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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 groundbreaking new multi-use entertainment and leisure venue is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
A new multi-purpose food, drink, entertainment and leisure destination is coming to Manchester city centre and the Salford border this autumn, and you won’t find many places that roll so much into one spot.
Mancs, get ready to welcome ‘Tangerine’.
Conceived by an impressive collective of local creatives, indies and those with plenty of experience catering to the Northern masses, Tangerine is promising everything from multiple resident kitchens, a live music hall, an arthouse stage, a specialist martini bar and more.
Better yet, after a year in the making and quietly chipping away at the striking space, it opens later this month, so you don’t have to wait long to try it for yourselves.
Located on New Bailey Street, just on the edge of Spinningfields and Salford Central, this groundbreaking new venue features two main platforms (utilising the integrated charm of the historic railway arches), each boasting its own selection of attractions.
While platform one will offer a bakery, coffee roastery, wine store and bottle ship, the ‘Canteen Club’ and even a florist, number two will contain the music hall, arthouse stage and the stylish ‘Grand Departures’ bar – serving seven espresso martini alone – Tangerine will deliver a seamless day to night transition.
Arguably, however, the centrepiece is the ‘Cantina Collective’. The food and drink hall promises seven in-house kitchens, showcasing a variety of cuisines.
The opening line-up already confirmed includes Vanda: a family-run Parisian-inspired Ukrainian bakery; Mexican taqueria, PANTERA, burger joint Juicy, as well as Yo Dutchie (a unique fusion of Dutch-Japanese food) and a new Korean/ramen concept from local sushi favourites, Unagi.
Our stomachs are already grumbling just thinking about it.
CGI renders of the completed space. (Credit: Supplied)
Designed not only by the brains behind Northern Quarter’s beloved Mala hidden garden but WANT STUDIOS, who will be ensuring local artists, independents, and traders will be regularly spotlighted, the site will boast a capacity of well over 300 people.
Artyom Dmitrijev, owner of Tangerine and Mala, said in a statement: “Over a year in the making, we’ve used all our experience in design, interiors, architecture and hospitality to create our dream project. A place for all the independents to come together and thrive.”
Andy Windsor, Director of WANT STUDIOS, added: “Tangerine unites the city’s independent kitchens, bar tenders, bakeries and entertainment specialists. It is a unique showcase of what we do in the city. This is a new space for creativity, food, and culture, and we’re proud to be part of it.”
Debuting to the public with a big Halloween weekender on the evening of Friday, 31 October, with another launch event the following Saturday, you can sign up for exclusive early access for free, which could see you score a few freebies to boot.
Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)/Tangerine MCR (via Instagram)
Eats
Bottomless curry deal returns to popular Manchester Indian restaurant Zouk
Danny Jones
One of the best-loved Indians in Manchester has relaunched its bottomless curry offering and is chucking in free rice and naans to boot.
Zouk over on Chester Street has brought back its endless curry, rice and naan deal to ease the last of those January blues.
Every night this week, you’ll be able to tuck into a full buffet of the tea bar and grill’s award-winning, authentic curries, showcasing dishes from all over the Indian subcontinent.
Costing just £20 a head, you can feast until your heart’s content on some of the very best curries in the city – no exaggeration.
What does ‘bottomless curry’ night at Zouk look like?
The bottomless curry deal at Zouk first ran this year back in January, but it’s now back for National Curry Week (6-12 October 2025), and we can’t wait to stuff ourselves silly yet again.
Every single day, there’ll be four different curries to choose from, always including two meat options, a vegetarian curry and a vegan dish.
What exactly can you get on Zouk’s bottomless offer?
As mentioned, each booking also includes unlimited rice and naan to go with your curry of choice.
Tables are for 90 minutes per booking, giving guests plenty of time to take on the increasingly popular bottomless curry challenge.
Question is, do you have the stomach for it?
With an ever-rotating selection of curries inspired by various distinct regions and speciality cuisines, you’re not short on variety either. You can see Zouk‘s current bottomless curry menu in full below:
Monday
Chicken Karahi – A speciality from the Northwest region of Pakistan. Tender pieces of chicken cooking in a sizzling wok over hot flames with tomatoes, crushed peppercorns, cumin, ginger and garlic.
Lamb and Potatoes – Tender chunks of lamb cooked with new potatoes, yoghurt, tomatoes and garlic.
Mutter Paneer (V) – Indian Paneer cheese with new potatoes, yoghurt, tomatoes and garlic.
Chole Masala (VG) – From Delhi to Punjab, this authentic channa masala is a tasty street food classic.
Tuesday
Tamater Kadei Murgh – A delicious chicken and tomato curry cooked with mild spices. Perfect with rice or bread
Lamb Do Pyaaza – Medium-spiced North Indian speciality: tender pieces of lamb slowly cooked with lavish amounts of caramelised onions in a spicy masala
Tarka Dall (V) – Channa and mung lentils cooked in a spicy sauce
Gobi Mutter (VG) – Spicy cauliflower sautéed in a rich tomato masala with peas
Wednesday
Chicken Do Payaza – Spiced North Indian chicken dish with tomatoes and caramelised onions
Lamb & Bindi – Tender pieces of lamb cooked in a spicy masala with ‘lady fingers’ (okra)
Chole Masala (V) – Authentic channa masala is a tasty street food classic
Mili Juli Sabzi (VG) – Fresh vegetables fused together with herbs and spices
Over the halfway hump, room for more? (Credit: The Manc Eats)
Thursday
Chicken Tikka Masala – A simple classic chicken tikka masala. Chicken pieces marinated in yoghurt tossed inside a balti of garlic and ginger.
Lamb Rogan Josh – A speciality from Jammu and Kashmir, with chillies and juicy tomatoes.
Dall Makhani (V) – Black lentils in a smooth and creamy sauce.
Palak Aloo (VG) – Spinach leaf and fenugreek cooked with new potatoes and coriander.
Friday
Chicken Handi – Punjabi-style chicken curry slowly cooked over burning flames with tomatoes, onions, garlic and Zouk’s special garam masala.
Lamb Jalfrezi – Lamb pieces cooked with capsicum, onions and tomatoes in a thick spicy sauce.
Bengan do Pyaza (V) – A medium-spiced North Indian dish of aubergine cooked with tomatoes, spices and lavish amounts of onions.
Bindi Do Pyaza (VG) – A medium-spiced North Indian dish of Okra cooked with tomatoes, spices and lavish amounts of onions.
And now we’re stuffed…
If you’re looking for somewhere to get bottomless curry in Manchester, this is the place for you. (Credit: The Manc)
Zouk has become one of Manchester’s leading restaurants since it opened in 2009, even drawing in famous fans like Rihanna, Drake, Manchester United stars and, of course, many a Mancs each and every day – because there’s never a bad time for a curry.
Available all throughout this week, you can make the most of this incredible bottomless curry deal like we do every year and trust us, Manchester: it genuinely NEVER disappoints.
You can find more information – including all terms and conditions – on the website and book your visit HERE, or over the phone on 0161 2331 090.
Georgina Pellant -
29th November 2021 
