Six By Nico has unveiled a brand new menu ahead of its grand reopening on May 17 – welcoming customers back with ‘The Circus’.
The restaurant – which has five sites across the UK – regularly rotates its dishes in line with a changing theme; serving half-a-dozen specially-made small plates paired with ‘perfect’ drinks.
Former menus have included the likes of ‘Chippy Tea’ and ‘Bombay Kitchen’ – but Head Chef Nico Simeone is preparing to launch a very different concept in time for the return of indoor hospitality next month.
Six By Nico’s new ‘Circus’ menu is described as containing a “little bit of mystery, a little bit of magic, and a whole lot of joy” – putting a classy spin on traditional Big Top grub.
The second half of the show stars ‘A-Crab-atics’(sole, baby courgette, crab tortellini); ‘The Greatest Show’ (smoked flat iron, wild garlic, black truffle emulsion, ox cheek pasty); and the ‘The Grand Finale’ (peanut butter parfait, with rhubarb, blood orange, candy floss).
Vegetarian alternatives include swapping out meat dishes for the likes of goats cheese mousse, herb gnocchi, and smoked cep mushroom.
Head Chef Nico Simeone’s new concept is coming to Manchester in May
Chef Simeone said: “The circus is a fascinating visual and our reopening menu is full with colourful, unpretentious, playful dishes.
“Everybody needs a little extra excitement right now and our team had lots of fun developing and creating this theme as we prepare to reopen our Six by Nico restaurants across the country.”
During the latest lockdown, Six By Nico Manchester has been sending food kits out around the city – offering diners the opportunity to tuck into tasting menus in their own homes.
The restaurant also launched its own masterclass series in January – teaching viewers how to “prep, plate and pair recipes that wow friends and family.”
Six By Nico Manchester has been closed since autumn 2020 due to restrictions – but the new Circus menu is set to mark the restaurant’s comeback on May 17.
Served Monday through to Sunday, the six courses will be available from noon to late – priced at £32 per person (with the option to enjoy a selected wine pairing for an additional £26). A vegetarian alternative is available for every course.
The Circus will run at Six By Nico Manchester from May 17 – June 27.
Northern Quarter favourite The Pen and Pencil announces massive 10th birthday party and huge offers
Daisy Jackson
The Pen and Pencil, an absolute staple for brunches and drinks in the Northern Quarter, is celebrating a major milestone this month with a huge party and some unbeatable deals.
The bar and restaurant will be marking 10 years on Tariff Street in September – and it’s only right that we all pile in to celebrate with them.
This spot is one of the city’s original bottomless brunch venues and is similarly famed for its happy hour offerings, and opened in 2015 to bring a taste of Manhattan to Manchester.
Pen and Pencil took its name from the infamous New York City bar that was seen in Mad Men.
And now as it turns 10 years old, it’ll be throwing one big party on Saturday 27 September, featuring 10 hours of DJs, free pints of Red Stripe at 10pm, and a special bottomless brunch offering.
Those DJing on the day will include Drag Race UK’s Banksie, as well as Les Croasdaile, Mark Hogg, Danny Ward and A Deeper Groove.
Pen & Pencil has amazing deals for its 10th birthdayPen & Pencil is a Northern Quarter OG
The Pen and Pencil 10th birthday party will kick off from 2pm and run until late – but if you can’t make that one, there’ll be celebrations all week (and, indeed, month) long.
On Tuesday 23 September, you’ll be able to play for double prize money in The Pen and Pencil quiz, as well as enjoying happy hour drinks all night.
Then on Friday 26 September, it’ll be an all-night happy hour, with free tequila shots at 10pm and music from DJs Nev Johnson and Gareth James from 7pm.
All September long, there’ll be 50% off food every Monday, two-for-£10 cocktails every Wednesday, £10 burgers every Thursday, happy hour all night on Fridays, 10 dishes for £10 and two bloody Marys for £10 on Sundays, plus DJs on Fridays and Saturdays.
There’s a new colourful art installation outside the venue inspired by the bar’s New York roots.
Owner Kevin Connor said: “We’re really excited to be celebrating being part of the Manchester community for ten years!
“New York’s Pen and Pencil was a classic steak and cocktail joint, and we’re proud to have created our very own iconic Northern Quarter hangout. We hope everyone will join us in celebrating ten years on Tariff Street.”
Walk-ins are welcome for The Pen and Pencil 10th birthday party on Saturday 27 September, but booking is encouraged – book your spot HERE.
Featured image: The Manc Group
Food & Drink
Manchester restaurant to give out FREE katsu curries to people called ‘Kat’ or ‘Sue’
Emily Sergeant
In what is a small stroke of genius, a restaurant chain has decided to give out free katsu curries to anyone called ‘Kat’ or ‘Sue’.
Throughout September, award-winning restaurant chain Banana Tree – which has a Greater Manchester site down at Salford Quays – is shining the spotlight on its popular katsu creations, and as a clever way of celebrating National Katsu Day on 27 September has announced a pretty unique giveaway.
That’s right – the restaurant will be serving up katsu dishes to people called Kat, Sue, and every delicious variation of the names in between.
Anyone named Kat, Katie, Katherine, Sue, Suzy, Susan, Suzanne – or close enough to qualify, the list goes on – can head to their local Banana Tree restaurant, and all they’ll need to do is show proof of name and they can enjoy a free katsu dish of their choice, worth up to £16.75.
The chain’s kastu lineup includes three star dishes.
First there’s the much-loved Katsu Curry, as well as the all-new Katsu Burger, which is made from either a crispy chicken or veggie fillet, spicy mayo, puffed noodle crunch, and a drizzle of Katsu sauce tucked into a soft Shokupan bun with a side of salt n pepper chilli chips.
Then there’s also the intriguing newcomer, the Katsu Carbonara – which is described as being a daring East-meets-West mash-up and ‘unapologetically’ Banana Tree.
Banana Tree is giving away free katsu curries to people called ‘Kat’ or ‘Sue’ / Credit: Banana Tree
With each of these dishes usually priced around the £16 mark, the giveaway isn’t just a way of marking National Katsu Day, but it’s also a way to sample the some of the restaurant’s biggest crowd-pleasers entirely free of charge.
To avoid any confusion on who makes the cut, Banana Tree will reveal the full qualifying list of name variations on Instagram soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
“Our Katsu range is one of our proudest creations, so National Katsu Day felt like the perfect moment to have some fun with our fans,” a Banana Tree spokesperson said ahead of the giveaway.
The free katsu offer is available for four days only from Monday 22 to Thursday 25 September, and you just need to head to the Banana Tree website to sign up to the Big Flavour Club here.
The Manc -
15th April 2021 
