A popular restaurant discovery platform that’s known for rewarding users with 50% off their food bill has just launched in Manchester.
Originally founded in New Zealand, but having been successfully operating in several other major UK cities like London, Bristol, and Birmingham since 2018, First Table has now decided to take its unique dining experience even further afield, and is venturing up north for what it’s dubbing its next “delicious milestone”.
And of course, the thriving foodie neighbourhood here of Manchester has been picked as the first destination.
Unfamiliar with First Table?
Known and loved for its innovative approach to dining, the online platform and app is already massively popular with foodies who are keen to discover new restaurants, cuisines, and dishes in their city, all while being rewarded for dining early with a whopping 50% off their food bill if they’re in groups of two to four.
It’s free to sign up to the platform itself, and diners only need to pay £6 in their chosen restaurant to secure the half-price offer.
Manchester food lovers can choose from a diverse selection of restaurants that are a part of the platform’s launching lineup, including The Blues Kitchen, Kala, Hispi, Firehouse, Leno at Diecast, Nida’s Thai, Armenian Taverna & Restaurant, Sangam City, Masons, The Molly House, Purezza, BLVD, Peru Perdu, Fress, Bouzouki By Night, and so many more.
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First Table’s founder and CEO, Mat Weir, says the company is “genuinely excited” to bring the platform to Manchester because the city is “deeply rooted in its eclectic culinary heritage”.
First Table has now launched in Manchester / Credit: Jason Goodman | Spencer Davis (via Unsplash)
He added: “In recognising Manchester’s blend of traditional eateries and contemporary bistros, our aspiration is to unite diners with the city’s diverse array of restaurants, and encourage our foodies to try something new”.
Mat also talked of the “win-win benefits” of the platform, by highlighting that it also works in partnership with the city’s restaurant industry by making sure they don’t incur any fees to feature, and by also encouraging and incentivising off-peak dining hours.
First Table has now officially launched in Manchester, and you can find out more and get started on the platform here.
It’s also available to download from the App Store, and from the Google Play store here.
Featured Image – Supplied
Eats
Huge new Salford Quays restaurant slams ‘idiot’ who ran off with iPad in broad daylight
Daisy Jackson
A huge restaurant in Salford Quays has shared CCTV of a man taking an iPad and running away in broad daylight.
Unagi, which only opened its huge futuristic sushi and Asian restaurant last summer, shared a frustrated appeal online.
“As if January isn’t already tough enough!!!” they wrote in the Instagram post.
In the video clip they shared, the man is seen standing at a counter as though he’s waiting to be served.
But then he reaches across the counter, seizes an iPad and runs out the door with it under his arm.
Unagi has slammed him as an ‘idiot’ who has struck during what is famously a ‘VERY tough time for the hospitality industry’.
The popular Asian restaurant, which now has locations in Cheetham Hill, Altrincham, West Didsbury, Wilmslow and this beautiful spot in Salford Quays, said it was the ‘cherry on top’ of a challenging time.
Unagi in Salford Quays shared CCTV of this man stealing their iPad. Credit: foodunagi, Instagram
The iPad that was stolen is integral to the restaurant’s operations, controlling their booking systems.
In their post, Unagi Salford Quays wrote: “As if January isn’t already tough enough!!!
“As everyone knows January is a VERY tough time for the hospitality industry, then you get idiots like this who make it impossible. Cheers for that, happy new year to you too.
“We’re already facing enough challenges and you’ve really just put the cherry on the top!! Taking our IPad which controls all of our bookings system!!
“If anyone happens to have seen this guy around the Salford Quays area please give us a shout. But also any businesses in the SQ area, watch out!!!
Unagi in Salford Quays. Credit: The Manc Group
“On a lighter note, THANK YOU, to everyone who is out supporting the hospitality industry this January. Your support means so much to everyone!!”
Unagi has been flooded with support from customers and other operators, with one person writing: “Shocking, so sorry for you guys. We had a lovely lunch in there today.”
Someone else commented: “So sorry this happened. And your employees are such sweet people. Always serving everything with the utmost kindness.”
And fellow restaurant Gran T’s said: “What an absolutely loser, so sorry guys.”
There’s a non-alocholic pairing dinner coming to Manchester this Dry Jan
Thomas Melia
A one-night-only pairing of two dining out staples from the food and drink world is coming to Manchester next month, and it also happens to be non-alcoholic for anyone doing Dry January.
Taking place at the wonderful Maray over on Lincoln Square, each dish served throughout the night will be expertly paired with a non-alcoholic drink from zero-per cent experts, Lucky Saint.
This Middle Eastern eatery is always surprising its diners, last September they made their infamous roasts free for one day only, and this upcoming event is sure to be as exciting with its unique tastings.
Lucky Saint came to fruition after partnering with a historical brewery in Bavaria who’ve produced beer for over 400 years, creating a non alcoholic alternative which greeted UK drinkers in 2020.
Lucky Saint will be readily available and paired with every meal.Diners can expect some sensational food as always from Maray. Credit: Publicity Picture (Supplied)
Titled ‘The Official Beer Of Dry January’, supplying IPAs and lagers to a host of stockists, not only are their products fully non-alcoholic but they’re also entirely plant-based – meaning they’re the perfect tie-in with Veganuary.
If their website is anything to go by, diners are set to enjoy refreshments such as their unfiltered lager and a 0.5% ‘Hazy’ IPA which contains juicy tropical notes. Don’t mind if we do.
Although it’s hard to say what the food offerings may be, it’s guaranteed that anyone who attends is in for a treat as this site has even served famous faces like Dua Lipa back in 2022 while she was on tour.
Their vegan menu features some meat free feasts like a falafel sharer and a delicious oyster mushroom shwarma, it’s a well-loved restaurant.
Vegans are certainly catered for at this event as it’s not only the free-flowing drinks that contain no animal products, there will also be an entirely vegan menu on hand.
Maray have multiple locations but anyone who couldn’t get enough of the flavours the first time in Manchester can attend their Liverpool pairing dinner which is happening the very next day.
The Maray x Lucky Saint Dry January Pairing Dinner is coming to Manchester on Wednesday, 15 January from 7-9:30pm with tickets live HERE.
And if you’re looking for other places to enjoy a guilt-free drink in the city centre this month, we’ve got a few suggestions for you:
Doing #DryJan doesn't have to mean staying in or saying goodbye to the pub. 🍹
Emily Sergeant -
12th October 2023 
