From grills and gyoza to gyros, here's what we've spotted in the Manchester Food and Drink scene this month...
NEW FACES
Public, Stevenson Square
The group behind Evelyn’s Café on Tib Street will soon have your evenings covered as well, with the opening of their new Public bar in Stevenson Square today (19 July).
Setting up on what they describe as ‘the sunny side of Stevenson Square’, they’ll be offering beer, cocktails, burgers and dishes inspired by New York’s Chinatown.
Canteena Bar and Grill, Sale
Based in the unit of Stanley Square that was once home to Sale Food Hall, Canteena promises to keep the foodies of Sale satisfied.
Opened by the duo behind the likes of No.1 Canal Street and The Bridge Inn, this new bar and grill offers both a bar menu of small and large plates along with roasts and speciality grills on a Sunday.
There’s also weekend frivolities on offer, with live acoustic music on Fridays, blues, jazz and rat pack tunes on Sunday, and if you’re starting the weekend slightly earlier, cheese and wine nights on Thursday.
Alfred’s, The Rock, Bury
Describing themselves as ‘a tribute to modern British dining’, Alfred’s offers a multicultural menu reflecting all the best dishes the UK has come to enjoy, from mezze and Neapolitan pizza to tandoori grills and hearty favourites like chicken and waffles.
The Wayfarer, NQ
From the brains behind NQ favourite Another Heart to Feed comes this ‘neighbourhood boozer’ on the corner of Oldham Street and Swan Street.
Decked out in gorgeous green tiling, this sister pub to the nearby Freemount is a welcome addition to NQ nightlife.
West Beverley California, Altrincham
The latest new face in Altrincham arrives in the form of West Beverley California, a new restaurant, bar and café inspired by Beverley Hills.
A sister spot from California Coffee and Wine in the town centre, it has taken up a prime location next to Altrincham Market, making for a perfect weekend brunch destination.
King Pins, Trafford Centre
The newest addition to Trafford Pallazo, King Pins offers state of the art Ten Pin bowling along with pool, ping pong, curling and a batting cage. Add karaoke to the mix and you’ve got Saturday night sorted, whether it’s a work night out or for the family.
There’s plenty to keep you suitably fuelled up, with food from the likes of Ply, Little Bao Boy and Royal Treats on offer, as well as cocktails, shakes and slushies.
Half Dozen Other, Cheetham Hill
There’s sweet treats aplenty at Half a Dozen, the wholesale bakery which opens up as a pop up café every weekend on Cheetham Hill’s Red Bank from 8am to 2pm.
Take a peek at their Instagram following last weekend’s opening, and you’ll see it’s proving very popular (no pun intended).
Bunsik Korean Corn Dogs, Piccadilly Gardens
Following a boom in popularity at its London branches in Chinatown, Enbankment and Camden, the Korean Corn Dog restaurant has chosen Piccadilly as the spot for its first Northern outpost.
Offering the increasingly popular East Asian snack with a variety of colourful coverings, what better way to improve on that most devilishly delicious grub - the battered sausage.
CLOSURES
Bistro Marc at Winter's, Stockport
While Stockport’s Underbanks is by all accounts booming, sadly that hasn’t saved the fate of Bistro Marc at Winter's, the classic French bistro that served up delicious coq au vin, moules frites, and (this writer’s personal favourite), French onion soup.
Bistro Marc announced in June that “as hard as we have tried we just can’t continue our dream in the state of the current economic situation. Especially with the rising food prices & our energy bills being five times higher now than when we opened.”
Stock Market Grill, Stock Exchange Hotel
As Confidentials reported earlier this month, Stock Market Grill, the restaurant opened by cocktail maestros the Schofield Brothers in Gary Neville’s Stock Exchange Hotel, has closed after just four months of trading.
The restaurant, which we reviewed as having “food not living up to the service or the surroundings”, has decided to focus its food output on breakfast and room service for hotel visitors.
In a statement announcing its closure of full service, the restaurant said: “In the meantime, the focus will be on Sterling, the premium cocktail bar located in The Vault at the Stock Exchange Hotel. The team are continuing to develop the Sterling concept and it’s offering.”
Baity, Didsbury
While Didsbury’s Palestinian stalwart Baity has announced it is closing after five years of serving the suburb, it’s not all doom and gloom.
Its final dinner service will take place on 5 August, but there’s exciting news ahead according to a statement made on the restaurant’s Instagram page, which said: “After 5 long years of spending our evenings serving the good folks of Didsbury & S.Mcr, our final dinner service will take place on 5th August '23.
“We have something new and exciting to announce very soon, but for now come and enjoy your last Baity hurrah before we cease dinner service.”
Keep your eyes peeled…
NEW MENUS
New Century Hall, Bottomless Brunch
In this writer’s view one of the best locations for relaxed food and drink in the city centre, this secluded but buzzy spot has now added a bottomless brunch to the list of reasons to visit (Jimi Hendrix played there for god’s sake).
The historic venue is offering a bottomless brunch deal every Friday from 12-4pm, and every Saturday and Sunday from 10am-4pm, with antipasti and bruschetta from Wild by Ply, Indo-British breakfast from The Spice Yard, banh mi baguettes from Banh Vi and full english breakfasts from meat maestros Tallow.
£30pp gets you 90 minutes of free-flowing prosecco, house lager and a brunch dish of their choice. Whack on an extra fiver and you can also ply yourself with mimosas, bloody marys and breakfast martinis. Jimi would approve.
Suki Suki, summer menu
A new summer menu of East Asian stylings has arrived from Suki Suki on Deansgate.
From crunchy Asian salads and summer rolls to Singapore vermicelli and poke bowls, there’s plenty on offer along with a range of cocktails to get you through the long summer days.
Little Bao Boy, summer specials
Circle Square staple Little Bao Boy has announced its summer specials, with salad bowls and thai red curry noodle broths on offer for as little as £6.50. Available from the North Taproom off Oxford Road until 31 August, there’s plenty of time to dive into a bowl of something delicious.
Tatton Park’s Gardener’s Cottage, Summer light lunch menu
The Gardener’s Cottage is reopening on Friday (21 July) and with it offering a new summer light lunch menu and afternoon tea.
Offering open sandwiches, pasta dishes and its vegetarian tart of the day, there’s also a children’s platter to keep the little ones happy.
YES, new food offering ‘We can be Gyros’
Ignore the sound of Bowie gently spinning in his grave and tuck into a delicious gyros at YES this summer.
With a range of different takes on offer, including lamb, sizzled chicken and halloumi, guests can enjoy any of the gyros options along with fries for £8.95 if they’re dining from 12-3pm.
There’s also a new Fancy Drinks menu, with libation including the likes of Pink Negroni and Pomegranate Margarita. All new cocktail additions are two for £10 from 12PM-8PM Tuesday - Saturday, and all day and night Sunday - Monday.
Most bakery Altrincham, Monthly supper club
Altrincham artisan bakers Most continue to put on their popular monthly supper club, with bookings regularly filling up fast.
June saw the sort of foody fare that’s perfect for the summer, with small plates of baked cod and the likes of chicken shawarma for mains, all for the price of £50 a ticket.
AND COMING SOON…
Fenix, Spinningfields
The brothers behind Tattu are set to open a Greek fusion restaurant, Fenix, in the city centre.
‘Inspired by Cycladic philosophies’ (nope, me neither) and ‘modern Greek fusion cuisine’ (that’s better), it promises to be an exciting addition to Enterprise City, part of Allied London’s new St John’s Development.
Read next - 'A must try addition to Chinatown': Kaya, Chinatown, reviewed
Read again - Can we get a rewind? A conversation with Mars Tapes, Afflecks
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