The Skinny Food & Drink Survey 2017 North winners

The results are in, and in mulling them over we’ve been busy picking out our favourite dishes at your favourite cafes, asking some of the winning breweries to pair their finest tipples with food, discovering the preferred Leeds hotspots of a certain excellent bottle shop and even gathering pizza-making tips from one of your favourite restaurants. But first, some broader observations. 

With some surprising winners in the Best Pub category, it's apparently open to debate what actually constitutes a pub these days – and, more importantly, what makes a good one. Does it need sticky, psychedelic carpet and a telly screening live sports on a loop, or can it have American-style ribs and cocktails? Or might it just be all about the nuts?

Meanwhile, it seems vegetarian and vegan food is finally having its moment, thanks to multiple votes for animal-friendly veggie/vegan gaffs at both ends of the spectrum – from a street food vendor all the way through to a fine-dining restaurant. 

And while there are plenty of old favourites still receiving the love, there are some seriously strong newcomers among this year's results, too – not least a slick, polished cafe that’s made us rethink our interminable love for Scandi culture. Turns out it's not all about hygge, thank fuck. [Jess Hardiman]

Best Pub or Bar

The Smithfield Tavern
37 Swan St, Manchester
blackjack-beers.com/smithfield
@TheSmithfieldNQ

The Castle Hotel
66 Oldham St, Manchester
thecastlehotel.info
@thecastlehotel

Cane & Grain 
49-51 Thomas St, Manchester
caneandgrain.co.uk
@CaneAndGrain

Kellys Dispensary
154-158 Smithdown Rd, Liverpool
@KellySmithdown

Ship & Mitre
133 Dale St, Liverpool 
theshipandmitre.com
@Theshipandmitre

Belgrave Music Hall
1-1a Cross Belgrave St, Leeds
belgravemusichall.com
@Belgrave_Leeds

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Best Breweries

Marble Brewery
The Marble Arch, 73 Rochdale Rd & 57 Thomas St, Manchester
marblebeers.com
@marblebrewers

Mad Hatter Brewing
Liverpool
madhatterbrewing.co.uk
@MadHatBrew

Northern Monk Brew Co
The Old Flax Store, Marshalls Mill, Leeds 
northernmonkbrewco.com
@NMBCo

Runaway Brewery
Millgate, Dantzic St, Manchester
therunawaybrewery.com
@RunawayBrewery

Blackjack Brewery
36 Gould St, Manchester
blackjack-beers.com
@Blackjackbeers

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Best Cafes

Federal Cafe & Bar
9 Nicholas Croft, Manchester
federalcafe.co.uk
@FederalCafeBar

Koffee Pot 
84-86 Oldham St, Manchester
thekoffeepot.co.uk
@thekoffeepot

Lovelocks
Old Haymarket, Liverpool
lovelocks.coffee
@LovelocksC

Bold Street Coffee 
89 Bold St, Liverpool
boldstreetcoffee.co.uk
@boldstcoffee

Naked Lunch 
431 Smithdown Rd, Liverpool
facebook.com/Naked-Lunch-Cafe
@NakedLunchCafe

Laynes Espresso 
16 New Station St, Leeds 
laynesespresso.co.uk
@LaynesEspresso

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Best Food & Drink Shops

Unicorn
89 Albany Rd, Manchester
unicorn-grocery.coop
@UnicornGrocery

Beermoth
70 Tib St, Manchester
beermoth.co.uk
@thebeermoth

Matta's
51 Bold St, Liverpool
mattas.co.uk
@MattasLiverpool

Lunya
18-20 College Ln, Liverpool 
lunya.co.uk
@Lunya

Purple Carrot
286 Smithdown Rd, Liverpool
facebook.com/purplecarrotliverpool
@PurpleCarrotLiv

Tall Boys Beer Market 
17 Thorntons Arcade, Leeds
tallboysbeermarket.com
@tallboysleeds

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Best Food On-the-Go

Blue Caribou Canteen
Manchester
bluecariboucanteen.com
@bccanteen

B.Eat Street 
Deansgate Mews, Great Northern Warehouse, Manchester
beatstreetmcr.co.uk
@beatstreetmcr

Pancho's Burritos
Arndale Market, 49 High St, Manchester
panchosburritos.co.uk
@PANCHOSBURRITO

Evil Eye Beer & Burrito Shack
208 Smithdown Rd, Liverpool
facebook.com/evileyebar
@evileyeburritos

ItalFresh 
61 Jordan St, Liverpool
italfreshhq.com
@ItalFresh

Bundobust
6 Mill Hill, Leeds
bundobust.com
@Bundobust

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Best Newcomers

The Allotment 
6 Vernon St, Stockport
theallotment.info
@allotmentvegan

B.Eat Street 
Deansgate Mews, Great Northern Warehouse, Manchester
beatstreetmcr.co.uk
@beatstreetmcr

Blue Caribou Canteen
Manchester
bluecariboucanteen.com
@bccanteen 

Lovelocks 
Old Haymarket, Liverpool
lovelocks.coffee
@LovelocksC

Naked Lunch
431 Smithdown Rd, Liverpool
facebook.com/Naked-Lunch-Cafe
@NakedLunchCafe

Stories 
454 Roundhay Rd, Leeds
storiescafe.co.uk
@StoriesinLeeds

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Best Restaurants

The Allotment 
6 Vernon St, Stockport
theallotment.info
@allotmentvegan

Rudy's Pizza 
9 Cotton St, Manchester
rudyspizza.co.uk
@RudysPizzaMcr

NoLita Cantina 
81a Bold St, Liverpool
nolitacantina.com
@NolitaCantina

Maray
91 Bold St, Liverpool
maray.co.uk
@MarayLiverpool

Mowgli
69 Bold St, Liverpool
mowglistreetfood.com
@mowglistfood

Ox Club 
19a The Headrow, Leeds
oxclub.co.uk
@OxClubLeeds