Chef Tom Barnes has impressive credentials having spent much of his career working in Michelin-starred restaurants – including the Lake District’s L'Enclume and Copenhagen’s Geranium. In May 2024, he opened his first solo restaurant, Skof, serving 12- and 15-course evening tasting menus and a four-course lunch menu. Despite the exceptional quality of the food, there’s no stuffiness in the service or setting.

When somewhere was tipped to be Manchester's next Michelin star (and then achieved it in February 2025) before it even even officially opened, you know it's a hot topic. Skof is the highly-anticipated fine dining restaurant and first solo venture from chef Tom Barnes, a name known for being head chef at Rogan & Co when it received a Michelin star and executive chef at Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume when it earned its third. He's taken over the Hanover Building in NOMA, bringing a new lease of life to the Grade II-listed space with a more relaxed take on tasting menus - all designed to focus on local, seasonal ingredients.

Arguably one of the most eagerly awaited restaurant openings of 2024, Skof, has very much lived up to the hype. Located in the middle of the NOMA district in Manchester city centre, the restaurant is helmed by top chef Tom Barnes and showcases unpretentious yet ambitious dining from start to finish. This is one to save for a treat or celebration, with tastings menus including the £50 lunch option spanning four courses, to the 12-course option priced at £120 and the slightly longer 15-course taster for £165.

Skof, the 2024 brainchild of Tom Barnes under the mentorship of Simon Rogan, was awarded one Michelin star in 2025. Stockport’s Where the Light Gets In, which has an ever-evolving tasting menu sourced from its community garden and local farmers and fishermen, has a green Michelin star. If you're planning for a special occasion or just for a weekend break to Manchester, then make sure to book well in advance – bookings open at midday on the first of every month for four months in advance.

When a restaurant is tipped to be Manchester’s next Michelin star (michelin manchester restaurants) before it’s even opened, you know it’s a hot topic. Skof is the highly anticipated fine dining venture from chef Tom Barnes, known for his stellar work at Rogan & Co and Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume. Taking over the Hanover Building in NOMA, this Grade II-listed space is getting a new lease of life with Barnes’ relaxed take on tasting menus, all centred around local and seasonal ingredients.

Located within a handsome phalanx of Victorian-era buildings, Tom Barnes’ debut restaurant is a suitably class act. A former exec chef at Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume, Tom deftly deploys exceptional produce (some from Rogan’s Cartmel Valley farm) across tasting menu dishes of, say, Orkney scallop, barbecued kohlrabi, apple and watercress, or miso custard, mushrooms, truffle and dashi. This is precise, flavour-forward food served with a rare polished ease in a warm, comfortable dining room.

Breaking Mana’s Michelin monopoly, Skof has swiftly become Manchester’s second-ever restaurant to earn a star – achieving this milestone in less than a year. The mastermind behind it is Tom Barnes, formerly executive chef at the three-star L’Enclume, a Roux Scholar, and a Great British Menu finalist. Stepping out of Simon Rogan’s shadow, Barnes has launched his own venture in a converted textile warehouse in Manchester, offering his refined take on modern British cuisine.

Within a year of opening, Skof secured its first Michelin star – a testament to Head Chef Thom Barnes’ talent and vision – but this came as no surprise to anyone who has eaten there. Or worked with him in the past, during his time at Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume or any number of other noteworthy restaurants, for that matter. This place is impossibly chic, but not the sort of fine dining place you feel uncomfortable in if you don’t really do fine dining.

Set in the Noma neighbourhood in the city centre, Skof will be a 36-cover restaurant offering unfussy tasting menus that showcase the very best ingredients. London-based studio Blacksheep are taking care of the interiors, while Tom will continue to work with his trusted suppliers in the Lake District. Details are under wraps, but we’re expecting great things.

Headed up by Tom Barnes, Skof presents a fresh new dining experience. Seasonal tasting menus are served here, prepared with local ingredients. This place is free from pretensions and aims to remove the seriousness often associated with fine dining, instead offering a relaxed experience that's full of surprises.

Skof is the first restaurant from chef Tom Barnes who, as head chef at Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume, helped it win its third Michelin star. In February 2025, he secured a Michelin star for Skof, with the judges praising its ‘clearly thought-through’ dishes and ‘delicate seasoning’.

The list also includes recent additions to the city, like Sexy Fish, Tender, Fenix, Maya and Flat Iron, as well as favourites like Dishoom, in Spinningfields, the city centre’s SKOF, Japanese restaurant and bar Kaji, and Ancoats’ The Edinburgh Castle.

Skof also features among the Best New Restaurant nominations, while Peter Street Kitchen is included across several categories; Best Luxury Restaurant, Best Culinary Experience, Best Hospitality Team and the overall Restaurant of the Year.

Skof is the newest venture of Tom Barnes, former executive chef of L’Enclume and Rogan & Co, showcasing seasonal dishes and local ingredients in t ...