in themselves, piled high with bacon rain, shoestring onions, frazzle dust and creamy ‘bacon bacon mayo.’ If that sounds like a carb fest too far, the loaded plates come in vegan variations or with waffle fries and tater tots.

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