From Desert Island Dumplings to Mean Eyed Cats, here's what we've spotted in the Manchester Food and Drink scene this month...
NEW FACES
Almost Famous, Withington
Almost Famous have chosen Withington as the home of their new restaurant, just three miles south of their Great Northern and Northern Quarter sites. Famed for smashing patties and shaking cocktails, expect big burgers with even bigger flavour. Served from midday til late.
Desert Island Dumplings @ Afflecks, Northern Quarter
Desert Island Dumplings opened their Afflecks store at the tail-end of last month, bringing their veggie fusion dumpling offering from West Yorkshire to the people of Manchester. Find them on the third floor of Afflecks, open every day of the week to serve up vegetarian munch boxes and dumpling dishes in a Simpson's-themed cafe.
GAIL's Bakery, King Street
Famous London bakery branch GAIL's has been popping up left, right and centre in Greater Manchester, filling the air with sweet pastry smells and filling our stomachs with their hearty, generously-sized baked goods. The latest addition to the Manchester GAIL's family is the brand new King Street store which opened on 7th June. Pop in and grab a treat from 6:30AM every day.
Roti, Urmston
Roti brought their Scottish/Indian fusion food to Urmston on 12th June, following the success of their restaurant in Sale's Stanley Square. Roti takes Scottish classics and gives them an Indian makeover to create delicious fusion street food that you'd have never imagined trying before. Open from 12 midday, every day of the week.
UPCOMING OPENINGS
Bricklayers Arms, Altrincham (reopening)
Friday 23 June
The Bricklayers Arms, or 'The Brickies' as its lovingly known, will be reopening its doors on Friday, giving a warm welcome to those visiting and living in Altrincham. One a bar popular with bikers, this snug little boozer is part of the Craft Union Pub family and serves affordable pints, crisps and spirits.
Est Est Est, Trafford Centre (reopening)
Friday 30 June
Situated in The Orient at the Trafford Centre, Est Est Est will be reopening to show off its brand new look, reflecting their signature menu. Expect modern Italian cuisine, cocktails and plenty of wine.
Mama Roux's, Deansgate
TBC
After taking Birmingham by storm with their outrageous cabaret nights, Mama Roux's decided it was only right to join the party over here in Manchester. Expect glitter and disco balls in abundance, bottomless brunches, live music and performances from world-class DJs plus so much more. It's going to be wild.
Maya, Chorlton Street
TBC
Manchester is getting its own taste of Mayfair with luxury three-story canal-side brasserie and bar, Maya. Headed up by renowned Mancunian chef, Gabe Lea, Maya will serve modern European dishes consisting of locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. The ambitious design is headed up by hospitality operators that have worked on developments including Isabel Mayfair, Soho House and Petersham Nurseries.
Mean Eyed Cat, Northern Quarter
September
A Deep South-inspired dive bar that is already renowned and loved in Liverpool and Leeds is coming to the Northern Quarter. With a roll of the dice, you can bag yourself free pizza, a free shot, or even a completely free round of drinks depending what it lands on. Now that's a game we're up for playing.
Sexy Fish, Spinningfields
TBC
London's Sexy Fish restaurant is famed for being a hit with celebs far and wide, bringing Japanese-inspired cuisine to the glamorous district of Mayfair. So, we can only imagine Sexy Fish in Spinningfields will be the same calibre. Expect to see some famous faces feasting at 'Fish.
DieCast, Piccadilly
Thursday 6 July
The brains behind Ramona and The Firehouse will be opening their new 5,000 capacity art space and foodhall in what was once Manchester’s largest factory and metalworks. DieCast will work in 'phases', with its first phase open to the public next month.
CLOSURES
Aunty Ji's, Levenshulme
Beloved Eastern cafe, Aunty Ji's closed yesterday (20 June) due to rising costs making it difficult for small businesses like this one to stay afloat.
Co-owner, Zee Ahmed wrote on their website: 'The team and and I have tried a number of different things to turn things around over the past few months, sadly, they haven’t been enough to save Aunty Jis.
'I hope that the memories and experiences you had in Aunty Jis will forever hold a special place in your hearts, as they will in mine.'
However, this closure marks the new beginning of another venture for Zee. Zee will be launching Raju; a new home condiments brand.
The Hideaway, Bury
The Hideaway, located on The Rock in bury, first opened its doors in 2020. But, following a string of uncontrollable events such as Covid-19 and the rising cost of living, Lu Varley and Farhad Ghassemi have announced the difficult decision to close their 'dream restaurant'.
Lu wrote on a Facebook post: 'It is with sadness and regret that we announce the closure of our dream restaurant ‘The Hideaway’ which we opened in Bury in March 2020...
...Unfortunately, immediately after opening the restaurant, we were faced with a wave of challenges that no one could have foreseen.
After three and a half years of struggling to make a living and getting into debt, we have unfortunately been left with no choice but to sell our restaurant.
We would like to give our heartfelt thanks to thank all our loyal customers for their fantastic support and believing in us.'
North Tea Power, Northern Quarter
Northern Quarter breakfast and brunch spot, North Tea Power has sadly brewed its last cuppa. The sad news was shared on social media just last week, where the duo behind the cafe wrote: 'Things are constantly changing here in NQ, over the past 13 years it’s been our pleasure to be a part of it all. After some tough decisions and some careful considerations, it seems that the right thing to do is to end our journey here.
'No time for frowns however, you still have a weeks worth of sun to come and enjoy a brew before we close our door for the final time this Sunday 18th June 2023.'
NEW MENUS
The Black Friar, Salford
The Black Friar has launched its new outdoor kitchen menu. Dishes, including topped flatbreads and charcuterie boards will be served in the award-winning summer garden. The Garden Menu will be available from Thursday onwards every week throughout summer for guests to enjoy a bite to eat in the sun.
The Blues Kitchen, Deansgate
From the start of July to late August, The Blues Kitchen will be bringing Texas to Manchester. You heard it right, for eight weeks the blues bar and restaurant will be showcasing the best that Texas has to offer in collaboration with Travel Texas - a first of its kind partnership bringing together the Texas tourism board and a UK hospitality venue. As well as limited edition food and cocktails, musicians will be flown in direct from Texas for one-off performances. Get your cowboy boots at the ready.
Gusto, Alderley Edge
Gusto has launched a premium Chef's Table Experience. The six-course tasting menu is available for £49 per person with the option to add a paired wine flight (£35pp). The Chef's Table Experience includes a walkthrough of each dish from a personal chef and tableside service from your dedicated host. This brand-new and immersive offering explores freshly made Italian food in a fine dining style.
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