A restaurant in Manchester’s Gay Village has been added to the Michelin Guide, despite opening a mere eight weeks ago.
Maya is a canalside spot that sprawls across three floors on Canal Street, transforming a former warehouse into an opulent restaurant space.
Inside, you’ll find a brick-walled, velvet-furnitured space at ground level, a glittering gold and navy restaurant space downstairs, and then even further down, The Pump Room, a late-night bar where photography is forbidden.
Maya was first announced in 2022 (it opened after a few delays at the end of March 2024) and comes from the same team behind Isabel Mayfair.
The food side of things is all headed up by Mancunian chef Gabe Lea, whose CV includes Michelin-starred Le Manoir and The French at the Midland Hotel.
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Its menu has been tweaked and perfected since its launch – which is good, because the earliest menu featured four pieces of asparagus as a ‘main course’ for £24, with no sides – and now Maya has caught the eye of the Michelin Guide itself.
The bar space at Maya in the Gay VillageDesserts at Maya, which has been added to the Michelin GuideMaya’s £25 asparagus has been removed from the menuMaya is a new restaurant and bar on Canal Street in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
The prestigious list of the best places to go in Manchester also includes Michelin-starred Mana and newcomers like Higher Ground and Another Hand.
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There are only 13 in the entire Greater Manchester area deemed worthy of making it to the prestigious guide, so this is a big accolade so early on in Maya’s life.
The guide said it was an ‘elegant, beautifully appointed place’ and praised the ‘classical skillset’ of the team in the kitchen.
The Michelin Guide listing for Maya states: “In the heart of Manchester, close to the famous Canal Street, sits this impressively renovated basement restaurant.
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“It’s an elegant, beautifully appointed place, with an art deco feel and a large cocktail bar that feels appropriate for an area of the city known for its party scene.
“The dishes often have a modern make-up but the kitchen’s classical skillset is evident in finely executed elements like a well-made sauce bonne femme to accompany top quality turbot.
“Four smart bedrooms are attached if you’re visiting from afar.”
Inside Manchester’s new padel club with a Pot Kettle Black cafe and courtside cocktail bar
Daisy Jackson
Padel is the fastest-growing sport in the world, and it’s really picking up speed in Manchester now too with another city centre club opening this month.
The Pollen Club is a little different to the others, in that it’s fully undercover and protected from Manchester’s less-than-favourable weather.
And another thing that makes it a must-visit is the cafe attached to it – a third site for the beloved Pot Kettle Black.
The Pollen Club and Pot Kettle Black have both taken over a prominent city centre spot just off Deansgate, at the foot of the recently-opened Treehouse Hotel.
There are two state-of-the-art padel courts inside, with a mezzanine terrace for enjoy Pot Kettle Black’s offerings.
In summer, there are plans to launch a bar downstairs too, where you can sip spritzes courtside from loungers and swing seats.
The exciting new Manchester padel club will host pop up events, DJ takeovers and an extended evening food offering.
Pot Kettle Black are part of the new padel clubInside Manchester’s new padel club, The Pollen ClubPot Kettle Black are part of the new padel club
And even if you’re not heading inside The Pollen Club, Pot Kettle Black has a grab-and-go hatch facing onto Blackfriars Street, making their delicious coffees, sandwiches and pastries (from their own bakery Half Dozen Other) even more accessible.
Commenting on the opening of the new site, Pot Kettle Black co-owner, Mark Flanagan said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have opened our third Pot Kettle Black site at The Padel Club. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team.
“After ten years in the city we’ve been enjoying seeing some familiar faces stopping by for a coffee and we can’t wait to get started on our programme of summer events!”
Insomnia Cookies is giving away FREE cookies to anyone with these two names
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s late-night sweet treat spot Insomnia Cookies is dishing out freebies this week… but there’s a catch.
You have to be called one of two specific names to get one.
With the long bank holiday weekend upon us, those in-the-know will also have noticed that this Sunday isn’t just Easter Sunday, it also happens to be 4/20… and that means Insomnia Cookies is back with its ‘blazing’ £4.20 deal, giving you the chance to bag a box of four warm cookies while saving nearly £7 at the same time.
But even better still, if you happen to have either the first or middle name ‘Mary’ or ‘Jane’, then you can also get yourself a warm tasty cookie for free.
To mark both 4/20, and celebrate the launch of its newest strain of mouthwatering cookie, the Mary Jane, anyone called Mary or Jane can pop into either of Insomnia Cookies’ two Manchester city centre sites – Cross Street and University Green – show their valid ID with their name on, and walk alway with a cookie free of charge.
If you want to try the new Mary Jane cookie, then this limited-edition special is made up of a cookies n cream dough base, packed with rainbow sprinkles.
The freebie deal has been running all week, and you have up until 3am on Monday 21 April to take advantage of it.
Customers will be limited to one free cookie per day.
Insomnia Cookies is giving away free cookies to anyone with these two names / Credit: Insomnia Cookies UK
If you aren’t lucky enough to be called one of those two names though, then thankfully you can still make some great savings on a classic four-pack of cookies over the spring bank holiday weekend, and for every four-pack sold, £1 will be donated to Groundwork – a charity helping make Manchester greener for nature and for local people.
“We’re calling for Marys and Janes to join us to live the high life with free cookies all week,” commented Millie Ralston, Head of Marketing at Insomnia Cookies.
Daisy Jackson -
30th May 2024 
