How is it nearly September already? Despite the promise of gravy-soaked Sunday roasts, red wine season and cheese boards, the end of summer still seems to have come around a tad too quickly.
Not that we should complain. There are, after all, some great new restaurants opening in Manchester this September – not least the trendy Mayfair restaurant Mnky Hse, which will mark the latest in a long line of new ‘glam sushi’ openings making their way to the city.
Elsewhere, the new arrivals are varied, ranging from a non-profit cafe and bookshop being opened by the charitable arm of a local solicitors firm, to a no-nonsense butty shop where you’ll find established local bakers building hench sandwiches from the bread up.
On top of all this, think a new arrival in the old Northern Quarter Cafe Cafe, a swanky new cocktail bar in a bank vault, a new chicken wing shop, dessert cafe and more.
Keep reading to find out where to put on your list this month.
Yes Lah
Image: Yes Lah
Image: Yes Lah
Newly opened in West Didsbury, Yes Lah comes from street food favourites Mama Z (Zos Fulwell) and Wok’s Cluckin (Yen Tham). Part shop, part deli and restaurant, they’ve funded the whole thing through Kickstarter.
Between them, they’re serving Pan Asian favourites like nasi lemak, daily rice and noodle bowls like chicken adobo, alongside kimchi bowls, fat baguettes, and a selection of treats from the deli counter. They’re also planning to host supper clubs and workshops in the future.
Open now
Gooey Cafe
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Opening inside the former Cat Cafe unit on High Street, Gooey’s new home boasts an in-house open bakery, new all-day brunch menu and take-out coffee offering.
Serving up brunch classics delivered with a Gooey touch (think dulce de leche-filled French toast, crispy hash browns and black pepper-cured bacon sandwiches), diehard fans will also find a counter full of the cookies, doughnuts and other sweet treats the bakery has become known for.
Open now
Read more:Inside Gooey’s new cafe and bakery as it prepares to open in Northern Quarter
Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria
It all feels like musical chairs in the Northern Quarter this month, as a number of our established favourites move from one place to another. Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria, most recently found slinging out slabs from the Alvarium kitchen, is one such place.
As of the end of August, owner Danny has moved once again – this time into the kitchen at Northern Monk, where he’s offering all the staples, alongside some new slabs and Italian subs.
Open now
Kong’s Cantina
Fried chicken heroes Kong’s is opening another concept this month as the team makes a permanent move into the kitchen at Black Dog Ballroom.
Taking over from modern Chinese takeaway favourites Salt and Pepper, from September you can expect to find a range of suped-up tacos and quesadillas coming out of the kitchen.
Open now
Salt and Pepper
Image: Salt Pepper Manchester
Image: Salt Pepper Manchester
At last, Manchester’s favourite modern Chinese street food pop-up has found a permanent home of its own. This month sees it move into a new restaurant opposite the Arndale Market, where it all began for them in 2019.
Opening next door to the English Lounge pub, diners can expect big flavours, fast food-style service and a new boozy list of drinks to wash it all down.
TBC
Coffee Block
Image: Supplied
This new addition to Stockport’s Merseyway Shopping Centre specialises in barista coffee alongside a wide selection of delicious cakes, paninis, and sandwiches.
Opened by David Howarth, a Stockport local with 25 years’ worth of experience in hospitality behind him, find it next to The Body Shop on the High Street.
Open now
Sterling
Image: Sterling Bar
Image: Sterling Bar
From the same brothers behind award-winning bars Schofield’s and Atomeca comes Sterling, an appropriately-named cocktail bar in a bank vault.
Housed underneath Ryan Giggs’ Stock Exchange hotel, the new bar promises a high-end selection of classic cocktails.
TBC
The Food Hall at New Century
Welcoming six new food traders, legendary 60’s concert hall New Century unveils the first phase of its redevelopment this month.
Here, you’ll find a new butty shop from Adam Redi (of The French at The Midland), a wild pizza concept from PLY, award-winning street food from father and son duo BaoBros23, plus Japanese delights from Zumuku Sushi, top-quality steaks at Tallow and Vietnamese bites from Bahn Vi.
There are also coffee and grab ‘n’ go concepts from New Century, plus local beers, wines, cocktails, teas, juices and smoothies.
Open now
Mnky Hse
Glam sushi is definitely the key food trend for Manchester’s hospitality newcomers this year. / Image: Mnky Hse
Another ‘signature mirror room’ for the glitterati crowd to pose infront of. / Image: Mnky Hse
Already a popular late-night fixture in Mayfair, Mnky Hse will try its luck in Manchester this month.
Moving into a unit in Lloyd House, just off Deansgate, the music-led Latin American restaurant and bar is known for ‘hidden entrance’, Instagram-friendly interiors, extensive cocktail menu and Latin American dishes.
The 102-cover restaurant will boast a central bar and open kitchen serving a great range of tacos (soft and crunchy), sushi, ceviche and grill dishes.
A non-for-profit cafe and bookshop, The House of Books & Friends will open inside The Manchester Club on King Street later this year.
Set up by local law firm Gunnercooke, this new not-for-profit cafe and independent bookshop has been specifically designed with the intention of helping to combat loneliness in the community.
Stocking books for both adults and children, the cafe will use the profits from its book sales to engage with those around the shop – working with local charities to combat social isolation.
TBC
Creams
Image: Creams UK
Dessert cafe Creams is opening a huge new site at Manchester Arndale this month, bringing its loaded sundaes and waffles with it.
The popular UK-wide dessert shop is taking over a huge space at Halle Place, offering everything from takeaway ice cream cones to boxes of Biscoff and icing-laden donuts and slices of cake.
It is the second Creams site for Manchester, building on the popularity of its Cheetham Hill cafe which first opened in 2017.
TBC
Super Happy MCR
Image: Super Happy MCR
Image: Super Happy MCR
A new no-nonsense sandwich shop from the team behind Batard, Super Happy MCR opens inside Ducie Street Warehouse this month – taking over the counter from popular bagel shop Bread Flower.
Switching out bagels for butties, every sandwich is built from the bread up – with house-made hoagie rolls and potato brioche buns both set to feature on the menu. Elsewhere, you’ll find choux pastry crullers and Turkish breads, all made using organic flour from Wildfarmed.
1 September
Wingstop
Image: WIngstop
Now open inside the Trafford Centre, this new arrival marks the third Manchester site for Wingstop.
Known for its classic wings, boneless wings and tenders, all available in ten different bold flavours including lemon pepper, this is the newest go-to for chicken lovers, who’ll also find fries and a new ‘ Big Flavour Burger’ on offer.
Manchester tapas spot Maricarmen open second city centre site
Danny Jones
Affordable Manchester tapas spot Maricarmen has just finished launching its second site in town, doubling its city centre presence with the official opening on Thursday, 4 September.
Maricarmen launched on Great Ancoats Street back in June 2023 and quickly became a firm Manc favourite, famous for their £3.50 dishes
When it comes to their small plate approach, they serve up some of the best tapas in Manchester, and even the shopfront seats at their popular roadside location are regularly full regardless of passing traffic.
However, if there’s ever been one gripe we’ve had with the place, it’s that the outdoor area isn’t the most peaceful, even if it is a stunning suntrap on a warm day – that’s where the new restaurant comes in.
Ancoats…… vs NQNew but familiar (Credit: Supplied/The Manc Eats)
We’ve been semi-regular visitors of Maricarmen ever since it started out life as a pop-up just around from Cutting Room Square, and they’ve gained speed and reputation ever since.
Known not only for authentic, value-for-money tapas, but welcoming plenty of punters for a simple drink as one of the best places for a sangria in central Manchester, they’ve managed to stay relatively just not just when the weather is bright but throughout most seasons.
While the Ancoats restaurant is known for the aforementioned roving ‘El Tableo’ style of service inspired by southern Spain, the newest location will be slightly different, revealing not only lighter colours and Alicante beach influences with a focus on alfresco eating, but lots of new specials.
Created by Marian Diaz and Jose Nunez, who previously owned a tapas restaurant in Madrid, La Porcineria, which was sadly curtailed by Covid.
On the bright side, Manchester has been the greatest beneficiary of their fresh start, and we can’t wait to see what venue number two delivers.
Co-founder, Diaz, said of the new opening: “Maricarmen is about compassion, hard work, strength, reinvention, opening our minds & hearts and connecting with people. It’s more than just food, for us, it is the beautiful moment when we see our customers and our coworkers smile because they are here.”
She went on to add, “To us, Manchester signifies the ability to reinvent and grow. The people here support you without expecting anything in return. It’s really beautiful. I have never felt this before in my life. […] We’ve built up such a loyal customer base of locals – many have become dear friends.
“And to be in a position to open a second site within two years and share our love of good food and great times with Manchester’s Northern Quarter is quite unbelievable.”
There really is a Costa Blanca beach house vibe to this bright, new yellow-accented corner of NQ and having tried some of their dishes, we can’t wait to get stuck in.
Be sure to follow them on socials too, not only for more announcements and updates but because it’ll give you an even better flavour of the vibes over there.
Popular Manchester cafe and bakery Gooey brilliantly responds to ‘2/10’ TikTok review
Daisy Jackson
Gooey, easily one of Manchester’s busiest bakeries and brunch spots, has clapped back at a negative review on TikTok with a refreshingly honest statement.
The local business shot to fame initially with its chunky, gooey cookies, but has since expanded from its hatch to have its very own cafe, famed for its enormous French toasts and its sandwiches made with baked-in-house Shokupan bread.
Generally, Gooey gets an incredibly good rap, with queues that speak for themselves stretching from its doors down High Street.
But one TikToker has shared a less favourable video review of the business, slamming it as ‘one of the most disappointing food experiences I’ve ever had in my life’.
The reviewer in question specialises in finding places you could eat comfortably as a solo diner, and ranked Gooey an overall 8/10 – but slated the food at a 2/10.
And now Gooey has shared their side of things, defending themselves against the reviewer’s claims that the food is ‘expensive’ and ‘tastes like it could have been made at Greggs’.
“Not everyone is going to like what you do and that is absolutely fair enough,” they wrote in a statement.
Gooey continued: “We’re not usually in the business of responding to negative reviews.
Gooey clapped back at the review that said its sandwiches were ‘too expensive’
“What has made us respond to this review is how often I’m seeing local businesses like ours targeted on costs.”
The cafe then justified the £10.90 cost for a bacon and egg sandwich, pointing out the bacon is cured in-house and cut thick every day by hand; the bread is also baked in-house daily; even the ketchup and brown sauce are made from scratch.
“With all that said, yes, we do have to charge more than you would pay for a bacon butty at Greggs.
“Listen, I understand this criticism. I used to get a bacon and egg butty before college for £1.95 from my local butty shop.
“We cannot do that here. We are paying Manchester City Centre rent. We employ a team of chefs, bakers, front of house, and more.
“And we are trying to make the best version of a bacon sandwich that we could.”
Chunky cookies at GooeyThe Gooey French toast that the review claimed was ‘too sweet’
As for the complaints that the French toast is ‘too sweet’, Gooey clapped back: “Yes, our French Toast is sweet. It’s filled with dulce de leche and topped with maple syrup.
“We personally love it and it’s our most popular item but if you don’t like sweet things, you might not like it!”
Finally, in defence of rising prices across the hospitality industry, they signed off with this brilliant piece of insight.
“Every single independent cafe, restaurant and bar across this country is charging more than they would like to be doing for their dishes.
“In 99.99% of cases, this is not greed, or us being thick, or trying to rip people off. It is simply the only way to survive with the costs we are facing.
“Even then, many of us are struggling to make it work.”
Anyone fancy meeting at Gooey for a bacon sandwich later then?