Sara is a bit of a foodie but found herself stuck with establishments ‘focused on making money with drinks like night clubs, not quality food’ (to be fair, she has a point on this one…)
She also said that she couldn’t find ‘good sushi or fresh food’ and said that ‘everything is frozen’.
Gundogan’s stunning wife did eventually find one place in Manchester that fit the bill, when they went to the glittering Musu.
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But she’s been gone a whole year now, and in a city as big as ours you end up with a lot of new openings in that time.
So here are five restaurants Ilkay Gundogan and his wife should try now they’re back in Manchester.
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Skof, NOMA
Inside Skof in Manchester
This list could end here, because Skof is an exceptional restaurant.
Under the steer of chef Tom Barnes, and as part of Simon Rogan’s UMBEL Restaurants group, this is a newcomer that has rocketed to the top of our favourite restaurants list.
Michelin-worthy tasting menus weave in local produce from around the Greater Manchester as well as produce grown specifically for the restaurant from Our Farm in the Cartmel Valley.
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The beautiful space has lofty ambitions and looks set to smash them all.
Caravan, St John’s
Ilkay Gundogan’s wife Sara should try Caravan when she’s back in ManchesterCheese and kimchi on toast at Caravan in Manchester
This is a new new restaurant for Manchester, having only opened its doors last week – and if Mrs Gundogan likes brunches, sourdough pizzas, coffee and cocktails, this is one for her list.
Caravan bring a little taste of New Zealand to St John’s with an all-day ‘well-travelled’ menu.
Its hero dishes include jalapeño cornbread with chilli butter, sourdough pizzas, and healthy (but hearty) grain bowls.
It’s not quite as fancy as MUSU, but for a relaxed lunch or dinner you can’t go far wrong.
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Lucky Cat, Spring Gardens
Lucky Cat is a Manchester restaurant Ilkay Gundogan’s wife Sara should try and review. Credit: Supplied
Ilkay Gundogan and Sara Arfaoui may have just managed to visit Lucky Cat before they left Manchester – but if not, its incredible interiors are sure to tick a few boxes.
Gordon Ramsay’s Asian-inspired restaurant on King Street is in the old Art Deco bank that once housed Jamie’s Italian, and has a menu that fuses the vibrant atmosphere of 1930s Tokyo jazz kissas and drinking dens with a world-class dining experience.
Diners are invited to ’embark on a gastronomic journey of culinary icons’, digging into the likes of sublime black cod, sumptuous sirloin weeping tiger and the legendary Lucky Cat Duck Bao.
Maya, Canal Street
Maya in Manchester has been added to the Michelin Guide already. Credit: THe Manc GroupMaya’s £25 asparagus has been removed from the menu
This one was a long time coming, but Maya is making waves on Canal Street after bringing a lavish new restaurant to the Gay Village.
Sprawling across three floors – including a ‘no-photos-allowed’ basement bar – the beautiful restaurant has already wormed its way into the Michelin Guide.
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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.
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…
Raft, Spinningfields
This one’s a bit of a curveball because I think, if we’re being honest, Sara might actually hate it.
Raft is a stunning new opening in Spinningfields, taking over what was previously SakkuSamba and instead turning it into a dark and moody ‘island’ restaurant with a ‘coastal boozer’ on the ground floor.
The main attraction at Raft is its ‘Island Dining’ and ‘Boheme Brunch’ offerings, which when you boil it down are… buffets. Beautiful ones, but buffets.
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There’s also an a la carte menu that features small plates like lobster karaage rolls, North African lamb chops, and birria beef croquettes, plus a luxury carvery on Sundays.
I’d really like to know what Sara thinks of it, actually.
More new openings comign to Manchester
There are plenty of places set to open in the coming weeks that should tickle the pair’s fancy, too.
Blacklock is heading up from London bringing its exceptional meat-led menu with it – it’s renowned for its modern take on the Great British chophouse, serving a range of chops and high-quality steaks cooked over charcoal.
Also opening very soon is Louis, an Italian-American restaurant in Spinningfields from the Tattu team, which will have a no-photos policy, live music every night, and will generally be creating a little piece of mid-century New York to Manchester.
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And finally, The Cut and Craft is opening its first restaurant here very soon, taking over an old bank building on Mosley Street. It’ll serve premium locally-reared steaks, as well as a menu of expertly delivered seafood specials and meat butchered in-house.
Hope you like your time here a little better this time around Ilkay and Sara – Manchester is happy to have you back.
Lavish Spanish restaurant backed by Pep Guardiola announces shock closure
Daisy Jackson
Tast, the luxury Spanish restaurant in Manchester that was launched with the backing of Pep Guardiola, has announced its sudden closure.
The beautiful restaurant in King Street, led by acclaimed executive chef Paco Pérez, said that it’s taken the ‘difficult decision’ to close the doors for the ‘very last time’ this week.
Tast opened back in the summer of 2018, taking over the site that was previously home to restaurants like Quill and Suri.
It had a much better run of things than those previous occupiers, thanks to its menu of Catalan-style rice dishes and traditional but refined tapas.
Sadly, Tast Cuina Catalana has now decided that it’s reached the end of the road, and will be closing its doors for good on Saturday 20 December.
They cited a number of factors leading to the closure, including ‘exceptionally challenging trading conditions’ and ‘increased costs’, stressing that the restaurant’s ‘shareholders and the dedication of our team’ have seen the restaurant through the last seven years.
Tast wrote in a statement: “We are proud to have been able to share some of Catalunya, our beloved country, with the people of Manchester.
Tast will close for good on 20 DecemberTast on King Street launched in 2018 with backing from Pep Guardiola
“Between now and our final service on 20 December, we look forward to welcoming you and celebrating what Tast has always been about: great food, great people and memorable moments shared around the table.”
Other restaurant owners in Manchester have been sharing their messages of support with Tast, including Beeswing, who wrote: “This is so sad to read. Such lovely food and thoughtful service — a real reflection of how hard things are for hospitality right now. Manchester will miss you.”
Mary-Ellen McTague, the renowned chef at Pip, said: “Really sad news! Sorry to hear it.”
Tasts’s full statement reads: “After much consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close Tast’s doors for the very last time on 20 December 2025.
“Tast has been built on the passion, talent and commitment of an exceptional team, and we want to begin by thanking every single person who has worked with us over the years. Your creativity, care and professionalism have been the heart of Tast.
“To our loyal customers: thank you for choosing to dine with us, celebrate with us and support us. Your belief in Tast has kept us alive for seven years and it has been a privilege to welcome you through our doors.
“We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to our suppliers, producers and partners. Your quality, reliability and collaboration have played a vital role in shaping what Tast stands for.
“Like many in the hospitality sector, we have faced exceptionally challenging trading conditions and increased costs. But the unwavering support of our shareholders and the dedication of our team have seen us through these past seven years.
“Above all, we are proud to have been able to share some of Catalunya, our beloved country, with the people of Manchester.
“Between now and our final service on 20 December, we look forward to welcoming you and celebrating what Tast has always been about: great food, great people and memorable moments shared around the table.
“Thank you for being part of our journey. With gratitude, Tast Team.”
Anyone with vouchers to dine at Tast will be automatically refunded if they can’t be spent in the next few days.
Tast will officially close on Saturday 20 December.
Inside Mollie’s Motel and Diner in Manchester as beautiful new hotel opens with rooms from just £109
Daisy Jackson
Mollie’s Motel & Diner has arrived in Manchester, with beautiful hotel rooms from just £109 plus a retro diner serving American classics.
The space has taken over five floors of the iconic Old Granada Studios down at St John’s, with interior design that celebrates the building’s history.
Mid-century modern details like dark woods, textured upholstery, and retro lamps abound in this stylish new opening for Manchester.
Soho House Design has worked on the build of Mollie’s Motel to preserve the modernist facade of Old Granada Studios and make playful nods to the building’s vibrant history.
This is particularly obvious downstairs in Studio IV, a cocktail bar with a live music stage, where vintage TVs have been inserted over the bar and guests sink into plush couches for pre-dinner drinks.
You can already check out Mollie’s Diner, which is open now (with a decent discount for its launch – more on that below), with the Mollie’s Motel bedrooms set to launch early 2026.
The hotel rooms at Mollie’s Motel Manchester
A bunk room at Mollie’s Motel ManchesterA Mollie’s Motel suiteAnd a tub with a viewThe bedrooms are all beautifully designed
Hotel rooms at Mollie’s Manchester start from an incredibly reasonable £109, with different size and spec bedrooms and suites for guests.
There are cosy bunk rooms where up to four guests can tuck into their own bunk pods, suites that have their own Peleton room, and cosy double bedrooms with gorgeous views of the southern side of the city.
Regardless of the level (or price) of your chosen room, you’ll have the same design detailing (dark wood panelling, terrazzo and aged brass finishes), plus rainshowers, a super king bed, Dyson hairdryers, GHD straighteners and Cowshed toiletries.
Mollie’s Diner in Manchester
Mollie’s Diner is open nowBreakfast dishes at Mollie’s DinerBurgers and fried chicken at Mollie’s DinerClassic thick milkshakes
The diner space itself looks like it’s been lifted straight out of Hollywood’s Golden Age, with deep burgundy leather banquettes, counter seating, and globe pendant lights.
It’s all been inspired by the interior of a vintage Cadillac, and has space to 110 diners plus private dining for 30.
As for food and drink, you can expect everything from waffles and French toast to huge burgers and steaks, with thick milkshakes to wash it down.
You can get 50% off food if you book Mollie’s Diner HERE.
The rest of the spaces in Mollie’s Motel & Diner, Manchester
Studio IV cocktail barStudio IV cocktail barThe library snug
As you enter this reimagined building, you’re plunged straight into its design-led vision, with couches and cosy corners everywhere.
The communal reception space has a library snug, coffee counter, and beautiful bar, but you head downstairs you’ll find the real treat – Studio IV.
This beautiful bar is built around a magnificent central bar, with retro TV screens above it and scalloped leather bar stools surrounding it.
There’s a mid-century-era stage, too, which will host live entertainment to a crowd gathered on couches before it.
You can get 25% off signature cocktails in Studio IV if you pre-book HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
24th August 2024 
