'Not bad for a little bistro': Greater Manchester restaurant named one of the best in the UK

A Greater Manchester restaurant has shared it's excitement after being named one of the top five 'must-visit' restaurants in the UK. Stretford Canteen on Chester Road was recommended as one of the top French restaurants to try by The Telegraph.

The restaurant, which describes itself as a 'French-inspired, family run bistro' began life as a pop-up concept touring around south Manchester before landing a permanent space within Stretford Mall. It is namechecked alongside four other popular eateries in locations spanning Oxford, Folkestone, Edinburgh and Gosforth.

The Telegraph article also discusses how French cuisine has come back into fashion, describing it's current popularity as a 'Golden Age' before reflecting on the history of French cuisine. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News about the nod, co-owner Dean, who runs the eatery alongside his wife Josephine, said they were taken aback at making it into the guide.

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"We were quite surprised to be one of the best restaurants in the UK for French food, but not because we don't think we're not good," explains Dean. "When you read the article it's all about how French food is back in fashion and when we started Stretford Canteen, maybe five or six years ago, it certainly wasn't and it wasn't really our aim to be part of a fashion - really for us, French food is timeless.

"When we originally started it was because of my wife Jo's heritage, and a link to the restaurant where she grew up. After many years of saying she wouldn't, we decided we