Eats
French fine dining spot 63 Degrees confirms closure after 14 years
Another day, another closure.
Danny Jones -
12th February 2025 
One of Manchester’s long-standing French bistros, 63 Degrees, has now announced the business has closed its doors for good after nearly a decade and a half in the city centre.
The family-run fine dining destination first opened back in 2011, but after closing over the most recent festive period and despite all of us hoping and praying this year would be a healthier one for hospitality, they have become the sector’s latest casualty.
Having been one of the few classical spots of its kind left in central Manchester, not to mention boasting a spot on the Michelin guide, it’s a huge loss for Manchester food and drink.
The team have been silent on socials since August 2023 and no one needs any reminder of how challenging the industry is right now, so closures like these don’t exactly come as a surprise anymore, but it seems another big factor was at the heart of the decision.
Confirming the news to Manchester Confidential, 63 Degrees confirmed that their Christmas hiatus has now become permanent as many had suspected, with the highly-rated Northern Quarter spot closed permanently as of this week.
Founder Alexandre Moreau said that his parents, Head Chef Eric and mother Florence, have now returned to France following a period of ill health.
Speaking to the outlet, Moreau added: “I’m glad my parents have retired now. My dad was spending six days a week in the kitchen and got to the point where his whole body was hurting. He had a hard time finding people he could trust in the kitchen so he could not delegate that much.
“My mum’s health got worse in November last year so they decided it was time to stop and go back to France. Nothing you can do, unfortunately. Life will do that to all of us at some point.”
Revealing that the lease has now been handed over to the landlord, he signed off by stating, “They had a great run, but it’s a difficult job at that age.”
Shining not only as one of the few places left that still served traditional haute cuisine in our region but emerging as one of the spots that helped put NQ’s now thriving foodie scene on the map back in the day, we couldn’t think of a more fitting image to part on than this one:
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We wish Alexandre and Eric all the best, as well as a speedy recovery to Florence back home, and sincerely hope they get to enjoy a slower pace of life after years of service and outstanding contribution to the world of Manc dining.
Unfortunately, 63 Degrees is just one of the most recent Manchester restaurants that have closed; we’re not even in mid-February yet and we’re already losing count of how many of these pieces we’ve had to write for various reasons.
That being said, the general consensus seems to be that it is impossibly hard for local businesses to keep afloat under the constant pressure of rising energy bills, business rates and a cost of living crisis that is preventing people from being able to eat out.
If institutions such as this and the likes of Almost Famous are struggling to survive, how on Earth can those much earlier into their journey be expected to survive? They need help and fast.
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Featured Images — The Manc Group
