Liverpool & Manchester's best takeaways

If anything has changed the way we’re eating, it's the street food movement, born off the back of farmers markets and a growing demand for the local and the independent. Some of the Northwest’s best dishes come from a van rather than a dining table these days.

Your appetite for mobile snacking was evident across this year's survey, but was naturally skewed towards your choices for best takeaways. There are still plenty of bricks-and-mortar spots serving up tasty, convenient bites, though. Evil Eye and its packed-to-the-rafters burritos got another mention here, as did Manchester breakfast institution Katsouris. A sizeable amount of people also opted for Greggs, but let's move swiftly on, shall we?

NoLita Cantina, Liverpool

This Liverpool indie is a modern take on the Manhattan bistro. With a full bar and long, banquet-style tables, it’s strictly more restaurant than convenience stop, but many of its dishes can be wrapped up to go. Chefs Grace Makin and Jen Roberts felt that, while the city had its fair share of American food, the more traditional, homemade elements you'd find in old-school delis were missing. Jewish and Italian cuisine serves as a major inspiration, and you’ll find all the usual suspects – Reuben, brisket, corn dogs – as well as some lesser-known favourites like mollettes, latkes and frickles here.

Northern Soul Grilled Cheese, Manchester

Who knew that you could build an entire street food brand on the power of the cheese toastie? To be fair, what the team at Northern Soul are rustling up goes way beyond the weird toastie-bag jobs you made at university; this is legit ‘grilled cheese’ territory. They do the rounds at festivals, markets and fairs, but a permanent site on Manchester's Church Street (all chipboard walls and reclaimed metal) means you can just as easily sit inside and enjoy a Brooklyn with your bite as take it away. Revellers can choose from a selection of cheeses; add meats, sauces and even pasta for a twisted take on mac‘n’cheese. Food for the soul, indeed.

Viet Shack, Manchester

Despite being a bonafide Manchester institution, for many, the Arndale Food Market remains a bit of an undiscovered gem. Luckily, enough of you knew about Viet Shack to include it in this year’s list. Though nestled in a permanent spot on the Market’s front row, it’s also a regular at local food markets and festivals, and won the ‘best cheap eats’ catagory at Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards 2014. Billed simply as ‘Vietnamese street food,’ the menu includes a lineup of healthy, traditional dishes like summer rolls and lemongrass chicken, plus the chips are some of the best in Manchester. Be quick: there's often a queue at lunch hour and dishes often sell out before the day’s out.