Kallos, a Greek restaurant in Salford, has shared a heartfelt thank you after being added to the Michelin Guide less than a year after opening.
The brilliant Greater Manchester newcomer is the latest local restaurant to receive recognition from the prestigious guide, which celebrates the best places to eat and drink across the globe.
In a glowing review, The Michelin Guide has praised Kallos for its ‘caring service and sumptuous flavours of the Mediterranean’.
Kallos opened at Cortland at Colliers Yard in spring this year, launched by couple Ioanna and Ivan who are doing a damn good job of bringing a taste of Santorini to their stripped-back, concrete-filled, light-flooded new space.
In the mornings, you’ll find brunches like handmade flatbreads loaded with toppings including Merguez sausage, Spanakopita, or Glazed smoked bacon and scrambled eggs; plus yoghurt bowls and pastries.
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And then as the day wears on, the menu switches to meze plates, premium tinned fish from coastal Spain and Portugal, and more of those show-stopping flatbreads.
Speaking of the honour of being added to the Michelin Guide, Kallos thanked every member of its team by name, and said ‘it happened because of our team’s dedication’.
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Kallos in Salford has been added to the Michelin GuideKallos in Cortland at Colliers Yard, Salford
They wrote: “Today is the day all the hard work of our team was truly recognised.
“Kallos was created with the intention and belief that hospitality begins with our people and through them, it reaches our guests.
“We’re incredibly proud to have a team that lives these values every day, lifting each other up with care, kindness, and genuine hospitality.
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“This morning, we woke up to the news that we’ve been added to the Michelin Guide @michelinguide. For a small business like ours, in our very first year of operations, this is huge.
“It happened because of our team’s dedication to every plate that leaves the kitchen, every welcoming smile, and every story we share with each wine we serve.
“Jade, Josh, Sam, Megan, Nina, Giorgos, Ali, Riley – thank you for being the team that makes Kallos what it is.
“And to all the guests who have supported us, believed in us, and shared in what we’re building – thank you. We can’t wait to welcome you again. With gratitude, Ioanna & Ivan.”
The Michelin Guide says: “With its all-day dining, caring service and sumptuous flavours of the Mediterranean, this is the kind of neighbourhood operation you could quickly find yourself visiting week after week.
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“Part of the city’s Greengate development, its offering starts with brunch, before morphing from a café vibe into a wine bar and restaurant.
“The evening meze menu is a treat for all fans of Greek cuisine, with the likes of topped flatbreads (the lamb shoulder option is terrific), a supremely comforting chickpea stew and a selection of high-end tinned fish.”
A huge congratulations to Ioanna, Ivan, and the full Kallos team.
Top Manchester restaurant ‘so chuffed’ after receiving glowing national review
Daisy Jackson
Top Manchester restaurant Skof has received a stunning review from a national critic, with the team saying they are ‘so chuffed’.
The acclaimed NOMA restaurant, headed up by chef Tom Barnes, has rapidly become one of Manchester’s most decorated restaurants.
Not only does it proudly display its first Michelin star – earned in less than a year after opening – but it’s also been named the coveted AA Restaurant of the Year.
And now Skof can add a rave Guardian review to the list too, with critic Grace Dent heaping praise upon the business.
She said that Skof is ‘well worth the hype’, describing it (much like its parent restaurant L’enclume) to be ‘one of those intensely relaxed yet still ferociously fancy restaurants’.
Dent praised ‘hugely scoffable’ snacks like a cheese biscuit topped with broad bean, pike roe and shiso, as well as a lightly set custard with truffle and mushroom dashi (‘a quiche filling on steroids’).
In her Guardian review, she also loved the final course always served at Skof no matter how much the menu changes with the seasons – the tiramisu served from a giant bowl, tableside.
“The final hurrah: that scoop of Tom’s dad’s tiramisu, served from a big bowl,” Grace Dent wrote.
“It’s a clunky, sentimental and, ultimately, glorious end to the meal. Many Michelin-starred restaurants bookend your visit with a gift of seeds, teabags or fancy chocolate, but at Skof they send you on your way with this tiny taste of boozy stodge that’s both incongruous with everything that went before but at the same time is also symbolic of Tom Barnes’ life and everything that went before.”
Grace Dent heaped praise on Skof in a recent Guardian reviewSkof placed 29th in the National Restaurant Awards
The amazing review also said: “Fine dining can at times be truly maddening, and leave diners hungry and hoodwinked, but Skof is proof that this often precarious blend of pacing, staging and portion size can be properly magical.”
She signed off by saying: “Skof is clever and emotional… It’s also well worth the hype, so do try to nab a table, if you can. It’s fancy, yes, but it also fills you up. This is fine dining that even a naysayer would like.”
Skof has said that it’s ‘so chuffed’ to receive the review, which landed in The Guardian on the restaurant’s second birthday.
They wrote: “Our 2nd birthday just got a quite a bit more special with an absolutely amazing review from @gracedent. We’re so chuffed with the write up. Hope the man from the traitors comes down, so we can serve him a crumpet.”
You can read Grace Dent’s full Skof review in The Guardian here.
The legendary Hulme community pub The Old Abbey Taphouse has been reborn
Daisy Jackson
The closure of The Old Abbey Taphouse was a real blow for Hulme and the surrounding university district area; the community pub was a bit of a local institution thanks to its grassroots music and inclusive atmosphere.
But now it appears that the spirit of the venue lives on, under the new name of The Abbey.
Some of the city’s most experienced independent operators – who have been behind venues like YES and The Deaf Institute, and music promoters Now Wave – will be the new custodians of this beloved local landmark.
The pub, which closed early last year, has now been carefully and lovingly restored ahead of its big relaunch, which will start in true Manc vision with an exclusive opening night gig.
The Abbey is reborn. (Credit: The Manc Group)
The vision for its new chapter will be ‘Old Pub, New Music’, creating a new home for grassroots live music and emerging artists.
There’s also affordable, hearty pub grub, including Pieminister pies, and a huge range of beers from local breweries and beyond.
Bringing The Abbey back to life are a core team of four: Ruth Hemmingfield, Wesley Jones, Jonathan Wickstead and Gareth Butterworth.
Ruth, Jon and Wesley are co-owners of YES; Ruth previously launched and programmed landmark Manc venues including The Deaf Institute, Gorilla and Albert Hall; while Wesley and Jonathan, through Now Wave, promote hundreds of independent gigs and live events each year.
As for Gareth, he’s the founder of the multi-venue festival Manchester Psych Fest, meaning that all of them have plenty of hospitality, late-night, live music and events experience between them.
The team behind The Abbey pub. Credit: Piran Aston
The rear of the site of The Old Abbey Taphouse will be extended to create a new dedicated live music and events venue, while the cherished beer garden is given a facelift with new decking and its own bar.
The Abbey has stood in Hulme since the 1890s, playing an important role in the area’s heritage – this is where activist Len Johnson managed to overturn the shameful ‘colour bar’ policies of the 1940s.
Its restoration and relaunch are part of the flourishing Manchester Science Park development.
Matthew Pazos, Senior Retail Commercial Manager at Bruntwood SciTech, said: “Ruth, Wesley and Jonathan are the perfect custodians to breathe new life into The Abbey.
“Their reputation for running independent spaces in Manchester, alongside their live music expertise, will ensure this much-valued pub once again becomes a beating heart for Hulme and the wider neighbourhood.
“The reopening of The Abbey will create an inclusive new hub that welcomes everyone – from the Hulme locals who have looked after the pub over the years, to the Manchester Science Park community, university students, and the many residents and workers across the Oxford Road Corridor.
“We are delighted that such a culturally significant and important pub is set to open its doors once again.”
Ruth from the new Abbey team commented: “We love a good pub. With The Abbey, we’re excited about bringing a brilliant old pub back to life, protecting what people loved about it, and creating something special: a great local, alongside a vital grassroots music venue for the area.
“We’re honouring the pub’s history while building its future.”
Daisy Jackson -
30th November 2025 
