This week sees the start of Advent, and with snow already on the ground, it’s all starting to feel very festive here in Manchester.
It’s a feeling that’s reflected in this week’s list of new restaurant and bar openings, too, which cover a mix of Christmas tipis and market stall pop-ups alongside some permanent new additions to the city’s dining scene.
Keep reading to discover where to head for the newest food offerings in the city this week.
Salvi’s Italian Christmas Markets
Salvi’s is selling its soffietti (fried dough balls) with a choice of sweet or savoury toppings / Image: The Manc Group
Mancunian-Italian institution Salvi’s has gone all-out this year, hosting a festive Italian Christmas market in partnership with Deansgate Square. Open now, the two-tipi hub boasts a selection of fine Italian food and drinks alongside a roaring firepit, festive huts and more.
Pick up Salvi’s favourite street food, soffietti (fried dough balls) alongside olives and taralli, and enjoy drinks from the Campari and Peroni bars – selling the likes of fig, hazelnut and hot mulled negronis, Aperol spritz and Italian mulled wine Vin Brule, alongside the usual suspects.
ADVERTISEMENT
Open from 27 November – 22 December. Find it at Deansgate Square.
All-you-can-eat Brazilian steakhouse Jardim Rodizio is officially open in Altrincham this week. Brought to the Trafford market town by Robert Melman, one of the restauranteurs behind Fazenda, the new opening offers diners top-quality Brazilian-style steak in a bottomless setting.
ADVERTISEMENT
Launched inside the Old Post Rooms, meats are served directly off the cooking spit in traditional rodizio style – sliced and plated right at your table. There is also a substantial salad bar, to help you add a bit of green and balance out the endless meat feast.
Find it at 70 Stamford New Rd, Altrincham WA14 1EE.
Dishing out serves by Salford Rum alongside beers from the likes of Pomona Island, Cloudwater, Seven Brothers, Track, Shindigger and Squawk breweries, the festive pop-up will be open throughout December.
Open from December 1, serving between 12pm-12am every Wednesday through Sunday over Christmas.Find it at Arch 33 on Viaduct Street, Salford,
Steakhouse Herd NQ has revamped its old home at gin bar Allotment, taking over the space entirely and rebranding it as Herd.
The steakhouse has built a solid reputation for itself, using only the finest cuts from local butchers The Butcher’s Quarter, and runs popular steak nights as well as serving a bang-up roast.
This week, unfortunately, the kitchen is temporarily closed due to a number of kitchen staff testing positive for Covid-19 – but the bar remains open, selling some gorgeous martinis, spritzes, sours and more, alongside a strong wine list.
ADVERTISEMENT
Find it at 24 Dale St, Manchester M1 1FY.
Northern Soul Grilled Cheese at Winter Island
Image: Northern Soul MCR
Manchester grilled cheese heroes Northern Soul have upped sticks – with not one but two hubs for you to get your cheese fix from this Christmas.
The eatery will be slinging its beloved Crimbo Dinner toastie special at Escape to Freight Island this winter, as well as from its Northern Quarter restaurant.
This toastie is up there with one of the best festive specials in the city – loaded with slices of turkey crown, homemade stuffing and cranberry sauce, not to mention oodles of cheese, before being toasted, topped with a pig in blanket lollipop, then drenched in gravy.
Find it at Winter Island, 11 Baring St, Manchester M1 2PZ.
ADVERTISEMENT
This Charming Naan at The Deaf Institute
This Charming Naan has found a new home at campus favourite The Deaf Institute / Image: The Deaf Institute
Campus favourite The Deaf Institute has teamed up with Smiths-themed curry house This Charming Naan. Run by Smiths superfan Max Paley, the vegan Indian restaurant pays tribute to the band with dishes like ‘Girlfriend in a Korma’, ‘ How Saag Is Now’ and ‘Last Night I Dreamt That Some Bhaji Loved Me’.
With twenty different plant-based dishes on the menu, This Charming Naan is now available at The Deaf Institute every Wednesday to Sunday from 4pm until 10pm.
As well as its namesake bubble tea, Happy Lemon also sell bubble waffles and stuffed crepes with fillings ranging from ice cream to ham and cheese, Nutella, banana and red bean matcha (£3.50 – £3.95).
Tea-wise, you’re absolutely spoilt for choice with over 40 options on the menu. Think classic milk tea, cream crown milk tea, milk tea smoothies, fresh lemon milk tea, pure brewed milk tea, fresh fruit matcha latte and speciality drinks like chocolate milk tea with taro balls, red bean matcha latte smoothies and more.
A gorgeous little cake shop in Manchester city centre has announced its sad closure, five years after launching as a lockdown project to raise money for the NHS.
Loaf, the hot pink cafe on Oxford Road and just across the river in New Bailey in Salford, will shut its doors for good later this month.
Its founder Aiden Ryan has poured his heart out with a heartbreaking statement, describing Loaf’s closure as ‘incredibly tough’.
In his message to followers, which you can read in full below, Aiden detailed everything from rising costs, cashflow issues, and a personal mental breakdown.
“I’m not sharing this for sympathy,” he wrote. “I just think honesty matters.”
In the five years Loaf has operated in Manchester, there have been plenty of highlights, from those days fundraising for the NHS, to opening its doors on Christmas day to those who struggle with loneliness.
And there’ve been commercial successes too, with these pretty miniature loaf cakes making their way onto the shelves in Selfridges.
But now Aiden has said that Loaf will shut for good on 30 April, urging people to pop in for ‘one more mini loaf or just a goodbye hug’.
Loaf’s farewell statement in full
I’ve made the incredibly tough decision to close Loaf MCR.
Loaf began in 2020 as a small lockdown idea to raise money for the NHS—and somehow grew into a bold, pink cake business that lived in a shipping container, then cafés on Oxford St and New Bailey St, and even Selfridges! It was more than I ever dreamed of.
But behind the scenes, it’s been a really hard year. We lost essential funding, faced delayed payments and invoices, battled rising costs, and unexpected hits – including a supplier taking thousands from our account without permission. It led to cashflow issues we couldn’t recover from.
There were delays in paying important bills—things I never imagined would happen (even tips and pension contributions for staff). It was a living nightmare and it weighed heavily on me. At the same time, I was facing big personal challenges, which led to a mental breakdown the middle of last year. I couldn’t function. And when your business needs you 24/7, everything starts falling fast.
A Twister-inspired special at LoafThe Willy Wonka loaf cakes at Loaf
I’m not sharing this for sympathy, I just think honesty matters. Running a business isn’t always big wins and instagram moments—it’s often stress, silence, and sacrifice.
Still, I’m proud. Of the joy we spread. Of the community we built. And of myself—for knowing when to stop and look after mine and my team’s health.
To my loafly team: you were the heart of this. Thank you for everything. To our suppliers, landlords, partners, and customers—thank you for believing in Loaf.
Our final day is April 30th. If you want one more mini loaf or just a goodbye hug, we’d loaf to see you.
As for what’s next… who knows? For now, we rest. Thank you for being part of our story. I’ll carry it with me, always.
A popular local bakery has justified a small price hike on its bakes by sharing the staggering jump in the price of basic ingredients.
In a refreshingly honest and transparent statement, Long Boi’s Bakehouse in Levenshulme informed customers that there have been price increases of up to 255% on essentials like flour, butter and chocolate.
They pleaded for understanding from their customers and said that running a business is ‘hella crazy’ right now.
The bakery, which was recently named one of the best in the UK by the Good Food Guide, has been inundated with similar comments from other bakeries which make you wonder how any independent is surviving at the moment.
Long Boi’s chose to address the small rise in their prices directly to their customers, with a ‘quite frankly depressing AF read’.
They shared real examples of price increases, including a 122% price jump on butter (from £39 to £86.95); a 232% increase on the price of dark chocolate (from £56.24 to £186.67); and a mind-blowing hike of 255% on cheddar cheese (£17.08 to £60.48).
Even the price of flour – obviously, an essential ingredient for any bakery – has gone up from £10.20 to £25.60, a 151% increase.
Those prices all show how rapidly costs have risen in the five years since the Covid pandemic and subsequent economic turmoil.
Long Boi’s Bakehouse said they ‘can’t believe chocolate was ever that cheap’ in hindsight, and stressed that there are also financial issues around energy prices, and ensuring that their nine staff members are paid above Living Wage.
Long Boi’s Bakehouse in Levenshulme. Credit: The Manc Group
Long Boi’s Bakehouse said: “A few of the eagle eyed amongst you might’ve noticed that we upped all of our prices in the bakery as of Tuesday, and just wanted to do a little post to a) publicly acknowledge that (don’t want you all to think we’re being sneaky) & b) explain why.
“Tbh I don’t think it’ll be news to any of you that the cost of everything has gone WILD, but I thought I’d write up some actual examples of the changes in ingredient prices since we opened – swipe for quite frankly a depressing AF read.
“I actually can’t believe chocolate was ever that cheap, what a time to be alive!!! BASICALLY, combine this with soaring energy prices, wanting to use only the best stuff in our bakes, and making sure NINE 💖 lovely staff are paid above Living Wage as standard (maybe the most important bit!!) – means that raising our prices slightly was the only way to keep on top of this balancing act.
“Really hope you can all understand! Running a business is hella crazy right now, big love to all our fellow independents going THROUGH it.”
One customer replied: “Happy to pay the extra but shocked for you at the increases your side – very useful post to see how things are changing and how this affects small businesses.”
Another wrote: “Thanks for putting this together for customers to see! It’s a bit mad init!!!”
There are similar stories from struggling independents right across the country who have lent their voices to Long Boi’s statement.
Albie’s, a popular coffee shop over in Sheffield, said: “We actually thought we were going mad when I said butter used to be under £40 – I had to check old price lists to make sure I in fact wasn’t going bonkers!!
“Hard to imagine how we’ve even come through these last 5 years. Lots of flat whites. Love the transparency. The info in black and white really hits home even for those of us that are paying it too!”
And Big Bear Bakery up in Glasgow wrote: “Never seen trading conditions like this been baking for 18 years and in hospitality for 30. The latest NI contributions are the final nail!”
Coosh in Nottignham commented: “The increase in chocolate prices was eye watering.”
Did you have any idea just how expensive ingredients have become? If only the bigger brands would be as transparent as Long Boi’s Bakehouse.
Georgina Pellant -
29th November 2021 
