Eats

Ilkay Gundogan is heading back to Manchester – here are some restaurants his wife might actually like

She previously said the food here was 'horrible'

Daisy Jackson - 24th August 2024

With news that Ilkay Gundogan is heading back to rejoin Manchester City after just a year away, our minds immediately went to his poor wife.

When Gundogan and his partner Sara Arfaoui last lived here, she famously said that the restaurant scene here was ‘horrible’.

Sara is a bit of a foodie but found herself stuck with establishments ‘focused on making money with drinks like night clubs, not quality food’ (to be fair, she has a point on this one…)

She also said that she couldn’t find ‘good sushi or fresh food’ and said that ‘everything is frozen’.

Gundogan’s stunning wife did eventually find one place in Manchester that fit the bill, when they went to the glittering Musu.

But she’s been gone a whole year now, and in a city as big as ours you end up with a lot of new openings in that time.

So here are five restaurants Ilkay Gundogan and his wife should try now they’re back in Manchester.

Skof, NOMA

Inside Skof, Manchester's newest restaurant — Inside Skof in Manchester

This list could end here, because Skof is an exceptional restaurant.

Under the steer of chef Tom Barnes, and as part of Simon Rogan’s UMBEL Restaurants group, this is a newcomer that has rocketed to the top of our favourite restaurants list.

Michelin-worthy tasting menus weave in local produce from around the Greater Manchester as well as produce grown specifically for the restaurant from Our Farm in the Cartmel Valley.

The beautiful space has lofty ambitions and looks set to smash them all.

Caravan, St John’s

Caravan is ready to open in St John's, Manchester — Ilkay Gundogan’s wife Sara should try Caravan when she’s back in Manchester

Cheese and kimchi on toast at Caravan in Manchester — Ilkay Gundogan’s wife Sara should try Caravan when she’s back in Manchester

This is a new new restaurant for Manchester, having only opened its doors last week – and if Mrs Gundogan likes brunches, sourdough pizzas, coffee and cocktails, this is one for her list.

Caravan bring a little taste of New Zealand to St John’s with an all-day ‘well-travelled’ menu.

Its hero dishes include jalapeño cornbread with chilli butter, sourdough pizzas, and healthy (but hearty) grain bowls.

It’s not quite as fancy as MUSU, but for a relaxed lunch or dinner you can’t go far wrong.

Lucky Cat, Spring Gardens

Lucky Cat is a Manchester restaurant Ilkay Gundogan's wife Sara should try and review. Credit: Supplied — Lucky Cat is a Manchester restaurant Ilkay Gundogan’s wife Sara should try and review. Credit: Supplied

Ilkay Gundogan and Sara Arfaoui may have just managed to visit Lucky Cat before they left Manchester – but if not, its incredible interiors are sure to tick a few boxes.

Gordon Ramsay’s Asian-inspired restaurant on King Street is in the old Art Deco bank that once housed Jamie’s Italian, and has a menu that fuses the vibrant atmosphere of 1930s Tokyo jazz kissas and drinking dens with a world-class dining experience.

Diners are invited to ’embark on a gastronomic journey of culinary icons’, digging into the likes of sublime black cod, sumptuous sirloin weeping tiger and the legendary Lucky Cat Duck Bao.

Maya, Canal Street

Maya has been added to the Michelin Guide already. Credit: THe Manc Group — Maya in Manchester has been added to the Michelin Guide already. Credit: THe Manc Group

Maya's £25 asparagus has been removed from the menu — Maya in Manchester has been added to the Michelin Guide already. Credit: THe Manc Group

This one was a long time coming, but Maya is making waves on Canal Street after bringing a lavish new restaurant to the Gay Village.

Sprawling across three floors – including a ‘no-photos-allowed’ basement bar – the beautiful restaurant has already wormed its way into the Michelin Guide.

The food side of things is all headed up by Mancunian chef Gabe Lea, whose CV includes Michelin-starred Le Manoir and The French at the Midland Hotel.

Its menu has been tweaked and perfected since its launch – which is good, because the earliest menu featured four pieces of asparagus as a ‘main course’ for £24, with no sides…

Raft, Spinningfields

This one’s a bit of a curveball because I think, if we’re being honest, Sara might actually hate it.

Raft is a stunning new opening in Spinningfields, taking over what was previously SakkuSamba and instead turning it into a dark and moody ‘island’ restaurant with a ‘coastal boozer’ on the ground floor.

The main attraction at Raft is its ‘Island Dining’ and ‘Boheme Brunch’ offerings, which when you boil it down are… buffets. Beautiful ones, but buffets.

There’s also an a la carte menu that features small plates like lobster karaage rolls, North African lamb chops, and birria beef croquettes, plus a luxury carvery on Sundays.

I’d really like to know what Sara thinks of it, actually.

More new openings comign to Manchester

There are plenty of places set to open in the coming weeks that should tickle the pair’s fancy, too.

Blacklock is heading up from London bringing its exceptional meat-led menu with it – it’s renowned for its modern take on the Great British chophouse, serving a range of chops and high-quality steaks cooked over charcoal.

Also opening very soon is Louis, an Italian-American restaurant in Spinningfields from the Tattu team, which will have a no-photos policy, live music every night, and will generally be creating a little piece of mid-century New York to Manchester.

And finally, The Cut and Craft is opening its first restaurant here very soon, taking over an old bank building on Mosley Street. It’ll serve premium locally-reared steaks, as well as a menu of expertly delivered seafood specials and meat butchered in-house.

Hope you like your time here a little better this time around Ilkay and Sara – Manchester is happy to have you back.

Featured image: The Manc Group / Instagram