Eats

‘Damn fine’ burger and steak restaurant Meatworks set to open at Circle Square

That's grill-iant, utterly grill-iant.

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia - 29th January 2025

A brand-new modern steak house is openings its doors in Manchester next month, and Meatworks has chosen Circle Square as the perfect location for its flagship UK restaurant.

Famed and respected for being burger specialists, they’re also the same team behind the hugely successful smash burger Boo and Midlands butchery, Halal Editions.

The new 52-cover casual restaurant space will be offering traditional burger patties and smash burgers, merging them with some incredible and unique flavours.

That’s alongside delicious steaks, and if you weren’t hungry enough already, their signature small plates like cheeseburger dumplings and slow-cooked short rib pancakes.

Manchester’s newest steakhouse is bringing some extraordinary offers with them too as guests can grab ‘Lunchtime value specials’ which includes a smash burger and fries for just £10. 

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It’s going to become everyone’s go-to as not only does it cater to the fast-paced grab-and-go eating habits of the Manchester public, the evening brings a more relaxed dinner setting.

Meatworks will be an alcohol-free restaurant but the drink menu features mocktails like the kiwi mojito to the lychee and lemongrass mocktail.

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The inside of Manchester's newest steak joint 'Meatworks'.
The inside of Manchester’s newest steak joint ‘Meatworks’. Credit: Supplied

Circle Square is quickly becoming the place with all the ‘IT Factor’ as just last month, viral bakery Half Dozen Other opened their newest site in this establishment.

The landmark neighbourhood, from Bruntwood SciTech and Vita Group, is in the heart of Manchester’s Oxford Road Corridor and centred around the beautiful Symphony Park.

Meatworks joins this rapidly-growing neighbourhood alongside Onda Pasta Bar, North Tap Room, Federal Cafe Bar, Detroit Slims, Ambers and Doug’s, who all take up residence in this site.

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Charlotte Wild, Head of Retail & Leisure for Bruntwood SciTech, shared: “Meatworks represents yet another fantastic new reason to visit Circle Square.

“After an extraordinary year of new openings in 2024 we’ve built a vibrant community of hospitality innovators here on the Oxford Road Corridor, and it’s great to kick off 2025 with another great addition to the community.

“This independent, quality steak house and eatery will fit perfectly into the destination and we can’t wait to welcome them.”

Meatworks are shouting out about their 'Damn fine burgers' at Circle Square.
Meatworks are shouting out about their ‘Damn fine burgers’ at Circle Square. Credit: Supplied

Jake Atkinson, Head of Food & Beverage for Vita Group, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Meatworks to Circle Square. Known for their exceptional cuts, bold flavours, and attention to detail.

“Their arrival enhances the diverse dining scene at Circle Square, and we’re excited for Manchester to enjoy a new experience.”

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Mohammed Suleman from Meatworks added: “We’re thrilled to be opening Meatworks and share our passion for great food with the people of Manchester. Burgers and high quality meats are in our DNA and we’re excited to bring our expertise to Circle Square and its growing community.

“The destination is the perfect location for our first opening in the city. We promise to offer bold flavours and innovative dishes and can’t wait to welcome our first customers.”

Meatworks is set to open on 5 February at Circle Square and will be open from Tuesday to Sunday between 12pm to 11pm every week with both walk-ins and bookings welcome.

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Featured Image: Publicity Picture (Supplied)

Eats

Lively Irish pub Nancy Spains set to open in Manchester for the first time

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Lively Irish pub Nancy Spains set to open in Manchester for the first time

An Irish bar famed for its live music is heading up to Manchester for the first time, and is promising £2.50 pints to lure us in.

Nancy Spains will be venturing out of London for the first time promising to bring the ‘ultimate traditional Irish pub experience’ to the Northern Quarter.

If you were to ask what the hottest trend in hospitality is right now the answer would, apparently, be Guinness. We’re drowning in the stuff.

In the last year alone we’ve had Mother Mary’s, the Salmon of Knowledge, and O’Connell’s open in the city centre, plus that huge expansion for the legendary Mulligans.

This latest opening is more about Murphy’s, another Irish stout, than Guinness (they actually won’t serve Guinness at all) but the craic will be much the same.

Nancy Spains is actually set to open almost directly opposite the aforementioned Salmon of Knowledge, taking over the former Corner Boy unit on Stevenson Square in the heart of Manchester.

To celebrate its opening, the pub will be serving its first 5000 pints of Murphy’s for just £2.50, so that it can show off the atmosphere that’s established it as ‘one of London’s favourite pubs’.

@nancyspains

Live music all day Shoreditch Saturdays are amazing, but can you imagine then once we get Manchester going? #murphys #nancys #irishpub #fyp

♬ original sound – Nancy Spains

They’re promising an array of Irish whiskeys behind the bar, live music performances, and a lively late-night setting.

Nancy Spains was set up by three brothers who travelled all over their home county of rural Kerry researching Irish pubs, before launching two venues down in London.

They want it to balance a traditional pub with the vibrancy of the city.

Peter O’Halloran, co-founder of Nancy Spains commented, “We’re so excited to be launching in Manchester, bringing Nancy Spains to the heart of the Northern Quarter.

“After the success of our two venues in London, it was only right to bring Nancy Spains’ infectious spirit and Irish pride to Manchester. Slainte!”

Nancy Spains will open its first Manchester pub on Saturday 15 March at 21 Hilton Street.

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Featured image: Supplied

Eats

Lucky Mama’s – The Italian restaurant serving pasta in a dough bowl and ‘pregnant’ pizzas

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Lucky Mama's in Chorlton

Lucky Mama’s is a local sensation, thanks to its slightly whacky but delicious Italian creations like pasta served in a bowl made of pizza dough and its latest offering, a ‘pregnant’ pizza.

What on Earth is a pregnant pizza, you ask? Firstly we should stress this is a nickname we’ve bestowed upon the dish, rather than Lucky Mama’s chosen branding.

But essentially it’s a helping of fresh pasta that’s folded into the bubble crust of the pizza, like a half-calzone.

Lucky Mama’s started life when founders Mamadou Dhiam and Gaby Santos set up a trailer in their backyard in Eccles in the depths of lockdown.

But thanks to a formidably loyal following that’s spread the word of Lucky Mama’s far and wide, it now has two pretty pink restaurants in Greater Manchester.

Back in 2022, they threw open the doors to their Chorlton restaurant, before returning back to home turf for spot number two in Monton in 2024.

The recipes are fresh and pretty authentically Italian up until the last step, when they throw a curveball by loading their pasta into unconventional vessels.

'Pregnant' pizzas at Lucky Mama's
‘Pregnant’ pizzas at Lucky Mama’s
Traditional Roman pizzas
Traditional Roman pizzas
Lucky Mama's pink restaurant in Chorlton
Lucky Mama’s pink restaurant in Chorlton

Their pasta pizza bowls are what they’re best known for and they fly out of the kitchen – this is where pizza dough is placed around a metal bowl before being baked in an oven.

Then it’s piled high with freshly made pasta, with popular flavours like cacio e pepe, mushroom alfredo, and rasta pasta.

Pasta is available in a regular ceramic bowl too.

You’ll find Lucky Mama’s at 565 Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton; and 217 Monton Road in Eccles.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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