The brand new Chips @ No.8 chippy is ready to reopen in Prestwich – now with a beautiful restaurant space included.
Fans of the award-winning takeaway will now be able to sit inside the much-larger space as they devour what’s considered by many (myself included) to be the best fish and chips in Greater Manchester.
Chips @ No.8 hasn’t moved far – it’s actually just drifted next-door – but the improvements are vast.
Now three times the size, the new-look space is split into a takeaway, a bar, and a restaurant.
The upstairs restaurant is the biggest change, serving a seafood-focused menu that isn’t necessarily all about the fryer.
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The tasteful space has huge tall ceilings, exposed brick, and colourful chippy-inspired art on the wall.
This part will launch later this month with a concise ‘from the kitchen’ menu that will expand and change once they’ve tested the waters.
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But the chippy itself is raring to go from today.
The upstairs restaurant at the new Chips @ No.8You can now get cans of local beer to take away with your chippy tea
Visitors to the new Chips @ No.8 will be able to place their order from the counter before heading into the bar area for a pint while they wait.
There are also fridges full of cans to take away, featuring some big local names like Seven Brothers, Zapato, and Pomona.
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The menu down here is blissfully unchanged, which means you’ll still find chips fried in beef dripping, British fish fried in a perfect crisp batter, and a full menu of pies.
Owner Dan Edwards has piled a lot of love into this place, and says it’s ‘easily the most challenging thing’ he’s ever done.
The new Chips @ No.8 is ready to open just next door to its original siteChips @ No.8 has a new bar space inside where you can eat-in with your chippyOwner Dan Edwards outside the new Chips @ No.8
In a statement he shared this morning, Dan wrote: “So, after what feels like forever, we will open the new shop today.
“We started this project nearly 12 months ago and it’s come close to breaking me many times. Easily, the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, but we’re there now!
“My wife is clearly an angel for putting up with me during this whole time. Marie, I love you more than you can imagine
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“Couple of things to note:- we’re not opening the restaurant area for a few days, so that we can ‘bed in’ the new systems. We don’t wanna give anything short of the best. We’ll let you know when we’re ready.
“We’re also gonna introduce the “from the kitchen” menu slowly, with more items being added as we go.
“The last thing, is it’s going to be walk ins only, there’s no booking system. We know there’s lots of you who want to secure your seat but it’s a non negotiable unfortunately.
“What we can guarantee, is we have an amazing space, an amazing team, and amazing customers. Over the next week or so, go easy on us if things aren’t quite right. I promise we’re all trying our best with new everything.
“Here’s to the next (and final) stage. Chips @No.8 is all grown up and we can’t wait to share it with you!”
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The new Chips @ No.8 opens on Tuesday 11 June on Clifton Road.
Onda – inside Manchester’s most in-demand pasta kitchen as it opens its first restaurant
Daisy Jackson
Onda, the modest pasta kitchen that suddenly got so popular it was almost impossible to reserve a table, has branched out and opened its very first restaurant.
They grow up so fast.
The team behind the restaurant had been operating as a pop-up since spring 2023, first from the Exhibition food hall and then later at New Cross on the edges of Ancoats.
It was here in their second location that Onda suddenly hit the big time and found wildly viral fame, thanks to its tiramisu drawer.
Bookings went absolutely wild, to the point that people were waiting entire seasons to bag a seat.
It makes sense then that they have taken the chance to upscale their operation, and it’s time for Onda to open its very first proper restaurant.
They’ve taken up a unit at Circle Square, where similarly popular neighbours include Federal Cafe Bar.
The space is huge, and flooded with natural light, with an open central kitchen where customers can watch the magic happen.
Inside the new Onda restaurant in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Onda is founded by chef Sam Astley-Dean, who, along with his team, carefully makes all their pasta and pizza dough from scratch daily.
The tiramisu might have sent their popularity sky-high, but the quality and prices here prove that it deserves every bit of success coming its way. This place is not a novelty.
Dishes are reasonably priced and include spagetthi with garlic and breadcrumbs for £9 and pici with pecordino and black pepper for £9.50.
Pasta and pizzetta dishes at Onda in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
The menu then goes up to a scallop and Cornish crab agnolloti for a still-very-reasonable £15.
Along with the pasta, there’s a menu of pizzetta, with the option to amp up your crust with a generous showering of parmesan.
And it would be remiss of you to leave this place without having a scoop of their homemade tiramisu, scooped out of that refrigerator drawer that put Onda on the map in the first place.
You can book a table here, or walk-ins will be available from July.
Greater Manchester’s popular luxury steam train dining experiences to run throughout summer
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester’s heritage railway is hosting one of the most unique fine dining experiences in the region this summer.
It’s no secret that East Lancashire Railway (ELR) is known and loved for its immersive events that give rail enthusiasts and curious Mancs the chance to step back in time by hopping on one of the historic Pullman-style carriages and ride a steam train through the picturesque Greater Manchester countryside.
Wizards, Thomas the Tank Engine, dinosaurs, and Peppa Pig-themed train rides are just a few of the events that have been entertaining families in the region over the last few years.
But for the grown-ups, how does getting the chance to tuck into a four-course luxury meal sound?
East Lancashire Railway’s ‘Red Rose Diners’ are here to stay this summer / Credit: ELR
That’s right, the Red Rose Diners are here to stay this summer.
Undoubtably indulgent and described as being “the ultimate first class foodie experience”, ELR’s Red Rose Diners are unlike any other fine dining affair on offer in our region, as passengers are not only treated to a proper fancy feast while they’re aboard, but also to polished panelling, luxurious seating, and crisp linens too.
Running on selected Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays all throughout the summer months, the Red Rose Diner experience starts with a glass of fizz and then stretches over an almost three-hour train journey through the Irwell Valley.
It includes a four-course dinner with complimentary sparkling wine, followed by tea or coffee and after-dinner chocolates.
They’re described as being “the ultimate first class foodie experience” / Credit: ELR
Each party has their own personal waiter tending to them throughout the course of the evening, so you can fully relax knowing every aspect of your experience will be catered for to the highest of standards.
If you’re looking for something even more special, then a ‘Premium Night’ – which is one step up from the Red Rose Diners, and only runs on a handful of selected dates throughout the year – will take place on Saturday 13 July, so bring your best black tie attire and expect an evening of serious elegance for a night of the finest food and entertainment.
Fine dining not really your thing though?
ELR has a handful of other special experiences in the calendar for the summer – including Afternoon Teas, Lancastrian Lunches, and even a gin-tasting night, so there’s something for everyone.
Daisy Jackson -
11th June 2024 
