INTERESTING one this.
El Gato Negro, the new-to-Manchester Spanish tapas restaurant that's had Manc lips smacking since we broke news of their arrival in the city, was supposed to move into the former-Brasserie Blanc site (main image) on Chapel Walks this summer.
"El Gato Negro are still 100% committed to coming to Manchester this summer"
However, Confidential has since learnt that the deal on the site has fallen through in recent weeks due to 'issues with the landlord'.
More interesting still is that El Gato Negro, captained by celebrated Yorkshire chef Simon Shaw (formerly of the illustrious Harvey Nichols restaurant in London's Knightsbridge) and backed by a successful Manchester businessman (who wishes to remain anonymous), were instead eyeing-up a move on the former-Room restaurant site at 81 King Street - which closed abruptly two weeks ago.
However, the clout of Living Ventures chief Tim Bacon was too much for custodians Bruntwood to resist, and yesterday saw the sudden announcement that LV's Pan Asian bar-restaurant brand Grand Pacific (Austalasia's diminutive sibling on The Avenue) would launch in the prestigious location by October 2015 - read here.
The former-Room site at 81 King Street
Chef Simon Shaw (left) of El Gato Negro
This is no great surprise, the covenant between Living Ventures and Bruntwood has seen deals agreed on multiple sites across the city from New York Street to the new Gusto in Elliot House on Deansgate.
As proven as Living Ventures track record is for churning-out successful and hugely impressive spaces (Artisan, Manchester House, Australasia, the list goes on...), you can't help but feel Bruntwood's knee-jerk revert to type has denied the exceptional building - once the notorious Reform Club & Restaurant - a truly distinctive, one-off operator.
Confidential has also been made aware in recent days of one particular three-star Michelin chef whose ears had been pricked by the newly-vacant site.
Still, as anyone who recently visited Room will tell you, the place was looking tired and unloved. Let's take satisfaction then that LV - a reputable operator with riches and reputation - will be tasked with returning the 143-year-old building, a 'mad piece of high Victoriana', to its previous glory.
So where next for El Gato Negro? Chef Shaw tells Confidential that 'El Gato Negro are still 100% committed to coming to Manchester this summer' and have been 'offered a number of different sites' since the first deal fell through'.
Confidential has everything crossed for El Gato Negro. Shaw is a talented chef who turned a knackered old pub in the West Yorkshire sticks into a desination tapas restaurant, no mean feat by anyone's standards. Let's hope he finds somewhere to shine in the city centre.
Because if not, we're told a move to the provinces 'can't be ruled out'.
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