Hidden warehouse restaurant honoured as one of the best in the UK

Manifest, a fine dining venue tucked way in the Baltic Triangle, has been included in SquareMeal’s UK Top 100 restaurants list. Manifest was opened by chef patron Paul Durand and his wife and business partner Charlotte Jones in 2022.

SquareMeal’s UK Top 100 list is the only of its kind to exclude London’s restaurants - allowing the wider UK’s dining scene to shine. Using a combination of thousands of reader votes and SquareMeal’s own expert critics, the UK Top 100 Restaurants list is a true reflection of Britain’s varied dining scene.

To appear in the list, each restaurant has to provide guests with an exceptional all-around experience, from gorgeous interiors, and impeccable drinks lists, to exemplary service and sustainability commitments. Manifest is tucked away in a warehouse on Watkinson Street. The restaurant offers an international menu inspired by chef Paul's travels across Europe in cites such as Bologna, Italy, and Bordeaux, France.

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Manifest offers a relaxing atmosphere designed so that guests can have a conversation with every member of the team during the meal. As well as the dining room, you can enjoy eating at the chefs’ counter, where the kitchen team will serve you the menu.

Since its launch, Manifest has received national praised including an inclusion in the Michelin guide within four months. The hidden gem is also the only Liverpool site to make the National Restaurant Awards Top 100 twice.

Paul Duran, chef patron of Manifest, is thrilled to once again be included in SquareMeal's Top 100 restaurants list.. He said: "We are absolutely buzzing to be featured for the third year in a row! As a team we all work so hard to help put Liverpool on the culinary map of the UK, and accolades like this really make all the difference."

Charlotte Jones, co-owner and general manager, said: "Honestly, it’s such a thrill to be included in this reader voted list once again. The fact that our diners are the ones voting for us let’s us know we are doing something right, and we will strive to continue to get better and better with the support of our Liverpool regulars."

The long-term vision is to create a legacy for Manifest, and for the restaurant and bar to thrive for many years to come. Paul added: "We believe that quality is timeless if you’re doing things thoroughly. Hospitality has been going for hundreds of years, and if you avoid shortcuts, operate properly, keeping up with modern techniques but maintaining good flavours and personality in your food, you can be here for the long haul. We want to get better every day.

"We’re a family business, we have no backers and we’re getting to where we planned on being, pushing forward to be relevant yet staying different to what else is in the city whilst keeping pace with the best food across the region. We want to put Liverpool on the food map.

"Most importantly, we don’t want ambitious young chefs to have to leave Liverpool to learn to cook well. Training talented young chefs must be part of our legacy too.”