Big Mamma Group has finally announced it’s heading up north, opening a lavish Circolo Popolare restaurant here in Manchester.
These much-loved Italian restaurants are dotted all over Europe at this point, including beautiful spaces in London, Barcelona, Milan and Brussels.
These restaurants might catch your eye with their extravagant interiors but it’s their authentic, homemade Italian food and exceptional produce that’ll keep you coming back for more.
Inside each restaurant in the Big Mamma Group you’ll find maximalist interiors dialled up to maximum – if it’s patterned, colourful, shiny or textured (or ideally, all of the above at once), it’s hitting the Big Mamma interior design brief.
The result is joyful, decadent, escapist restaurants that’ll do their best to whisk you off on an Italian escape without leaving the vicinity of Deansgate.
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Big Mamma’s first foray into Manchester will see them open a Circolo Popolare at St Michael’s, Gary Neville’s landmark £400m development.
Big Mamma is coming to Manchester. Credit: Jerome GallandA Big Mamma restaurant in Hamburg. Credit: Jerome Galland
Expect glinting bottle walls as you make your way into the jasmine-clad, 280-cover trattoria, inspired by the island of Sardinia.
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The decor here will involve masses of antique trinkets, testa di moro (authentic ceramic busts), and even an Italian wishing well.
They say the space will be adorned with festoon lights and a eucalyptus-clad ceiling, so you’ll feel as though you’ve stumbled into an overgrown, lush courtyard.
Big Mamma is embracing the rain and heading to Manchester with Circolo Popolare. Credit: Supplied
Upstairs is the ‘villa hideaway’, a cosy terracotta den where you can see head chef Alfonso cooking British seafood on the grill at the kitchen counter.
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The menu will also feature Neapolitan pizza, which you can order half-and-half with your amici.
Big Mamma has pulled together its largest-ever selection of produce sourced from 170 family-run Italian artisans, ranging from Puglian burrata to Parma prosciutto.
There’ll be a three litre bottle of Amaro roaming the restaurant ready to pour you a shot, plus XL jugged cocktails.
And as for desserts, expect pistachio tiramisu scooped table side (or order the full tray).
Circolo Popolare from Big Mamma Group will open at St Michael’s in Manchester this June.
Hidden Manchester bar Mala to offer unique ‘movie night’ experiences inside private cabins
Thomas Melia
You can have your own private film experience inside little wooden cabins at a popular Northern Quarter bar this summer.
Manchester city centre secret garden spot Mala is hosting an event where you and your friends can enjoy a private movie night with food, themed drinks, and bucket loads of free popcorn.
Listed as the ‘Cabin Movie Night’, get ready to sit back, relax and watch a cult classic, all from the comfort of your own personal wooden hut.
The film you’ll be watching is very on-brand too, as it’s none other than none than ‘Labyrinth’.
This secret garden spot is hiding right in plain sight over on Dale Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, and as well as hosting events such as these, they’re also home to some top tier eateries too.
Currently El Jefe, Doodles, Wok Bros, Christakis, D&X Caribbean, and Gulf are all serving up some cross-continental delights for you to enjoy in this marvellous space.
Some mouth-watering scran from El Jefe.Wok Bros have some delicious noodle boxes. Credit: The Manc Group
The Cabin Movie Night’ is the perfect way to round up your friends and watch a classic with a cocktail in hand.
There’s a handful of group packages available too at an additional charge, ranging from £30 to £50, which includes themed cocktails for each guest in the booking, and the cost of the ticket.
You can get FREE sandwiches in Manchester this weekend – but only if you have certain names
Emily Sergeant
Hungry Mancs can help themselves to free sandwiches this bank holiday weekend… but there’s a bit of a catch.
You can only get yourself a sandwich if you have one of these particular names.
We’ve been enjoying some absolutely stunning sunshine across Greater Manchester and much of the UK over the past couple of months, and nothing says sunny days more than taking a packed lunch or grabbing a meal deal and taking it to your local park or greenspace for a picnic.
This is why Pret A Manger has decided to make picnics easier for those who are lucky enough to have a certain type of name.
This late May bank holiday weekend, the popular high street coffee shop chain will be dishing out hundreds of free sandwiches across the UK – including here in Manchester – to anyone whose name happens to start with ‘Nic’.
That means people called Nick, Nicholas, Nicola, Nicole, Nico, Nicolette, and plenty of others could be in with a chance of some free feasting over these next couple of days.
You can get FREE sandwiches in Manchester this weekend / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Supplied
Here in Manchester, it’s the chain’s Portland Street site, just off Piccadilly Gardens, that’s participating in the free giveaway this weekend, and there’ll be 50 sandwiches a day given out, so you’ll need to be quick if your name starts with ‘Nic’ and you’re feeling peckish.
The offer is only limited to Pret’s freshly-made sandwiches, and unfortunately excludes baguettes, wraps, or rye rolls… but free food is better than no food, after all.
All you’ll need to do to grab a freebie is show your ID at the tills of participating stores this Saturday (24 May) to prove your name, and you’ll get to walk out with your lunch in hand, all without having to spend a penny.
Manchester’s Portland Street Pret A Manger will be giving out 50 free sandwiches to ‘Nics’ this Saturday, and they’re on a first-come-first-served basis.
Daisy Jackson -
4th March 2025 
