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Eats

Inside Stray, Manchester’s least pretentious new cocktail bar tucked into a corner of Mackie Mayor

What a spot for one of the city's best new bars.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 3rd November 2023
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A new cocktail bar is opening in Manchester this week, with Stray taking over a corner unit in the Northern Quarter that lends itself to the best people-watching in the city.

Stray has moved into the old Atkinsons Coffee unit on the corner of the beautiful Mackie Mayor.

And while a lot of cocktail bars open with a concept so convoluted you need a thesaurus to understand the menu, Stray is stripping it back to basics.

What’s it all about? Great drinks, great service, and a great atmosphere. Perfect.

The L-shaped bar bar comes with huge windows that look out across Eagle Street, with a row of window seats to perch on.

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There are cosy couches and little nooks to tuck yourself into as you work through Stray’s signature cocktails, a collection titled ‘Led Astray’.

These drinks are all made, wherever possible, with top-quality local ingredients, with the team infusing their own spirits and making their own cordials in-house.

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Inside Stray, a new Manchester cocktail bar at Mackie Mayor in the Northern Quarter
A Buckfast negroni at Stray in the Northern Quarter
Inside Stray, a new Manchester cocktail bar at Mackie Mayor in the Northern Quarter
Inside Stray, a new Manchester cocktail bar at Mackie Mayor in the Northern Quarter
Inside Stray, a new Manchester cocktail bar at Mackie Mayor in the Northern Quarter
Cocktails at Stray

You can expect an incredible margarita made with tomato vine tequila, a fig leaf pisco, and a rhubarb and pine gimlet, as well as all your usual classics made just how you like them.

Oh, did we mention you can find a Buckfast negroni in here? Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it…

The team have spent just as much time working on their non- and low-alcoholic cocktails too, so if you’re shunning the strong stuff you can still guarantee yourself a decent drink, whether it’s a booze-free marg or a mocktail reminiscent of a glass of pet-nat.

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The decor inside the bar itself is looped around that huge marble bar, with walls painted half and half dark green and painted brick and concrete.

So pull up a pew in the window, order yourself one of the city’s best cocktails, and watch the weird and wonderful world of Manchester go by.

Stray opens at Mackie Mayor on 3 November, and will be open 12pm-10pm Tuesday to Friday; 10am-10pm on Saturdays, and 12pm-6pm on Sunday.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

I went all the way to Paris to test out Big Mamma ahead of Manchester’s most exciting new restaurant opening

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Libertino in Paris
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Hospitality heavyweights Big Mamma Group are finally heading to Manchester, opening a Circolo Popolare Italian restaurant in the city centre – so we nipped over to Paris to see exactly what’s in store for us.

In the 10 years since launching their very first restaurant, East Mamma in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, the group have spread their wings wide.

There are Big Mamma Group restaurants, under several different names, all over Europe – and although they all belong to the same family, each one is treated like a total individual.

Some have maximalist, kitsch interiors with animal print furniture, gilded ceilings and retro prints of men in Y-fronts; others are more traditional trattorias with exposed brick, terracotta floors and crisp white tablecloths.

These interiors are fun, which is so refreshing in an industry which sometimes takes itself a bit too seriously.

On our tour of Big Mamma restaurants in Paris I came across delightful details like a loo wallpapered in pictures of Rod Stewart, a cocktail menu designed like a retro football sticker book, and an ice cream parlour built into an old train station carriage.

Every corner is packed with whimsy and wonder and there’s a whole team dedicated to sourcing these little touches from antiques fairs, second-hand shops and independent makers, stashing them all in an Aladdin’s Cave of a warehouse. Each restaurant even has its own crockery pattern.

East Mamma, one of Big Mamma's Paris restaurants
East Mamma, one of Big Mamma’s Paris restaurants
No Entry cocktail bar
No Entry cocktail bar
A Big Mamma speakeasy
A Big Mamma speakeasy
Pink Mamma
Pink Mamma
La Felicita food hall
La Felicita food hall
La Felicita food hall
La Felicita food hall

So yes, the interiors in Manchester will be similarly interesting and lavish.

Big Mamma Group has already confirmed that the huge two-storey Circolo Popolare trattoria will be inspired by a Sardinian Festa, meaning cosy alcoves, more than 8000 bottles of vintage booze, and a vast room inspired by an overgrown Mediterranean courtyard.

As it takes shape in Gary Neville’s £400m St Michael’s development, they’ll be moving in big sharing tables, antique trinkets, reels of twinkling lights and even an Italian wishing well ahead of the big launch next month.

But not enough of us are talking about the food yet – this is a restaurant group that sources its produce from 160 different Italian artisans to ensure that everything you’re eating as authentic and delicious as possible.

Food at Big Mamma
Food at Big Mamma
Food at Big Mamma
Food at Big Mamma
Food at Big Mamma
Food at Big Mamma

While the menus shift between restaurants you can expect hearty bowls of handmade pasta laced with truffle or tomato or cheese, crispy-soft pizzas layered in creative sauce bases (like zucchini cream or black truffle cream, along with their classic San Marzano DOP tomato sauce), and per iniziare starters like giant burrata balls, melt-in-the-mouth croquettes, and slivers of cured meats – all prepared in an open kitchen run by Campanian-born Alfonso Esposito.

And a show-stopper for Manchester will be an outrageous six-inch lemon meringue pie, with a wibbly wobbly tower of Italian meringue on top.

Circolo Popolare will officially open its doors on 6 June – and before then, there’ll be a very limited soft launch where you can snag yourself 50% off your bill. Sign up HERE, with bookings live on Monday 12 May.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

The massively underrated rooftop terrace in Manchester with great views and top cocktails

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Food on the terrace at King Street Townhouse
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Manchester city centre is generally STARVED of outdoor space, but we’ve found the perfect sun-soaked oasis where you can enjoy a bit of fresh air and a whole lot of great food and drinks. 

Tucked up on the sixth floor of the award-winning boutique hotel King Street Townhouse, you’ll find a rooftop terrace with beautiful views of the city’s skyline. 

As Manchester buzzes along beneath you, you can tuck in to everything from full charcuterie grazing boards to seasonal snacks and small plates, all served alongside an impressive wine and cocktail list. 

This often-overlooked local spot is a firm favourite of those in the know, thanks to its sheltered location that basks in the sun all afternoon. 

And although it’s in a prime city centre location, just a stone’s throw from Deansgate, St Peter’s Square and Market Street, it’s a luxurious escape from it all – as is the entire boutique hotel it’s part of. 

Whether it’s a post-work social, a relaxed date night, or a cheeky afternoon cocktail, the King Street Townhouse Terrace is open to the public and available for walk-ins or bookings when it isn’t privately hired. 

On the menu you can expect locally-sourced dishes like Pollen sourdough served with whipped butter, a meat or cheese grazing board loaded with British produce, and larger plates like a beef and bone marrow burger or a fried fish roll topped with crisps. 

British charcuterie grazing board
British charcuterie grazing board
Spritzes on the King Street Townhouse terrace
Spritzes on the King Street Townhouse terrace

Pairing perfectly with a spritz or a beer are snacks like deep-fried Gordal olives, stuffed with fennel sausage, and a brioche garlic bread packed with cream cheese. 

The hotel has a cocktail list that celebrates classic drinks and a few of their own signature concoctions, and it doesn’t feel much more luxurious than when you treat yourself to a glass of sky-high champagne with views like this. 

The South Terrace can also be hired privately for leisure or corporate events, with tailored catering options including summer BBQs. 

And you can ramp up your trip to this oasis by staying overnight in one of the boutique hotels’ rooms, or visiting the King Street Townhouse ESPA spa for a treatment.

Find out more about the terrace at King Street Townhouse HERE. 

The terrace at King Street Townhouse hotel
The terrace at King Street Townhouse hotel
The terrace at King Street Townhouse hotel
The terrace at King Street Townhouse hotel
Deep-fried olives
Deep-fried olives
Garlic bread with creamed cheese
Garlic bread with creamed cheese
King Street Townhouse hotel
King Street Townhouse hotel

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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