Manchester has always prided itself on punching above its weight, like a welterweight battling a heavyweight, and few venues embody that swagger quite like 20 Stories, perched atop No.1 Spinningfields like an eagle surveying its domain. This is the city’s self-proclaimed highest restaurant offering panoramic views that stretch across the Pennines on a clear day and make even the most hardened urbanite pause for breath; at night, it’s like something out of Blade Runner, but the friendly staff are anything but replicants.
The setting is undeniably spectacular: a sleek, modern space with floor-to-ceiling windows, a buzzy rooftop terrace complete with greenery and fire pits, and an atmosphere that hums with the energy of a city that refuses to sleep. It is, in short, the sort of place where one feels properly elevated—both literally and figuratively.
I began, as one really ought, at the bar, after an unordered but welcome glass of fizz arrives to kick things off. The cocktail list is ambitious and inventive, and I opted for a Double Oak Old Fashioned, that sturdy classic given a touch of extra depth from the double-oaked bourbon. It arrived perfectly balanced: rich, smoky, with just enough bitterness to keep things serious. A fine start, and one that set expectations suitably high, before I took my place at my table, panoramic view in play.
The menu, Modern British with seasonal flourishes, is designed for sharing and indulgence. I kicked off with tuna sashimi, pristinely fresh and sliced with precision, dressed simply to let the fish sing. It was a delicate, almost Japanese interlude in an otherwise hearty lineup; clean, precise, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Mains brought more substantial pleasures. The sirloin steak was cooked impeccably rare, with a fine char and that deep, beefy flavour that only comes from good sourcing and careful handling. It was accompanied by mashed potato so luxuriously buttery and smooth that it verged on the obscene — proper comfort food elevated to fine-dining status. On the side, the winter tomato salad with goat’s curd offered a welcome counterpoint: bright, tangy, and surprisingly vibrant for the season, the creamy curd cutting through the richness like a well-timed intermission.
Wine followed, naturally. A crisp Sancerre proved an ideal companion to the starter, its flinty minerality cutting through the richness to come. Later, with the heartier fare, I moved to a robust St Emilion, full-bodied and plush, the sort of claret that makes one feel briefly civilised amid the urban sprawl below.
I finished on a high note with poached pineapple, Chantilly, coconut & passionfruit sorbet. The fruit was tender and fragrant, the Chantilly light yet decadent, and the sorbet brought a sharp, exotic zing that cleansed the palate beautifully. It was inventive without being pretentious — a fitting close to a meal that, on the plate at least, largely delivered.
The excellent maitre’d chose the Solero cocktail to pair with it — a tropical, passionfruit-led number that evoked sun-drenched holidays rather than wintry Manchester evenings. It was playful, refreshing, and dangerously drinkable; perhaps a little too frivolous for the occasion, but no less enjoyable for that.
I left happy and replete. In the end, 20 Stories is very much a destination: for celebrations, for dates with panoramic ambition, for showing off the city to out-of-towners. It may not quite reach the culinary heights of the very best independent spots in the Northern Quarter, but it offers something different — a sense of occasion, of being above it all.
And on a crisp January evening, with a Double Oak Old Fashioned in hand and the lights of Manchester twinkling far below, that feels more than sufficient. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to be elevated in all senses.
20 Stories, No. 1 Spinningfields, 1 Hardman St, Manchester M3 3AQ. For more information, including details of occasion menus and offers, and for bookings, please visit www.20stories.co.uk.
