How is it August already? Somehow, this summer has felt like the shortest one yet. Perhaps it’s all that miserable rain we’ve been having, perhaps the allure of ‘freedom’ post-Covid lockdowns is finally wearing off.
No matter, though. Even if you’re feeling a bit meh (as I evidently am) about this wonderful British summertime we’re, there’s always food to turn to – and that, as we know, makes everything better. Failing that, there’s always a drink. Or a few.
So, on that note, keep reading to discover the best new bars and restaurants opening in Greater Manchester this August – because there are some really good ones to look forward to.
Allpress Espresso
Image: Allpress Espresso
Image: Allpress Espresso
New Zealand cafe and barista school Allpress Espresso opens in Manchester city centre this month, taking up a unit in NOMA’s Redfern Building.
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The specialty coffee roasters already supplies the likes of Manchester’s Trove, Erst, Carhartt, Patagonia, and Campanio, but now fans of its coffee will be able to go straight to the source.
TBC
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Pray Tell
This new cocktail bar in Sale comes from the brains behind the excellent Riddles in Altrincham, aka Beth Ellison, and Paul Rooney of the market town’s famous football bar, Libero.
Natural wine and locally-sourced craft beers will be plentiful in number, as well as cocktails embracing the more Italian, bitter end of the spectrum like negronis, spritzes and aperitivos.
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TBC
Gooey Counter at Selfridges Trafford
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Manchester’s favourite sugar dealers return to Selfridges Trafford this month with another cookie and donut counter, featuring classics like red velvet cookies and Kinderella donuts alongside a host of rotating specials including the newly-returned giant Rolo cookie.
Shoppers will be able to pick a single treat or take home a mixed box of six or eight cookies, donuts and cinnamon buns.
Open now
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Kargo Mkt
One of Ad Maiora’s schiacciata. / Image: The Manc Eats
Rio Mex tacos. / Image: The Manc Eats
Part of a new £3.5m development at Salford Quays, this new food hall comes from Liverpool operator Blend Family, also behind the Cutlery Works in Sheffield (British Street Food Awards 2022 ‘Food Hall of the Year) and The GPO in Liverpool.
Set to be one of the biggest foodie openings of the year, food traders announced so far include Ad Maiora, Tang’s Hot Pot, Rio Mex, Baity, Nori, What’s Your Beef, Leopard Pie, Vnam, Boba Cha, Bab K, Nila’s Burmese Kitchen.
Mid-August, TBC
Maki and Ramen
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Image: Maki & Ramen
Image: Maki & 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
Slice Culture, Track Brewing Co Taproom
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Image: Slice Culture
Image: Slice Culture
Slinging out Neapolitan pies from Track Brewing Co’s Taproom on Back Piccadilly, find classic pizza 12″ combos like pepperoni and hot honey, nduja and margherita on the menu here alongside some more surprising additions.
The romesco marinara makes an interesting alternative for vegans, whilst the herbed honey pesto four cheese pizza also sounds well worth a try.
Open now
Gingko, Stockport
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
This cute little health store on Stockport’s Underbanks has just had a refresh, and owners have added a new menu of healthy snacks, fresh juices, health shots and tea.
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Think protein balls, chocolate shards and dates stuffed with sweet treats, plus fresh juices like the Uplifter (orange, ginger, carrots and lemon), Sneaky Greens (apple, spinach, kale, pear, cucumber) and Revitalise (fennel, coriander, lime, apple and cucumber).
Open now
NQ64
Image: The Manc Group
Image: The Manc Group
The Northern Quarter’s original gaming bar is getting a glow-up this month as it moves from its old home into a new, bigger space next door.
NQ64 takes over the old Dive bar unit, transforming its outdoor terrace with the addition of new arcade games. Inside, meanwhile, specially-designed booths and banquette seating will make room for more customers and even more games.
Having first made their name in Swinton, the local lads behind That Burger Place hae opened a test kitchen at The Height in Salford.
Those heading down will find plenty of new stuff on the menu to try, as well as old favourites like pizza fries and smashed burgers. The team has also collaborated with Bury baker LIttle Blonde Bakes to create some special New York deli cookies.
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Open now
Insomnia Cookies, City Centre
Image: Insomnia Cookies
Famed in the States for its warm, gooey-centred cookie delivery, which runs until 3am every day, cult American bakery Insomnia Cookies is making its way to Manchester.
The chain is opening two new sites in Manchester this month, marking its arrival in the UK. Soon enough, you’ll be able to get your fix of chunky ice cream sandwiches, cookies, pancakes and more on both Cross Street in the city centre and University Green on Oxford Road.
TBC
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Must Be Micky’s, Ply NQ
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Formerly known as Mira and famed for its saucy butties, these popular Manchester sandwich makers have returned to the city following a rebrand.
Serving out of the kitchen at Ply in the Northern Quarter from 11.30am-4pm Tuesday to Sunday, find posh crisp butties, homemade cream sodas and crispy roast potato sides in abundance.
Open now
Juice Box
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Image: Juice Box StoreImage: Juice Box Store
This cool little wine shop and bar has already made a name for itself up on Burton Road, now it’s making its way into town with a second site.
Taking over the former Neon Tiger on Bridge Street, find top-quality wines to drink in or take away plus ‘fancy snacks’ in the form of caviar-loaded crisps, charcuterie, pickles, Gordal olives and more.
This authentic Ethiopian and Eritrean favourite has recently landed at Hatch on Oxford Road serving up its flavourful East African curries on spongy, fermented injera bread.
With a huge range of tasty vegan curries on offer, you’ll also find street food-style burgers and loaded fries topped with the likes of fried lamb, cheese and grilled chicken.
Open now
Things to do and try in August
Wingfest at Love Factory, 12 & 13 August – The UK’s biggest chicken wing festival returns to Manchester this year, showcasing the best traders from home and across the country as well as hosting fiery food challenges.
Maker’s Market in Prestwich, 13 August – Prestwich gets its first ever Maker’s Market this month, bringing together foodie traders like upcoming Masa Bakery with arts and craft stalls. Head down and grab a sourdough.
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Perilla x Higher Ground, 13 August – Higher Ground welcome friends Ben Marks and Matthew Emmerson to Manchester for a special collaborative lunch. Ben, one of the finest cooks in London, opened Perilla with Matthew in 2016. It has quickly become a mainstay in London for its level of cooking and hospitality. Joseph Otway and Ben Mark will be cooking a set sharing menu for £58 per person celebrating the finest summer bounty from Cinderwood Market Garden and Jane’s Farm Shop.
10 Tib Lane & Friends, 17 August – 10 Tib Lane celebrates their 2nd birthday with an all-star night, with contributions from friends across the city. Each special will be available from 6pm.
On the bar, with contributions from Speak in Code, Hawksmoor, Blinker and Red Light: – Lavender & Lovage / Matt Morgan / Speak in CodeSipsmith Gin, Dolin Dry Vermouth, Lavender Liqueur, Blueberry, Lovage –Fig Leaf Daisy / Rory Carrodus / Blinker Plymouth Gin, Tio Pepe, Lemon, Fig & Bay Leaf Cordial – Calyptra / Manjari Kesavan / Red Light Dolin Dry, Cocchi Torino, Wild Turkey Rye, Benedictine, Bitters – Champagne Cocktail / David Cole / Hawksmoor Seven Tails XO, Pineau Des Charentes, Champagne, JasmineFrom the Kitchen;Sardines, Holy Grain Birthday bread, Tomato & Piquillo Pepper Concasse Pear Tarte Tatin, Pevensey Blue from Crafty Cheeseman, Watercress Salad Ex Dairy Dry Aged Ribeye, Bone Marrow Butter from Littlewoods Birthday Cake Ice Cream, Raspberry Jelly
A natural wine tasting at Plattfields Market Garden, 21 August – Does what it says on the tin. Sample quality low-intervention wines from across Europe from 6.30-8.30pm and enjoy some paired canapes from Manchester Urban Diggers’ chef Emily Witts.
Festa Italiana at Cathedral Gardens, 25-27 August – Festa Italiana, the UK’s biggest Italian food festival hosted annually in Manchester, will return for its sixth season this August bank holiday weekend. Find street food traders, cooking demos, a banquet feast and plenty more at this free-to-attend event.
Featured image – Kargo Mkt
Eats
Chorlton’s Horse and Jockey is reintroduced to the suburbs after stunning transformation
Danny Jones
The much-loved Horse and Jockey in Chorlton is back open for business following a major and marvellous refurb, which has seen the heart and soul of the pub restored to its former glory.
Opening just in time for the bulk of cosy boozer season, we’re about to spend A LOT of time in here.
With an impressive culinary pedigree to boot, the ‘new and improved’ Horse and Jockey was always bound to be a hit with critics and natives alike, we just weren’t expecting them to knock it quite so far out of the park – or, in this case, Chorlton Green.
Giving the already gorgeous 200-year-old structure a new lick of paint and then some, the new Horse and Jockey looks set to reassert itself as one of the prettiest, cosiest and tastiest pubs you’ll find in central Manchester.
Benefitting from sitting just outside the city centre, you’ve still got plenty of footfall from those who have seen Chorlton become a foodie destination all of its own, and those who have lived there all their lives.
Yes, you’ll still find plenty of old boys sipping their well-deserved pints and dogs curling up on the carpets here.
Now boasting up to 82 covers outside in the familiar evergreen beer garden, with table service in the summer, you can see this being a go-to spot for grub and a reliable watering hole for all year-round.
It’s also worth noting that it’s a pretty roomy venue inside as well, with an entirely refurbished upstairs seating area and a dedicated private dining space now, too.
The Horse and Jockey is glistening once again ahead of reopening this month. (Credit: The Manc Group)
Other touches we especially liked are bringing Chorlton Pale Ale – which used to be brewed right here in the Jockey itself prior to Covid – back on draught. It may be made elsewhere nowadays, but we’re glad to see it being shipped back to and served out of its ancestral home.
And it just gets better.
As well as supporting the local art scene by sourcing works from Greater Manchester creatives, they really are aiming to make this a community cornerstone.
They’ve taken the holistic idea of a public house right back to its roots, providing not only a place to meet, eat and drink for regulars, but also a real social outlet right in the middle of the suburb.
It’s also about supporting and celebrating traditional British pubs and the Northern working-class culture that goes along with it.
There’s still a recognisable style and familiar feel to the Horse and Jockey refurb. (Credit: The Manc)
The majority of the furniture is even salvaged from the pubs we sadly lost up and down the country, not to mention other businesses that have unfortunately closed post-pandemic and the continuing struggles facing the industry.
We’re lucky to have people like this putting drinks in our hands and keeping our bellies full, so we’re glad that they’re doing what they can to pay homage to those who have come before them as well.
Perhaps most heartwarming is that not only have they kept pre-existing staff in post during the switch-over, but they’re all welcoming back familiar faces from the past. Once again, this is about championing the beauty of British pub culture in all of its facets.
This is a proper foodie pub at its core, boasting cosy vibes just in time for the colder months; they even restored three of the five original fires that used to burn through the autumn and winter back in the day.
Bookings are live already, and if you’ve tried the Sunday roast at The Black Friar, you expect this place to fill up just as quickly – we’d reserve our tables early if we were you…
The food offering is substantial, filling and full of flavour. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
This may be a big rebrand and transformation, but there are also still the same old Joseph Holt favourites on the taps for those who love the classic lineup, and they’ve even used their ‘Trailblazer’ stout glaze on one of their cheesecakes. Safe to say, they have our undivided attention with that one.
Owner Neil Burke, who formally acquired The Black Friar two years ago and now heads up the revamped Horse and Jockey, said of the reopening: “I have a personal history with the Horse & Jockey and it’s always held a special place in my heart.
“It’s such a beautiful building, but it hasn’t been shining the way it should in recent years. As a local myself, I felt Chorlton deserved a proper foodie pub – somewhere that delivers brilliant food in a setting that does justice to the building’s history.”
To top things off, they’ve got Michelin-trained head chef Paolo Bianchileading things in the kitchen.
“The Horse & Jockey is an iconic part of Chorlton’s history and I’m proud to be leading its kitchen with the brilliant Black Friar team”, says Bianchi. “After gaining years of experience in Paris, Dubai and London, it feels great to be rooted in Manchester, a city I’ve really fallen in love with.”
“My vision is simple, to serve British classics that people know and love, elevated with seasonal local ingredients, touches from my Italian heritage and international experience. The menu will be ever-changing, so guests can expect something fresh every time they visit.”
As for your job, it’s simple: expect great, hearty pub grub classics elevated to a gourmet level, with all the welcoming warmth of a traditional English pub.
This isn’t just a metropolitan boozer trying to be acountry-style pub; the Horse and Jockey is a Chorlton gem reborn. It opens on Monday, 20 October, and you can guarantee you’ll be seeing us there.
The best foodie freebies you can get in Manchester on your birthday
Danny Jones
Nothing says ‘Happy Birthday’ quite like free food and drink simply for being born, especially when you can get it right here on your doorstep in Manchester, don’t you think?
There’s no doubt tonnes of different places that do special complimentary offers on your big day throughout the 10 boroughs, but that inevitably gargantuan list is for another day.
For now, we thought we’d simply put together a quick and easy round-up of the best birthday freebies you can get in and around central Manchester.
You can thank us later when you’re all full up and your wallet isn’t even the tiniest bit lighter.
Places that offer free stuff on your birthday in Manchester
1. Money off at J.W. Lees
Start your birthday off right with a pint from one of Greater Manchester’s most famous beermasters: J.W. Lees Brewery, who’ll give you a tenner off when you visit the bar on your birthday.
All you have to do is quickly sign up for their mailer to get your £10 voucher; they’re also the legend behind the ongoing Boddingtons revival, so you already know how best to spend it.
Next up is a Manc favourite that’s never shyed away from dishing out the odd freebie – spoilers, but it usually involves some kind of chicken…
In all seriousness, be it free wings for students with ‘Yard Card’ or kids eating at no cost when the adults book in a family meal, the kings and queens at the Coop are always looking out for us Mancs. It’s not different on you’re birthday either, when you get a free main meal by signing up to the newsletter.
Next up, you’re going to need something to wash down all that lovely salty fried chicken, so why not queue up some cocktails at Simmons over on Deansgate?
These still relatively recent London exports are so kind as to offer a £25 bar tab when you book a table with them for your birthday; you can sort yours HERE.
4. Nell’s Pizza freebies
Ok, so now you’ve whetted the whistle and can probably line up your next bit of scran – we’re assuming you’re going to do what we do and cram all these into one single day – so it’s time to grab some pizza at Nell’s if you ask us.
Better yet, not only are their slices reasonably priced, but you can also cop yourself a voucher free ‘Birthday Cake’ flavour (yes, the pretty one with the sprinkles) ice cream sandwich when booking online. You’ve also got a new venue you can enjoy this deal at, too.
We’ve had a free ice cream sandwich at Nell’s in Manchester on our birthday for at least the last three years.
5. Bonus baked goods at Gail’s
If a little ice cream sandwich hasn’t quite satiated your sweet tooth, then you’ll be glad to know that the growing presence of Gail’s Bakery in Greater Manchester not only involves some unreal tastes and smells, but some brilliant birthday freebies, too.
For those who are members of Gail’s Loyalty Programme, where customers can also collect stamps to earn back coffees, cakes and more completely gratis, you are also entitled to a free sweet from their baker’s table treat during your birthday month. Say no more.
Question is, which treat will it be?… (Credit: The Manc Group)
6. Good old Greggs
Room for more dessert (they do say it’s a second stomach, after all)? Well, if there is, you can’t go wrong with a Northerner’s first love: Gregg’s, who also keep things nice and straightforward by simply congratulating you on being born by giving you a free sweet treat you can claim via the app.
Oh, and by the way, I was once genuinely given a Gregg’s gift card by a mate for my birthday and don’t sleep on it – that was genuinely one of the best things in the haul that year.
Left it too late to buy a Mother’s Day present and now all the shops are shut? We do digital gift cards. Just saying... https://t.co/46ETSh1gc0
Ok, it’s all feeling a bit sugar-heavy at the minute, so let’s swap back onto the savoury and another brilliant chain that isn’t just beloved here but actually started the fast-food burrito culture here in 0161.
Many of you may have already copped this freebie in the past, but in case you still need to be initiated, Barburrito have been handing out free birthday burritos since like forever – the only catch nowadays is you need to download the app and make sure you’ve spent at least £6 before the date rolls around.
8. Chopstix for cheap
Last but not least, how about some late-night noodles to finish things off? We here at The Manc (Eats, specifically) are guilty of getting a last-minute takeaway to round off a long work day or spice up a weekend evening spent at home.
That being said, it’s a very easy plan to fall back on during your birthday week if you don’t have much booked in for an insignificant number in your 20s, let’s say; simply sign up for the newsletter and select the small box of your choosing. It isn’t just food they’re doing these days either…
Georgina Pellant -
1st August 2023 
