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.
First look inside Social Osteria, Stockport’s buzzy new Italian restaurant
Lydia Mastrolonardo
That’s right Stopfordians – we’re gaining yet another brand new addition to our town’s blooming food and drink scene, as Social Osteria opens its doors at Weir Mill.
It’s safe to say we’re in good hands, with the geniuses behind The Social Trattoria, named best Trattoria at the Italian Awards UK 2025, being the ones to bring this new taste of Italy to South Manchester.
Just because we are no longer experiencing the weather to match an Italian summer, doesn’t mean we can’t continue eating like we’re there.
Social Osteria can now be found overlooking the River Mersey, as a beautiful 2,000 sq ft space within the buzzing new canalside development, fully equipped with the classic exposed red brickwork, vaulted ceilings and even the restored original kiln.
As you approach the restaurant, you are greeted by a sunken courtyard and riverside seating, making for the perfect alfresco dining spot, when the warmer weather finally rolls back around.
With the meaning of Osteria being an Italian tavern, for locals to gather and enjoy each other’s company, good wine and honest, flavourful food – the team have stayed true to the name. You can expect dim, ambient lighting, an open kitchen, fresh small plates, flavourful 48-hour pizzas, and traditional pasta.
Vibrant dishes at Social Osteria in Stockport. Credit: The Manc Group
This glamorous new restaurant is promising a spectacular menu, from cacio e pepe butter beans to guanciale topped pizzas and their very own slow-cooked beef shin and pork shoulder paccheri ragu, you know we’re in the right place.
With Italian food running in the family, the team’s cooking practices are rooted in traditional methods, passed down through the generations and then presented to us, with the freshest of ingredients.
It suits Capital&Centric, who’ve taken the same approach to Weir Mill itself – embracing the character of the historic mill whilst transforming it into a vibrant community, for generations to come.
Inside Social Osteria at Weir Mill. Credit: The Manc Group
Set below Stockport’s iconic viaduct, the £60m neighbourhood is now home to 253 apartments alongside bustling cafés, wine bars and stunning restaurants akin to Social Osteria, accompanied by plenty of outdoor seating, green spaces, and riverside viewpoints.
Where Osteria Social now calls home is part of Stockport’s £1 billion Town Centre West masterplan, adding to the town’s growing reputation as one of the best locations to live in the UK.
Social Osteria will officially open Thursday 22 October, at Weir Mill. Be sure to book your tables early as we fear this one might get a little booked up.
Traitors star and comedian Joe Lycett is putting cash behind the bar at two Manchester pubs
Daisy Jackson
Comedian Joe Lycett is putting money behind the bar at two Manchester pubs this week, as he continues to encourage people to get out and support their local boozers.
The TV favourite – who is also currently one of the stars on The Traitors – announced the news as he bid farewell to his fictional TV pub The Lycett Arms.
On the show, he said: “There are 45,000 pubs in the UK – go and give them some love.”
Joe Lycett then proceeded to list 30 brilliant pubs up and down the country, including two in Manchester, and announced that the drinks are on him this week.
He told audiences: “[This] Friday I’ll be putting a little bit of money behind the bar in all the pubs you’ve just seen. I hope you can have a drink on me.”
The pubs he picked out in Manchester are the iconic old boozer The Peveril of the Peak, and the excellent pub and comedy venue The Old Monkey.
The Peveril of the Peak on Great Bridgewater Street is a real icon in the city centre, with its green tiled exterior and its cosy interiors.
Until recently, it was run by legendary local landlady Nancy Swanick, who died in July at the age of 96.
The Peveril of the Peak pub in ManchesterInside The Pev
Commenting on Joe Lycett’s post about his pub offer, they wrote: “You are all more than welcome at The Pev. Give me a shout and I will sort you out with a pie, Joe.”
The Old Monkey, meanwhile, is famed for its comedy nights run by Trapdoor Comedy Club, and for its open mic sessions, as well as award-winning beers.
The Portland Street pub has also very kindly agreed to match Joe Lycett’s donation, which means double the budget for pints for Mancs.
Daisy Jackson -
24th August 2024 
