Today, “freedom” is technically upon us. But for Manchester’s bars and restaurants, things feel less “free” than ever – with the industry caught up in the midst of what’s being referred to as a ‘pingdemic’.
With many hospitality staff forced to isolate even with negative tests and no symptoms, questions are being asked if there’s a better way to run things – especially as other guidance is being dropped and new test programmes are piloted as an alternative to isolation.
This week, pub giant Greene King has had to close thirteen sites due to staff shortages.
But amid the chaos, there is a silver lining, at least. From today, you’ll be able to go to the bar with no need to sign in at venues or order via an app. And there’s some good news close to home, too.
Gary Usher’s Kala is finally reopening its doors after a prolonged period of closure – and we’ve tipped the restaurant as one of our places to go this week for that very reason. They’ve recently launched a fab new bar menu, but haven’t really been able to serve it much yet.
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Keep reading to find out more about what they’ve got going on, plus our other top picks for this week.
A Northern Quarter record store that moonlights as a bar
A new craft beer and wine bar in the Northern Quarter that also sells records? Or a record store selling booze? Either way, we’re here for it.
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Recently opened by the duo behind Manchester record label Small Moves Records (including Jez Kerr, of A Certain Ratio fame), the drinks selection here is actually pretty extensive with European breweries like Paulaner, Siren and House Party on draught, plus some rarified craft bottles and a decent wine and Japanese whiskey collection.
Find Movement Bar at 84 Tib St, Manchester M4 1LG, open Wednesday to Saturday.
King Street favourite Kala emerges from isolation
Gary Usher’s Kala has been beset with track and trace problems of late, having to close repeatedly – or so it feels.
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As of this Wednesday, the team is back with all the usual menu favourites – plus a new bar snack menu that includes some mouthwatering additions, like £10 peppered feather blade steak sandwiches served inside a sesame roll.
If you visit, make sure to get the pistachio and raspberry Bakewell tart too. It’s a revelation.
Find Kala at 55 King St, Manchester M2 4LQ. from midday on Wednesday 21 July
Black forest gateaux martinis and sexy charcuterie from the Alvarium team
Brand new opening The Mews comes from the team behind the popular NQ spot Alvarium. They are collaborating with The Crafty Cheese Man, aka Jonathan Pearcey, to produce some super sexy charcuterie and cheese boards – creating a new killer food and drink combo in this often forgotten section of town.
Think nibbly treats like whipped goats cheese and mascarpone with chilli jam, served alongside top-quality seasonal cocktails like black forest gateaux martinis and a Japanese ‘forest bathing’ inspired Old Fashioned with Nikka and fennel syrup, plus a banging wine list and beer selection.
Tucked away on Deansgate Mews (on the elevated walkway between Deansgate and the GNW), if you’re looking for a chilled spot to enjoy a few quality drinks in the sun you can’t go wrong here.
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Find The Mews at The Mews Bar and Charcuterie, Deansgate, Manchester M3 4EN.
A natural wine pop-up from the team behind Higher Ground
Flawd Wine is a new concept from the team behind Higher Ground. Serving low-intervention wines and small plates of British cheese as well as charcuterie and ferments from the award-winning Curing Rebels based in Brighton, it is set to open a new home in New Islington this September.
Ahead of that, though, the team – which includes Joseph Otway, formerly Head Chef of Where The Light Gets In – is running a series of pop-up events at Pollen throughout July and August to give the neighbourhood a taste of what’s to come.
Find Flawd popping up at Pollen every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 23 July until 15 August, before they open their own space in September.
A new Tex Mex bar in the former Walrus site
Named by the owner’s daughter, Man With Fish is influenced by America’s southern saloons and is being opened inside what was formerly Walrus.
Brought to Manchester by the same team that brought us Quarter House on Stevenson Square, think Tex Mex-style food with a big BBQ pull courtesy of charcoal grill nerd Jason Latham, plus a whopping 17 different beers on tap.
Find Man With Fish at 78-88 High St, Manchester M4 1ES from July 19 at 5pm.
Food & Drink
Electrik Bar in Chorlton is giving away 100 FREE frankfurters to celebrate their latest kitchen collab
Danny Jones
We all love a freebie, so we thought we’d spread the good word of the scran lords by letting you know that Electrik over in Chorlton is giving away 100 free frankfurters to celebrate their newest menu takeover.
The popular neighbourhood bar and kitchen on Wilbraham Road in the South Manchester suburb has had a couple of different foodie collaborations over the past couple of years, with local residents Paramogeddon and Four Side Vegan Pizza being the most recent, but now they’re doing hot dogs.
Welcoming their latest vendors Tisch Und Teller, Electrik will be giving away a total of 100 free frankfurters to the first century of people there this evening.
Bringing a taste of Berlin, Bavaria, Frankfurt and more (with a Manc twist, of course) to the popular pub for the Thursday launch party, all you need to do is order a drink upon arrival to get your hands on a free frankfurter sandwiched between a lovely fluffy roll.
Who doesn’t love a hot dog? Especially when they’re giving them away.
As for Tisch Und Teller (TuT), they’ve been serving up German-inspired favourites from the likes of The Shakespeare in Manchester city centre and Nip and Tipple in Whalley Range since September last year, including some very impressive brunches and Sunday roasts.
But the brand just keeps gaining more traction and now they’re setting up shop in Electrik, we’re sure the word will continue to spread – and fast.
Better still, as advertised on the promo poster, not only will TuT now be serving up their delicious food from Electrik every Thursday-Sunday for the foreseeable but the launch party will also live music by local legend and DJing veteran, Abigail Ward of Ghost Assembly.
Free food, pints and top tunes – what more could you ask for on a random weeknight?
The offer will be available from 6pm tonight and, once again, you have to be among the first 100 people to buy a pint to be eligible for a free frankfurter.
Manchester’s new Instagrammable coffee shop is giving away FREE drinks tomorrow
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s newest Instagrammable coffee shops is giving away free drinks tomorrow ahead of the bank holiday weekend.
With another long weekend right around the corner, and much of Greater Manchester and the UK fortunately looking set to bask in the springtime heat, popular coffee chain, Blank Street – which is one of Manchester city centre’s newest residents, with two sites in Piccadilly Gardens, and on the corner of King Street and Cross Street – has decided it wants to help the country “beat the 3pm slump”.
Ahead of the upcoming bank holiday weekend, the chain is inviting Mancs to “meet for matcha” tomorrow afternoon (Friday 3 May).
The exciting freebie offer is all said to be “inspired by data” that shows that almost half of office workers aren’t taking a break from their desks during the day, even despite research showing that this can boost productivity.
Hundreds of iced matcha lattes will be served up at Blank Street‘s Manchester branch on the corner of King Street and Cross Street between 3pm and 4pm tomorrow.
For anyone “ice cold pick-me-up ahead of the long weekend”, but keen not to tip their employers off, the coffee shop chain has created an online tool to allow workers to discreetly add a matcha moment to their diary.
The brand-new online tool will apparently help to “distract calendar snoopers” by creating a cleverly-named meeting and adding it automatically to Outlook, Google, or Apple calendars – with potential meeting titles that include plenty of corporate jargon to “provide the perfect alibi”.
So, all matcha fans need to do tomorrow afternoon is show the Blank Street team at their chosen branch a meeting in their calendar, and in return, they’ll receive a free small iced matcha latte of their choice from the chain’s delicious spring menu.
Blank Street’s popular matcha offering includes the Classic Matcha, the viral Blueberry Matcha, the silky-smooth White Chocolate Matcha, and the brand-new sumptuous Golden Matcha, so there’s something to “inspire every matcha lover to take a little time out”.
As matcha allows a slow release of caffeine, Blank Street says it’s the “perfect drink” to keep energy levels up throughout the afternoon when you’re stuck at your desk on a Friday.