A brand new Japanese restaurant has revealed it will be opening its doors on Deansgate Square later this month.
Called Kitten, it will offer diners a one-of-a-kind chef’s table sushi experience – giving sushi enthusiasts a front row seat to all the action.
Bringing modern Japanese fine-dining to the heart of the city, the menu will focus on high-end sushi, sashimi, and robata-grilled dishes, all served in an exceedingly glamorous setting boasting a 5-metre-high Bonsai treet, bamboo walls and elegant Venetian plastering.
The sushi bar will take centre stage at the restaurant, whilst elsewhere a semi open kitchen will give diners the chance to catch dishes being grilled over a massive Robatayak grill.
Visitors will be able to watch Kitten’s chefs prepare dishes from its raw menu, such as black and blue tuna with pickle kohlrabi and squid in tuille, and tuck into an exquisite selection of quality grilled meats.
Due to open in mid-June, this is set to be one of the most visually striking restaurants in the city – with an impressive sounding menu and team to boot.
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The robata menu will feature some of the finest beef cuts, including T-bone steaks, chicken yakitori, duck, pork and lamb dishes.
Fish lovers can, meanwhile, enjoy a whole charcoal-grilled sea bass with ginger, sake steamed clams and seaweed, or tuck into blackened salmon with dashi poached Choi sum, kohlrabi, caviar and split shiso dressing.
As for veggies and vegans, dishes like crisp tofu, wild mushrooms, robata sweetcorn, heritage tomatoes and charcoal-seared aubergine offer some brilliant plant-based alternatives.
Kitten will also house a cocktail bar featuring classic yet inventive combinations enhanced with Japanese influences, crafted by Beverage Manager Tim Herbert – previously of Wood and Co.
All in all, the new venture boasts an enviable line up of hospitality talent – bringing together Head Chef Josh Gabrielides from Ivy Asia and Head Sushi Chef Daniel Zhou from Peter Street Kitchen to lead the kitchen.
As for the wider kitchen team, as a collective they also boast experience from Sticks and Sushi and other top ranked Pan-Asian restaurants around the country.
On the weekends, there will also be live entertainment with a mix of live acts, DJs and entertainment guaranteed to bring the party atmosphere.
Kitten will open daily from midday until 23.30 on weeknights and 00.30 at weekends, serving food and drink throughout, with al fresco dining on the square when the notoriously unpredictable Manchester weather permits.
Feature image – Commons Wikimedia
News
Mancs advised ‘do not travel’ today amid MAJOR region-wide train disruption
Daisy Jackson
Passengers across the North West are being told not to travel today, after a power failure triggered major disruption across the region.
A vast number of trains have been cancelled in and out of Greater Manchester due to the failure at Manchester Rail Operating Centre (ROC).
The disruption started earlier this afternoon but is expected to continue across all operator routes until the end of the day.
Now, rail operators are issuing ‘do not travel’ notices, and ticket acceptance has been put in place across all Bee Network buses and Metrolink services.
A statement shared by Manchester City Council: “Due to a power failure at the Manchester Rail Operating Centre (ROC), there is major disruption on the rail network across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and the Midlands.
“Delays and cancellations are expected on all operator routes across Greater Manchester until the end of today (Thursday 6th August). Rail operators have issued a do not travel notice with travel advice and the latest information HERE.
“Ticket acceptance is in place on all Bee Network buses and Metrolink services across Greater Manchester.”
All Brewers Fayre and Beefeater locations across the UK are closing down
Danny Jones
It looks to be the end for not one but two of Britain’s best-known and long-running restaurant franchises, as Brewers Fayre and Beefeaters will be closing down all of their locations.
Dating back to the mid-1970s, there will soon be none left anywhere in the country
The pair of recognisable chains, owned by parent company Whitbread PLC – who also own Premier Inn, hence why they usually come as a joint package – have nearly 200 sites across the UK, but they are already in the process of a wholesale shutdown.
News of the impending closures first began circulating back in April, but now the process is said to be fully underway, with multiple Greater Manchester names on the chopping block.
A real shame all brewers fayres are closing down. As a member they’ve sent me a last free main. So enjoying a mixed grill pic.twitter.com/EIHMZ7LCvv
— Daniel Turner⚽️ 🏟️ 1️⃣1️⃣5️⃣8️⃣ (@puffpuff65) August 4, 2026
With roughly 3,800 staff set to be made unemployed as part of the major restructuring by Whitbread, the job cuts will see approximately 12% of their workforce laid off from a total of around 30,000.
One local duo due to face the music is the soon-to-close Stable Gate in Denton and Wheatlea Park in Wigan – both of which are Brewers Fayre branches.
89 of the brand’s boozers have been given until early September (some dates may vary) to shut up shop and hold not just their last orders, but their final dinner service full stop.
The rest of the venues closing next month are Beefeater pubs, including the Heaton Park one in Crumpsall, The Quay House at Salford Quays, and the Whitgate Inn over Oldham way.
As for others nearby, Macclesfield’s Springwood Park is also set to close.
The older of the two British mainstays is Beefeater, which was founded by Whitbread back in 1974 when they opened their first pub, The Halfway House, down in Enfield.
Brewers debuted up North in ’79, with a maiden watering hole called The Farmers Arms in Preston, before going on to open several locations around Lancashire and eventually nationwide.
Most of you will likely have visited or at the very least passed one of those food and drink spots in your time, and while they may be more associated with hotels and service stations these days, they still served as regular haunts for plenty of people who will no doubt be gutted to see them go.
Speaking of services, another big name is expanding further into the North West.
Georgina Pellant -
31st May 2022 
