Eats

Enormous Manchester venue set to open (again) after brief rebrand

This has been a wild six months…

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 12th December 2024

A huge, glamorous restaurant and bar space looks set to reopen just months after it closed down and attempted to rebrand. 

SakkuSamba announced back in June that it was closing for a short while to undergo a refurbishment. 

That news came after two years hosting all-you-can-eat sushi dinners and star-studded parties in Spinningfields, like an afterparty with Ne-Yo following his show at the AO Arena. 

They wrote at the time: “Exciting News! We will be closing our doors on June 2nd for an exciting refurbishment and upgrade. We’re sorry to be closing for a little while, but stay tuned for updates over the next couple of weeks as we begin this transition!

“We can’t wait to show you what’s coming next soon!”

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But then SakkuSamba never reopened and the space instead became Raft, essentially Manchester’s most boujie buffet.

Raft had a huge dining room upstairs, a hidden club room, a ‘toilet disco’, 360-degree DJ booths, and a ‘coastal boozer’ on the ground floor.

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The restaurant when it was previously SakkuSamba. Credit: The Manc Group
The restaurant when it was previously SakkuSamba. Credit: The Manc Group
Vs when it was Raft. Credit: The Manc Group
Vs when it was Raft. Credit: The Manc Group

Raft was only open for three months when it was suddenly bolted shut, with a forteiture notice in the window that was apparently linked to a ‘historic dispute’.

And now, in an unexpected twist in events, SakkuSamba has shared that it’s coming back to Manchester.

Keeping up okay? Let’s continue. 

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In the first post since announcing the temporary closure and refurbishment of both of its restaurants (in Manchester and in Bradford), SakkuSamba wrote: “SakkuSamba 2025. Manchester keep your eyes peeled, major announcement coming soon.”

If it follows the same format it took previously, that means a fusion of Brazilian and Japanese cuisine together in a swanky all-you-can-eat setting.

And hopefully it’ll last longer than poor Raft did…

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

Coffee Rules: The Greek-born cafe that’s gone on to become a beloved Greater Manchester brand

Danny Jones Danny Jones Coffee Rules Manchester locations

It’s rare that you find a place in an already saturated food and drink scene like Greater Manchester’s that genuinely comes across like a local community cornerstone, but that’s exactly what we got when we visited Coffee Rules in Salford.

We went for a brew, one of those viral iced coffee we’ve seen on socials, and maybe a nice bite to eat – but we left with much more and the impression that these lot are onto something big.

Opened in Arta back in their home country (also up in the northwest, by the way), they’ve never struggled to get queues out the door, and it’s no different here. This one is run by two siblings, 23-year-old Thomas and his big brother Marios, 30, who have been smashing it since 2023.

Since launching their growing UK brand in the likes of The Meadows neighbourhood – one of two they have in the city of Salford alone, the other being Swinton – they’ve brought the lines with them. With authentic Greek food and drink like this, it’s not hard to see why.

coffee rules salford
marios thomas coffee rules
Credit: The Manc Group

They’ve now expanded to more than eight sites total, including one still keeping their own local reputation alive over in Athens, and this looks to be just the beginning.

Having not only spread across the ten boroughs but further out into the region with their Liverpool locations as well as a Yorkshire stronghold up in Sheffield, there’s more to come from Coffee Rules, both in terms of premises and their plans to take on the rest of the brunch game and beyond.

Suburban Mancs may have already seen the regular midday and weekend crowds that pack out their Chorlton venue, the Rusholme one is often filled with fresh-faced uni students in need of their caffeine fix, and it’s an increasingly similar story for those based in Bolton.

Or maybe you’re one of the many people based in Manchester city centre, who nip to their quiet, tucked-away corner of Ancoats for a fresh bake or even to have your eye caught by some of their merch with that modern mythological-inspired logo.

Whichever one happens to be closest to you, you’ll have the same satisfying experience, from sipping on speciality coffee and the scran, to the service and all-around atmosphere.

They’re also about to start hosting board game nights over at their Salford site, where they’ll be making the most of their large terrace with plenty of seating, which also has the added bonus of a retracted pergola – perfect for sunny days or simply sheltering from the Manc rain.

One thing we also noticed was just how many locals not only popped in throughout our time there, but the sheer number that had chosen to start their day at this particular spot.

There’s a regular Greek crowd, of course, but there’s also the native Salfordian and those currently residing in and around the up-and-coming area, who were pulling up in the large car park and taking a pew, or even those just looking for quick and top-quality grab-and-go stuff.

In fact, it’s one of the quickest venues we’ve seen fill up that fast in a hot, Med minute.

iced coffees saflord
greek places salford
juice places manchester
Credit: The Manc Eats

Speaking of, whether it be one of their superb Spanish lattes, or the equally sweet, sultry and viral ‘Freddo Cappuccino’, or their traditional spanakopita, not to mention their many Mediterranean pastry variations, there’s a big call for pretty much everything on the menu.

We could go on at length in listing what impressed us about just this one Coffee Rules branch, and we’ve made many trips to their Chorlton one in the past already, but it’s probably best that we just urge you to give it a try sometime soon. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed.

This is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the UK, and it’s no wonder they keep pulling in plaudits and invites to bigger and better industry within the industry as time goes on events over the past few years.

Oh, and one more thing, there’s plenty of savoury stuff that you’ll likely fall in love with, but we highly reccommend ordering the red velvet. Wow…

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

Eats

The Wigan chippy serving affordable fish suppers from the living room of a terraced house

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Robbins J Chippy

There’s a chippy in Leigh that’s got to be one of the most unique – and delightfully unchanged – takeaways in Greater Manchester.

Robbins J Chippy operates out of the front room of an ordinary-looking Wigan terrace, where it’s been serving affordable fish suppers since 1893.

The chip shop has passed through a few hands over the years, but has been operated by John Robbins for the last four decades.

This friendly local character welcomes in familiar faces every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, some of whom have been regulars since the 1960s.

This is Robbins J Chippy in Leigh / Credit: The Manc Group

And these locals who queue out the door from 11am will swear that Robbins is doing the best chips in the country – crispy, golden yellow, and fried right in front of you.

The tiny chip shop is a real time capsule, from the wood-panelled walls covered in flyers for local businesses and Liverpool FC memorabilia, to the prices.

A felt peg board displays a menu that also feels semi-trapped in the 80s – battered fish for £4, jumbo sausage for £1.20, a chip barm for £1.50.

There’s also the ‘Super Barm’, a giant butty of mushy peas, half a battered fish, half a jumbo sausage, and chips, drowned in salt and vinegar and served in a muffin, for just £2.50.

Robbins J Chippy
It’s a local institution and a right time capsule / Credit: The Manc Group

John makes all his own steak puddings – or ‘Babby’s yed’ (this is Wigan, after all) – steamed to perfection.

Not only does John live in the same building as Robbins J Chippy (you can see his living room from behind the counter), but his mum is just next door, even sharing the same phone line.

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This is a proper Leigh institution that’s serving traditional fish and chips just like it used to be – just don’t come in a Manchester United top.

Featured Image – The Manc Group

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