10 amazing new restaurants and bars opening in Manchester this month | November 2023
Greek street food, fancy new cocktail bars, and one of the city's most hotly-anticipated new restaurants are all coming in November. Oh, and the Christmas Markets...
It feels like we say this every month, but it genuinely feels like November might be our biggest month for new Manchester restaurants of the year so far.
There are some huge national names like Six By Nico and Gail’s Bakery opening brand new sites, some local favourites like Seven Brothers launching new ventures, and a couple of totally new brands joining the fray.
November will also see the launch of the beautiful Fenix restaurant and bar, one of the city’s most hotly-anticipated new openings.
There’ll be plenty of new bars opening alongside all those new restaurants in Manchester too, whether you’re into no-nonsense cocktail bars or proper beer taprooms.
Oh, did we mention that Christmas is officially back too?
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From Salford to the city centre, we’ve picked out 10 of the best new openings to add to your list this month.
Six By Nico, John Dalton Street
Nico Simeone of Six By Nico, who will open a second Manchester restaurant in November.
Six By Nico, the restaurant that takes the usually eye-wateringly expensive tasting menu concept and slaps a low £39 price tag on it, is opening its second restaurant here in Manchester this month.
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The tried-and-tested concept involved a six-course themed menu that changes every six weeks, with previous themes including chippy tea, childhood, and fairytales.
Speaking of the launch, Nico Simeone said: “Since launching in 2019, our Spring Gardens venue has gone from strength to strength, prompting demand for a second site in the heart of the city. The support we have had from the people of Manchester and further afield, as well as the team we have had there since day one, have all helped make a second-site possible.”
2 John Dalton Street, M3 2NW | Opens 30 November
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Stray, Mackie Mayor
Stray, a new cocktail bar opening in Mackie Mayor this November. Credit: Supplied
Tucked on the corner of Eagle Street in the former Atkinsons Coffee site, in the sensational building that’s home to Mackie Mayor, is Stray, a brand new cocktail bar promising uncomplicated cocktails.
Their drinks menu’s signature section is titled ‘Led Astray’ and will combine seasonal flavours and some less commonly explored ingredients.
And they’re putting just as much effort into their low- and non-alcoholic cocktails too.
Eagle St, M4 5BU| Opening 3 November
Rola Wala, Deansgate
Rola Wala is opening on Deansgate in Manchester. Credit: SuppliedRola Wala is opening on Deansgate in Manchester. Credit: Supplied
Foot-long naan wraps, served until 3am. Shall I just leave it there?
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Rola Wala is an Indian street food favourite that will soon be opening its first site here in Manchester.
On the menu you’ll see build-your-own naan rolls (Rola Wala literally translates to ‘man that rolls’ in Hindi), filled with authentically spiced Indian fillings, healthy and hearty lunches like naan tikka tacos and rice bowls, and curries.
The brand’s ‘buy-one-give-one’ incentive means that they donate one meal to a hungry child in the developing world for every naan roll sold – so far, that’s totally 850,000 meals delivered by Rola Wala.
To celebrate the opening, Rola Wala will be giving away more than 1,000 naan rolls on launch day – just head down from midday on 8 November to grab one.
75 Deansgate, M3 2BW | Opening 8 November
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Gail’s, Knutsford
Gail’s in Manchester. Credit: The Manc GroupGail’s in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
The UK’s poshest bakery is continuing its formidable expansion across the north, opening a new site in Knutsford.
Famed for their homemade bread and sensational pastries (the crunch on their cinnamon bun is next-level), Gail’s is a London brand that’s taking the north west by storm.
They’re taking over the old HSBC bank in the centre of the market town.
19 Princess St, Knutsford WA16 6BZ| Opening 3 November
Bar Hutte, Kampus and Great Northern
Bar Hutte is returning to Manchester in November. Credit: Supplied
You know it’s Christmas when the little wooden huts start popping up around Manchester – and the ones at Bar Hutte are home to more festive spirit than anything you’ll find at the Manchester Christmas Markets.
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Bar Hütte’s legendary karaoke cabins are coming back, bringing Alpine vibes, cosy furnishings, twinkling lights, live music sessions, and flowing drinks – with not one, but two locations in Manchester city centre.
While Bar Hütte at Great Northern Square is heading back to Deansgate, with 15 cosy private hüttes neatly-positioned under a heated stretch tent and twinkling lights, Bar Hütte at Kampus will also see a new outdoor terrace, comprising of eight snug, wooden karaoke hüttes nestled beneath the trees, and an ‘Aprés Ski Bungalow’ serving as an indoor alpine bar.
Bar Hütte at Kampus also teamed up with its neighbours, Nell’s and Great North Pie Co, so that hungry foodies can order pizza and pies delivered straight to their hütte via a QR code system.
Kampus, Aytoun St, M1 3GL; and Great Northern, 235 Deansgate, M3 4EN| Opening 8 November
Fenix, Spinningfields
Fenix is one of the most exciting new restaurant and bar openings in Manchester this month
Bringing a taste of Mykonos to Manchester will be Fenix, a luxurious new Mediterranean restaurant from the team who founded Tattu.
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Fenix will be serving high-end contemporary Greek-Mediterranean food in Spinningfields, in a truly beautiful restaurant space that includes carved stone walls, gold fauna hanging from the ceiling, and cutting-edge lighting design that will mimic the setting sun and moonlit nights in the Greek isles.
Expect everything from fresh pitta and hummus to spiced beef meatballs, grilled octopus with Aegean fava beans, shrimp ‘Saganaki’, and Wagyu beef dumplings.
And a spectacular charcoal-fired grill in the heart of the new restaurant will see fresh seafood and locally sourced meats flamed live in front of customers.
You can get 50% off its soft launch period and have exclusive access to bookings if you sign up to their newsletter.
The Goods Yard Building, M3 3BG | Opening late November
Prestwich’s food and drink scene just keeps thriving, with a brand new neighbourhood restaurant joining the high street this month.
After a wildly successful Crowdfunding campaign, which saw it selling rewards including food for life, The Pearl has pulled in acclaimed chef Iain Thomas to craft a menu of locally-sourced plates.
Prior to launching The Pearl, co-owner Sam launched the successful sandwich delivery service SanSan during the Covid lockdowns.
425 Bury New Rd, Prestwich, M25 1AF | Opening 4 November
11 Central, Salford
11 Central is set to open in Salford, from the teams behind Seven Brothers Brewery and the Sisters Distillery
The huge group of siblings behind two of Manchester’s best drinks brands are teaming up to open a new bar, with 11 Central set to launch in Salford very soon.
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The bar will form part of the new Central Bay site at MediaCityUK and comes from the teams behind Seven Brothers Brewery and the Sisters Distillery.
11 Central will take its name from the fact that all 11 siblings are joining forces to create a new watering hole for Salford .
The bar will have a mix of food, drink, live music, bar games and waterside views across a 2000sq ft terrace.
Central Bay, Salford M50 3XW | Opening 17 November
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Dear Sailor, Spinningfields
Tucked in just across the road from Sexy Fish is Dear Sailor, a new cocktail bar inspired by the underground jazz cafes that sprung up around Tokyo in the 1930s.
It’s taking over the old Wolf Italian site in the heart of Spinningfields and will promise plenty of cocktails, plenty of music, and plenty of classy vibes.
Details are pretty scarce at the minute but it’s pitching itself as ‘discreet fine partying and drinking’.
Spinningfields Square, M3 3AP | Opening late November
One of The Manc’s favourite lunches is, hands-down, a gyros – and now there’s a new kitchen dedicated to the Greek street food opening right around the corner from our office.
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Soft, traditional flatbreads will be stuffed with spiced meats, pulled chicken, and fried halloumi, plus chips (because potatoes in bread is an elite food group).
It’s taking up the space left vacant by the old Venus flower shop on Oxford Road.
95 Oxford St, M1 6ET | Opening 13 November
Things to do and events in Manchester in November 2023
Duvel x Maray – Middle-Eastern favourite Maray is teaming up with Duvel for a one-off, five course menu, each dish paired with beer. Perfect. It’s happening on 15 and 16 November and costs £50 per person.
Wine to Water charity cocktails – One of Manchester’s most iconic speakeasies The Washhouse, along with new Kampus LGBTQ+ cocktail bar Red Light, will be offering a new range of charity cocktails this month in support of clean water charity Wine To Water. £1 from each purchase will be donated to the cause, with drinks available until mid-November.
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Bundobust Pizza – Indian street food legends Bundobust are partnering with Slice Culture and Track Taproom for a one-night-only Indian-inspired pizza collab, with toppings including Biryani, korma, and saag paneer. It’s happening on Friday 3 November at Track’s taproom near Manchester Piccadilly.
Manchester Christmas Markets – Here they come again – the Manchester Christmas Markets will officially kick off on Friday 10 November, bringing festive cheer, loads of beer, and plenty of sausages to the city’s streets.
Bombay Curry Club – A new bottomless curry offering is heading to Freight Island, with Payal serving all-you-can-eat curries between 6pm and 9pm every Thursday, accompanied by live DJs. It all kicks off from 2 November.
Loaf’s birthday – Beloved Oxford Street cake shop Loaf is celebrating its birthday with 50% off from 12pm until 4pm on Saturday. Their full range will be half price for one day only.
Featured image: Fenix
Eats
The Marble Arch is increasingly becoming much more than a pub – it’s now a brilliant Manc bistro
Danny Jones
If you’ve been to The Marble Inn in Manchester before, you’ll know it’s always nailed cosy Northern pub vibes; to tell the truth, the food has always been pretty good, too, but their new menu is really something to write home about.
So we did.
The historic old boozer located on Rochdale Road has sat there in some shape or form since way back in 1888, and naturally, things have evolved significantly over the years – decades, certainly.
But the latest iteration of food and drink at the increasingly forward-thinking Marble Arch Inn is a cut above, bringing together a fusion of current culinary trends and contemporary takes on pub classics.
No. 73 enters a new chapterOne of the best pies we’ve probably ever hadCredit: The Manc Eats
Now just over a month into its run at the home of Marble Brewers just beyond Ancoats, it feels rather fitting that this place has always sat on the cusp of surrounding districts in somewhat of a Manc no-man’s land, as there’s something about this place that feels like it’s dancing on the line of a scene.
Recently installed head chef Adam Shatarsky is still self-admittedly pretty green in comparison to lots of other local chefs, as he’s only been cooking for around five years, but his spells at Mackie Mayor’s Taiko and Cardinal Rule in NQ have already proved he’s got to grips with how the city eats.
His food just keeps getting better and more confident in experimentation, it would seem – as proven with this approach to Marble Arch classics like fish and chips, their pies, burgers, the treasured Sunday roast and so on.
The difference is now that some of these mainstays and undeniable British favourites have been levelled up quite significantly. Now there’s bone marrow in the mince used for those oh-so-juicy patties; toast is fried in beef fat to dovetail with a tartare dish, and the chips are some of the best you’ll find in a pub.
Seriously, they even use the Brewery‘s new cult favourite Earl Grey keg flavour to make their rarebit recipe. In fact, when one local punter saw that the staff were enjoying a posh chip butty with wild garlic and mushrooms for the staff, they couldn’t help but ask for one, and now it’s a special menu item.
A familiar faceThree small plates for £25Credit: The Manc
This is the kind of ethos they’re trying to keep across the board: attempting new things and trying to be more modern when it’s appropriate, but still holding onto their traditions and looking after their regulars.
Adam’s only ever trained in British kitchens, so he admitted doesn’t know any different really, but he does know the global variety offlavours and textures he likes and is not afraid of trying to find ways to make even the most contrasting ones come together.
Case in point: freezing and shaving feta over lemon ricotta and fresh beetroots. Stunning.
He’s even brought over a variation of his popular fried chicken sando from Taiko, though this one has nowhere near as much of that Eastern heat, and instead focuses on the theme of making hearty and filling comfort food.
For instance, there’s an undercurrent of just that extra little bit of richness running throughout the menu, from the bone marrow that makes already satisfying dishes even more indulgent, to the tallow, truffle and drippings that are used to great effect.
The same goes for the use of cheese, as well: even in the simply incredible mixed mature cheddar and red Leicester curd that surrounds that singular 72-hour caramelised onions (wow doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of our for this one.
All of them are big top-note flavours, sure, but none of them overpowers the overall taste, whether it be brining and curing chicken in dark brown sugar and soy, or a 16-hour low and slow braised beef that literally melts in the mouth from the bread and the butter to the eventual meaty bite.
We can’t speak highly enough of what is now being served out of The Marble Arch Inn’s kitchen, and truly believe what Adam and the existing pub team are now doing is brilliant and very much worth shouting about.
Can’t beat a burger and beerSuch a cosy spotMmmmadeleinesCredit: The Manc Group
‘We were so lucky to have it’ – Has Manchester’s hospo scene reached a dangerous tipping point?
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester’s hospitality sector is calling for change and better support, both for the local community and the UK government, following the latest raft of closures.
Various well-known independent businesses have closed in the first quarter of 2026 across the city centre, let alone the numerous others across the ten boroughs over the past year or so.
In truth, this worrying trend has been going on for much longer than the last 12 months, and it seems that it’s not just new openings that are most at risk of closing before they can even get going, but now well-established regional institutions are struggling to stay afloat.
Case in point, our oldest Turkish restaurant – which had been serving central Manchester for nearly half a century – Topkapi Palace, has now closed seemingly for good.
A recent addition to the city centre itself, French-Vietnamese cafe and restaurant Doux Chaton wrote on social media: “This is genuinely so sad to see. Topkapi Palace is part of Manchester’s fabric. Running an independent spot is no joke — it takes everything.
“If we keep letting places like this go, we lose more than food; we lose culture, history, identity. Please support your local independents where you can. It matters more than ever – our representatives need to support our community not only regionally but nationally.”
They went on to tag the likes of Mayor Andy Burnham, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and others to call for crucial intervention sooner rather than later.
For some, it’s unfortunately already too late.
Currently, their Stockport in Hazel Grove looks to be remaining open, but we’ve seen this story before; Almost Famous, Seven Brothers, Greens, and SO many others have sadly had to shut up most, if not all, of their locations.
As of this May, we’ve already had to say goodbye to the likes of Topkapi, KAJI, Climat and House of Fu; Project Halcyon, Örme, the long-standing TNQ, the first-ever Northern Simmons site, a branch of Banyan, just to name an unlucky few.
This is just heartbreaking. We can’t carry on with either this PM or Chancellor. Both need stepping to one side and allowing others mop up their disaster of a tenure.
And that’s just the ones that shut down in the first few months of this calendar year; 2025 was a gut-wrenching year for the food and drink industry, with indies all over the region and beyond having to fight tooth and nail to stay open for even just a few days of weekly trade.
Almost just as concerning has been some of the behaviour by some patrons, even here in our own city.
From more than one or two reports of people walking out on their bills, people even nicking the most petty stuff, such as decorations and bar’s cushions, to a troubling number of no-shows that don’t just mean one less reservation – it can mean the next person missing out on a seat and people losing money.
Another nearby native commented: “I honestly think Manchester is on a tipping point for many people – what was ‘old’ Manchester, which many of us loved, is being slowly erased by the new. People here are saying basically ‘use it or lose it’.
“Fair enough, but there’s very little spare money about, and I hear lots of people saying they don’t go into town for the day to spend that money shopping and for a meal or treat-day because they don’t ‘recognise the place’.”
They go on to add: “Most importantly, they often say they don’t like Manchester now. The towers that are shoved in places where you could see daylight and there was space to walk and breathe are overwhelming.
“I’m not being reactionary – I love New Islington and Cutting Room Square, etc., but NQ has lost its grit, and I find Deansgate really soulless and depressing when once I used to go out every night after work for drinks, and go in every month with the family on a Saturday for culture, shop and a meal.
“No more. Love Manchester, but I’m not in love with it anymore. Topkapi was great once, and it’s sad it’s gone.” A passionate appeal, indeed.
It goes without saying that rising energy bills, untenable business rates, rent, and a general cost of living crisis mean that people simply don’t have enough money to go out for tea, treat themselves to a drink in a nice bar, or even just go to the pub as often as they once did.
We’re by no means experts, but it’s easy for all to see that something needs to be done and fast, as we’d like to avoid seeing any more of our hard-working Manc favourites falling by the wayside and joining the list of those that we’re still mourning to this day.
Daisy Jackson -
1st November 2023 
