The new restaurants and bars opening in Manchester this month | March 2023
From vegan sushi with 'mock meat' to new ramen spots, a gorgeous bistro in Marple and the relocation of longstanding favourite Vnam, there's loads going on this month.
This March, once again we’ve got some absolutely cracking new restaurants and bars opening in Manchester to shout about.
From a new street food stall serving delicious Brazilian curries inside Manchester Arndale Market, to a relocation for longstanding favourite Vnam into the old VRev site, there’s lots to get excited about – as ever.
Add to that a new cocktail bar in Chorlton, the return of vegan sushi favourite CB Sushi to Ancoats General Store and a gorgeous-looking bistro over in Marple, and we’re sure your tummy will be rumbling in no time.
Keep reading to discover where to put on your list this month.
Vnam
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Image: Vnam
Image: Vnam
First established in 2010, Vnam claims to be Manchester’s first ever Vietnamese restaurant. It’s certainly made its mark on the city these past thirteen years, originally operating as a street food stall inside the Arndale market before opening a bricks and mortar site in Ancoats on Oldham Road.
Now, the restaurant is relocating into the heart of the Northern Quarter. This Sunday, it will open the doors to its new home – tranforming what was once VRev, Manchester’s original vegan junk food spot, into a haven of aromatic pho, summer rolls and spicy seared meats.
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5 March
97
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Brought to Chorlton’s bustling Beech Road by the team behind Tariff and Dale and The Lead Station, new cocktail bar 97 is offering up some absolutely quality drinks in a fun format – each displayed on Top Trumps cards.
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The drinks menu, crafted by Chorlton native Ellie Craddick, features plenty of homemade shrubs, tinctures and syrups. Made up of 25 drinks in total, discover a mixture of signature cocktails and classics with a 97 ‘spin’ such as a double-shaked whiskey sour that uses wild mushrooms for added funk.
Officially opening on 10 March, the new bar will also serve a list of exceptional wines and craft beers alongside light nibbles.
10 March
A Little Piece of Bahia
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
A Little Piece of Bahia is a new Brazilian street food stall in the Arndale market that is bringing authentic regional curries to the city centre for the very first time.
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We’re talking plantain curry, carne de sol, feijoada and bobo de camarao, acaraje and more, all made using high quality ingredients (its owners tell us that they never use water in their curries, only coconut milk).
A business with a rich family heritage, Little Piece of Bagia first began in 1989 and is now making its way to Manchester 34 years later.
Open now
CB Sushi
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Vegan sushi spot CB Sushi is popping up inside Ancoats General Store (AGS) once again this month, slinging out tiny Japanese-style Katso sandos and a variety of sushi rolls filled with ‘mock meat’.
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At AGS throughout March, here you’ll find a variety of colourful sushi rolls filled with the likes of hoisin ‘duck’, vegan ‘pork’, ‘beef’ and katsu ‘chicken’.
Packed with flavour, the CB Sushi hoisin ‘duck’ rolls are packed with pulled ‘duck’ meat, cucumber and spring onion, then topped with hoisin glaze and a delightful onion crunch.
A new pan-Asian eatery and bar is opening inside the Great Northern Warehouse at the end of this month, however those who are really keen can order an early taste via Deliveroo.
Serving up bao, dumplings and steaming bowls of ramen noodles alongside fun cocktails and a selection of craft beer, Suki Suki is already bringing bags of flavour to this quarter of the city – we can’t wait to see how the restaurant looks.
Live on Deliveroo now, restaurant opening end of March.
Fold Bistro
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Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied
Newly opened in Marple is Fold Bistro, a gorgeous little eatery and bottle shop serving up biodynamic wines and cocktails alongside some beautiful small plates.
Serving a menu of delicious British seasonal sharing plates, with multi-cultural influences and a touch of North West nostalgia running throughout, think Chip Shop Croquettes with monkfish and champagne curry sauce and Earl of Stonham Wagyu Tartare with IPA Pickles.
Developed by Executive Chef, Ryan Stafford, and Head Chef, Craig Sherrington, each dish on the menu uses responsibly sourced ingredients and local quality suppliers where possible.
2 March
Maki & Ramen
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Image: Maki and Ramen
Image: Maki and Ramen
For a long time, Manchester suffered a shortage of ramen shops. Not any more. Yes, we’ve just said goodbye to late night fusion spot CBRB *sigh* but we’ve still got some absolute bangers in town – not least Tokyo Ramen and New Wave Ramen.
Now, we’ve got another on its way. First opened in 2015 by Teddy Lee, a former chef who studied at a sushi academy in Tokyo, restaurant chain Maki and Ramen will open its doors to its first northern branch on New York Street this month.
That said, it’s not all ramen. As the name suggests, you’ll also find a lot of sushi here with maki being something of a speciality.
TBC
The Waltzing Matilda
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Image: The Waltzing Matilda
Image: The Waltzing Matilda
Not entirely new, but back after a period of closure, the popular wood-fired pizzeria on a canal boat The Waltzing Matilda will return this month after a refurbishment.
Dropping anchor at Tramway Wharf in Marple from 11 March, fans can once again find all of their Neapolitan pizza favourites alongside hot coffee and bakes. Sounds like a perfect stop off for a weekend walk, if you ask us.
Artisan chocolate cafe Knoops is opening in Manchester this month, bringing a huge range of chocolate milkshakes, iced chocolate, hot chocolates and mochas with it.
The London brand will open its first northern store later in Manchester city centre, taking over a vacant unit on the corner of Cross Street and South King Street close to the Town Hall.
Offering twenty different styles of hot chocolate and six styles of rich and creamy chocolate milkshakes, on the menu sweet tooths will find a huge range of different percentage chocolates to choose from.
TBC
Eat Like A Greek
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Good news for the people of Monton this month, who will soon welcome a new Greek eatery to their neighbourhood.
Having made a name for itself on the street food scene, Eat Like A Greek is set to bring its famous gyros to Monton alongside a range of mezze and loaded chips, opening inside the former Wok Brothers unit next to Blacksticks on the High Street.
TBC
Feature image – The Manc Eats / Vnam / The Manc Eats
Eats
Archie’s has installed a bright pink train carriage at its original burger bar
Daisy Jackson
Archie’s has fully reopened the doors of its original diner in Manchester, installing a hot pink train carriage inside.
The beloved burger and shake bar has today unveiled a ‘subway station’ in the basement as part of the Oxford Road site’s £1m transformation.
Diners can now tuck in to their smashed burgers, wings and tater tots from their own train booth.
The bright pink addition to the site has been designed like a New York City subway car, down to the handrails and the train windows with a graffiti-covered wall behind them.
The Archie’s team have even created a fast food-inspired underground map, featuring stops like Milkshake Gardens, St Pancakes, and Scrannington Place.
There’s enough seating inside the train carriage for around 25 diners, plus extra room outside it, where banks of metal train station-style benches are arranged.
Archie’s subway car. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Archie’s ‘underground subway station’ at its Manchester burger bar. Credit: The Manc GroupMore seating in the new Archie’s basement. Credit: The Manc Group
The newly-revamped site also has new self-ordering screens at the entrance and a click-and-collect service.
The brand’s original site will be open from 11am (with its new breakfast offering on proud display) until 3am at the weekends.
Archie’s has become famed for its Instagram-friendly pink interiors since its launch in Manchester in 2010.
Archie’s original burger bar. Credit: The Manc GroupThe upstairs seating at Archie’s. Credit: The Manc Group
Features at other sites include giant ball pits and swings, plus masses of neon slogans, mirrors and colourful booths.
It’s lured in more than its fair share of celebs over the years too, with visits from famous faces like Floyd Mayweather, NeYo, Rita Ora, The Game, Kevin Hart and Conor McGregor, many of whom have designed their own milkshakes for the menu (Conor McGregor’s The Mac Life is a mad mix of Wispa Gold, peanut Lion Bar, hazelnut sauce and blue sherbert, if you were wondering).
Archie’s now has diners and burger bars across the country, including five here in Manchester, plus sells its food on Deliveroo.
There’s an apple crumble stall with unlimited custard under the Mancunian Way
Georgina Pellant
A new food stall has opened underneath the Mancunian Way selling pots of apple and rhubarb crumble with unlimited custard.
Called Crumbled, it is one of three new food traders to have moved into Hatch street food village on Oxford Road – joined by Caroline Martin’s new Rio Mex taco joint, and Pakistani and Indian fusion spot Phukt.
Opened by Manchester-born fashion model Chloe Peers, the new crumble stall at Hatch offers two different types of crumbles with some eye-popping toppings including edible glitter, rose petals, Biscoff crumb and huge scoops of ice cream.
Customers can also opt to pay an additional £1 to enjoy unlimited custard refills, something that is well worth it when you find yourself halfway down the pot.
One of the newest additions to the street food lineup at the shipping container village, Crumbled neighbours a mouthwatering new Rio Mex taco joint from Michelin-trained chef Caroline Martins.
Having previously wowed Mancs with her fine-dining Sao Paulo Project menus at Blossom Street Social, not to mention starring in the north west heat of the BBC show Great British Menu, Martins is now also dabbling – eloquently, might we add – in the world of street food.
Tacos from RIO MEX. / Image: The Manc Eats
Chef Caroline Martins outside RIO MEX. / Image: The Manc Eats
Inspired by her passion for the food of her home country of Brazil, combined with the time she spent living in Texas, Rio Mex sees one of Manchester’s most exciting chefs reflecting two of her favourite cuisines.
Must-try taco fillings include baja fish with biquinho pepper mayo and lime sour cream, ground pork al pastor with pineapple salsa, a five-hour chilli con carne with beef and black beans, and a melt-in-the-mouth barbacoa with cheddar sauce and house pickles.
Speaking on her new opening at hatch Caroline Martins, owner of RIO-MEX, said: “I fell in love with Hatch back in 2022 when I visited for the first time – the whole vibe was awesome! It’s the home of diversity in Manchester and a place where you can get everything done in one place.
“You can pop in, get your nails done, buy a cool vintage vest, get a cocktail at Miami Ice and have some incredible street food for dinner. And now RIO-MEX is joining; we can’t wait for everyone to try our beautiful Brazilian-Mexican fusion menu.”
Butter chicken burger from Phukt. / Image: The Manc Eats
Masala loaded fries at Phukt. / Image; The Manc Eats
You’ll also find butter chicken burgers and loaded masala fries over at newcomer Phukt, which is serving up Pakistani and Indian fusion dishes.
Promising a ‘feast from the East’, think tandoori gyros and biryani burritos, plus chaats, salads, dirty burgers and more.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Hatch, Manchester’s award-winning food, drink, and retail destination, has welcomed a number of fabulous new traders with a Brazilian-Mexican eatery from one of Manchester’s most acclaimed chefs and there’s also a brand new vintage retailer making a new home for itself within the Hatch community.
Great British Menu’s Caroline Martins, who has worked in some of the world’s most highly-esteemed restaurants and was responsible for Manchester pop-up success story Sao Paulo Project, is bringing her brand new concept RIO-MEX to Hatch. RIO-MEX is a Brazilian-Mexican fusion street food project, and will be serving tacos, loaded nachos, churros and salgadinhos, which translates to ‘savoury nibbles’ and are often served at Brazilian pubs. Menu highlights include the Chilli Con Carne Taco, which takes five hours and the perfect blend of herbs and spices to prepare.
The inspiration for RIO-MEX came from Caroline’s passion for the food of her home country of Brazil, combined with the time she spent living in Texas. Whilst there, Caroline developed a passion for fusion cooking and RIO-MEX was born – a brand new concept for one of Manchester’s most exciting chefs reflecting two of her favourite cuisines.
Caroline Martins, owner of RIO-MEX commented:
“I fell in love with Hatch back in 2022 when I visited for the first time – the whole vibe was awesome! It’s the home of diversity in Manchester and a place where you can get everything done in one place. You can pop in, get your nails done, buy a cool vintage vest, get a cocktail at Miami Ice and have some incredible street food for dinner. And now RIO-MEX is joining; we can’t wait for everyone to try our beautiful Brazilian-Mexican fusion menu.”
Georgina Pellant -
2nd March 2023 
