Higher Ground has gone from strength to strength since opening less than a year ago. It was named among the UK’s best restaurants just months after opening, and recently Rick Stein named it as one of his favourite places to eat in the whole country.
The restaurant started life as a pop-up at Kampus but has since put down roots with floor-to-ceiling glass windows on two sides, and a whole wine room where diners can pick out a bottle to take home.
It’s operated by three friends – bright young chef Joseph Otway, front-of-house man Richard Cossins, and wine expert Daniel Craig-Martin.
Now, the restaurant can add a Bib Gourmand to its belt, which Michelin says is ‘not quite a star, but definitely not a consolation prize’.
Higher Ground in Manchester has been awarded a Michelin Bib GourmandHigher Ground in Manchester has been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand
Bib Gourmands are awarded to ‘friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices’.
Michelin launched the category to recognise restaurants that serve ‘high-quality food at pocket-friendly prices’, rather than the incredibly high standard (and high cost) of fine dining restaurants.
The guide described Higher Ground as an ‘all-round brilliant package’.
They wrote today: “There is no better place to start than in Manchester, the host city of this year’s MICHELIN Guide Ceremony.
“One of the new jewels in the city’s culinary crown is Higher Ground, a great value restaurant run by a trio of friends who provide friendly service alongside a selection of full-flavoured small plates.”
The Michelin Guide’s entry for Higher Ground reads: “In the heart of the city, not far from Piccadilly Gardens, three friends are making serious waves in the Manchester food scene.
“With chatty service, a lively buzz and ingredient-led cooking bursting with bold flavours, they’re providing a brilliant all-round package for the city.
“Dishes are designed for sharing and often utilise ingredients from their Cinderwood Market Garden. There’s a brilliant wine list too, showcasing small producers and low-intervention choices, of which you can find more at their wine bar, Flawd, in Ancoats.”
Hotel Chocolat to open viral chocolate Velvetiser Cafe in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Hotel Chocolat is set to open a Velvetiser Cafe in Manchester city centre, and it’ll be absolute paradise for chocolate lovers.
The popular chocolate shop, which has stores across the UK selling delicious chocolate bars, boxes and more, is now preparing to branch out in town.
Hotel Chocolat then hit a new level of fame with its Velvetiser, an invention that creates velvety smooth hot drinks at the touch of a button.
They’ve been so popular, Hotel Chocolat is now opening Velvetiser Cafes across the UK – and Manchester is up next.
If it follows in the footsteps of the Meadowhall cafe in Sheffield, visitors will be able to customise their perfect hot chocolate from thousands of combinations.
There are 18 flavours, different milks, and a whole variety of toppings available.
Then you drink can be served hot, over ice, or as a choc shake.
Colourful hoardings for the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe have now appeared on Cross Street, just next door to the new Joe & The Juice.
A planning application has also been lodged with Manchester City Council.
Drake-backed fried chicken brand Dave’s Hot Chicken is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
The huge LA-based fried chicken brand backed by Drake is heading to Manchester for the very first time this summer.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is set to open in the Printworks this August – the first UK branch outside of London and Birmingham.
The cult chicken brand has said that its new venue will feature an ‘industrial design inspired by Manchester’s rave scene’ (if we had a pound every time a new venue used that design style, we’d be as rich as Drake…).
Dave’s Hot Chicken is famed for its signature Nashville-style hot chicken, which is served in seven different spice levels from No Spice to Reaper.
Expect sliders, tenders, ‘next-level’ top-loaded shakes and slushes.
It’s grown so quickly that in 2021, it caught the eye of none other than rapper Drake, who is a ‘significant investor’ in the brand.
The fried chicken spot will be moving into the large corner unit at Printworks, which has previously been Busaba Thai, and Floripa, with 139 covers.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is coming to Manchester
Inside, it will feature towering ceilings, exposed steelwork, and laser lights, claiming to be a ‘full-on sensory trip, where music, light and fried chicken will come together to create a high-voltage experience’.
There will also be custom graffiti inspired by L.A.-based street artists Splatterhaus and Dehm.
Dave’s Hot Chicken still has hour-long queues down in London, several months after opening on Shaftesbury Avenue – next up will be a Birmingham branch in July before Manchester opens later this summer.
And this is just the start of a nationwide expansion.
Jim Attwood, Managing Director of Dave’s Hot Chicken UK, said: “Printworks Manchester is the ideal setting for our next UK site – right at the heart of one of the country’s most exciting cities.
“The new restaurant pays homage to Manchester’s legendary warehouse rave scene, with an industrial-inspired design and bold, high-energy atmosphere to match our signature flavours.
“We can’t wait to bring something fresh to this iconic venue and its vibrant mix of entertainment, food and culture.”
Dave’s Hot Chicken will open at Printworks Manchester on 8 August.
Daisy Jackson -
29th January 2024 
