A huge new restaurant has just opened up in Spinningfields, taking over the former Artisan and Manchester House sites.
Called Sakku Samba, it will fuse Brazilian and Japanese cuisine together in a swanky all-you-can-eat setting – complete with fistfuls of pink sakura trees, floral walls, neon lighting, and plenty of selfie traps, not least a room filled solely with giant lightbulbs.
Split across two floors, the new space includes a ground-floor caipirinha bar and a first-floor restaurant and bar with room for 400 covers, as well as two plush private dining rooms.
Elsewhere, there is a second restaurant for VIPs only with its very own access and private VIP corridor – something that is sure to appeal to the city’s glitterati crowd.
Image: The Manc Eats
Brought to the city by restauranteur Zack Isaak, the new arrival borrows from two popular concepts already well-established across the Pennines and promises a glitzy cocktail menu alongside a range of sushi platters, prime Brazilian steak cuts and small plates.
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The new dining concept will see guests order fresh sushi and traditional Brazilian meats in unlimited quantities via digital tablets on each table, meaning they will have access to over 150 varied dishes at the simple click of a button.
From Brazilian picanha and pork belly to Japanese hosomaki and fresh sashimi, the extensive menu at Sakku Samba celebrates a fusion of two distinct cultures.
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Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Though this is restaurant owner Zack Isaak’s first Manchester-based endeavour, his other restaurants SAKKU and Estabulo have proven to be extremely popular with sites all across England.
Speaking on the new concept, Zack Isaak said: “Sakku Samba is all about creating an incredible dining experience. From the moment guests walk through the doors, to the minute they leave they’ll be blown away by our stunning decor, unique cocktails, beautiful menu and high end service.
“We wanted to come to Manchester with a bang, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do at our launch tomorrow evening. SakkuSamba is set to become the go-to place to dine here in Manchester.”
Sakku Samba’s arrival in the business district comes at a time of change for the area, which has been dominated by current and past Living Ventures businesses like Australasia, Manchester House, The Alchemist, and The Living Room almost since its inception.
This year will see more out-of-town concepts follow in its wake, with the planned arrival of brands like Sexy Fish in the former Armani unit, Giggling Squid in the former Carluccio’s site, Soho House at nearby Granada Studios and Mnky Hse at nearby Lloyd Street.
The restaurant will open its doors to walk ins on Wednesday 27 July following a swanky VIP launch party on Tuesday. Bookings can be made online now from 1 August onwards by visiting their website, www.sakkusamba.co.uk.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
A huge new restaurant has opened up in Spinningfields, returning a touch of glamour to a part of the district that has lain empty and forgotten for years.
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Taking over the former Artisan and Manchester House sites, once a mecca for Manchester’s glitterati, it
Called Sakku Samba, the glamorous new behemoth combines two popular existing concepts, Brazilian steakhouse Estabulo and sushi restaurant Sakku, to fuse Brazilian and Japanese cuisine together in a swanky all-you-can-eat setting.
Complete with fistfuls of pink sakura, neon lighting, and its very own VIP restaurant with separate access and corridors, this huge block of real estate has become a place for the city’s glitterati to gather once more.
The new restaurant and bar will launch
its Instagram-friendly brand of dining to Manchester – complete with a special VIP dining area and corridor.
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Taking over the former Artisan and Manchester House sites to form a glamorous all-you-can-eat behemoth, newcomer Sakku Samba fuses together Brazilian and Japanese cuisine under one roof.
Launched by restauranteur Zack Isaak, the new site combines two popular existing concepts, Brazilian steakhouse Estabulo and sushi restaurant Sakku, to offer Manchester something it hasn’t seen before – limitless dining in a VIP setting.
Inside, there are two bars, two private dining rooms, two restaurants (one for VIPs only) and a special private corridor for
the concepts of Estabulo Rodizio, an all-you-can-eat Brazilian steakhouse with a number of popular sites in Yorkshire, and Leeds’ all-you-can-eat sushi and Japanese grill venue, Sakku.
Split across two floors, ground-floor caiprinha bar and a first-floor restaurant with room for 400 covers.
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Beyond that, you’ll find a VIP dining room and two extra private dining rooms, an ‘Instagram trap’ selfie room lit with hundreds of kilowat bulbs, lemanc2020
At 400 cacpacity, it’s absolutely huge – with two private dining rooms, a private VIP corridor and restaurant as well as
News
Greater Manchester unveils latest vision to bring local rail under the Bee Network
Danny Jones
Mayor Andy Burnham and fellow local leaders have unveiled the latest plans behind the vision to bring the Greater Manchester and nearby train links under the Bee Network.
For starters, the plan is to add a total of eight rail lines to the ever-growing public transport system.
Posting the latest schematic on social media this Friday, the Greater Manchester Mayor celebrated the unified tap-and-go service for buses and trams at the start of the week and has now ended it by sharing the next steps with the 10 boroughs.
We started the week by integrating buses and trams into a single tap-and-go system.
The update is in response to the UK government’s ‘A Railway Fit for Britain’s Future‘ reform bill, the national consultation of which is well underway and closes to local authorities and the public at large on Tuesday, 15 April.
The overall aim is for Greater Manchester to reach an agreement with the government in devolving power to Mayoral Combined Authorities when it comes to the planning and developing of local infrastructure and train services.
Put simply, the goal is to achieve local responsibility and accountability for rail travel as the city-region looks to continue establishing its own ‘London-style’ public transport framework (i.e. the Oyster card which is valid for buses tubes, local railway and so on).
In addition to this, they are hoping to make new arrangements for funding, fares and services through the Railway Bill, which would hopefully see rail fares in and around Greater Manchester, as well as neighbouring areas like parts of Cheshire and Derbyshire, fall under the Bee Network cap.
Once again, this regional push is a reaction to the country’s various rail companies’ continuing struggle to provide both affordable and reliable train travel.
Sub-quality rail services in the North, especially, are a big driving force behind the plans to loop train travel into the Bee Network.
Detailing a three-phase plan to carry out these city-region specific changes as the Labour Party looks to establish Great British Railways – a new body bringing track and train together – local authorities are already working closely with the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT).
Speaking on the masterplan, which culminates in a full ‘Bee Network Rail by 2030, Burnham has dubbed it “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rewire how the railways are run”, and one that can set a standard for other areas up and down the country.
The Mayor went on to add: “We’re already delivering change in Greater Manchester and have seen the positive benefit that greater local control and accountability for our tram, bus and active travel has had, with increasing numbers of people getting on board – but rail is the missing piece of the jigsaw…
“A Bee Network fare cap – including rail – would mean that people commuting into the city at peak times from Glossop could pay a cap of around £14 including return train travel as well as trips on buses and trams.
“Devolution is working for people in Greater Manchester, but we know that many other areas are at different stages of their journey […] We know the government share our ambition to restore confidence and get more people choosing the train, and we’ve been really encouraged by our conversations so far on how things can be done differently.”
Featured Images — daniel0685 (via Flickr)/The Manc Group
News
Blackpool Pleasure Beach is getting a new multi-million pound ride
Thomas Melia
One of the North West’s favourite theme parks, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, is receiving a brand new, multi-million pound ride next year.
The newest addition to the massive coastal amusement park will be a giant gyro swing, and work on making it come to life in the park has already started.
Although the concept of a swinging pendulum may exist at other theme parks in the UK, Blackpool Pleasure Beach reassures thrill-seekers that this will be bigger than any other – especially in terms of height. You could say this is the new rival to ‘The Big One’.
It’s certainly big in terms of cost, as estimates have construction valued at around £8.72m.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach is home to some phenomenal rides and they’re gaining another.Thrill seekers will be able to the Pleasure Beach’s latest ride next year. Credit: Pleasure Beach Resort
The attraction is set to hold 40 riders who, if brave enough, will face outward with their legs dangling over the edge to replicate the feeling of flying.
This new ride has been on the horizon ever since Blackpool Pleasure Beach sent a digital van to their rivals over at Thorpe Park (currently closed for maintenance), which read: “We’ll just have to come up with something else then, won’t we?”
The next closest competitor at Drayton Manor is ‘Maelstrom’, which reaches nearly 74 feet, while this gyro swing will more or less double this number, racking up to 138 feet at its highest point at a 120-degree angle. Gulp.
Suspense has been building for this new addition as eager adrenaline junkies noticed the demolition of the former Bowl-A-Drome building, with no words from the park itself – until now.
CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort, Amanda Thompson OBE, said: “We’re thrilled to confirm the addition of a Gyro Swing at Pleasure Beach Resort, with work already underway.” It doesn’t have an official name yet, but it’s been dubbed ‘Project MMXXVI’.
We're delighted to unveil Project MMXXVI, a colossal 138ft Gyro Swing coming to Pleasure Beach next year. 🐍 pic.twitter.com/xAtEKpcgv5
— Pleasure Beach Resort🎢 (@Pleasure_Beach) March 20, 2025
Thompson also stated, “We’re well known for doing things on a large scale, so becoming home to the largest Gyro Swing in the UK made complete sense.”
This isn’t the only attraction receiving all the love at Blackpool Pleasure Beach as ‘Wallace & Gromit‘s Thrill-O-Matic’ is adding some new scenes, thanks to its recent win at the BAFTAs.
Much-loved ride ‘River Caves’ is also going to be re-imagined, while the ‘Launch Pad’ – which recently finished an upgrade earlier this year – will be open in Spring.
The Gyro Swing will be opening sometime in 2026, and while the date for its grand debut might not be released, the park has spoken on its location, announcing it will be placed up in the north of the park.
How exciting!
Blackpool Pleasure Beach is constantly adding innovative rides.This new Gyro Swing will be joining the infamous ‘The Big One’.Credit: Supplied
Georgina Pellant -
25th July 2022 
