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.
Top-rated Manchester chippy Hip Hop Chip Shop confirms it will soon be closing
Danny Jones
Not the news we wanted to go into the weekend writing but, sadly, we have word of yet another loss to Manchester hospitality as The Hip Hop Chip Shop have announced they will soon be closing.
Rated not just one of the top-rated chippies in Greater Manchester but having been named the second beast in the UK back in 2023, Hip Hop Chip Shop‘s success story is one we’ve loved watching.
First opened back in 2014 (how time flies), the chippy started out as nothing more than another street food stall serving out of a converted trailer designed to look like a boombox; it was cool, great value for money and absolutely delicious.
However, now over a decade later and having opened their brick-and-mortar site in Ancoats, the present financial pressures of the sector have taken their toll just like they have so many others and Hip Hop Chip Shop confirmed they will be early closing next month.
Bidding an emotional goodbye on social media, they wrote: “After 11 years, we’re unfortunately joining the chorus of independent businesses in Manchester and beyond, calling it a day.
Although Ancoats was an amazing area for us to embark on our bricks-and-mortar dream, the cost increases from Brexit, Covid, energy, VAT (halving it would save a lot in the industry), BB Loans etc. has meant it’s unviable in its current form – we would’ve had to increase prices much more than we’d be comfortable with to get the margins we need to keep going.
“It’s an extremely tough decision given it’s 15 years since the idea was born in my early 20s – then three mates whilst working other jobs began building it from scratch every weekend, to then quitting our jobs and taking a leap of full-time faith. Ultimately, we need to listen to the head, not the heart.”
Founder Jonathan ‘Ozzie’ Oswald goes on to add, “We wanted to give enough notice to support our amazing team in finding new jobs, making sure all our suppliers are paid up and provide our supportive customers with the last chance to eat/drink/party with us.”
Although they started they are exploring the possibility of keeping their trailer (which made its Christmas Markets debut just this past year) going at regular locations like the Etihad Stadium, the rest of the business as we know will be shutting down in a matter of weeks.
How it all started.The food’s been unbelievable since the start.Credit: The Manc Eats
Sharing a lengthy farewell message in honour of their fellow contemporaries and competitors, equally lauded Chips @ No.8 in Prestwich said: “We honour those who dared to do it differently. The Hip Hop Chip Shop in Manchester city centre were inspirational to us when we were setting out.
“They turned fish and chips on its head and did it how no one else thought possible. Centred on community with a high-quality product that championed sustainability and the alternative, we deemed them Gods of the fish and chip world and untouchable…
“Yet another independent food-based business to succumb to the economic crisis that has enveloped us and to date, the one that has hit us hardest. This latest closure most certainly won’t be the last. The government need to wake up fast and support small independent businesses before there are no more…
“If you haven’t been before then you really should, before it’s too late.”
You can find their remaining opening hours in the full Instagram post and the staff have assured all they’ll be open as normal in Manchester and at the Carlton Club in Whalley Range until their closing party on Saturday, 2 March, where guests can come along and have one last bite – and more than a few beers.
Responding underneath the post, one person commented: “The doors might be closing, but what you’ve done for us will never ever be forgotten. It’s impossible to talk about Manchester Hip Hop without talking about the Chippy.
“From Manchester to Vegas, tales of a Chippy that supported a culture, community and served dam good food will be told with smiles on our faces and heavy hearts.”
As for the Hip Hop gang, they signed off simply by saying: “It’s been a privilege to be able to feed you all whether it’s been at a music festival, kitchen takeover, wedding, corporate party and also put on some top events in a chippy! HUGE thanks for your support!
RIP to HOP, you were the modern Manchester chippy OGs and we sincerely hope it’s not forever.
Nothing short of a perfect plate – you will be missed x
Manchester’s reigning Chef of the Year unveils new restaurant
Danny Jones
A brand new restaurant from Manchester Chef of the Year, Shaun Moffat, and a small team of hospitality heavyweights is opening in the city centre.
The former Manteca, Hix and St. Leonards chef, who has gone on to earn even plenty of local acclaim thanks to his work at the Edinburgh Castle in Ancoats and most recently Maya in the Gay Village, is now set to embark on his own venture and will soon become the Chef Patron of a brand new concept.
Although there aren’t too many details just yet, Moffat and co. are promising to focus on two core principles: ‘Northern hospitality and thoughtful British cooking’.
Set to take the lead on Winsome Restaurant sooner than you think, should everything stay on schedule, Moffat and the new restaurant will be housed on Princess Street, adjoining the Whitworth Locke Hotel, as they cook to the masses from this historic corner of Manchester.
Winsome will be opening in the old Peru Perdu site, which sadly closed back in May 2024 after being given notice by the landlords next door.
The South American spot had proved a popular one for half a decade but has sadly been vacant ever since, but neighbours Foundation Coffee and the aforementioned Whitworth remain frequented city centre destinations.
With that in mind, the man voted ‘Chef of the Year’ at the most recent Manchester Food and Drink Awards and who notched a spot in the UK’s Top 50 Gastro Pubs during his time at the Castle, will be hoping to welcome diners back into the building and continue his success at Winsome.
The aim, more specifically, will be to bring local and seasonal produce and deliver a regularly changing menu that showcases the very best of ingredients, all with a comforting familiarity and a touch of Moffat’s own modern flair. But there are plenty more brains and pedigree behind this new opening too…
The drinks programme at Winsome will be led by none other than Tom Fastiggi, who previously worked at the industry-leading and equally award-winning Schofields. There will be a selection of hotel classics and familiar drinks alongside a strong no and low selection and some of Fastiggi’s own creations.
Wine will also be a focus with a sommelier served and curated list focusing primarily on old-world wines delivered again with Winsome’s laidback personality and flair.
Fastiggi and the Winsome team will also take over Whitworth’s stunning Atrium hotel bar (pictured above), providing a space for diners, hotel guests and passers-by to enjoy memorable bar food paired with delicious cocktails in the quaint setting of the Locke’s iconic glass structure.
“The Atrium space truly gives a unique feel to this bar. The drinks will be familiar and a warm welcome will await all guests. It’s a great new addition to Manchester’s hospitality scene”, says Tom Fastiggi.
Completing the team will be Owain Williams, founder not only of the renowned Belzan in Liverpool but, more importantly for us Mancs, Kampus’ Madre and Medlock Canteen over on Deansgate, among a number of other notable hospitality venues across the Northwest.
Quite the trio of talent with a wealth of expertise behind them.
Speaking on launching his own restaurant, Shaun Moffat added, “Opening the doors will be a big moment in my career, I am truly excited to share Winsome with the people of Manchester.”