Sushi is now EVERYWHERE in Manchester. From grab-and-go takeaway offerings to cool street food-style spots in shipping containers to high-end restaurants that stand their ground on a global scale.
There’s so much sushi around I’m actually surprised Greggs don’t have a range yet.
So why should you go big, with a 14 course, £150 tasting menu? I’ll tell you why – because it really is the treat of a lifetime for any fresh fish fanatic.
Musu, despite its price tag, sits modestly on Bridge Street, just off Deansgate, its regal interior hidden from street view behind tasteful black drapes and a wooden panelled reception.
Once inside the body of the luxurious Manchester restaurant, the pristine wooden aesthetic continues, but whilst most of the restaurant (and incredibly well stocked bar) is dimly lit, the exposed open kitchen and sushi station shine like spotlights, showcasing the true star of the establishment – its chefs.
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I was lucky enough to take a seat for Musu’s Omakase menu.
Omakase translates to ‘I’ll leave it up to you’, demonstrating how the chef, who you’ll be sat in front of for two-three hours, is entirely in control of your dining experience. They’ve selected and constructed a menu based on which fish are in season, fresh, and their own refined preference. And if this meal is anything to go by, I’ll leave all my food choices to someone else forever.
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The day’s Omakase ingredients are presented to you before you eatThe Omakase experience involves sitting at Musu’s chef’s tableStandouts include Musu’s sashimi selection
First you’re shown all the produce that is going to make your meal, and how they were sourced and prepared. The tray of fish gleam like the jewels they are, in both taste and cost.
The 14 plates began with the only hot dish, Miso Soup. This of course is pimped out, with wagyu beef and shiitake mushroom adding to the rich saltiness. The wagyu is so tender it nearly melts into the soup and creates a rich sweet peppery flavour. It’s a strong start.
Next up begins a selection of sashimi. Sashimi is raw fish/shellfish, served only with fresh wasabi and a beautiful five-year-aged soy sauce containing rich sake.
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There isn’t anywhere to hide with sashimi and chef John doesn’t need to. Every dish looks like art, prepared in front of you – it’s amazing to see how expert cuts create exquisite plates. It’s like watching an artfully shot Netflix documentary, only for the TV to reach over and hand you the food after the credits.
Each of the six sashimi tastes so individual. The scallop from the Isle of Sky melts on the tongue, with a subtle salt taste. The four-day-aged Cornish seabass, paired perfectly with the rich soy, brings a sweetness to the fish. The Scottish salmon nearly swims down my throat, it’s so elegant and rich, whereas the Akami (bluefin tuna loin) packs a powerful and delicious fish flavour that you feel in the nose.
Musu’s head chef searing the Chu-toro in front of dinersThe white chocolate dessert at Musu in Manchester
Next came the 10 nigiri, fish served on a bed of rice. The craftsmanship and precision here is spectacular, with chef John pairing Hamchi with green chillies, allowing spice to burst out with a bite. Red Mullet is seared with a blowtorch and served with Yuzu zest to create tangy treat for the eyes and palette. The spectacle reaches its peak with the charcoal seared Chu-toro, the wooden burnt fish enriched by piney-smoky flavour. Finally the last nigiri is an A5 Wagyu beef, with autumnal truffle, a wild, earthy end to the nigiri.
I actually think ending on the Wagyu would be a perfect circle, meeting back to the start with the Miso Soup, but there’s one more fish dish before a sweet treat. It’s the Temaki, seaweed wrapped Tuna with Chu-toro, spring onion and sesame. It’s a big end to the fish dishes, the strong meaty tuna taste a perfect contrast to the fresh raw veg.
Finally the dessert, simple small and elegant salted white chocolate, served perfectly cold, with soya milk crisp, and almond dust providing a rough change in texture, and helping to stagger the sweetness. It’s a triumphant ending.
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The Omakase menu is not just a treat, it’s an education in how sushi can be masterfully executed, right here in the heart of landlocked Manchester.
The Cut and Craft are hosting a bottomless Boxing Day brunch this year
Danny Jones
This holiday season, The Cut and Craft are hosting an extra lavish take on their usual bottomless brunch on Boxing Day.
Suddenly, we’re looking forward to 26 December maybe even more than our mam’s Christmas dinner…
Yes, the much-loved steak and seafood restaurant is already well-known for one of the best bottomless brunches in Manchester, not to mention evening meals, but they always elevate things even further over the festive period.
Promising top ingredients, the best booze labels you could ask for, as well as stunning service in an even more stunning room, you can’t go wrong if you’re looking to make the most of your toasts this Boxing Day – and don’t worry, vegetarians: there are some great options for you, too.
Typically held over a long weekend, The Cut and Craft bank holiday bottomless brunch will be held for the last time this year on the final Friday of 2025. You couldn’t ask for more perfect timing than that.
The group have transformed the beautiful room in the heart of the city into what they’ve dubbed “a scene straight out of Miracle on 34th Street.
Adorned with grand wreaths, the reliable warmth of twinkling fairy lights, stockings hanging in front of the fire in ‘The Gossip Room’, plus Santa guarding the wine cellar, the only thing more inviting than the space is the menu.
Besides the usual 90 minutes of non-stop Moët & Chandon champagne, as well as DJs, live entertainment and dancers, the food offerings include flat iron steak and chips served on a hot stone with a grilled tomato and signature salt.
If you prefer something to steer away from the red meat/have already had plenty over Christmas, you can go for grilled seabass with Duchess potatoes, gremolata, hazelnut and cauliflower sauce, OR opt for the halloumi fajitas packed with roasted peppers and onions, guacamole, salsa and chive sour cream.
You can even load these up even further with the addition of free-range British chicken breast, rump steak (if you change your mind on the day), and even king prawns.
We’re almost drooling just thinking about all this – as are our mates from The Hoot after confirming the same promotion is available at their equally gorgeous sites over in Leeds.
Veggie options are Cut & Craft’s ‘Redefine Flank Steak & Chips’ (tender flank-style cut of plant-based steak), or spicy cauliflower wings, served with broad beans, English garden peas, buckwheat, baby gem, baby spinach, broccoli couscous, toasted cashews, pistachio crumb, and maple-mustard dressing.
Once again, all of this can be tweaked here and there by the exceptional waiting staff; for instance, if you’d rather wine than champers, you can always swap the bubbly for Whispering Angel Rosé, which will be served straight from their limitless fountain.
Guests who fancy visiting Cut and Craft for Boxing Day 2025 can choose between a bar table with unlimited Whispering Angel drinks only from just £55, or go all out with a restaurant table and a dish from the set brunch menu starting from £75.
The full Moët fizz upgrade package will set you back £100, if you’re really looking to indulge yourself this year, and who could blame you? It’s a long, old winter, after all.
If you’re interested in securing your seat at 38-42 Mosley St, bookings are available from 1pm onwards, and you can reserve your table right HERE.
Three Manchester pubs are officially serving some of the best Guinness in the UK
Daisy Jackson
Guinness has released the first edition of its Harp Guide, which has highlighted the best pubs around the UK to grab a pint of the black stuff – and three are here in Manchester.
The iconic Irish brewery has singled out just 35 British pubs that are serving worthy pints of Guinness stout.
Of the three in Manchester that made the list, one is a legendary Irish pub in the city centre, while the other two are neighbours out in the suburbs.
Up first is – unsurprisingly – Mulligans of Deansgate, an authentic Irish pub in the heart of Manchester city centre that’s been a popular watering hole for Mancs for more than a century, selling more than 13,000 pints a week.
The pub expanded last year and now has two spaces – its traditional, den-like ground floor, and its much larger live music space with vaulted ceilings upstairs.
Pádraig Brady, owner of Mulligans, said: “Being recognised in the inaugural Guinness Harp Guide is a real privilege.
“It’s no secret that every pub gets the same kegs of Guinness delivered, but what makes the difference is everything that happens after that.
“The right equipment, correct cellar procedures and conditions, staff who know how to pour it perfectly, the atmosphere, the daily live music – it all matters. We’ve always focused on doing things consistently, and being the sole Manchester city centre pub in the guide is testament to that consistency.”
Mulligans in Manchester is in the Guinness Harp Guide. Credit: The Manc Group
Next in the Harp Guide is Kennedy’s in Didsbury, a pub which has only been open since August following the success of its original location in Altrincham.
The pub recently welcomed Yard & Coop into its kitchens too, so you can get a traditional Irish spice bag with your Guinness.
Kennedy’s said: “We are super excited to announce that we, amongst 34 other bars across GB, have been selected for the Offical Guinness Harp Guide 2026.
“Not only is this an exceptional achievement within the Guinness community, but it’s an accolade that represents everything we work towards here at Kennedy’s Irish Bar.
“The Guinness Harp Guide celebrates those few bars that capture the warmth, character, and vibrancy that makes enjoying a Guinness so special, and of course, those that serve beautiful Guinness’.”
Completing the list is The Station pub, also in Didsbury, a cosy local favourite and key stop on the legendary Didsbury Dozen pub crawl.
This popular Irish pub has sports, live music three nights a week and a serious love of Guinness – and now it’s officially one of Britain’s best spots to drink it.
These are officially the spots to head if you’re a discerning Guinness fan.
The Manc -
16th November 2023 
