The Riverside Restaurant

You're walking into the kind of place that doesn't need to shout about itself. The Riverside sits right on Water Street in Castlefield, where the Irwell actually looks worth looking at, and the floor-to-ceiling windows mean you're getting those views without paying extra for them. It's the restaurant arm of the Marriott, so expect competent service and the sort of menu that won't surprise you but won't disappoint either—proper British fare done without any faffing about. Works brilliantly if you've got a client meeting or want to mark something without the noise and mayhem of Spinningfields round the corner.