There’s a cafe in Manchester that is dedicated to ticking off every chocolate food craze under one roof, from indulgent platters to those viral ‘Dubai’ pistachio bars.
We are of course talking about Cocoa Cabana, a pretty little spot in the heart of Ancoats (as well as its original site over in Didsbury), which specialises in all things artisan chocolate.
From beautiful cakes and chocolates made by hand and displayed in their cabinets, to traditional afternoon teas, to brunches and lunches – there’s a LOT to satisfy your sweet and savoury tooth at Cocoa Cabana.
First founded by Sarah Gallacher back in 2012, this is one of those spots that keeps people coming back time and time again thanks to a packed programme of experiences, including cocktail-making classes, tasting events, and chocolate making classes.
Now, if you’re one of those people who orders the sizzling fajitas in a restaurant, you’re going to enjoy the Cocoa Cabana smores platter, which arrives with a similar amount of ‘ooh look at me’ pomp and ceremony.
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You’re presented with your own miniature firepit-in-a-tin, flickering blue flames surrounded by a mountain of giant marshmallows, homemade cookies, and little jars of molten chocolate.
A smores platter at Cocoa Cabana in Ancoats. Credit: The Manc Group
Skewer your squishy mallow, stick it over the fire until its outsides are all golden and bubbling, then squash that between two cookies and apply whatever sauce – white chocolate, dark chocolate, or pistachio sauce – you fancy. Sickly, yes, but so good.
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There’s also the option to have a more traditional chocolate fondue, again presented on fire.
This time it’s a dark vat of artisan molten chocolate, with a heaped bowl of fresh strawberries, banana, chocolate straws, waffles, brownies, and more for dipping.
Dunking a fudgy, iced brownie into a pot of chocolate is the ultimate indulgence.
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Cocoa Cabana’s chocolate fondue. Credit: The Manc GroupCocoa Cabana in Manchester sells the viral Dubai pistachio chocolate. Credit: The Manc Group
And then, as all smart chocolatiers have done this year, Cocoa Cabana has brought those viral pistachio chocolate bars from Dubai straight to Manchester.
These enormous bars are stuffed with pistachio sauce and knafeh, a crunchy, traditional Arabic pastry that is sort of reminiscent of when you use to make Easter nests with a Shredded Wheat in primary school.
Cocoa Cabana finishes theirs in a shimmering coat of edible gold (because why not).
This is just one of those spots that proves you don’t need a golden ticket to find chocolate heaven in Manchester.
Hello Oriental opens new ‘seriously affordable’ Asian food hall at the Trafford Centre
Emily Sergeant
Manchester gem Hello Oriental is finally opening its new Asian food hall at the Trafford Centre this weekend.
The renowned East Asian street food hub has already taken Manchester city centre by storm since opening its original venue at Circle Square, just off Oxford Road, back in February 2022, and been has receiving rave reviews ever since – with critics notably calling the experience “a lot of fun” and “seriously affordable”.
But now, the Manchester-founded brand has chosen the Trafford Centre as the first UK shopping centre location to bring its trademark street food dining concept to.
There’ll be more than 100 delicious dishes for customers to choose from when the new site opens in the Upper Orient this Saturday.
Hello Oriental has opened a new Asian food hall at the Trafford Centre / Credit: The Manc Group
Hello Oriental owners and childhood best friends, Ricky Yip and Azim Kourah, say they have selected some of the most popular dishes from the Manchester city centre site’s extensive menu for the new Trafford Centre restaurant.
This means diners at the Trafford Centre can enjoy traditional dishes from across East Asia – including a wide range of Dim Sum, hearty main dishes like Taiwanese pork belly with rice, traditional favourites like beef Ho fun, and loads of different Cantonese roast meats.
There’ll also be a wide selection of street food available, like Korean fried chicken, loaded katsu chicken fries, and three varieties of sticky chicken wings.
There’s also plenty for the little Mancs to tuck into too, as there’ll be a full kid’s menu available at the new Trafford Centre site, with options for both those with “adventurous” junior palates, to those who prefer “more familiar” tastes.
“We’re so excited to open in the Trafford Centre and give shoppers the chance to try our dishes from across East Asia,” commented co-owner, Ricky Yip, ahead of the new opening.
“Many of the dishes on the menu were enjoyed by Azim and I growing up, cooked by my family, or served in family restaurants, and it’s wonderful to see other families come to Hello Oriental to enjoy these flavours.”
Hello Oriental will be opening at the Trafford Centre this Saturday (1 February), with thousands of prizes to give away to celebrate Lunar New Year.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Eats
A coffee shop in Manchester is giving away hundreds of FREE croissants today
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of croissants are being handed out for free today from a coffee shop in Manchester for a special reason.
In case you didn’t know, today (Thursday 30 January) is National Croissant Day, and apparently, Manchester is a city of serious pastry lovers, as the Cross Street branch of national coffee shop chain, Pret A Manger, is actually the top-selling Pret pastry shop in the whole of the UK – with the Chocolate Croissant, in particular, reigning supreme as the customer favourite.
Pret customers are said to devour around 17 million pastries a year, with the humble croissant being the most popular pick.
So, to celebrate Manchester’s love of sweet flaky pastries, and to mark National Croissant Day itself, Pret will be handing out a whopping 300 croissants for completely free of charge from its store on Cross Street, in the heart of the city centre.
A coffee shop in Manchester is giving away hundreds of free croissants today / Credit: PICRYL
You can claim one of the 300 free croissants with any coffee purchase today, but it’s only while stocks last, so you’ll need to be quick.
There’s three different croissants to choose from – the All Butter, Chocolate, or Almond Croissant.
“At Pret, we pride ourselves on serving our customers pastries freshly baked that same day,” commented Anna Tebbs, who is the UK Head of Food at Pret, ahead of the big giveaway.
“With around 17 million pastries sold each year, it’s clear our customers can’t get enough of these flaky favourites, so we’re thrilled to celebrate National Croissant Day by giving back to croissant fans with a special treat.
They’re only available for one day from Pret on Cross Street / Credit: Supplied
“Whether it’s a classic All Butter or a rich Croissant Almond, there’s a pastry for every taste, and a day like this is all about enjoying them to the fullest.”
To get your hands on a buttery flaky croissant to start your day, all you’ll need to do is visit the Cross Street Pret shop today, the earlier the better to be sure there’s still some left, and order any barista-made coffee drink, then you’ll get to pick which type of croissant you’d like to take away with you.
Daisy Jackson -
30th January 2025 
