Asmara Bella Restaurant
Piccadilly, Manchester
Restaurant in Manchester, United Kingdom
Book with PearlThe Read
Dress
Casual
Why go
Asmara Bella Restaurant is a low-key Northern Quarter spot on Port Street with flexible hours (open until 11 PM nightly, weekend lunches from 1 PM) and easy walk-in availability. Sparse public menu and pricing detail mean you should call ahead to confirm the offer, but if you're anchoring a day in the neighborhood and want a relaxed booking scene, it's a practical fallback with good access from Piccadilly station.
About Asmara Bella Restaurant
Asmara Bella Restaurant is a Manchester dining option with evening hours every day and earlier openings from Friday through Sunday. For planning, it is in Manchester, the dress code is casual, the listed hours are 5–11 PM Monday to Thursday and 1–11 PM Friday to Sunday.
Why It Matters in Manchester
Asmara Bella Restaurant may suit diners who want a casual Manchester restaurant with late opening across the week. The schedule is straightforward: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 5–11 PM, then Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 1–11 PM. For menu format, prices, booking policy, service style, or dietary accommodation, check directly before making firm plans.
What to Expect and When to Go
The key planning detail is the opening pattern. If you need an earlier start, Friday through Sunday provide the broadest window because Asmara Bella Restaurant opens from 1 PM. Monday through Thursday are evening-only, from 5–11 PM. The dress code is casual, so there is no need to plan around formal attire.
If you are comparing options, you can also browse other Manchester restaurants. For another Manchester choice, Rudy's Pizza Napoletana is a separate option to consider. For menu, price, booking, or service format, check directly with Asmara Bella Restaurant before you go.
Planning details
- Location
- 37 Port St, Manchester M1 2EQ, United Kingdom
- Website
- asmarabella.co.uk
- Phone
- +441614606773
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Asmara Bella sits quietly on Port Street as a neighbourhood-driven African restaurant that favors personality over polish. The small, owner-operated room signals an approachable, relaxed experience that resists the more formal, high-concept kitchens elsewhere in the city. Its placement between the Northern Quarter core and the newer Ancoats developments gives it a local, independent identity: familiar to regulars, pleasantly unassuming to visitors. Evenings tend to be the liveliest time, when the proximity to nearby bars brings a steady neighborhood crowd, but the overall feel remains low-key and welcoming rather than theatrical.
Best For
This is a restaurant that works well for informal evening plans: casual dates, groups of friends and families seeking straightforward, flavorful African cooking, and locals looking for a reliably independent option in the Northern Quarter. It's a go-to when you want something unfussy and authentic rather than a staged fine-dining outing. Because it occupies a transitional stretch of Port Street, it's also convenient for people coming from Piccadilly Gardens or the surrounding bar scene who want dinner before or after a night out.
Ordering Tips
The menu highlights staple dishes of the region; look for Injera and signature plates such as Zighni, Lamb Shekla Tibsi, Mosob, Bebe Ai Netu and Shiro. These dishes showcase different proteins and stews and are ideal if you want a representative sample of the kitchen's strengths. Visit in the evening when the restaurant is busiest—that’s when the atmosphere best reflects its neighbourhood character and the kitchen’s staples are most reliably available.
Venue details
Ambiance
Warm and homely with dark woods, tiled floors, and walls decorated with Eritrean art featuring cultural portraits and landscapes; relaxed café-like setting with a snug bar.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
Sourcing
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Casual
- Noise Level
- Conversational
- Service Style
- Upscale Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Leisurely
- Capacity
- Small
Signature Dishes
- Injera
- Zighni
- Lamb Shekla Tibsi
- Mosob
- Bebe Ai Netu
- Shiro
Planning details
Location
Also consider
Also Consider
- Sampa, Notable alternative
- Rudy's Pizza Napoletana, Notable alternative
- Bundobust Manchester Piccadilly, Notable alternative
- Bangkok Diners Club, Notable alternative
- Cona Restaurant, Notable alternative
Restaurant context
Asmara Bella sits in Manchester's accessible, low-booking-pressure tier, closer in ease to Cona Restaurant than the queue-heavy Rudy's Pizza Napoletana or walk-in scramble at Bundobust Manchester Piccadilly. If you value spontaneity and flexible timing over a vetted menu, this Port Street venue delivers the former; if you need transparent pricing and a known format before you commit, Sampa or Bangkok Diners Club give you clearer signposts and stronger reputations for value.
For explorers willing to gamble on a neighborhood anchor without extensive online detail, Asmara Bella rewards patience with late hours (11 PM close nightly) and weekend lunch service, scheduling windows that many Northern Quarter independents don't offer. If you're coordinating a spontaneous dinner after 9 PM or need a mid-afternoon Saturday table, this venue gives you options that Bundobust and Rudy's don't. The trade-off is operational opacity: without published pricing or menu specifics, you're walking in with less certainty than you'd have at the other four, all of which maintain stronger web presences and clearer value signals.
Choose Asmara Bella for last-minute availability and Northern Quarter convenience; choose Sampa, Bangkok Diners Club, or Cona for a more documented experience with known price-to-quality ratios. Choose Rudy's or Bundobust if you're willing to queue for a vetted crowd favorite. For first-time Manchester diners, start with the latter three and save this Port Street option for a repeat visit when you want a low-key fallback in the neighborhood.
Explore Manchester
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Asmara Bella Restaurant guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Asmara Bella Restaurant
| Venue | Location | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| Asmara Bella Restaurant | Manchester | No published awards |
| Sampa | Manchester | No published awards |
| Rudy's Pizza Napoletana | Manchester | 2025 50 Top World Artisan Pizza Chains · #42 |
| Bundobust Manchester Piccadilly | Manchester | No published awards |
| Bangkok Diners Club | Manchester | No published awards |
| Cona Restaurant | Manchester | No published awards |
How Asmara Bella Restaurant Manchester compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Asmara Bella Restaurant good for a special occasion?
Asmara Bella Restaurant is in Manchester, has a casual dress code, opens 5–11 PM Monday to Thursday and 1–11 PM Friday to Sunday. For a special occasion, check menu, service style, booking details directly with the restaurant before planning.
Can Asmara Bella Restaurant accommodate groups?
If you are visiting with a group, contact Asmara Bella Restaurant directly to confirm whether it can accommodate your party.
What are alternatives to Asmara Bella Restaurant in Manchester?
Other Manchester options include Bangkok Diners Club, Bundobust Manchester Piccadilly, Cona Restaurant, Rudy's Pizza Napoletana, Sampa. You can also compare Asmara Bella Restaurant with other dining in Manchester more generally.
What should a first-timer know about Asmara Bella Restaurant?
First-timers should note the basics: Asmara Bella Restaurant is in Manchester, the dress code is casual, the hours are 5–11 PM Monday to Thursday and 1–11 PM Friday to Sunday. For menu, price, booking, service details, check directly with the restaurant.
Is lunch or dinner better at Asmara Bella Restaurant?
Asmara Bella Restaurant opens earlier from 1 PM on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, opens for the evening from 5 PM Monday through Thursday.
How far ahead should I book Asmara Bella Restaurant?
Contact Asmara Bella Restaurant directly if you want to confirm availability before visiting during its listed hours.
