It’s another great week for eating and drinking out in Manchester, with a host of new pop-ups, one-off events and new dishes to be getting stuck into.
Dare we say it – but there seems to be a general feeling of optimism in hospitality right now.
Launch parties are finally being thrown, residencies are being announced, and nature – as the meme goes – is finally healing.
Keep reading to discover our top food and drink picks for the week.
A hidden bar takeover with natty wine and french fries
Wine and fires have long been a perfect pairing, then add in the reopening of one of Manchester’s secret bars and you’re on to a guaranteed winner / Image: Vin De Bodega
Natural wine hustlers Vin De Bodega team up with Amsterdam-inspired Fry By this week – taking over the small cocktail bar hidden underneath The Corner Boy, formerly known as Double Down, for a night of top-tier natty wine and loaded fries.
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Wines, all handpicked favourites of the Vin De Bodega team, will be available by the glass or the bottle – as well as fries from upstairs, loaded with your choice of over 50 different flavour combinations. There will also be a special portion of fries available on the night to enjoy with a paired wine.
Find them underneath The Corner Boy, Stevenson Square this Thursday 12 August from 5 pm.
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“A gift from the pasta Gods” at Sugo
Sugo’s new Paccheri all’ Amatriciana is a simple classic based on guanciale (cured pork cheek), pecorino romano cheese, white wine and datterini tomatoes / Image: Sugo Pasta Kitchen
Such is the excitement around Sugo, a single new dish is more than enough to have us shouting from the rooftops.
Described by the team as “a gift from the pasta Gods,’ the new Paccheri all’ Amatriciana is a simple classic based on guanciale (cured pork cheek), pecorino romano cheese, white wine and datterini tomatoes. To be enjoyed with “at least” half a litre ofBarbera on the side, it looks and sounds absolutely divine.
Find Sugo at 46 Blossom St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6BF.
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A new pop-up restaurant in the KAMPUS bungalow
Caramelised walnut cream with green strawberries, covered in frozen & shaved buttery Eccles cake / Image: Tine.
Fine dining fans, this one is for you.
Tine, the restaurant project by chefs Josh Shanahan and James Lord, is popping up in the KAMPUS bungalow with some gorgeous seasonally-inspired dishes until the end of September starting this Friday.
Calling on experience at Mana, Where The Light Gets In and Manchester House, the pair plan on serving a 5-course set menu of British flavours with their signature umami twist. Find them cooking up a storm on Thursday to Sunday evenings right through to the end of next month.
The lads are also working with Le Social Wine (KAMPUS’s other residents right now) to curate a wine list in tandem with bottles from their own cellar, so expect some really special pairings on the side.
Reservations are live now. Find Tine at KAMPUS, Aytoun St, Manchester M1 3DA from Friday 13 August.
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Indian chippy teas from a hidden Chorlton gem
The Indian-Scottish take on fish on chips: fresh Panga fried in Roti gram flour batter, fluffy masala potatoes and curried chickpea ‘mushy peas / Image: Roti
If you’d like to try a chippy tea with a twist, Roti in Chorlton has to be the spot. It opened just before the pandemic so hasn’t been given the shine it should – but we’re here to fix that.
Here you’ll find some great Indian Scottish fusions. Think a ‘chip butty’ roti, filled with curried aloo and chickpeas marinated in an aromatic pickle, or ‘mince and tatties’ Roti spiced pork with house chole potatoes.
That said, it’s the take on fish and chips that’s got us really excited. Made with fresh Panga fried in Roti gram flour batter, it’s then served with fluffy masala potatoes and curried chickpea ‘mushy peas.’ Enjoy with an Irn-Bru cocktail and for the ultimate naughty treat finish with a deep-fried Mars bar.
Find Roti at 559 Barlow Moor Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 8AN.
Focaccia sandwiches from Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria
Pulled beef with sage mustard, taleggio, rocket and balsamic served on Batard bakery focaccia / Image: Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria
Not busy enough with two kitchens on the go and the launch of a new packaged meal service in South Manchester, Lazy Tony’s has just added two new focaccia sandwiches to the menu to coincide with the fact that they’re now open for lunch as well as dinner at Radium Street.
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This weekend just gone, the Ancoats kitchen premiered two new butties using focaccia from Batard: one with pulled beef, sage mustard, taleggio, rocket and balsamic; another with buttermilk fried chicken, chilli marinara, garlic, mozzarella and parmesan.
They’re currently taking classic requests for this weekend – we see someone’s put ‘lasagne sandwich’ in the comments already, which we’re completely here for.
Find Lazy Tony’s new sandwiches at 23 Radium St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6AY this weekend from midday.
Cuppello’s latest community-led coffee shop is far from hidden, but it is a proper gem
Danny Jones
Cuppello’s newest site in Stretford is not just the second in Greater Manchester, but their third in the North West as a whole, and it’s their journey from cult favourite Warrington hole-in-the-wall to now a much-loved local coffee house and growing outlet for residents that we love so much.
Having opened their latest location just around the corner from the tram stop only a couple of weeks ago, you’d be forgiven for thinking these lot would only just be finding their footing in a very old school borough – but they’re not. They’re already thriving.
Taking over the reins in the unit which used to house Gigi’s Coffee Shop, three could prove to be the magic number in this instance, as the new crowning point of the Cuppello‘s triumvirate has seriously impressed us on multiple levels.
And besides the food and drink, it all starts with one thing: community.
They’re open from 7am until 7pm. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
From that original village venue over Cheshire, to opening their first city centre site just down Oldham Road near Ancoats, to taking on the no-nonsense town of Stretford, it’s a journey we enjoyed hearing about from its early beginnings to now.
Don’t get us wrong, we love seeing a lineup of unique items in acafé menu – take, for instance, their Spanish lattes or a Mont Blanc – but they’ve done themselves a world of good by making this as much of an up-and-coming community cornerstone as it is another spot to grab a good brew.
Sure, they have fresh flat-pressed bagels by Barbakan Deli in Chorlton, pastries from Companio, as well as artisan bakes by owner Harry Sheridan’s mum, Carol (whose homemade sweet treat obsession started with local legend, The Vakery MCR), but there are so many other reasons to keep coming back…
And yes, that does mean they’re vegan-friendly, by the way.
Besides the obvious brunchy bits like those bagels, which they finish with their own special seasoning, the iced coffees, smoothies, meal deals and so on, more importantly, there’s a full weekly programme of interesting and varied events hosted here too.
From a regular run club and pancake days that you don’t have to wait a whole year until they come back around, to movie nights with smash-burgers from The Food Drip next door, evenings spent playing card games, they’re looking to become not just a place to eat, drink and gather but a veritable institution.
Harry told us about how a Lymm local painted their striking piece of lemon artwork that hangs on the wall as thanks for their work with a nearby old people’s home, one that fits perfectly with the yellow-accented aesthetic, but also goes to show their track record when it comes to serving communities.
Speaking of which, they’ve got plenty of style all their own – as you can see:
Honestly, from being one of the most welcoming stops on a dog walk to even offering £1 hot chocolate for little ones coming home from the neighbouring schools (a very nice touch indeed), we’ve been left very impressed by their debut in old Manc market town.
And if you are in the Stretford area or live centrally and are just on the lookout for a new go-to coffee spot that’s only a few tram stops away, it really is some pretty stunning stuff they put in that cup.
Cuppello’s are known for putting a lot of effort into their roasts, but we’d also like to give a special mention to the ‘Karlito’, named after Harry’s dad, which we believe could be the secret behind this very cool-looking family.
A recipe of his own making, which has kept him youthful and on them move all these years, it’s a rich chocolate poured over four, yes, FOUR shots of espresso. We won’t lie to you, it’s pure rocket fuel, but it’ll definitely set you up for a feverishly productive day.
You can see more of the stuff on their food and drink menu HERE, and in case you’re wondering where else they’ve popped up in and around central Manchester, read more down below.
Acclaimed Manchester cocktail bar named one of UK’s best quietly closes its doors
Emily Sergeant
An acclaimed Manchester cocktail bar that was formerly named one of the best in the UK has quietly closed its doors for good.
Tucked away beneath the former set of Coronation Street in the Old Granada Studios complex, and hidden in the basement of Manchester‘s historic 1800s Bonded Warehouse at St. John’s, Project Halcyon Distillery officially opened its doors in 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemic delays – with the intimate venue going on to become a city favourite.
The acclaimed, Speakeasy-style bar drew inspiration from Prohibition-era Chicago, focusing on ‘halcyon days’ of calm and luxury.
It included an on-site distillery used to create bespoke ingredients for its seasonal menu, and beyond cocktails, even featured a so-called ‘Stillroom’ for masterclasses and had private, curtained room dedicated to absinthe, with traditional fountains, called ‘Salon Vert’.
Project Halcyon has quietly closed its doors for good / Credit: Project Halcyon | The Manc Group
But despite its success over the years, and even earning a place in the coveted Top 50 Cocktail Bars in the UK list on several occasions, Project Halcyon has officially – but somewhat quietly – now closed its doors for good.
“It was with sincere regret that due to unexpected challenges at the ownership level we must close our doors for the foreseeable. Though we say goodbye, the memories live on.
“Thank you to everyone who shared in our craft, our community, and our story.”
After the news broke on social media, Project Halcyon’s Instagram post was flooded with dozens of comments showing support for staff members, and remembering the venue as one of their favourite cocktail bars in the city centre.
The nature of some of the comments also prompted Project Halcyon to issue a follow-up statement below addressing concerns over money owed to workers and other partners, adding: “We sincerely hope that anyone who may be owed by the owners of Project Halcyon – past and present team included – receives what they are owed.
“We are not deleting comments and have no interest in doing so. We also cannot control how Instagram manages comment threads. This page is run by the team, not the owners.”
Georgina Pellant -
9th August 2021 
