We’ve said goodbye to so many brilliant Manchester bars and restaurants already this year – so it’s nice to have some new openings to get excited about.
As the saying goes: when God closes a door he opens a window, and whilst we’ve found it really sad to say goodbye these past few months, there’s hope in seeing new businesses open their doors across the city centre (and beyond).
From the opening of the first Gail’s Bakery site to grace the north west, to the return of the Flawd team’s critically-acclaimed pre-Covid restaurant venture Higher Ground, there is a lot to look forward to this month.
Add in an exciting new kitchen pop-up at Cloudwater pub The Sadler’s Cat, a new Japanese izakaya-inspired bar in the Northern Quarter and a brand new pie and mash cafe, and we think you’ll agree there’s plenty to start feeling chipper about again this month.
Keep reading to discover the new Manchester bars and restaurants to put on your list this February.
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Mira
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: Mira
Mira, aka as the original home of Manchester’s saucy sandwich, relocates to Cloudwater-owned pub Sadler’s Cat this month with its mouthwatering Neapolitan butties.
Owners Mike and Rhea first fell in love with the rich flavours, culture and history behind the sandwich whilst travelling and felt compelled to bring it home to Manchester, quickly building up loyal fanbase during the pandemic for their saucy ‘Cuzzetiello’ sandwiches.
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Popular fillings at Mira include slow-cooked Genovese beef brisket with onions, parmesan and salami; Italian meatballs in a slow-cooked ragu with fresh basil and mozzarella and a vegan-friendly juicy aubergine parmigiana sandwich with rich tomato sauce, cashew cheese and basil.
They’ve also branched out into breakfast sandwiches, focaccia slabs and sides, and serve a regularly-changing Cuzzetiello ‘Wild card’ special.
1 February
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Gail’s Bakery
Cinnamon rolls at Gail’s made with croissant dought. / Image: The Manc Eats
Sandwiches, bagels and focaccia loves are all baked and prepared freshly at Gail’s each day. / Image: The Manc Eats
Gail’s Bakery will open three cafes in the north this year, kicking things off with a new site in Wilmslow, Cheshire this February. Here, Mancs will be able to get their hands on all manner of treats: from its range of sourdough breads (including a ‘wasteless’ loaf made with breadcrumb leftovers), to cakes, pastries, sandwiches and more.
The bakery group already has strong ties with Manchester, having run its sister wholesale bakery The Bread Factory – which supplies bread to some of Manchester’s premium restaurants, cafes and bars – in Openshaw since 2017.
Already well known and loved by its customers in the south of England, Gail’s recently confirmed it would be opening more neighbourhood craft bakeries in Manchester city centre and Altrincham later this year.
The team behind gorgeous Ancoats wine and small plates bar Flawd will relaunch their Higher Ground concept as a permanent restaurant in Manchester’s Chinatown this February.
First launched as a four-week pop-up back in February 2020, it was closed when Covid struck but now the bistro is making a permanent return.
The brainchild of Joseph Otway, Richard Cossins and Daniel Craig Martin, dishes will change on a daily basis depending on the season and showcase organic produce from their very own market garden, Cinderwood, as well as other local producers.
Promising a focus on North West ingredients, dishes will put a focus on small-scale agriculture and small herd, whole carcass cookery, whilst its wine list will center around small-scale, low intervention winemakers from around the European continent.
A twist on the Japanese Sando. A burger at Disorder made with beef and black pudding, Japanese mustard mayo and apple sauce. / Image: Disorder
New bar and restaurant Disorder will open inside the former Man With The Fish unit (next to Oklahome, previously home to Walrus). / Image: DIsorder
Set to open in the Northern Quarter this month, Disorder is a new restaurant and bar that takes its inspiration from izakaya bars in Japan.
With a laid-back Asian-inspired menu featuring Japanese sandos with a Mancunian twist and a selection of small plates on offer, Executive Chef Bryan Barber will be cooking a number of dishes on a traditional Japanese konro grill (using a ceramic pot over charcoal) and making all gyoza on the menu by hand.
Watch out for The KFPB sando (made with fried chicken, lemongrass peanut satay sauce, and spiced berry jam) and Buldak fries (loaded fries topped with home made fire sauce, oyster mushrooms, crispy noodles and nori seaweed).
Two thirds of the dishes on the menu will be vegetarian and vegan friendly, with plenty of craft beers on offer and a dive bar-style music venue underground.
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17 February
Waffle Kart
Image: Waffle Kart
Image: Waffle Kart
The latest arrival to take over the kitchen at Ancoats General Store, as the name suggests Waffle Kart specialise in all things waffles.
From signature waffle sandwiches stuffed with crispy fried chicken to waffle prawn toast and even spam-loaded waffles, plus crinkle cut fries, waffle fries, loaded fries and a host of homemade dips, this is definitely worth a look in this month.
Be fast though, food traders are in and out of here before you can say sesame slaw.
Open now
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Great North Pie Co
Steak and kidney steamed suet pudding, mash, roast onion and brown sauce gravy / Image: Great North Pie Company
The Macaroni pie special from Great North Pie Company / Image: Great North Pie Company
After a lot of anticipation, Great North Pie Co will finally open its pie and mash cafe in Manchester city centre cafe this month.
Moving into garden neighbourhood Kampus just across the water from Manchester’s famous Gay Village, Great North Pie will serve up all the traditional favourites like classic Lancashire cheese and onion, roast chicken and mushroom, and 14 hour braised beef and ale alongside a regularly-changing selection of seasonal specials.
Set to arrive on the cobbles of Little David Street later this month, the cafe will be the first to move into the long-forgotten avenue as it is brought back to life by Kampus developers this year.
End of February, TBC
Crumbled
Image: Crumbled
Image: Crumbled
Founded by former Britain’s Next Top Model contestant Chloe Peers, Crumbled reopens at Hatch on Oxford Road this month – leaving behind its previous home at secret Northern Quarter garden Mala.
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A haven for sweet tooths, as the name suggests its menu is almost entirely dedicated to crumble and custard puddings – with a few tasty hot drinks thrown in for good measue.
Making us nostalgic for school lunchtime puddings, find classics like apple and rhubarb crumbled served with a Insta-friendly additions like toasted pink marshmallow toppings, Lotus Biscoff and Rolo chocolates.
Date TBC
Stock Market Grill
Image: Schofield’s Bar
Image: Schofield’s Bar
This month sees the Schofield brothers, who run the award-winning Schofield’s Bar (among others), take over the former Bull & Bear restaurant space inside Gary Neville’s Stock Exchange Hotel.
Operated by Joe and Daniel Schofield and wine expert James Brandwood, the kitchen will be led by head chef Joshua Reed Cooper, whose CV includes stints at The French, Where The Light Gets In, and Mana.
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The Stock Market Grill promises ‘traditional British dishes executed with technique’, with a bespoke menu that will include dishes like whipped black pudding on toast, tartare of rib-eye with caper jam and smoked dripping, steamed cod with caramelised mash, and a sticky toffee tart with honey custard.
End of February
Feature image – Great North Pie Co.
Eats
Stockport bar that took a chance on Underbanks announces shock closure
Daisy Jackson
A bar owner who was called ‘mad’ for opening his business at The Underbanks in Stockport has announced he’s closing down for good.
The Cracked Actor was launched by actor Joe Patten back in 2019, long before the Underbanks was considered one of the coolest districts in Greater Manchester.
Joe said he ‘saw the beauty in those bricks’ and took a chance on the unit on Little Underbank, transforming it into a Victorian-inspired blues bar.
And although other operators told him he was ‘mad for opening anything on that street’, Joe proved everyone wrong, and The Cracked Actor became a real Stockport favourite.
Sadly, he has now announced that The Cracked Actor will be closing its doors in just a few weeks’ time.
Joe said that he wants the business to ‘go out at its height’, stressing that ‘it’s not a sad note we are closing The Cracked Actor – it’s more of a thank you for getting me all I had dreamed of’.
He wants to focus his attention on other projects, like The Banshee and Holy Diver.
His full statement reads: “So Stockport, its taken a long old time to make this decision. But some things have to end on a high. And boy its been a whirlwind.
“The Cracked Actor was my first bar in Stockport and has always weathered the storm. Sadly, these days I have a lot going on. And some things take away from the attention I can pay to my little bar. I want to call time on The Cracked Actor and go out at its height. It’s odd as I have always defended this bar against everything it came up against in this climate. I thought I would always pass this bar down to my kids.
“But it feels the right time to call time. This bar got me on the map and its opened the doors to soo much more that came afterwards. We now have The Bansbee and Holy Diver and exciting opportunities are always pulling me away from where I started.
“I want to focus on whats next and make sure what I’m doing has my full attention. So it’s not a sad note we are closing The Cracked Actor, it’s more of a thank you for getting me all I had dreamed of the day it opened.
“When I opened the bar 7 years ago every bar owner called me mad for opening anything on that street. Now its booming with bars that have come after wards. Some times you just gotta see the beauty in those bricks.
“I want to pay a massive thank you to my fiance Amy, whome without this bar would have closed 4 years ago. She took to it and saw how much it meant to me. And her Aiden and Oliver bought it back from a slump. Shes bought it back to all its glory and made it better than I ever could have,working endless hours.
“I want to thank all my customers many of of them who have been coming since day one Gary. TeJ & Gary, Boby Dylan, Simon and Ash, to name a few.
“We will be open for the next Two weeks to have a massive send of. And our final day to public will be Saturday 11th July. With a private send of on 12th.”
‘Rooted in India, made in Manchester’ – Punjabee Deli has big designs on the local food scene
Danny Jones
Launching a few months ago, this recently opened Indian deli, cafe, eatery and hangout concept is still in its infancy, but the brains behind this are not the new kids on the block here in Manchester: welcome to Punjabee.
Founded by Sapna Kumar, a familiar face on market stalls across Greater Manchester and across the North West, not to mention the owner of the well-known dessert brandVanilli’s, she’s one of the biggest characters you’ll ever meet.
And, you know what? Sometimes you have to be. This second-generation Indian-Mancunian is a would-be mother to many, as she considers lots of her loyal customers part of her extended family.
And now it’s time to put herself first for once. As she puts it, she’s no longer content just serving up everything for everyone else on a platter for free. Now she’s “ready to spice things up.”
No stranger to a soundbyte or a pithy tagline of her own – after all, she’s been working in this business for well over a decade now – the food speaks for itself, and as well for the vision of this place as she does.
Quite literally putting the bee in Punjabi (you’ve got to admire pun-game like that), this local-born mum of three and extremely dedicated indie trader is as much tied to her Manc soul as she is to herIndian heritage, and she’s all about bringing a ‘home to the plate’ approach.
Remember that scene in Ratatouille where the food critic eats that simple dish, and it takes him right back to his childhood and that feeling of being back in your kitchen/living room? That’s precisely the feeling she’s going for. In fact, we’d argue she’s already achieving it.
Many of her relatively small but equally hard-working crew are not only young people looking to get experience, but also existing hospitality staff who were left out of a job due to the ongoing cost of living crisis and obstacles facing the entirefood and drink sector.
But in the matter of just a few weeks, they’ve been trained up to help make authentic butter chicken, daals and pasandas that people take home for a truly hearty tea, samosas, pakoras, bhajis, Punjabi pasties, all of which are gradually drawing in more and more regulars each week, and so much more.
The mixed Indian snack selection alone is great value for money, and their stuffed lunch wrap for just a fiver is one of the best deals you’ll find anywhere in town on your dinner hour.
In fact, all the well-packed portions aren’t just well-presented in pristine air-tight packaging; they’re also super filling and satisfying, from the wide variety of homemade curries to the fruity lassis canned in-house. Everything is made in the prep kitchen around the corner, before being fridged next door.
You can tell how much experience this outfit has when it comes to catering and scaling up operations, as Sapna is also the baker behind Vanilli’s spin-off,Cake Bar Co., which she started during the pandemic on top of her other projects simply out of boredom.
The girl seemingly doesn’t sit still for even a second, at least not when she’s running these entrepreneurial arms, anyway.
Credit: The Manc Group
Her plans for thedeli and currently daytime-only eatery serve as yet more proof; the team are looking to deck out the space even further, with a bigger cabinet of wooden shelves to turn their already charming deli corner into an even fuller shop.
And then there’s a larger room downstairs of what used to be an old hairdresser’s: she’s keeping coy on that front for now, but let’s just say there’s a great bit of space to work with.
One thing we really appreciate is her acknowledging that going out for a meal, a drink, or even just a coffee is more expensive than ever.
With that in mind, she’s taken her mum’s sage advice and is keeping prices as low as possible, with the likes of the cheap bites at noon, chai for just £1 or totally FREE from 11:30am-2:30pm – an offer that is already starting to draw in steady crowds of meeting up even for a chinwag.
The stylish and colourful nook with bench-seating, cushions, coffee tables, decorated shelving and traditional jaali-style windows that simultaneously transports you elsewhere while making you feel like you’ve been invited into her front room for a brew and a bite to eat.
Let’s be honest, there are few better feelings than that kind of welcome.
Speaking to The Manc, she can never resist a good bit of wordplay, telling us: “We’re putting the chai [tea], back in community” – of which, like everything else, is all made completely in-house, by the way.
Whilst trying to restore that sense of kindness and compassion that she fears might be slowly slipping away, she also says she’s not scared of mixing up the market anymore, both literally and figuratively.
Once a mainstay of the Ancoats Makers’ Market among many others, not to mention the vendor we know to boast two stalls at Stockport’s monthlyFoodie Friday event, she started with a love for baking and made it into a successful passion project.
Now she’s turned making small little pots of curry for her peers on artisan stalls and farmers’ markets into her next venture, and she no longer feels like she’s here to compete: “I am the competition”, she says, “and I’m ready to stir the pot.”
You’d be forgiven for getting slight Heisenberg vibes for a second there, but trust, if you pop intoPunjabee and meet this vibrant, funny and extremely driven woman in person, you’ll see for yourself that she’s all about positivity, moving forward and maximising good vibes.
She’s even looking into karaoke and supper clubs, as well as extending the opening hours on Friday evenings, on top of already being open seven days a week.
Whether you’re stopping by for a cup of chai or taking out, you won’t be disappointed.
She still remembers playing ‘kerby’ out on the streets of Manchester and people gathering to eat their favourite scran, the sense of occasion people felt when paying a trip to the old Italian-style patisserie that they eventually took over.
Something that really stuck with us was this overarching idea that “through food we come together”, and she’s absolutely right.
We can’t wait to see how this place grows over the next year, and we sincerely recommend you come along to Radium Street and give it a try.
Lastly, we’ll sign off by telling you one final thing: translated into English, Sapna means ‘dream’, and this lady sure is thinking big.
Georgina Pellant -
31st January 2023 
