Eats

First look at Flat Iron, Manchester’s brand new affordable steak restaurant

Beautiful steaks in a beautiful space.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 27th June 2024

Flat Iron is ready to open the doors to its first-ever Manchester restaurant – and it’s announced a huge Wagyu steak giveaway to celebrate.

The restaurant is famed for having affordable prices but still great quality meat products, utilising the often-overlooked featherblade as well as other cuts of beef.

With prices for a steak from just £14, it’s set to undercut other steakhouses by some margin, working closely with a farm just up the road in Yorkshire to source their meat.

The meat is cured in a special handcrafted meat ageing cabinet (the only Flat Iron restaurant to have one) and can be cooked quickly over a bespoke charcoal grill (also the only one in any Flat Iron restaurant).

The steaks at Flat Iron in Manchester will be served alongside sides like beef dripping chips, crispy bone marrow mash, creamed spinach, truffled macaroni cheese and green salads, plus classic sauces like Bearnaise, peppercorn, and a homemade smoked chilli mayo.

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The new 150-cover restaurant spans two storeys in a Grade II-listed building on Deansgate, formerly home to Blacks outdoor clothing.

Steak and sides at Flat Iron in Manchester
Steak and sides at Flat Iron in Manchester
Flat Iron steak and garlic mash
Flat Iron steak and garlic mash
The bone marrow garlic mash
The bone marrow garlic mash

It’s a beautiful space – wooden floors, dark teal walls, huge windows, and orange leather banquettes.

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That’s all tied in with the original features like ceramic tiles and huge iron pillars around the space.

At the heart of the ground floor restaurant is a magnificent marble-topped bar with a stained glass window behind.

There’s a sizeable basement dining room too for a cosy, moody dining experience.

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Guests are greeted with a cup of fresh popcorn on arrival, then handed a tiny meat cleaver at the end of their meal, which can be traded in for an ice cream either on the spot or at a later date.

Upstairs in Flat Iron in Manchester
Upstairs in Flat Iron in Manchester
Flat Iron is ready to open on Deansgate in Manchester
Flat Iron is ready to open on Deansgate in Manchester
The basement dining room at Flat Iron Manchester
The basement dining room at Flat Iron Manchester

Rotating daily specials will feature dishes like a truffled triple cheeseburger, Scottish ribeye, and an exclusive 375g rib steak.

Flat Iron’s Head of Beef, Fred Smith, said: “I spend an unusual amount of time trying to source incredible beef and our Wagyu is properly special.

“To celebrate our new restaurant opening its doors, we will be giving away shed loads of this uber-tender beef to the good people of Manchester. Join us on 2nd July and let us know what you think.”

Flat Iron will be hosting a giveaway of 500 Wagyu steaks ahead of its official opening.

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The first 500 customers in the queue from 5pm on Tuesday 2 July will be given a free steak, and a sneak preview of the new restaurant.

Flat Iron Manchester officially opens on Wednesday 3 July.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

I went all the way to Paris to test out Big Mamma ahead of Manchester’s most exciting new restaurant opening

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Libertino in Paris

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 restaurants
East Mamma, one of Big Mamma’s Paris restaurants
No Entry cocktail bar
No Entry cocktail bar
A Big Mamma speakeasy
A Big Mamma speakeasy
Pink Mamma
Pink Mamma
La Felicita food hall
La Felicita food hall
La Felicita food hall
La 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
Food at Big Mamma
Food at Big Mamma
Food at Big Mamma
Food at Big Mamma
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.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

The massively underrated rooftop terrace in Manchester with great views and top cocktails

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Food on the terrace at King Street Townhouse

Manchester city centre is generally STARVED of outdoor space, but we’ve found the perfect sun-soaked oasis where you can enjoy a bit of fresh air and a whole lot of great food and drinks. 

Tucked up on the sixth floor of the award-winning boutique hotel King Street Townhouse, you’ll find a rooftop terrace with beautiful views of the city’s skyline. 

As Manchester buzzes along beneath you, you can tuck in to everything from full charcuterie grazing boards to seasonal snacks and small plates, all served alongside an impressive wine and cocktail list. 

This often-overlooked local spot is a firm favourite of those in the know, thanks to its sheltered location that basks in the sun all afternoon. 

And although it’s in a prime city centre location, just a stone’s throw from Deansgate, St Peter’s Square and Market Street, it’s a luxurious escape from it all – as is the entire boutique hotel it’s part of. 

Whether it’s a post-work social, a relaxed date night, or a cheeky afternoon cocktail, the King Street Townhouse Terrace is open to the public and available for walk-ins or bookings when it isn’t privately hired. 

On the menu you can expect locally-sourced dishes like Pollen sourdough served with whipped butter, a meat or cheese grazing board loaded with British produce, and larger plates like a beef and bone marrow burger or a fried fish roll topped with crisps. 

British charcuterie grazing board
British charcuterie grazing board
Spritzes on the King Street Townhouse terrace
Spritzes on the King Street Townhouse terrace

Pairing perfectly with a spritz or a beer are snacks like deep-fried Gordal olives, stuffed with fennel sausage, and a brioche garlic bread packed with cream cheese. 

The hotel has a cocktail list that celebrates classic drinks and a few of their own signature concoctions, and it doesn’t feel much more luxurious than when you treat yourself to a glass of sky-high champagne with views like this. 

The South Terrace can also be hired privately for leisure or corporate events, with tailored catering options including summer BBQs. 

And you can ramp up your trip to this oasis by staying overnight in one of the boutique hotels’ rooms, or visiting the King Street Townhouse ESPA spa for a treatment.

Find out more about the terrace at King Street Townhouse HERE. 

The terrace at King Street Townhouse hotel
The terrace at King Street Townhouse hotel
The terrace at King Street Townhouse hotel
The terrace at King Street Townhouse hotel
Deep-fried olives
Deep-fried olives
Garlic bread with creamed cheese
Garlic bread with creamed cheese
King Street Townhouse hotel
King Street Townhouse hotel

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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