Coronation Street star's restaurant named among UK's top 10 dining spots

Coronation Street actress Jennie McAlpine's restaurant is one of the UK's casual restaurants, according to Tripadvisor.

The company has revealed its Traveller's Choice Awards Best of the Best Restaurants list for 2024, which celebrates reviewers' top dining choices across various categories, including best casual dining spot and best quick bite venue.

The awards pinpoint the finest places globally for each category, along with individual lists for each country. This year's awards also introduced new categories for the best pet-friendly restaurant and the most sustainable.

Makars Gourmet Mash Bar in Edinburgh topped the Casual Dining UK category, but Annie's in Manchester secured a place in the top ten.

Situated on Old Bank Street in the city centre, the gastropub and bar, which clinched eighth place, is jointly owned by Jennie McAlpine, known for her role as Fiz Brown in Coronation Street since 2001, and her partner Chris Farr.

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The establishment, which ranks sixth on Tripadvisor for restaurants in Manchester, first opened its doors in 2012, reports the Manchester Evening News. It offers a variety of dishes, including steaks, burgers, pies, salads, and fish. In what could be a nod to the ITV soap, Annies also serves a traditional hot pot featuring lamb and crispy potatoes.

Annies has scooped up the People's Choice award for best tea room at the Manchester Tourism Awards, thanks to its scrumptious Afternoon Teas that come with a twist you can enjoy them with hot drinks, Prosecco, or champagne, and they even cater to gluten-free and vegan diets.

Meanwhile, the Quick Bites category, which celebrates the best of takeaways and on-the-go eateries, saw Frankies At The Beach and Rye Rugby Club in Camber, East Sussex, leading the pack.

Not far behind in fourth place was Manchester's own Sausage Shack on John Dalton Street, where sausage delights reign supreme, offering everything from hot dogs to loaded fries, alongside a tasty selection of burgers, salads, and sides.

The Sausage Shack, a brainchild of famed Michelin-starred chef Peter Gordon, opened its doors at the end of 2022 with a mission to deliver a 'definitive sausage dining experience' in Manchester, featuring top-notch Halal beef and chicken sausages.

Operations Director Mohammad Waseem explained to the Manchester Evening News last year: "When you come into the city centre, you won't find places that serve halal sausages so our concept is totally halal and we don't serve any alcohol," adding, "Plus whenever you speak to people about sausages, most people will think of hotdogs but as you can see, our menu builds on this and is a lot more varied, with dishes that can be prepared to include sausages."

Purezza, a popular vegan pizzeria on High Street in the Northern Quarter, has bagged a spot in the top ten of the Vegan Vegetarian category, securing a respectable seventh place.

The eatery is celebrated for its organic wholegrain flour sourdough pizzas with tempting options like the barbecue Bourbon and their Parmigiana Party Pizza that took home the National Pizza of the Year award. They've also got non-dairy lovers covered with cheese-free options and cater to gluten-free and coeliac guests with special bases.

After dropping by Purezza, an impressed diner remarked: "Exceptional quality Neapolitan style pizzas. We stumbled across this pizzeria by chance and thought we'd give it a go. We were not disappointed and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Service was nice, the layout and decor of the restaurant is lovely."

For pizza aficionados or those curious, the full Traveller's Choice Awards Best of the Best Restaurants 2024 rankings are available for viewing here.