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.”
Glitzy Spinningfields bar famed for its bottomless deals shuts down
Daisy Jackson
Popular cocktail bar group Banyan has suddenly closed its glitzy bar in the heart of Spinningfields.
The restaurant and bar, which is part of the Arc Inspirations group that also operates Manahatta and Box, has shut down with immediate effect.
A sign has been posted in the window of the Spinningfields site of Banyan confirming its closure.
Banyan opened in 2018 and was the second site for the brand, which has been operating out of the Corn Exchange since 2015.
Inside, the huge 7,000sq ft space was split into spaces for drinking, dining and dancing, including a large mezzanine and a huge white marble bar.
Banyan is famed for its bottomless deals, whether that’s a classic bottomless brunch or their bottomless Sunday roast (endless Yorkshire puddings, gravy, wine, and roast potatoes).
It also offered two-for-one cocktails, all day every day.
The bar stands on the side of Spinningfields, directly opposite The Ivy and alongside The Alchemist.
Banyan in Spinningfields has shut downThe note in the window of Banyan
But now it has permanently closed its doors, thanking people for their custom over its almost-decade in Manchester.
The sign on the door says: “Banyan Spinningfields is now permanently closed.
“Thank you so much for your custom over the years, we’ve loved being part of this wonderful city and have made so many friends.
“Don’t be a stranger, we’d love to continue to welcome you to our Banyan bar in the Corn Exchange. Team Banyan.”
Bangkok Diners Club moves out of Ancoats just months after Michelin Guide win
Daisy Jackson
Bangkok Diners Club, the critically-acclaimed restaurant above the Edinburgh Castle pub, has closed its restaurant space.
The Thai restaurant was added to the Michelin Guide last October, not long after taking over the upstairs of the popular pub.
It also received a rave review in The Guardian from restaurant critic Grace Dent, who said it would be ‘one of Manchester’s hottest dining tickets’.
But now Bangkok Diners Club has decided its time in Ancoats is up, and has closed its beautiful restaurant space with immediate effect.
In an email sent to customers with reservations, they wrote that Bangkok Diners Club ‘sadly won’t be returning to Edinburgh Castle’.
Owners and husband-and-wife team Ben and Bo Humpheys aren’t leaving things there though, announcing plans to move into the Exhibition food hall on Peter Street.
Co-owner Ben Humphreys outside Bangkok Diners Club. Credit: The Manc GroupThe food earned them a place in the Michelin Guide. Credit: The Manc Group
They’ll be joining MoreJoy and pasta concept Anatra in the space, but bidding farewell to their own dedicated restaurant for now.
The email sent to customers reads: “We have just noticed that the system has allowed you to make a reservation during a time that we are closed. We apologise that this has happened.
“Ben and Bo are cooking at Exhibition during 2026 and Bangkok Diners Club sadly won’t be returning to Edinburgh Castle.
“Sincerest apologies for all the inconvenience caused.”
Daisy Jackson -
30th May 2024 
