CLASSIC and classy French Restaurant, 63 Degrees, on Church Street in Manchester is to relocate by mid-June.
These are very exciting times for us, we think the Market Restaurant site is just the right size for us."
The Confidential favourite (most recent review here) is to take over the venerable space of the Market Restaurant at the junction of High Street and Edge Street. The Market has struggled in recent years as its food reputation dipped. Ill-fated promotions such as one involving the awful Dr Oetker pizzas did nothing to lift its image.
63 Degrees and the talented and driven Moreau family will turn this around instantly. These are seasoned and talented operators who have also branched out into Didsbury with the well-regarded Bisous Bisous patisserie.
As Alex Moreau said: "The new site will let us do so much more. We will have 34 covers downstairs and 30 more upstairs, so we are doubling in size inside the building from what we have today. But we will also have another 20 covers on the terrace on High Street. There's a big basement so I can create a wine cellar here for a special collection of wines and champagnes. We will have the space to run proper wine-matching meals, tastings and so much more."
The a la carte menu, created by Eric Moreau, Alex's father and chef, will keep with its formula of eight starters, eight mains plus a selection of desserts and cheeses. Alongside this there will be a simpler lunch menu available, including snacking dishes, which Moreau reckons will suit the terrace trade in the summer. The winelist will also feature less expensive wines to encourage an easy-going terrace atmosphere.
Eric Moreau
"We'll be completely changing the decor of The Market too," says Moreau, "freshening the place up, making it suitable for a modern restaurant, but retaining the charm. These are very exciting times for us, we think the Market Restaurant site is just the right size for us."
Confidential agrees. This early nineteenth century building should match the carefully crafted food of Eric Moreau perfectly in mood and atmosphere. 2015, already an outstanding year for food in Manchester, just got better.
The name of the new restaurant will be transferred from Church Street, so The Market Restaurant will become 63 Degrees.
63 Degrees now
