EL Gato Negro - the celebrated Michelin Bib Gourmand tapas restaurant by chef Simon Shaw that left behind windy ole Ripponden for bigger, better, bolder Manchester - has finally secured a site in the city centre.
“52 King Street is the perfect destination for us. It’s a fantastic building – inviting and airy with great ceiling heights that are so very typical of a traditional tapas bar – it feels like it was made for El Gato Negro”
El Gato Negro will occupy 52 King Street (pictured above) - the classic and elegant mid-Victorian former-retail unit between The Kooples and The Pen Shop - and take residence over three floors 'with a stunning conversion sympathetic to the building’s heritage and location'.
52 King Street site
El Gato Negro - artist's impression with 'al fresco' dining
The news follows pre-Christmas disappointment for Shaw and his team after 'landlord issues' caused their move to the former-Brasserie Blanc site on Chapel Walks to fall through (read here). Happily the new place is so much better they probably can't believe their good fortune.
El Gato Negro were also said to be interested in the newly-vacant Room site at 81 King Street before the clout of Tim Bacon and Living Ventures saw off any competition - see here.
The team have since been in talks for a number of alternative venues in the city centre before securing the prime King Street spot.
El Gato Negro's seafood paella
El Gato Negro's Simon Shaw
Speaking on the announcement, El Gato Negro Founder and Chef Patron Simon Shaw said:
“Bringing El Gato Negro to Manchester is a timely opportunity to showcase a broader selection of the dishes and wines I’m so passionate about. There’s a massive resurgence in the new British wave of Spanish restaurants and we want to go further with the dining experience we pioneered almost ten years ago.
“The redevelopment of King Street, one of Manchester’s best addresses, presents us with the opportunity not only to bring El Gato Negro to Manchester but to play a significant role in shaping the heart of the city.
“52 King Street is the perfect destination for us. It’s a fantastic building – inviting and airy with great ceiling heights that are so very typical of a traditional tapas bar – it feels like it was made for El Gato Negro.”
El Gato Negro is the latest in a number of food and drink operators staging a resurgence on the flagging retail street, with Quill restaurant now confirmed for 20-22 King Street and Ed's Easy Diner rumoured to be heading into the former-Monsoon unit at number 15.
El Gato Negro is the big one too. Here is a recognised regional food leader moving onto the street in a charming building. Ed's to many people doesn't feel right, an Americana fast food joint seemingly out of kilter with what was high-status King Street. El Gato Negro is much more like it.
