Eye-catching “Instagrammable” pink restaurant 202 Kitchen has announced the opening date for its new Spinningfields site.
The restaurant first appeared as a pop-up in a vacant plot on Bridge Street last summer, filling the space with pink blooms, neon signs and a life-size Barbie box.
Situated on Leftbank, the huge 7000 sq ft venue will overlook the River Irwell and provide 200 covers to give guests the option to enjoy outdoor waterside cocktails, or the iconic lavish pink surroundings.
The Manchester site – which will be formed by knocking together the two restaurant spaces previously occupied by Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Zizzi to create a huge new venue – will now become 202 Kitchen’s flagship hub.
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The vibrant interiors of 202 Kitchen quickly made it a favourite of social media savvy millennials and the launch of the new venue will take the concept to a new level.
Owners have invested £1 million into transforming the new space – creating over 100 hospitality jobs in the process.
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The venue is promising “deliciously indulgent food”, an atmosphere like no other, and an enclosed outdoor area designed for all weathers, set against the pink backdrop it’s become most known for.
The menu will showcase “colourful cultural foods”, such as mac’n’cheese, waffles, fried chicken, burgers, grilled seafood, and more.
202 Kitchen is moving into Leftbank / Credit: The Manc Group
Speaking ahead of the restaurant’s opening next month, Leon Beckford, Panikos Myrritis and John Sambo – founders of 202 Kitchen – said: “It’s such an amazing feeling to finally be able to reveal our launch date.
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“After the success of our temporary pop-up on Bridge Street last year, we’re coming back bigger and better, and believe us when we say we’ve taken the brand to the next level.
“We can’t wait to reveal what we have planned.
“From the moment you walk in, guests will understand exactly what 202 Kitchen is all about [as] customer experience is our number one priority and whether that be from the quality of the food and drinks or the service, everyone is going to be talking about 202.
“We are proud to have been the first to bring this concept to Manchester last year but appreciate that the hospitality landscape is constantly evolving [so] to provide a unique experience, we have evolved the concept to make sure we’re one step ahead in terms of ideas and concepts.”
Reservations are now open ahead of 202 Kitchen’s grand opening on Thursday 15 July, and you can make a booking here.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Eats
Yard and Coop is collaborating with The Great Kathmandu on a special burger
The Manc
Yard and Coop is collaborating with The Great Kathmandu on a special burger for National Curry week.
The buttermilk fried chicken heroes have teamed up with Gopal Dangol, the visionary founder of Didsbury’s beloved Nepalese restaurant, to create an absolute gem.
Combining The Great Kathmandu’s award winning Makhan Chara sauce with Yard and Coop’s famous fried chicken, it will be available throughout the coming month starting from Monday 2 October.
Using Yard and Coop’s 24-hour brined buttermilk chicken, plus crunchy slaw with lime and coriander, the one-off special features homemade bhaji bits and cardamom salt.
The main event, however, has to be the two Yard and Coop buttermilk fried chicken thighs dunked in The Great Kathmandu’s mouthwatering Makhn Chara buttermilk sauce.
The iconic Makhan Chara, created as a culmination of Gopal’s culinary experiences in the vibrant and diverse food landscape of 1960s India, serves as a tapestry of flavors and textures that reflects his masterful understanding of Indian and Nepalese cuisine.
Image: The Manc Group
Image: The Manc Group
Despite numerous chefs and restaurants attempting to replicate the Makhan Chara, none have managed to capture the nuanced balance of flavors and textures that Gopal Dangol originally conceived.
An inviting blend of orange and red hues, achieved through the natural pigments of the tomatoes and spices, sets the dish apart visually and – combined with Yard and Coop’s crunchy, crispy buttermilk chicken – makes for a striking burger.
Known for its towering dirty burgers and fried chicken plates, served under tongue-in-cheek names like The Dirty Bird and The Massive C*ck, buttermilk fried chicken thighs are very much the order of the day at Yard and Coop.
The restaurant has been a staple on Edge Street for as long as we can remember, and now we have one more reason to visit.
To find out more and book a table at Yard and Coop to try the special burger, click here.
Eats
The Mean Eyed Cat – Manchester’s brand new Deep South-inspired dive bar opens in Northern Quarter
Daisy Jackson
The Mean Eyed Cat, a Deep South-inspired dive bar with free pizza, is ready to open its doors in Manchester city centre.
The bar is already a familiar face on the bar scene, pulling out all the party vibes for almost two decades.
It’s now slinking its way onto Oldham Street, with a late-night sister bar, Tiki Hideaway, tucked down in the basement.
The Mean Eyed Cat has taken what was the futuristic, Blade Runner-esque dining room of District and flipped it into an American dream, with neon signs, weathered wooden walls, and rows of beers and bourbons behind the bar.
District’s old basement cocktail bar is now dripping in straw ceilings and bamboo walls as it turns fully into a Hawaiian-themed rum shack famed for its flaming Zombies.
The Mean Eyed Cat comes with plenty of unusual details – where else in town could you roll a dice and let fate decide how much your round at the bar will cost (FYI, it’s 25% off if you roll a two or a four, and it’s free if you roll a six).
Every drink you purchase at The Mean Eyed Cat in Manchester between 5pm and 9pm comes with a free pizza. Credit: The Manc GroupYou can roll a dice at the bar at The Mean Eyed Cat in Manchester to save money on your round. Credit: The Manc Group
Every drink you purchase between 5pm and 9pm comes with a free pizza. The catch, you ask? Nope, there isn’t one.
Pizza toppings include cheeseburger, chipotle fajita and buffalo cauliflower, with the West Yorkshire branch getting through hundreds every day.
There are several Johnny Cash-themed drinks on the Mean Eyed Cat menu, including I Walk The Lime (a Key Lime Pie-inspired creamy classic with Absolut lime vodka, apple juice, sugar syrup, cream, lime curd and a sprinkling of lime zest) and Ting of Fire (a zesty, fruity, vodka number with watermelon liqueur and Ting grapefruit juice).
Grant Dexter, Managing Director at Escapism Bars, said: “With many hospitality firms and venues feeling the pinch due to the energy crisis and cost of living, it’s exciting to be able to open these awesome venue, which includes not one but two incredible bars, in this popular area in Manchester which spans the NQ and Ancoats.
“We opened The Mean-Eyed Cat in Leeds back in 2004 and it has stood the test of time, attracting students, after work drinkers, party goers and anyone that likes to let their hair down. We can’t wait to see what Manchester’s legendary revellers make of the venues!”
Emily Sergeant -
17th June 2021 
