Skof crowned Manchester's restaurant of the year in NOMA

When Tom Barnes opened Skof on Federation Street in the NOMA district, expectations were high. Before coming to Manchester he was executive chef at Simon Rogan's L'Enclume in Cartmel, and he was in that kitchen when it won its third Michelin star in 2022.

Skof has more than lived up to the anticipation. In February 2025, less than a year after opening, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star at the guide's ceremony in Glasgow. It was only the second star to arrive in Manchester, joining Simon Martin's Mana in Ancoats.

The recognition did not stop there. Skof was named Best New Restaurant at the Good Food Guide awards, and at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards it took Newcomer of the Year while Barnes collected Chef of the Year. It also entered SquareMeal's 2025 Top 100 at number eight, the highest new entry on the list.

In January 2026 the city's food community gave Skof its biggest local honour yet. At the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards, held at New Century, it was named Restaurant of the Year, chosen from a field of 130 nominees across 18 categories.

NOMA has celebrated the restaurant as one of its own, profiling Barnes in its People of NOMA series and noting how quickly the restaurant put the neighbourhood on the fine dining map. The setting, among the regenerated streets around Federation Street, gives Skof a calm, grown-up address a short walk from Victoria station and the Northern Quarter.

The cooking centres on tasting menus that reflect the precision Barnes honed in the Lake District, with longer menus at dinner and a shorter option at lunch. Demand has been so strong that reservations have been fully booked months ahead.

For Manchester, Skof's rise is part of a wider story. The city now counts two Michelin-starred restaurants, and Skof's success has helped draw national attention to a dining scene that was long overlooked by the guides.

Tables are in high demand and are released well in advance, so anyone hoping to visit is best advised to check availability early and keep an eye on the restaurant's booking page for new dates.