Manchester drinkers are going to hit the Roofff
Developments in Manchester's already impressive food and drink scene have been going through the roof in recent years.
If ambitious plans to transform a tenth floor car park go ahead, by the end of this year Mancunians could be drinking ON the roof.
Their vision is to transform the bleak, concrete space, adding wooden decking and turf and building wooden pergolas wrapped in vines, shrubbery and flowers
The huge new dining and drinking venue is expected to take up residence on the roof of the Q-Park car park at First Street, with 360-degree views of the ever-evolving Manchester skyline.
The appropriately titled Roofff is set to be a 11,000 square foot tropical sky garden, with three bars and eight different food stalls to choose from.
Two of the food outlets will be regularly rotating pop ups to keep things fresh and support newer local food traders. We envision it as something similar to Hatch or Mackie Mayor - but in the sky.
Communal dining is encouraged, with long wooden tables as well as smaller booths for those wanting more privacy.
With several ambitious new projects in the pipeline, Buzz ventures - the team behind Roofff - are a hip, up-and-coming property development firm based in Manchester. Their aim is to breath new life into neglected spaces and turn them into greener drinking and dining venues with a communal vibe.
Their vision for Roofff is to transform the bleak, concrete space, adding wooden decking and turf and building wooden pergolas which will be wrapped in vines, shrubbery and flowers – creating a colourful al-fresco paradise.
We hope the greenery will be real and not astro-turf and plastic plants, as Manchester city centre genuinely needs more green spaces.
Regular visitors to the capital might draw comparisons with the popular Pergola rooftop venues in Paddington and Olympia. It would be great to have something similar here.
But of course, this is Manchester and some weather-proofing is necessary - no you won’t need to bring your brolly. Plans include an air-conditioned covered area which would seat 400 diners, in addition to the 250 semi-open-air seats - with patio heating to keep things toasty as the nights draw in.
In keeping with Manchester's reputation as a place for music lovers, a packed calendar of live music and entertainment is on the cards. There will also be various food and drink and family-centred events to keep things interesting throughout the year.
If your family is more of the furry variety, you will be pleased to hear that pooches will also be welcome - as Roofff intends to be a pet-friendly venue.
First street as a destination is getting more and more exciting. This new botanical bar would be neighbours with the excellent HOME complex, the first-class Wood restaurant and trendy drinking dens like Bunny Jackson’s. Recent additions include the gigantic steakhouse Ribeye and - at the other end of the spectrum - imminently opening vegan restaurant and natural wine bar Vertigo.
Roofff is still in the planning stages but, permission pending, is expected to open before the end of the year.
