Hospitality heavyweights Big Mamma Group are finally heading to Manchester, opening a Circolo Popolare Italian restaurant in the city centre – so we nipped over to Paris to see exactly what’s in store for us.
In the 10 years since launching their very first restaurant, East Mamma in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, the group have spread their wings wide.
There are Big Mamma Group restaurants, under several different names, all over Europe – and although they all belong to the same family, each one is treated like a total individual.
Some have maximalist, kitsch interiors with animal print furniture, gilded ceilings and retro prints of men in Y-fronts; others are more traditional trattorias with exposed brick, terracotta floors and crisp white tablecloths.
These interiors are fun, which is so refreshing in an industry which sometimes takes itself a bit too seriously.
On our tour of Big Mamma restaurants in Paris I came across delightful details like a loo wallpapered in pictures of Rod Stewart, a cocktail menu designed like a retro football sticker book, and an ice cream parlour built into an old train station carriage.
Every corner is packed with whimsy and wonder and there’s a whole team dedicated to sourcing these little touches from antiques fairs, second-hand shops and independent makers, stashing them all in an Aladdin’s Cave of a warehouse. Each restaurant even has its own crockery pattern.
East Mamma, one of Big Mamma’s Paris restaurantsNo Entry cocktail barA Big Mamma speakeasyPink MammaLa Felicita food hallLa Felicita food hall
So yes, the interiors in Manchester will be similarly interesting and lavish.
Big Mamma Group has already confirmed that the huge two-storey Circolo Popolare trattoria will be inspired by a Sardinian Festa, meaning cosy alcoves, more than 8000 bottles of vintage booze, and a vast room inspired by an overgrown Mediterranean courtyard.
As it takes shape in Gary Neville’s £400m St Michael’s development, they’ll be moving in big sharing tables, antique trinkets, reels of twinkling lights and even an Italian wishing well ahead of the big launch next month.
But not enough of us are talking about the food yet – this is a restaurant group that sources its produce from 160 different Italian artisans to ensure that everything you’re eating as authentic and delicious as possible.
Food at Big Mamma
While the menus shift between restaurants you can expect hearty bowls of handmade pasta laced with truffle or tomato or cheese, crispy-soft pizzas layered in creative sauce bases (like zucchini cream or black truffle cream, along with their classic San Marzano DOP tomato sauce), and per iniziare starters like giant burrata balls, melt-in-the-mouth croquettes, and slivers of cured meats – all prepared in an open kitchen run by Campanian-born Alfonso Esposito.
And a show-stopper for Manchester will be an outrageous six-inch lemon meringue pie, with a wibbly wobbly tower of Italian meringue on top.
Circolo Popolare will officially open its doors on 6 June – and before then, there’ll be a very limited soft launch where you can snag yourself 50% off your bill. Sign up HERE, with bookings live on Monday 12 May.
Award-winning chippy in Prestwich announces heartbreaking restaurant closure
Daisy Jackson
Chips @ No. 8, a chippy in Prestwich that’s lauded as one of the best in the UK, has announced the sad closure of its restaurant.
The award-winning takeaway made some big moves last year, expanding into the unit next door so that they could comfortable double their space downstairs and add a restaurant upstairs.
The restaurant was a brand-new concept for the much-loved Prestwich chippy, serving a seafood-focused menu that wasn’t necessarily all about the fryer.
But sadly, Chips @ No. 8 has announced that the restaurant element of its business, Loft @ No. 8, has closed for good.
They wrote that the economic climate and the huge amount of choice in Prestwich has left them struggling to fill seats in the chippy restaurant.
The good news is that the fish and chip shop itself remains open for business and thriving, and customers will be able to use the former restaurant space to eat their takeaway in.
The bar downstairs also remains open for business for a cheeky pint or glass of wine while you wait for your order.
The Loft @ No. 8 is closing. Credit: The Manc GroupCurry sauce on a Chips @ No 8 chippy tea. Credit: The Manc Group
In a statement, Chips @ No. 8 said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the closure of Loft.
“With so many great places to eat in Prestwich, and the economic climate being what it is, we have struggled recently to fill enough seats to continue to make it a financially viable side to our business.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support whilst we were open, the team for their efforts, in particular, Craig, the creator of the delicious food that we had on offer up there.
“Chips @ No.8 remains open as normal and going forward, we are opening up the space upstairs for additional casual seating for the takeaway.
“The bar will remain open so you can still enjoy a pint or a glass of wine with your fish & chips, even if it is out of a box! We hope to see you soon!”
There’s a tiny Japanese restaurant inside a Manchester cafe serving matcha afternoon tea
Daisy Jackson
There’s a tiny little Japanese restaurant space in Manchester tucked inside a coffee shop – and they’ve just started serving matcha afternoon teas.
Niwa Yakitori is a brilliant addition to the city centre – by day, it’s sharing the space at North Star Piccadilly and operating as a matcha cafe.
And by night, it transforms the space into a cosy Japanese restaurant, complete with paper lanterns, bamboo plants, and neon signs.
While the word-of-mouth restaurant space is a real rising star thanks to its menu of freshly barbecued chicken and seafood, as well as delicious flights of sake, it’s the new matcha afternoon tea that we popped in for this time around.
Each table is presented with a tiered tower of treats infused with the popular Japanese green tea, and this is some world-class baking that’s going on at Niwa Yakitori.
Let’s break it down, tier by tier, to give you an idea of what you can get.
Up first is a Japanese egg mayo sandwich, made with fluffy shokupan bread and Kewpie mayo, then sprinkled in Furikake for a little bit of salt and texture.
The Japanese egg mayo sandoStrawberry sando with matcha creamThe half-and-half cookieMatcha basque cheesecakeScones with matcha cream and yuzu jamJapanese afternoon tea in Manchester
Also joining the sandwich line-up are strawberry sandos (yes, the ones that M&S had a go at this summer), made with a matcha cream and more of that pillow-soft shokupan.
Moving on up, and what afternoon tea would be complete without some scones? These ones come with a matcha cream and a yuzu and chilli jam. Divine.
Then the very top tier has a gang of miniature treats, including an adorable teddy bear-shaped matcha chocolate truffle; a matcha muffin; and a matcha-infused madeleine.
A real star is the chunky cookie, a clever half-half yin-yang of matcha and white chocolate, vs vanilla and dark chocolate.
Niwa Yakitori is a tiny Japanese restaurant in ManchesterJapanese afternoon tea in ManchesterMatcha and hojita at Niwa Yakitori
And they show off their baking prowess with a slice of matcha basque cheesecake, with three layers and a scoop of strawberry ice cream on top.
All washed down with ceremonial-grade matcha or hojicha lattes, which can be made table-side in a traditional tea ceremony.
The team at Niwa Yakitori are hoping this afternoon tea will fill crucial tables in their tiny space at a time where hospitality is being crippled with rising costs.
So please, for the love of all that is matcha, get this lovely Manchester Japanese spot on your list to visit.
Daisy Jackson -
8th May 2025 
