Whilst some people are probably looking forward to Valentine’s Day this month, we expect that a fair few others are struggling to muster much enthusiasm at all.
It’s fair enough. If you’re single then Cupid’s holiday can feel somewhat isolating, to say the least – which is why Caribbean-inspired restaurant and bar Turtle Bay has decided to give ‘equal billing’ to singles this year with two back-to-back bottomless dinners.
In what it’s calling an ‘inclusive celebration of love’, the restaurant has revealed it will be hosting two boozy dinners this month – one for singles on 13 February, and a second for couples on Valentine’s Day itself.
Featuring non-stop cocktails, prosecco and Red Stripe beers, plus two or three dishes each from Turtle Bay’s Caribbean-inspired menu, the bottomless dinners will celebrate love in all its forms.
Image: Turtle Bay
Image: Turtle Bay
Priced at £43.50 for two courses or £48.50 for three, both bottomless dinners will all start at 5pm and take place for two nights across Turtle Bay’s various Greater Manchester sites.
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Dish options include the likes of jerk wings and salt fish fritters to start, followed by the likes of baby back ribs, jerk chicken and organic jerk tofu.
Elsewhere, you’ll find West Indian curries like its Trini curry chicken, as well as classic comfort food dishes such as Chef Collin’s mac and cheese with jerk chicken or curry goat hash.
There’s also plenty for veggies and vegans, with curry aubergine, the MotherClucker burger, the halloumi Buddha bowl, and the No Moo burger all on offer.
As for cocktails, indulge in the likes of the Dessert Island (dark rum, Tia Maria, cold brew and salted caramel); Tobago Tea (white rum, vodka, tequila, gin, triple sec, grapefruit, mango and lime); Jamrock Punch (gin, passionfruit, strawberry, apple, grapefruit and lime) and the Tingwray (Wray & Nephew, white rum, grapefruit and lime) over the course of your booking.
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The Oxford Road has been refurbished and redecorated ready for the party season. / Image: Turtle Bay
Image: Turtle Bay
Those who fancy heading down can book into its sites on Oxford Street, in the Northern Quarter, or in Salford Quays.
To find out more and book, visit Turtle Bay’s website here.
Feature image – Turtle Bay
Eats
Didsbury favourite Rustik has confirmed its will sadly be closing this month
Danny Jones
West Didsbury favourite Rustik has sadly announced it will be closing for food after a decade at the end of this month.
The beloved Burton cafe and bar has been a staple of the tight-knit foodie neighbourhood since 2015, but now the independent Irish eatery has confirmed that the business will be shutting down permanently in less than a fortnight.
Confirmed on Wednesday afternoon, 17 September, the casual Manc restaurant and hangout informed their loyal followers of the unfortunate news.
Unsurprisingly, their social media has been awash with condolences, collective sadness and support for the local institution.
Posting across all of their accounts, Rustik wrote: “After an unforgettable 10 years on Burton Road, the time has come to close our doors. It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come — never in a million years did we imagine Rustik would grow into what it became.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to every single one of you who walked through our doors and supported us along the way. We poured everything we had — our time, our energy, our lives into making Rustik a space for everyone. And what a ride it’s been.
“From the chaotic, beautiful brunch shifts to late nights dancing on tables to ‘Wagon Wheel’, pushing through the challenges of COVID and helping our community with meals during hard times— we’ve done it all, together.
“To our amazing staff, past and present: thank you for your hard work, your dedication, and the love you brought every single day. You helped build something truly special, and we’ll never be able to thank you enough.
“To the incredible musicians who filled our space with life — keep doing what you do. The noise complaints? 100% worth the unforgettable nights.”
The team go on to detail that the official closing date is Tuesday, 30 September, reiterating that it is “business running as usual until then” and urging fans to “come down, grab your last Rustik fix, and raise a glass with us one final time.”
Signing off with an emotional farewell, they add: “Lastly, a message close to our hearts: please support your local cafes, bars, and independents. Hospitality is tough right now, and they need your support more than ever.
“Thank you for the most incredible decade of our lives. It’s over and out from us.”
It goes without saying that we’re gutted to see Rustik go and know how much it meant not only to the Burton Road community, but also to the Didsbury community, Chorlton and many other Greater Manchester natives.
A ‘saucy’ new Korean fried chicken restaurant is opening in the Gay Village
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new Korean fried chicken restaurant and cocktail bar is set to open on Canal Street this week.
CLUK is promising some big deals and amazing giveaways to celebrate its launch in Manchester, including free food and prize draws.
The newcomer in the heart of the city will specialise in Korean-style crispy fried chicken, but also warming ramen bowls, and salt & pepper classics.
Signature dishes will include Korean cheese-powder fried chicken, and Cheese Volcano Chicken.
CLUK will also serve dishes like kimchi cheese loaded fries, salt & pepper chicken, and huge sharing platters.
You can customise your Korean fried chicken order by size, choosing between wings and boneless and picking a flavour out of honey garlic, sweet and spicy, honey mustard, and honey and sour.
They promise it’ll all be ‘saucy, crunchy, and seriously addictive’.
That’s all washed down with ice-cold beers and creative cocktails, like martinis, spritzes and sours.
CLUK is now open in the Gay Village in ManchesterA spread of CLUK dishesInside CLUK ManchesterFried chicken with Korean cheese powderInside CLUK Manchester
The CLUK team are hoping to create a fun late-night dining option for this buzzing corner of the city centre.
To celebrate its launch on Thursday 18 September, CLUK have announced a whole heap of promotions.
This includes free chicken bao for the first 50 guests to visit during the first five days.
Over the two week launch period, visitors can spin the wheel whenever you spend £12 – spend £24 and spin twice.
And there are big prizes available – the top prize is a £100 gift card or £50 cash, with other prizes including free drinks, food and a £3 voucher as a consolation prize.
Plus, anyone who buys a gift card and tops it up with £100 will receive a free beer or cider.
When those two weeks are up, CLUK will run a £1,000 prize draw.
Georgina Pellant -
2nd February 2023 
