There’s a stunning new rooftop restaurant in Manchester, with more than 250 different wines on the menu and beehives on the roof.
Climat is ready to open in Blackfriars House and has one of the best views in the city, with every table given a front-row seat.
From its eighth floor position, diners will be able to take in the sights of Manchester, including the (currently scaffolded) Town Hall, the ornate rooftop of Barton Arcade, and the spire of St Ann’s Church.
The 100-cover restaurant comes from the same team behind the acclaimed Covino in Chester, with exec chef of Covino and Climat Luke Richardson and head chef Simon Ulph crafting a menu of modern British feasting-size dishes.
The restaurant promises to serve ‘food you want to eat’, geared towards groups of three or more to share – think whole turbot, slow-cooked lamb shoulder, and ex-dairy cuts on the bone.
ADVERTISEMENT
Climat. Credit: The Manc Group
There’ll be small plates too, and the resurrection of classic vol-au-vents.
Climat’s wine cellar is comprehensive, featuring more than 250 different wines, 40% of which will come from one specific Burgundy vineyard site which has its own microclimate and specific geological conditions.
ADVERTISEMENT
The highly-anticipated opening aims to be a ‘contemporary, Parisian-style’ addition to Manchester’s restaurant scene.
The star of the show with its decor all centre around that view, from the floor-to-ceiling windows to the spacious outdoor rooftop terrace.
Climat. Credit: The Manc GroupClimat. Credit: The Manc Group
Tables are arranged in one long row along the windows, with an open kitchen on the other side.
ADVERTISEMENT
Of the menu, exec chef Luke Richardson comments: “We want to have a different signature snack at each restaurant we open. Whilst Covino has the gougère, Climat will have the vol-au-vent.
“The humble gougère will continue to serve Covino, whilst we’ve opted to resurrect the vol-au-vent for Climat, owing to their complete versatility throughout the seasons. They can literally be stuffed with anything. Beef tartare, parfait, truffle and ricotta to name just a few.
“Both myself and Simon Ulph have worked closely together to develop an opening menu we are both super proud of and we think does justice to the building and the surroundings. We believe we offer something completely different to the Manchester restaurant scene and we now can’t wait to officially launch.”
Christopher Laidler, owner of Climat, comments: “After a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (mostly my own), I couldn’t be happier that we’re one step closer to bringing Climat to life with the menu and wine list already things I’m immensely proud of.
“Climat is essentially going to be a place for guests to share our passion for really good food and drink in a relaxed rooftop setting with what I think is one of the best views of Manchester’s skyline.
“We’re well on the way to achieving this; from the look and feel of the restaurant coming together, to the exciting daily changing menu ideas and informal but quietly knowledgeable style of service we have planned.”
Charlotte Wild, head of retail and leisure at Bruntwood Works, comments: “Climat is going to be a fantastic addition to Manchester’s hospitality scene. We’re delighted to welcome such an exciting concept to Blackfriars, our community-minded Pioneering building.
“The restaurant is really coming together now and the menu clearly demonstrates their passion for excellent food and wine. It’s great to see their hard work come to fruition. Roll on December!”
Didsbury favourite Rustik has confirmed its will sadly be closing this month
Danny Jones
West Didsbury favourite Rustik has sadly announced it will be closing for food after a decade at the end of this month.
The beloved Burton cafe and bar has been a staple of the tight-knit foodie neighbourhood since 2015, but now the independent Irish eatery has confirmed that the business will be shutting down permanently in less than a fortnight.
Confirmed on Wednesday afternoon, 17 September, the casual Manc restaurant and hangout informed their loyal followers of the unfortunate news.
Unsurprisingly, their social media has been awash with condolences, collective sadness and support for the local institution.
Posting across all of their accounts, Rustik wrote: “After an unforgettable 10 years on Burton Road, the time has come to close our doors. It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come — never in a million years did we imagine Rustik would grow into what it became.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to every single one of you who walked through our doors and supported us along the way. We poured everything we had — our time, our energy, our lives into making Rustik a space for everyone. And what a ride it’s been.
“From the chaotic, beautiful brunch shifts to late nights dancing on tables to ‘Wagon Wheel’, pushing through the challenges of COVID and helping our community with meals during hard times— we’ve done it all, together.
“To our amazing staff, past and present: thank you for your hard work, your dedication, and the love you brought every single day. You helped build something truly special, and we’ll never be able to thank you enough.
“To the incredible musicians who filled our space with life — keep doing what you do. The noise complaints? 100% worth the unforgettable nights.”
The team go on to detail that the official closing date is Tuesday, 30 September, reiterating that it is “business running as usual until then” and urging fans to “come down, grab your last Rustik fix, and raise a glass with us one final time.”
Signing off with an emotional farewell, they add: “Lastly, a message close to our hearts: please support your local cafes, bars, and independents. Hospitality is tough right now, and they need your support more than ever.
“Thank you for the most incredible decade of our lives. It’s over and out from us.”
It goes without saying that we’re gutted to see Rustik go and know how much it meant not only to the Burton Road community, but also to the Didsbury community, Chorlton and many other Greater Manchester natives.
A ‘saucy’ new Korean fried chicken restaurant is opening in the Gay Village
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new Korean fried chicken restaurant and cocktail bar is set to open on Canal Street this week.
CLUK is promising some big deals and amazing giveaways to celebrate its launch in Manchester, including free food and prize draws.
The newcomer in the heart of the city will specialise in Korean-style crispy fried chicken, but also warming ramen bowls, and salt & pepper classics.
Signature dishes will include Korean cheese-powder fried chicken, and Cheese Volcano Chicken.
CLUK will also serve dishes like kimchi cheese loaded fries, salt & pepper chicken, and huge sharing platters.
You can customise your Korean fried chicken order by size, choosing between wings and boneless and picking a flavour out of honey garlic, sweet and spicy, honey mustard, and honey and sour.
They promise it’ll all be ‘saucy, crunchy, and seriously addictive’.
That’s all washed down with ice-cold beers and creative cocktails, like martinis, spritzes and sours.
CLUK is now open in the Gay Village in ManchesterA spread of CLUK dishesInside CLUK ManchesterFried chicken with Korean cheese powderInside CLUK Manchester
The CLUK team are hoping to create a fun late-night dining option for this buzzing corner of the city centre.
To celebrate its launch on Thursday 18 September, CLUK have announced a whole heap of promotions.
This includes free chicken bao for the first 50 guests to visit during the first five days.
Over the two week launch period, visitors can spin the wheel whenever you spend £12 – spend £24 and spin twice.
And there are big prizes available – the top prize is a £100 gift card or £50 cash, with other prizes including free drinks, food and a £3 voucher as a consolation prize.
Plus, anyone who buys a gift card and tops it up with £100 will receive a free beer or cider.
When those two weeks are up, CLUK will run a £1,000 prize draw.
Daisy Jackson -
1st December 2022 
