Eats

Affordable steak house Flat Iron confirms opening date for first Manchester restaurant

It's happening! Stay calm everyone!

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 6th March 2024

Flat Iron, the steak house that is renowned for its affordable prices, has confirmed new details of its very first Manchester restaurant.

The restaurant brand, which has sites across London as well as in Leeds and Cambridge, is taking over the old Blacks outdoor clothing shop on Deansgate.

Landing slap bang in the heart of Manchester – and just a few doors down from arguably the city’s best steak house, Hawksmoor – Flat Iron has confirmed it will be open for business early this summer.

The menu is simple, and led by their signature Flat Iron steak priced at just £14, which sees the underrated featherblade cut of beef cooked and butchered with skill.

There are sides including beef dripping chips, creamed spinach, truffled macaroni cheese, and crispy bone marrow garlic mash.

There’ll be a selection of wines including their very own Malbec, blended in the south of France, alongside draft beers and signature cocktails.

When it opens, Flat Iron will have 150 covers in the two-storey restaurant on 200-204 Deansgate.

The Grade II-listed building was first opened in 1908 as the Royal London Friendly Society, and its interiors have now been remodelled by architects Macaulay Sinclair, who will be displaying as many of the original features as possible.

Original timber flooring, glazed brick walls, riveted steel columns and original parquet floors have been revealed and restored.

Flat Iron is opening a restaurant in Manchester (this is the Leeds site). Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Flat Iron is opening a restaurant in Manchester (this is the Leeds site). Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Flat Iron sides include mac and cheese. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Flat Iron sides include mac and cheese. Credit: The Hoot Leeds

Speaking of the opening, Flat Iron’s Founder, Charlie Carroll says: “Opening a restaurant in my home town of Manchester is a big deal to me and a long time coming.

“The food and drink scene is so exciting at the moment and just keeps getting better. I can’t wait to be a tiny part of it.

“I fell in love with a beautiful historic building on Deansgate in 2018 and six years on we are finally opening this summer.

“Flat Iron is about unpretentious, top quality steak, available to all.

“I am passionate about delicious beef and proud to bring Flat Iron to the city where I grew up and where so many of my friends and family live.”

Flat Iron will open on Deansgate in Manchester in Summer 2024.

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Featured image: The Hoot Leeds

Eats

Kala announces closure after more than half a decade in Manchester city centre

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Another hit for the Manchester hospitality sector as city centre cult favourite Kala has announced it has closed with immediate effect.

The Manc bistro, beloved for putting a contemporary slant on British and French classics, was opened by restaurateur Gary Usher back in 2021, receiving plenty of positive press over the years.

Perhaps the most notable bit of praise it received was from renowned food writer Jay Rayner, who said it “quietly feeds you well”. But that was part of the problem: it was too quiet, unfortunately.

Announcing the shutdown on Tuesday evening (24 June), Usher shared an extended statement on social media, explaining the details behind the decision – but there was one, clear, overriding reason.

Confirming the news on Instagram, the chef-owner wrote: “Gary Usher here.. It’s with a heavy heart that I announce the immediate closure of Kala. I’m not really sure how to explain why we’ve closed other than we weren’t busy enough to cover our costs.

“I really really want to blame the economy and the pandemic. I really want to say the rising costs have made it impossible. All those factors haven’t helped, but we are 50% down in trade at Kala, and that is the killer.”

This isn’t the first of the St Albans-born chef’s locations to close either, as his Burnt Truffle venue on the Wirral also shut back in January.

Nevertheless, Kala’s reputation has remained strong throughout, boasting one of the best elevated albeit accessible evening and lunch deals in the city centre, not to mention at very reasonable prices.

Moreover, they were famed for their stunning Sunday dinners, with Sacha Lord dubbing them the best roasts in Manchester he’s had “in ages.”

Sacha Lord hails Manchester restaurant for serving up ‘the best Sunday roast’ he’s had ‘in ages’
That perfectly blushed beef was incredible.

Usher goes on to add: “It goes without saying our business rates [are] increasing substantially, and the hike in NIC [national insurance] contributions only works against us. This was not planned, but neither was us being this quiet in June. All the Kala team will be paid up to date, our rent & suppliers too.

“If you have a voucher with us, as always, it can be used in the wider group. It was always a dream to have a restaurant on King Street in Manchester. I just wish it had lasted longer than 6 years.

“Thank you to all the team past & present & I’m so sorry to all of you and all the guests that I couldn’t create something with longevity.

“Please come and visit us in Didsbury at Hispi where it will be our pleasure to welcome you. Farewell, King Street. Farewell Kala. Gary.”

Kala closing marks yet another local business we’re gutted to see go, as it was only earlier this month that we had to bid goodbye to both Medlock Canteen and Indian street food spot, Rola Wala, which closed on Monday.

Safe to say it’s been a gutting few days for local food and drink.

With that being said, please do support the Elite Group’s remaining restaurants where you can, which include the aforementioned Hispi, The Sticky Walnut in Chester, The White Horse in the Cheshire village of Churton, as well as Wreck in Liverpool.

All we can say is thanks for the memories and the brilliant food.

Inside Gary Usher’s cosy new village boozer The White Horse at Churton
Kala may be closed but this nearby gem is still well worth the trip.

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

Eats

First look at Zaap Thai as popular Thai street food restaurant opens in Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

A Thai street food restaurant with sites all over the North has finally announced plans to come to Manchester for the first time.

Zaap Thai is famed for its authentic and affordable street food-inspired menu, served up in restaurants designed to mimic the bustling street food markets of Bangkok.

Expect colourful fairy lights, illuminated signs, graffiti art, enamel crockery and even seating booths built into tuk tuks.

Zaap Thai already has locations in cities including Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham and Durham, but hasn’t made it into the North West before now.

It’s now set to open on Lincoln Square – where you’ll already find Maray – this June.

This new Zaap Thai location is set to be one its biggest venues to date, with 160 covers.

The expansive menu features 80 dishes from across Thailand, from street food small plates to big bowls of noodles and fiery curries.

Their menu highlights include chicken satay, crispy pork belly, stir-fries like Pad Ga Prao, and sweet dishes such as mango sticky rice and pandan custard pancakes.

That’s alongside Thai-inspired cocktails and mocktails, plus Thai lagers like Singha.

Ban Kaewkraikhot, founder and executive chef at Zaap said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing Zaap Thai to Manchester. 

Inside Zaap Thai Manchester

Noodles at Zaap Thai Manchester
Food at Zaap Thai Manchester
Seafood at Zaap Thai Manchester
The Moo Deng mural
The Moo Deng mural
Noodles at Zaap Thai Manchester
Stir fries at Zaap Thai
Inside the new Zaap Thai
Inside the new Zaap Thai
Inside the new Zaap Thai
Inside the new Zaap Thai

“This is a city with a rich and diverse hospitality scene, and we’re delighted to be joining that fantastic community.

“Our mission is to share our authentic flavours of native Thailand with the city – we want to transport guests to sunny South East Asia by providing an amazing and affordable menu where you can try something new each time.

“Our restaurant is inspired by the places we love back home and everyone is welcome. We can’t wait to bring the Zaap experience to Manchester!”

Zaap Thai Manchester will open on Lincoln Square in on Thursday 26 June, with free pad thais or curries to the first 100 people in the queue from midday.

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Featured image: Supplied

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