It’s made a name for itself with its handmade pasta dishes, including (my personal favourite) the nduja vodka pasta sharer.
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Onda also went quite ridiculously viral last September when they shared a video of their tiramisu drawer – yep, a whole drawer, full of tiramisu, which they generously scoop out and plop onto plates to order.
It’s had more than 57 million views across Instagram and TikTok, with subsequent behind-the-scenes posts also hitting millions of views apiece.
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The pudding drawer even caught the eye of Hollywood a-lister Florence Pugh. Which didn’t help with the demand to get a table.
So now Onda is branching out, with its very own restaurant space in Manchester set to open mid-May.
They’ve today shared a photo of their brand new location, down at Circle Square on Oxford Road.
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Onda’s handmade pasta dishesOnda is opening a new Manchester restaurantThe VERY viral tiramisuOnda has moved out of The New Cross and revealed plans for a new pasta restaurant in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
It’s a brilliant new addition to the area, which is already home to Federal (another place prone to a big queue) and North Taproom – but which recently lost gig venue Canvas, and New Zealand brunch spot Tahi.
Onda has said that their new restaurant will have around 48 covers in the main dining space, with about 26 more in the bar area.
Those who had tables booked at The New Cross will be given priority access to tables for the new restaurant, with Onda apologising for ‘letting those down’ who have been waiting as long as October to dine with them.
They wrote: “This was a really tough decision to make, first and foremost because we had to let down those who have booked with us but also financially as a popup it’s a huge hit for us to lose a month of revenue.
“A lot of these bookings were made in October/November and we hadn’t foreseen this demand for Onda in a million years, in August/September we were touch and go each week and a month later we had bookings being made 6 months in advance.”
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Speaking of leaving The New Cross for their new ‘perfect’ site, Onda said: “A massive thank you to everyone who’s visited us since we moved to @thenewcross in August, and to Chris + Rach, the owners of the bar and their team here for all their help and support. I’m not sure either us or them ever anticipated it to go quite like it did. It went mad.
“At times trying to run a restaurant from someone’s else’s bar was chaos to say the least but the feedback has made it all worth it and we’re really excited to properly open our own space in May.”
Onda Pasta Bar will open at Circle Square on Oxford Road in mid-March.
Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant team to take over iconic NQ venue
Daisy Jackson
The team who earned Cantaloupe a Michelin Bib Gourmand are moving into Manchester city centre – and into a site we all know pretty well.
The Cantaloupe team are about to embark on a new venture with Rasade, a new French restaurant in the site of the former TNQ in the Northern Quarter.
The old neighbourhood restaurant announced its shock closure earlier this year, after more than two decades serving Manchester.
But now the beautiful corner building on High Street is under new ownership, and in very safe hands.
Shortly after pivoting Cantaloupe into Bar Caput (a more casual neighbourhood offering), the duo behind it, Joshua Reed Cooper and Mike Thomas, have announced they’re launching Rasade in Manchester city centre.
Rasade in French refers to a glass filled to the brim, traditionally of wine or another drink.
The new French restaurant will showcase regional French cooking and seasonal local produce, drawing inspiration from France’s diverse regions.
This won’t be a stuffy French restaurant though – they’re aiming to create the relaxed spirit of a bistro with their serious commitment to traditional cooking.
Early menus show dishes like oysters with mignonette, langoustine with Karri-Gosse, and pâté de campagne, plus brill with rancio sec and mushroom fricassée, and pork chop with garniture Mirabeau.
And as for desserts, expect classics like a tarte Tatin designed for two to share, alongside flan pâtissier and Opéra religieuse.
Alongside the cooking, an extensive French wine offering will span the many, many wine regions of the country, featuring both small and unusual producers as well as more established names.
Mike and Josh now want to build on the success they quickly found in Stockport with this new city centre venture, bringing the same focus on good produce, thoughtful cooking and an informal approach to hospitality.
Rasade will open at 108 High Street in the Northern Quarter later this year.
First look inside Social Osteria, Stockport’s buzzy new Italian restaurant
Lydia Mastrolonardo
That’s right Stopfordians – we’re gaining yet another brand new addition to our town’s blooming food and drink scene, as Social Osteria opens its doors at Weir Mill.
It’s safe to say we’re in good hands, with the geniuses behind The Social Trattoria, named best Trattoria at the Italian Awards UK 2025, being the ones to bring this new taste of Italy to South Manchester.
Just because we are no longer experiencing the weather to match an Italian summer, doesn’t mean we can’t continue eating like we’re there.
Social Osteria can now be found overlooking the River Mersey, as a beautiful 2,000 sq ft space within the buzzing new canalside development, fully equipped with the classic exposed red brickwork, vaulted ceilings and even the restored original kiln.
As you approach the restaurant, you are greeted by a sunken courtyard and riverside seating, making for the perfect alfresco dining spot, when the warmer weather finally rolls back around.
With the meaning of Osteria being an Italian tavern, for locals to gather and enjoy each other’s company, good wine and honest, flavourful food – the team have stayed true to the name. You can expect dim, ambient lighting, an open kitchen, fresh small plates, flavourful 48-hour pizzas, and traditional pasta.
Vibrant dishes at Social Osteria in Stockport. Credit: The Manc Group
This glamorous new restaurant is promising a spectacular menu, from cacio e pepe butter beans to guanciale topped pizzas and their very own slow-cooked beef shin and pork shoulder paccheri ragu, you know we’re in the right place.
With Italian food running in the family, the team’s cooking practices are rooted in traditional methods, passed down through the generations and then presented to us, with the freshest of ingredients.
It suits Capital&Centric, who’ve taken the same approach to Weir Mill itself – embracing the character of the historic mill whilst transforming it into a vibrant community, for generations to come.
Inside Social Osteria at Weir Mill. Credit: The Manc Group
Set below Stockport’s iconic viaduct, the £60m neighbourhood is now home to 253 apartments alongside bustling cafés, wine bars and stunning restaurants akin to Social Osteria, accompanied by plenty of outdoor seating, green spaces, and riverside viewpoints.
Where Osteria Social now calls home is part of Stockport’s £1 billion Town Centre West masterplan, adding to the town’s growing reputation as one of the best locations to live in the UK.
Social Osteria will officially open Thursday 22 October, at Weir Mill. Be sure to book your tables early as we fear this one might get a little booked up.
Daisy Jackson -
25th March 2024 
