Celebrated chef Tom Barnes is finally ready to open his first Manchester restaurant, Skof, in the city centre.
New photographs have just been released giving a glimpse inside the beautiful space, located just off Sadler’s Yard.
The restaurant has taken over a historic building in the NOMA neighbourhood and will officially open its doors on Wednesday 29 May.
If you’re not familiar with the concept of Skof yet, it’s the first restaurant from chef Tom Barnes, who has worked at L’Enclume (the three-Michelin star Lake District restaurant widely considered one of the best in the world) and falls under Simon Rogan’s UMBEL Restaurants group.
He’ll bring that same farm-to-table ethos that’s made L’Enclume so world-famous to the city centre with his debut restaurant, weaving in new suppliers as well as using daily deliveries of produce grown specifically for him from Simon Rogan’s Our Farm in the Cartmel Valley.
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Tom Barnes has also teased what’s to come on his menu, with two different tasting menus available.
The beautiful interiors at Skof restaurant in Manchester. Credit: Cristian Barnett
Skof will have a 12-course tasting menu priced at £120, and a 15-course menu for £165 – plus a £50, four-course lunch offering.
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He’ll be using small-scale suppliers such as Cinderwood Market Garden in Nantwich and Lake District Farmers to fill his exciting menu of home-grown dishes.
The first set of menus will include dishes like roasted Sladesdown duck, peach leaf, Ibis celeriac, and wholemeal bread; Berkswell cheese sable biscuit, crushed broad beans, whipped roe, and bronze fennel; and a lightly set custard, served with Hen-of-the-Woods mushrooms, truffle, and mushroom dashi.
There’ll be a lot of thought that goes in to the drinks pairings too, working with restaurant manager Sean Oakford and assistant restaurant manager Max Lawrence (both ex-L’Enclume), on a range of drinks options to include alcohol-free or mixed-alcohol pairings, or matching wines to go with the menu.
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Roasted Sladesdown duckChef Tom Barnes with his tiramisuCredit: Cristian Barnett
Tom has also collaborated with Manchester brewery, Track to create Sidney, a light and refreshing beer intended as an alternative to kick off the meal.
Tom Barnes said: “It’s been a long time coming, so I’m excited to be able to finally release our reservations. I can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on and to return some of the incredible hospitality I’ve received from the people of Manchester.
“With Skof, my purpose is to create an incredible experience that focuses on great quality ingredients but above all, puts a smile on peoples faces.”
Skof will open in Manchester’s NOMA district on Wednesday 29 May.
Tom Barnes and the Skof team outside the restaurant. Credit: Cristian Barnett.
Onda – inside Manchester’s most in-demand pasta kitchen as it opens its first restaurant
Daisy Jackson
Onda, the modest pasta kitchen that suddenly got so popular it was almost impossible to reserve a table, has branched out and opened its very first restaurant.
They grow up so fast.
The team behind the restaurant had been operating as a pop-up since spring 2023, first from the Exhibition food hall and then later at New Cross on the edges of Ancoats.
It was here in their second location that Onda suddenly hit the big time and found wildly viral fame, thanks to its tiramisu drawer.
Bookings went absolutely wild, to the point that people were waiting entire seasons to bag a seat.
It makes sense then that they have taken the chance to upscale their operation, and it’s time for Onda to open its very first proper restaurant.
They’ve taken up a unit at Circle Square, where similarly popular neighbours include Federal Cafe Bar.
The space is huge, and flooded with natural light, with an open central kitchen where customers can watch the magic happen.
Inside the new Onda restaurant in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Onda is founded by chef Sam Astley-Dean, who, along with his team, carefully makes all their pasta and pizza dough from scratch daily.
The tiramisu might have sent their popularity sky-high, but the quality and prices here prove that it deserves every bit of success coming its way. This place is not a novelty.
Dishes are reasonably priced and include spagetthi with garlic and breadcrumbs for £9 and pici with pecordino and black pepper for £9.50.
Pasta and pizzetta dishes at Onda in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
The menu then goes up to a scallop and Cornish crab agnolloti for a still-very-reasonable £15.
Along with the pasta, there’s a menu of pizzetta, with the option to amp up your crust with a generous showering of parmesan.
And it would be remiss of you to leave this place without having a scoop of their homemade tiramisu, scooped out of that refrigerator drawer that put Onda on the map in the first place.
You can book a table here, or walk-ins will be available from July.
Greater Manchester’s popular luxury steam train dining experiences to run throughout summer
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester’s heritage railway is hosting one of the most unique fine dining experiences in the region this summer.
It’s no secret that East Lancashire Railway (ELR) is known and loved for its immersive events that give rail enthusiasts and curious Mancs the chance to step back in time by hopping on one of the historic Pullman-style carriages and ride a steam train through the picturesque Greater Manchester countryside.
Wizards, Thomas the Tank Engine, dinosaurs, and Peppa Pig-themed train rides are just a few of the events that have been entertaining families in the region over the last few years.
But for the grown-ups, how does getting the chance to tuck into a four-course luxury meal sound?
East Lancashire Railway’s ‘Red Rose Diners’ are here to stay this summer / Credit: ELR
That’s right, the Red Rose Diners are here to stay this summer.
Undoubtably indulgent and described as being “the ultimate first class foodie experience”, ELR’s Red Rose Diners are unlike any other fine dining affair on offer in our region, as passengers are not only treated to a proper fancy feast while they’re aboard, but also to polished panelling, luxurious seating, and crisp linens too.
Running on selected Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays all throughout the summer months, the Red Rose Diner experience starts with a glass of fizz and then stretches over an almost three-hour train journey through the Irwell Valley.
It includes a four-course dinner with complimentary sparkling wine, followed by tea or coffee and after-dinner chocolates.
They’re described as being “the ultimate first class foodie experience” / Credit: ELR
Each party has their own personal waiter tending to them throughout the course of the evening, so you can fully relax knowing every aspect of your experience will be catered for to the highest of standards.
If you’re looking for something even more special, then a ‘Premium Night’ – which is one step up from the Red Rose Diners, and only runs on a handful of selected dates throughout the year – will take place on Saturday 13 July, so bring your best black tie attire and expect an evening of serious elegance for a night of the finest food and entertainment.
Fine dining not really your thing though?
ELR has a handful of other special experiences in the calendar for the summer – including Afternoon Teas, Lancastrian Lunches, and even a gin-tasting night, so there’s something for everyone.
Daisy Jackson -
24th May 2024 
