The Alchemist has officially reopened its doors to show off its £550k refurbishment and its revamped menu.
The bar’s flagship site in Spinningfields has been part of Manchester’s bar scene since 2010, and is back open for business this week after its extensive makeover.
Guests are now greeted by a cosmic-inspired bar and restaurant space packed with dark black and grey walls, navy tiling, twinkling white lights and touches of brass.
The theatrical potions-inspired cocktails that The Alchemist became famed for remain in situ – expect plenty of bubbling, smoking concoctions with more than a few hidden tricks in the glass… colour-changing cocktail, anyone?
Inside the restaurant space at The Alchemist after its refurbishment. Credit: The Manc Group
In fact, many of the drinks are so fanciful that they actually come with a safety warning (do not eat or handle the dry ice, please).
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The food offering has been overhauled in a way that will delight plant-based diners, collaborating with Meatless Farm to create a menu that’s 44% vegan and 58% gluten free.
Dishes include plant-based, chicken-style bites in either a tangy Korean gochujang sauce, or salt and pepper, with a disarmingly convincing texture.
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Plant-based Korean bites, and vegetable gyoza
Sweet bao with miso caramel and berries
Food at The Alchemist after its refurbishment. Credit: The Manc Group
There’s also tofu ‘prawn’ toast, plant-based duck bao with miso mayo, and Meatless Farm beef-style burgers on the sustainability-focused menu.
Diners will find a strong Asian-fusion slant to the food here, including cheese and kimchi toasties, katsu curries, gyoza and curried fish.
The Alchemist is bringing its theatrical spin on hospitality to food now too, with mini sizzling yakitori grills delivered to tables loaded with barbecue chicken and sides.
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The Alchemist has undergone a cosmic-inspired refurbishment. Credit: The Manc Group
The Asian inspiration carries through to desserts, in a crispy sweet bao stuffed with berries and miso caramel, and a yakitori caramelised pineapple.
Culinary director Seamus O’Donnell said: “We’ve really tuned into our guests and team members’ feedback and have worked our food offering to bring it even further in line with the sustainable efforts of the brand.
“We understand that many people have dietary requirements and are choosing a more Flexitarian lifestyle. Our menu is now sitting at 58% vegetarian and 44% plant based.
“Of course, theatre hasn’t been compromised with locally sourced seasonal fish from the coast of Scotland used in our electric-pink trout and the addition of our Yakitori grills, enhancing the magic at the table.
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“We try to keep a sense of play at the forefront of our menus so doing that sustainably has been a great challenge and we’re proud to see it pay off.”
Featured image: The Manc Group
City Centre
Drama Call opening first-ever flagship shop in Manchester
Danny Jones
Streetwear superstars Drama Call are opening their new flagship store and first-ever permanent site in Manchester city centre this weekend.
Expect massive queues and lots turning up wearing the increasingly recognisable starry logo.
Already a much-loved brand not just here in 0161 but across the nation at large, the native independent business turned street-style favourites and UK fashion phenomenon are no strangers to HUGE pop-ups in their hometown.
However, they’ve never had a mainstay location anywhere in the country, let alone Greater Manchester – well, until now, that is…
Credit: Press shots (supplied)
Debuting in the Northern Quarter this Sunday, the venue located on Tib Street will effectively serve as Drama Call‘s new HQ.
The local label has done everything from popping up vans with Manc rapper Aitch to collaborating with Man United for multiple limited edition collections, so it only felt like a matter of time before they’d make a big brick-and-mortar splash in our fair city.
Most notably, they’re also taking over the same unit as the Sheep Shop, a former skate shop and legendary urban clothing tastemaker of the 90s; they were one of the first places in Britain to stock famous names like Stüssy, Supreme, Carhartt, The North Face and many more.
With that in mind, it feels only fitting that they carry on the trendsetting tradition from the same premises, and just spitting distance from the likes of Note, as well.
And that’s not all, either: before the full launch, they’ll also be holding an exclusive cash-only shirt swap event, where a limited number of certain collector’s items will be sold for as little as £10.
Other things to note are the additions of signed vinyls by homegrown artists such as the aforementioned Aitch and even The Smiths.
In fact, the store will also feature strictly Mancunian exclusives, too.
Everything from polo shirts and tees to branded mugs, matchboxes and other accessories will be available in-store only.
NQ is bound to be buzzing across launch weekend, with doors officially opening to the public on Sunday, and we wouldn’t be surprised if you see people camping outside the front well ahead of time.
What a moment the Manc shopping scene is having right now.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Pear)
City Centre
Manchester Day 2026 – all the road closures set to be in place across the city centre
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2026 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Sunday 26 July, and as always, it’s set to be ‘the day summer officially starts’ in the city centre – with organisers going all in to make this year’s event one of the very-best yet.
This year’s Manchester Day is promising to have a ‘distinctly Catalan flavour’, as performers from Barcelona head to Manchester to join in the festivities in what is a first for the event.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Heading into the city centre for Manchester Day this Sunday 26 July?
Some transport services will be affected by planned works and road closures, so plan ahead. 🚋
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 23, 2026
As always, activities will be taking place right across the city centre – from St Ann’s Square to Cathedral Gardens, and everywhere in between.
Organisers say there will be plenty of chances throughout the day for visitors, both young and old, to get stuck in, with city’s streets and squares filled with Catalan spirit, along with some surprising links to books and reading along the way.
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
A number of road closures and parking suspensions will be in place / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2026 – Road Closures
Sunday 26 July
From 11am to 3pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Peter Street (Hall Street to Deansgate)
Mount Street (Windmill Street to Albert Square)
Deansgate (St Johns Street to Cateaton Street)
From 11am to 4pm, the following roads will be closed:
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Cross Street to Exchange Street)
St Ann’s Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
Cross Street (Corporation Street to Princess Street)
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 9pm on Saturday 25 July to 9pm on Sunday 26 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Peter Street (Portland Street to Deansgate)
Mount Street (Windmill Street to Albert Square)
Deansgate (St Johns Street to Cateaton Street)
Central Street (Southmill Street to Mount Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Cross Street to Exchange Street)
St Ann’s Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
Cross Street (Corporation Street to Princess Street)
Princess Street (Cross Street to George Street)
John Dalton Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
Clarence Street (Princess Street to Booth Street)
St Mary’s Street (Southgate to Deansgate)
Southgate (King Street West to St Mary’s Street)
Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
Southmill Street (Windmill Street to Lloyd Street)
Lloyd Street (Southmill Street to Deansgate)
Dickenson Street (Portland Street to George Street)
George Street (Princess Street to Dickenson Street)
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
St James’ Square (John Dalton Street to End)
Booth Street (Cooper Street to Clarence Street)
Kennedy Street (Cooper Street to Clarence Street)
King Street (Spring Gardens to Cross Street)
Queen Street (Deansgate to Lincoln Square)
On the day, full traffic diversion signage will be in place across all areas affected by road closures, and the Council says it will do its best to ‘minimise’ their duration.
Manchester Day 2026 is taking over the city centre on Sunday 26 July, and will be kicking off at midday right through to 5pm.
Daisy Jackson -
30th March 2022 
