Armenian Taverna & Restaurant

At the Albert Square end of Princess Street, before it descends into drunken, school-leaver silliness by the Village, is a restaurant that is old enough to be the dad of those A-level celebrating teens. Established in 1968, Armenian Taverna is one of Manchester’s oldest restaurants. This tiny spot in the centre of town is unassuming-looking, but the menu is anything but. Bringing the meaty, flavoursome dishes that define Armenian cooking to Mancunians for nearly fifty years.

Mancunians (and Brummies, Geordies, Scousers and everyone else for that matter) will tell you that the British media is London-centric to a fault. The northern dining scene is overlooked in favour of the (more readily accessible) restaurants on the national press’ doorstep. Consider for a moment then that Albert Square’s Armenian Taverna has featured in that most North-London metropolitan elite of all North-London metropolitan elite broadsheets, The Guardian. Yes, Princess Street’s own Armenian Taverna managed to lure The Guardian’s food critic up north and was rewarded with effusive praise. But if knitted cottage cheese fans are not enough to impress, the food here certainly will.

The food at Armenian Taverna is enough to convert the neighsayers, put off by the Princess Street’s restaurant’s retro interior. Once diners have found Armenian Taverna (something that can be tricky even for native Mancs) they are treated to a menu of meaty delights and vegetarian delectables. The food is hearty, filling and above all else tasty – this is not a restaurant that fits easily with modern Manchester’s stark minimalism, and that might well be its biggest charm. The food comes first here, and for diners around Albert Square, they can rest assured that after nearly 50 years in the business the team at Armenian Taverna know exactly what they’re doing.