TWO words in particular have been warming the nethers of Manchester gutbuckets of late; one is Hawksmoor, the other is Ibérica. For good reason...
Luckily for us, Ibérica have continued their partnership with world-renowned Barcelona-based designer Lázaro Rosa Violán
Both brands are big-swingers in London, both have critics licking their clumpy black chef clogs, and both launch their first non-London restaurants 200m apart in Manchester this March.
Ibérica - captained by three Michelin-starred chef Nacho Manzano (who recently took Gordo and the editor to see some Asturian cocks) - have just whipped these new Spinningfields renders over to Confidential.
And wow they're handsome...
Luckily for us, Ibérica have continued their partnership with Barcelona-based designer Lázaro Rosa Violán for their Manchester outpost. Violán has emerged as one of the world's leading hospitality and retail designers, with over 40 hotel projects under his belt, as well as the Boca Grande restaurant in Barcelona and the El Mercado in Bogota.
So what can we expect? Ibérica's bread and butter is Jamon and traditional tapas (patatas bravas, Padron peppers, croquettes, you know the score...), bolstered by some of Manzano's more elaborate and homespun dishes including the Asturian cachopo made with fried beef, Ibérico pork and Asturian cheeses. We've got everything crossed hoping the 'crisp confit of Segovian suckling pig, apple purée and frisée salad' makes it up the M40.
Iberica will open in the former All Saints site in Spinningfields
Cachopo
Confidential is also told there'll also be an in-house delicatessen selling a collection of over twenty different olive oils, preserved fish and vegetables, turrones (traditional Iberian sweets) and one of the largest selections of Spanish cheese and meats in the UK.
Gordo pulled in his pal, former Times critic, author and Masterchef panel expert, Charles Campion, to give our readers the inside track in December - read his preview here.
We also packed Confidential's chief wine writer, Neil Sowerby, off on a train to test their vast wine selection - read here.
Ibérica Spinningfields opens on The Avenue on Wednesday 4 March 2015.
You can register for a chance to visit the restaurant before the launch here.
