Eats

Chips @ No.8 – Greater Manchester’s greatest chippy opens new site with bar and restaurant inside

It's stunning inside.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 11th June 2024

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.8
The upstairs restaurant at the new Chips @ No.8
You can now get cans of local beer to take away with your chippy tea
You 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 site
The new Chips @ No.8 is ready to open just next door to its original site
Chips @ No.8 has a new bar space inside where you can eat-in with your chippy
Chips @ No.8 has a new bar space inside where you can eat-in with your chippy
Owner Dan Edwards outside the new Chips @ No.8
Owner 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.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

‘A lovely surprise’ says Manchester restaurant after being added to Michelin Guide

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson 'A lovely surprise' says Manchester restaurant after being added to Michelin Guide

A local restaurant in Manchester has said it’s a ‘proud moment’ as it gets added to the prestigious Michelin Guide.

10 Tib Lane, a gorgeous three-storey restaurant and bar tucked on a quiet city centre street, said it was ‘a lovely surprise’ to find themselves added to the guide.

The restaurant opened back in 2021, taking over the former Bock Biere Cafe on Tib Lane.

The beauty in its interiors lies in the building’s bones, with a stripped-back space showing off textured walls and wooden floors and big sash windows.

As you climb the stairs from the bar, you’ll find a restaurant serving up clever small plates with British produce but with a definite French influence.

10 Tib Lane comes from the same team behind beloved Chorlton neighbourhood bar Henry C, as well as the newly-opened Posie cocktail bar in the city centre.

The Michelin Guide said the restaurant is serving ‘well-crafted dishes’, highlighting its cheese beignets.

10 Tib Lane in Manchester
10 Tib Lane in Manchester
10 Tib Lane has been added to the Michelin Guide
The restaurant has been added to the Michelin Guide

The guide said: “Stretching over three floors of a tall, narrow townhouse, you enter this welcoming restaurant via its cosy bar – ideal for a cocktail or a glass from their selection of European natural and low-intervention wines – before heading up to dining rooms decked out in rustic, semi-industrial chic.

“Order some oysters or cheese beignets while you choose from a menu that shows off influences from both Spain (Cantabrian anchovies on toast) and France (chocolate ganache).

“Throughout the cooking, the well-crafted dishes allow top-quality ingredients to shine.”

Speaking of their Michelin Guide addition, 10 Tib Lane wrote: “What a lovely surprise to receive this week. Marking a proud moment for us and the team.”

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Featured image: Supplied / 10 Tib Lane

Eats

The best rooftop bars and terraces in Manchester city centre

Danny Jones Danny Jones Best rooftops bars in Manchester city centre

It doesn’t matter whether it’s spring, pure summer heat, or even on a crisp autumn/winter’s day; whenever the sun breaks out in Manchester, part of our brain immediately turns to going for a pint – ideally on a rooftop bar, if possible.

Yes, beer gardens are great, but sunlight often gets blocked out by the rising number of tall buildings going up around the city centre.

Unless you’re up top in one of those buildings…

It’s not an absolute science, nor is it for everyone, but those of you who do like a few scoops up high on the odd occasion, here are some of the best rooftop bars and drinking terraces in Manchester.

The 10 best rooftop and ‘sky’ bars in Manchester city centre

1. YES

First up, whenever someone asks you the question, “Do you want to go and sit on a sun-soaked rooftop terrace with some bevs?”, the answer is simple: HELL. YES.

So many members of our team, both past and present, have called this their favourite outdoor drinking spot or bar in town full-stop, whether they spent their uni days here or love those cheap discounted Aperol spritzes every summer. Yes, it gets busy sometimes, but it’s for good reason – the place is mint.

2. Sora

Number two is more of a bar and restaurant, in truth, but we do love it a lot. Located above Malmaison’s Deansgate location – dangerously close to our office, by the way (like, literally next door) – Sora specialises in Pan-Asian-inspired dishes and drinks, including some very good sushi.

It’s well worth going along to try their ‘oriental afternoon tea‘ if you’re so inclined, but even if not, it’s just a very cool place to sip away.

3. Chotto Matte

Our third choice is one of Manchester city centre’s newest and fanciest additions, situated within the ever-growing St. Michael’s complex, developed by Gary Neville.

A number of recent openings have popped up in here, including Grind Coffee, which also benefits from the rooftop setting, but ‘Claude’s Skyview Bar’ inside Chotto Matte’s Manchester site is something very unique, indeed.

Inside Chotto Matte, the glittering new rooftop restaurant with staggering views of Manchester
Boujee but brilliant.

4. Terrace NQ

From the high end to the downright legendary for our money, in most people’s books, it doesn’t get much better than the likes of Terrace in the Northern Quarter, which has the benefit of having not only three floors but multiple outdoor areas and patios.

The best of the lot, however, is undeniably the rooftop area, which stretches nearly the entire square footage of the Thomas Street venue, and itself has multiple sections – each with a slightly different feel.

5. 20 Stories

Back over to the posher side of things now, and 20 Stories is one of those places that people literally travel into Manchester for to grab a great new profile picture with their tipple, and it is an undeniably Instagram-worthy venue.

With wonderful views across the city from No. 1 Spinningfields on Hardman Square, it’s an ideal suggestion for a classy glass of wine or fizz on a special occasion, though you’ll be far from the only one making the most of the vantage point.

6. Atlas Bar

Time for a nice middle ground in the form of Atlas Bar over on the corner of the Deansgate-Castlefield interchange, which has been sitting pretty on its little perch for three decades now.

While it may not be high up in the sky, the canopied terrace on the cosy balcony out the back, complete with outdoor heaters, benches in direct sunlight, as well as comfy cushioned seating under the retractable cover, might just be one of the best all-seasons drinking spots of this ilk. Always has been.

7. King Street Townhouse Hotel

Heading back across the city now and over to King Street Townhouse, the stunning hotel and spa operated by THG sits as somewhat of a best-kept secret on the back of Booth St, and one of the reasons it’s such a hidden gem is that stunning rooftop terrace.

It may only be small in comparison to some other rooftop bars in Manchester, but that’s part of what we think makes it special. Whether you’re there for a full stay, a treatment, or just a drink, this is where you should tie a ribbon on it.

The massively underrated rooftop terrace in Manchester with great views and top cocktails

8. Brickhouse Social

Next up, once again, we’re going for an entirely different vibe with this one, and another admittedly more student-centric hangout, but Brickhouse Social is nevertheless a very fun place to grab a pint up high.

They cover several floors these days, including the Kable nightclub down in the basement, but their rooftop terrace is also one of the best value-for-money bars in Manchester city centre. Catch you at ‘The Greenhouse’ sometime soon.

9. Beeswing

Over to our Amy’s favourite beer garden/outdoor drinking spot, which just so happens to be Beeswing elevated right above the Nell’s over at Kampus.

Sitting just across the water from Canal Street and the bustle of Gay Village, this one feels like arguably the perfect blend of handy central location and lively atmosphere, while still feeling tucked away enough for you to enjoy a quiet moment.

@the.manc Amy’s favourite beer garden / terrace 🍷 #manchester #themanc #visitmanchester #fyp #foryou #placestovisit #traveluk ♬ Daily Bread – L.Dre

10. The Ivy

Last but not least, we have to speak a little bit about the still relatively new ‘Ivy on the Roof’ experience over at the famous bar and brasserie over in Spinningfields, where footballers and countless other celebrities dine, drink and dance every week.

As for us lot, let’s be honest: we’re the real ones that make places like this truly tick all year-round; there’s also the slightly more intimate ‘Skylight Terrace’ room, which offers another sanctuary up and away from the rest of the glitz and glamour of the restaurant.

Credit: The Manc Eats

Honourable mention…

Cloud 23

Finally, before we leave you, we couldn’t wrap this up without mentioning the long-standing Cloud 23 bar sitting the same number of storeys up in the former Hilton skyscraper, now simply known as The Manchester Deansgate Hotel.

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You could argue that the Beetham Tower bar is the one that started it all here in Manchester, offering that kind of panoramic view over drinks long before virtually anyone else in the city. Most of you don’t need telling that it’s there, but we thought it’d be rude not to give a nod to one of the OGs.

Now, it goes without saying that this is by no means an exhaustive list, and if you think there’s somewhere that’s been criminally overlooked, feel free to give us some stick in the comments.

There’s something novel about rooftop bars that we’ll simply never tire of, and with Manchester’s skyline growing and getting taller and taller all the time, you can expect more and more of them to pop up in the coming years.

A glimpse at Manchester’s newest restaurant and bar, opening soon with beautiful skyline views

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

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