Eats

The new restaurant and bars opening in Manchester this month | May 2023

From beach clubs and new beer gardens, to a new sushi and ramen spot, there's lots to look forward to in May.

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 28th April 2023

May, the month of innumerable Bank Holidays, is upon us at last – and we have some cracking new restaurants and bars for you to check out in your free time.

From a suntrap ice cream parlour and Dutch pancake house, to waterside beer gardens, a Malibu beach club, there might only be a whisper of summer in the air right now but the Manchester hospitality gods are already starting to deliver.

Add a new sushi and tonkotsu ramen spot, a boozy pasta restaurant and a Hong Kong-style restaurant in Chinatown serving spam and noodles on its breakfast fry-up, and we think you’ll agree there’s a lot to look forward to.

Keep reading to see which new Manchester restaurants and bars to put on your list this month.

Sweet!

Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats

This new ice cream parlour and dessert shop comes from the Northern Quarter bar bosses behind Hula Tiki, The Fitzgerald and The Quarter House,

Housed on Stevenson Square, inside you’ll find an array of locally made ice creams from a farm on the Ribble Valley in flavours like Vimto, mint choc chip, salted caramel, bubblegum, raspberry ripple and chocolate.

Arriving at a suntrap corner of the square just in time for the summer, Sweet! offers cones and tubs, milkshakes and slushies.

Open now

Papa Dutch

Newly opened on Altrincham’s Goose Green is family-run traditional Dutch pancake businesss Papa Dutch.

New to the neighbourhood, it’s said to be a favourite of Manchester United’s Erik Ten Haag and his wife Bianca ever since the duo were treated to freebies whilst cycling past last year.

On the menu, you’ll find traditional Dutch min pancakes topped with the likes of chocolate and fruit, plus sugary sweet stroopwafels and other lovely treats.

Open now

Maki and Ramen

Image: Maki and Ramen
Image: Maki and Ramen

First opened by chef founder Teddy Lee in 2015, May sees Scottish-born sushi and noodle restaurant Maki and Ramen open its doors in Manchester.

Set to open just off Piccadilly Gardens on York Street later this month, it will be the chain’s first north west site.

Diners can expect to find various tonkotsu-based ramens, an array of nigiri and maki rolls, and large sushi sharing platters on the menu, plus the likes of gyoza, teriyaki, pumpkin croquettes and karaage chicken.

TBC

Malibu Beach Club

Image: Supplied
Image: Geograph

Coconut rum brand Malibu is launching a pop-up beach club at the Great Northern Warehouse this May, bringing palm trees and colorful deck chairs to the square in time for summer.

Promising frozé cocktails, bottomless brunch,es and all the Malibu you can muster, Malibu will team up with retro gaming bar Pong & Puck in a two-pronged takeover running from 5 May to 30 September.

Expect live DJs playing breezy summer tunes on the heated and covered terrace and buzzing bottomless brunches on weekends featuring 90 minutes of frozé cocktails, selected house cocktails and more.

5 May

Dragon Oriental

Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats

This new eatery in Manchester’s Chinatown hasn’t been open long, but it’s already become popular amongst the city’s Hong Kong community.

Serving up favourites like roasted meats and … , the thing that really caught our eye when browsing the laminated menu outside was a full Hong Kong fry up complete with spam, noodles and …

Rumour has it they’re considering changing the menu to something more Anglicised to draw in an English crowd, so I’d get down quickly if you want to sample the current offering.

Open now

Read more: Urban explorer roams around Market Street’s abandoned Debenhams

Nonna’s Pasta

Image: Nonna’s
Image: Nonna’s

Nonna’s might have been at Deansgate Square since October last year, but it’s recently been elevated from boozy pasta pop-up to permanent restaurant. With that in mind, we felt it deserved another mention.

For those who’ve not been, Nonna’s has become famous for its boozy ‘Nonna Hadid’ Rigatoni Alla Vodka alongside other alochol-infused pasta dishes.

Sporting a new menu for the summer, head down to sample the likes of truffled short rib ragu pappardelle, lobster carbonara, and a sharer of lasagne spirali designed for two.

Oh and if you’re feeling adventurous, there’s also a fried chicken ‘pizza’ topped with marinara, mozzarella and pesto using buttermilk chicken its a base.

Open now

Runaway Brewery Taproom

Image: Runaway Brewery
Image: Runaway Brewery

Runaway’s new waterside taproom sees the brewery up sticks from its Dantzic Street home in Manchester city centre over to the flourishing suburbs of Stockport.

With a beer garden overlooking the river Mersey, the new taproom’s central Stockport location promises super fresh pints on tap and cask, plus a bottle shop with bottles to take home and wood-fired pizza courtesy of Honest Crust.

Soak up some rays in the courtyard garden and enjoy.

Open now

Red Light

Image: Supplied
Image: The Manc Group

Set to open on Little David Street at Kampus this month is new queer cocktail bar Red Light, which will be serving dirty martinis under dim lights.

The brainchild of Deana Ferguson, an adopted Manc originally hailing from Belfast, the inclusive, queer space will serve a menu of refined cocktails, natural wines and locally-brewed ales.

Soundtracked by disco beats, the laid-back lounge will feature an imposing bar set against a red-brick backdrop, queer art and low-lit, intimate corners for lovers and friends to sequester themselves in.

TBC

Three Little Words garden terrace

Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied

This month sees the team behind Three Little Words launch their outdoor canalside bar and terrace at Kampus.

Serving up delicious spirits, spritzes and cocktails all made up from their portfolio of multi-award-winning spirits from The Spirit of Manchester Distillery, everything on offer is created by their team right in the heart of the city.

Open now

Madre

Image: Madre
Image: Madre

This new taco joint will bring the spirit of Mexico City to Manchester when it opens at Kampus this May. 

With a menu made up of mouth-watering tacos, wood-grilled seafood and steaks, plus fresh oysters and ceviche straight from a huge ice counter, and a drinks list celebrating agave, this is a new opening you don’t want to miss.

Evolving from a lunch spot to a buzzing bar with Mexican party vibes as the sun goes down, expect a destination that celebrates Mexico City’s cuisine, culture and personality in equal measure.  

TBC

Bohemian Arts Club

Chic and intimate cocktail bar Bohemian Arts Club will open on Lower Hillgate, Stockport this month.

With an entrance hidden on the cobbled street of Coopers Brow, the new bar takes inspiration from speakeasies owners Tom and Katie Ogden have visited across the globe.

The second site for much-loved Hazel Grove brand Bohemian, expect a stylish and bohemian space with beautiful surroundings.

TBC

Featured image – Maki & Ramen

Eats

Mélange by Red Hall is a jewel in the crown Bury’s burgeoning hospitality scene

Danny Jones Danny Jones Mélange Red Hall review Bury

We recently had the pleasure of staying at the understated and most definitely underrated Red Hall Hotel over in Bury, and got to try their stunning new Mélange restaurant while we were at it.

Now, we say underrated not because it hasn’t received glowing reviews in the past; the AA-star hotel has enjoyed plenty of plaudits over the years and currently averages 4.5/5 from over 900 reviews.

However, what we will say is that the food now being served from this quaint little outpost located in the tiny hamlet of Walmersley, just on the border of Ramsbottom (regularly voted one of the best places to live in the UK), is well worth more than the hotel’s three-star rating on it’s own.

Not only did we have the pleasure of staying in this charming little village getaway, but we were treated to a whopping 11 courses, followed by a morning meal, for a truly wonderful bed and breakfast vibe with all the added luxury of a Kayak Awards and 2021 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice-winning destination.

red hall hotel review bury
The Mélange restaurant at Red Hall Hotel
melange restaurant bury
Such a striking room when you first walk in.
Credit: The Manc Group

The first thing that struck us about the local favourite venue is that, despite being located beside Manchester Road, once you’re inside, it’s a quiet, tranquil and calming little escape from what is already a nice out-of-the-way escape from the bustle of the city and even Bury town centre.

Even if not, how inviting the actual Mélange restaurant itself is definitely will; the golden sign glistening from the soft white dangling bulbs immediately catches your eye, and then you walk in to see the big conservatory and almost orangery-esque windows, with sloped ceilings and lots of light.

You get just as warm a welcome from the staff as well, which is a feeling maintained throughout your entire dining experience, as they really do communicate that sense of comfort whilst “drawing from mamma’s childhood memories and unforgettable holidays” through the food.

Speaking of which…

Mélange – which quite literally translates to ‘a mixture’, often even hinting at things that don’t usually fit together – promises a fusion of British and Mediterranean cuisine, and delivers both familiar flavours but with plenty of contemporary punch and visual appeal.

melange menu bury
red hall bury food
Mediterranean restaurants Greater Manchester
red hall hotel restaurant
Credit: The Manc Eats

We may have begun our meal with something as simple but satisfying as a mini round loaf of bread freshly baked in a cast iron pot with some acidic, tapenade-esque chutney, along with a couple of very refreshing and lemon-forward spritzes, but it didn’t take long before we dove headlong into indulgence.

See, the trouble was the mezze: we wanted to try a little bit of something from each section of the menu, but we couldn’t help but be drawn in by starting with three selections from what was advertised as ‘small plates, big flavours’.

In actuality, what happened was a board featuring our trio of choice appeared, and the bowls that sat upon it were pretty filling on their own. It’s a good job we didn’t spring for the eye-catching charcuterie board as well, otherwise we really would have struggled to finish this feast.

We went for these naughty ‘nduja arancini, some ever-so-smoky chicken wings in a slightly spiced aioli, and quite literally the best halloumi fries you’ll ever try; we don’t know if it was the light fried batter, the perfectly tearable texture of the cheese, or the subtle hot honey dip, but they were incredible.

We also opted to try two more delicate, lighter bites to somewhat cleanse the palate – the corn and duck salad, both of which were fantastically balanced and still not skimpy on the portions either.

The point being is that, at this stage, we started to worry this, plus our main courses of maple-baked salmon (paired with the most impressively smooth and sweet potato purée imaginable), gambas al ajillo (giant black tiger prawns in garlic) and a stuffed, herbaceaous, rolled pork number might be overkill…

Perfectly soft, gooey arancini with a slight heat to them.
gambas al ajillo
You could see the quality of the prawns before tasting it.
That tweal on top alone was packed with flavour.
Light, seasonal and yet more than a few mouthfuls.

Having said that, we still found time/room for another round of cocktails – again, sticking with the spritz theme (’tis the season, after all) – and just about managed to squeeze in two desserts.

The lemon posset was just tangy enough without being too tart and was devoured within seconds, while the cheesecake with an extra dusting of pistachio on top was superb. Topping each with a thin, honeycomb-design biscuit felt like a nice little Manc finishing touch as well.

We’ll confess, a fair few belt notches were loosened throughout the duration of this meal, but we kept persevering for a number of reasons: we wanted to get a comprehensive sweep of what’s on offer, we didn’t want to waste a morsel of food if possible, and most importantly, it was stunning.

Honestly, there wasn’t so much as an average mouthful of food all night. We can’t believe it’s taken us this long to try what’s being served out of the Mélange kitchen; pair that with a brilliant breakfast and relaxing stay at Red Hall itself, and it’s up there with one of the best hotel packages in the area.

Plenty of food and drink spots help, but the great in Greater Manchester, and we can’t say where exactly we’d rank this amongst all 10 boroughs, but we firmly believe you won’t find many better all-round hospitality offerings in Bury – if, indeed, at all.

best hotels in bury
red hall hotel rooms
walks in the bury area
There are plenty of lovely day and evening walks nearby.
red hall hotel offers
Or you can just curl up content on the sun-soaked terrace.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Eats

Eats

A total of 20 Greater Manchester pubs have been named among the best in the UK

Danny Jones Danny Jones 20 Greater Manchester pubs best in England

A new round-up of the so-called ‘best pubs in the country’ has been published online, and you’ll be glad to hear that 20 different pubs from the Greater Manchester area have made it onto the list.

We’d argue a bunch more should have made it on there, personally, but we’ll take it.

Shared by The Telegraph this week, the list doesn’t include Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, but nevertheless, it does go on to name a whopping 500 UK pubs, of which 20 of those are here in our particular part of the world. Proud.

So, breaking the collection up into areas ordered alphabetically, here are what the outlet considers some of the best pubs in the nation.

The Great-er Manchester boozers that made it into ‘The 500 Best Pubs in England’

1. Fletcher Moss – Didsbury

Up first on our list is a south Manchester favourite: Fletcher Moss pub down in Didsbury Village, which may just have one of the best gardens in all the boroughs. Noting the refurb that’s taken it from another traditional pub to a local classic, they’re not wrong.

It also happens to be one of the busiest stops on the famous Didsbury Dozen pub crawl.

2. The White House – Littleborough

You have to head up to the reaches of Rochdale to find this testament to old Lancashire tucked away in the rolling hills – a proper old school, country-style pub.

“This brick-built former coaching inn has a predictably sublime view, and attracts diners by the dozen as a result, but the beer is pretty reliable too”, according to the outlet.

white house rochdale
the white house littleborough
Credit: Facebook

3. The Angel, Manchester

Once a forgotten pub on a quiet corner sat frustratingly close to an otherwise busy part of town, The Angel Pub reopened back in 2019 after nearly seven whole decades away from the Manc boozing scene.

As per the paper: “In a city that rarely forgets to tell you how it does things differently, The Angel charts its own course.”

4. The Britons Protection – Manchester city centre

Moving into the city centre now, and we have the legendary Britons Protection, which is also one of the oldest and most iconic pubs we have to our name.

The Telegraph said, simply: “Come for the tiled corridor, with its vivid images of the Peterloo Massacre, stay for the atmosphere.” We’d also wager it happens to be one of the best cosy pubs in all of Manchester city centre. We can’t afford to lose it.

CAMRA speaks out as petition to save Briton’s Protection nears 8,000 signatures
People are rallying behind them, but they’re not out of the woods yet.

5. The Castle Hotel – Manchester

Now just down the road to NQ and to a place known for great Guinness, live music in an intimate setting, a joyous jukebox selection and a close-packed but pretty interior. They said that “Northern Quarter is not short of places for a drink, but few are as effortlessly comfortable as the Castle Hotel.”

We couldn’t agree more, and as a bonus, it’s also a place where things like this happen:

6. The Circus Tavern – Manchester

Famed as the smallest bar in Europe (by which we mean the actual bar, not the size of the pub itself, which is a common misconception), The Circus Tavern on Portland Street is a little gem in every sense.

You can find out more about the cool history behind it down below:

7. The City Arms – Manchester

Not too far away from there in the city centre, you’ll find the stunning City Arms, which – alongside its next-door neighbour, The Vine Inn – has one of the best ‘punters spilling out onto the street after work’ communities you’ll find in Manchester.

The Tele writes: “The City Arms sits in the middle of a Mancunian pub one-two-three on Kennedy Street, sandwiched between The Vine and The Waterhouse. It’s the best of the three, in my opinion, largely because the beer is so good.”

the city arms manchester
A great little lineup. (Credit: The Manc Group)

8. The Marble Arch – Manchester

Ok, up next is ‘r Daisy’s favourite pub in central Manchester and maybe of all time: the marvellous Marble Arch, which is a gorgeous Grade II-listed building over on Rochdale Road.

They described it as having played arguably “a bigger role in Manchester’s brewing renaissance over the past thirty years” than perhaps any other boozer.

@the.manc Friday means a pint is needed, so Daisy took us to her favourite pub The Marble Arch 🍻 #manchesterpubs #manchesterbars #manchesternightout #fyp ♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim

9. The Grey Horse Inn – Manchester

Literally spitting distance from the aforementioned Circus Tavern, The Grey Horse Inn has a lot of similar charm, as well as plenty of Manc, and more specifically, Manchester United memorabilia plastered all over the gaff.

“The Grey Horse is run by Hyde’s, one of Manchester’s four traditional family breweries. It might be the best place in the city centre to try their beers; it’s certainly one of the cosiest, with a wood-panelled bar and plenty of comfortable seating.”

grey horse inn pub manchester
hydes brewery pubs
Credit: Hydes Brewery

10. The Hare and Hounds – Manchester

In at number nine is what they sell as a “city-centre classic that hums with Mancunian warmth”, and while it may be one of what feels like countless Hare and Hounds up and down the UK, this one can be over on Shudehill.

Situated right near The Lower Turks Head – another boozer we believe should have been on this list – it may not be the biggest, most different or most eye-catching from the outside, but inside is a proper pub.

the hare and hounds manchester city centre
hare and hounds shudehill
Credit: Facebook

11. Peveril of the Peak – Manchester

“It fulfils all the pub cliches: warm welcome, good beer, cosy atmosphere. The tiled exterior is a delight, too.” To be honest, this doesn’t nearly do it justice. That glistening green institution not only boasts the longest-serving landlord in the city but also some of the best Guinness in Manchester.

There’s something special about joining the crowd leaning against its walls or sitting on the benches in the shade of its solitary tree. We can’t quite explain it, but it’s always been loved and always will be. It has a cool history behind it, too.

peveril of the peak best pubs in greater manchester
pev of the peak
Credit: The Manc

12. Salisbury Ale House – Manchester

Now this one gets a hard agree from us. The Salisbury over on ‘Little Ireland’ is a truly brilliant boozer, and the steps leading down to it are possibly some of the most photographed in the entire city.

With a legendary albeit very loud playlist, it’s a regular haunt for both before and after gigs, even serving up pizza from their in-house brand ‘Dough161’ (very good), which is best enjoyed out back in their little back-alley beer garden.

13. Smithfield Market Tavern – Manchester

Back to Northern Quarter now and just on the edge of Ancoats, where you’ll find Smithfield Market Tavern. We firmly believe the neighbouring Rose and Monkey rivals it too, but we can certainly see why it made it onto The Telegraph‘s list.

As they put it: “The pub itself is modern but not jarringly so, with sofas, low tables and pub games, plus plenty of excellent beer, much of it produced at Blackjack’s brewery less than half a mile away.”

14. The Baum – Rochdale

Ok, that’s us done with the city centre; we’re heading out back Rochdale way now to what has been described as a ‘hidden gem’ here in Greater Manchester, even if that term is being thrown around at will these days. Here’s what The Telegraph had to say:

“This place is as pubby as it gets, all dark wood, hand pumps and Victorian beer vessels above the bar (although there is a brighter, conservatory area at the back). Food is a big part of the Baum’s business: when I visited recently, I had rag pudding, a tasty Lancashire dish not unlike steak pudding.”

The Baum – a cosy pub in the heart of Rochdale serving nostalgic, top-class pub grub
And here’s what we had to say.

15. The Eagle Inn – Salford

Onto Salford now, and a cult favourite watering hole that also happens to serve as a rich hub for the independent music and arts scene. It may be surrounded by ever-more cranes and skyscrapers, but that pretty little piano and backroom are still perfect.

The Tele says, “It’s a little tucked away, certainly, but for good beer and interesting music, you’d have to go a long way to beat it.” Pretty much nail on the head, to be fair.

16. The New Oxford – Salford

Quite possibly one of the prettiest refurbishments that’s taken place in Greater Manchester in recent times, and most certainly one of the best pubs in Salford full stop, backed by an Irishman who knows his stuff and has even had fixtures from the ‘Emerald Isle’ shipped over to make a statement.

The brilliant little boozer on Bexley Square has a fantastic range of beer, ales, whiskey and more from all over, and when the sun’s got his hat on, you won’t find many better places to sit and soak it up.

17. Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar – Stalybridge

It can seem odd sometimes to see odd to see broadsheet covering quiet corners like this one in Tameside, but anyone who really knows there’s stuff is confident that Stalybridge has an up-and-coming scene all of its own – which is why this is seen as one of the best pubs in Greater Manchester.

“High-class station pubs are relatively common across the North and Midlands now, most of them based in revitalised and repurposed station buildings. None of the others, though, is quite like the Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar, which is both authentically Victorian and has a genuine pub flavour.”

They know a thing or two about drinking around here, and we’d recommend this spot as well…

18. The Magnet Freehouse – Stockport

As we approach the end, we arrive in familiar territory, as it isn’t the first time we’ve written about the underrated and what was an unsung public house, but has steadily become a name that’s used to getting accolades from various directions.

Here’s what they say about it: “This sturdy whitewashed pub located by the clattering, humming Wellington Road is one of the best places to drink beer in England.”

The Magnet Freehouse in Stockport has been named as one of National Geographic’s 12 ‘perfect’ UK pubs

19. The Northumberland Arms – Stockport

Nearly done, just two more and the penultimate pick by the paper is the final one in SK: The Northumberland Arms up in Marple Bridge, a community-owned treehouse which is, indeed, nothing short of a belter.

The Telegraph said the following: “‘The Thumb’, as locals know it, is a freehouse with a traditional feel, offering pop-up food options, social clubs – from darts to running – and, of course, high-class beer.” The clue’s in what natives consider its full name: community pub.

20. The Swan & Railway Hotel – Wigan

Last but not least, we pop over to another old bastion where Lancashire meets Greater Manchester and what The Telegraph believes is one of the best in Wigan and in England altogether, adding: “There are so many marvellous details inside the Swan and Railway that it is hard to pick just a few.”

It’s fitting that we end on one that we haven’t yet had the pleasure of trying because we promise that, just like you should, we’re going to make it our mission to try it for ourselves.

Cheers.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/The Manc Eats

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