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.
Viral Christmas Markets trader to open Manchester’s first tiramisu cafe
Daisy Jackson
Manchester is set to get its first tiramisu cafe, after viral Christmas Markets trader Misu Tiramisu has secured a bricks-and-mortar location.
The local business was one of the most popular operators at this year’s festive event, thanks to its miniature tiramisu ‘drawers’.
The individually portioned and colourfully packaged desserts quickly became one of town’s top puddings, and owners Aleem and Aishah went on to launch a stand inside the Manchester Arndale too.
And now they’re branching out again with their first tiramisu cafe, over in Stretford.
You’ll find all their delicious flavours of handmade tiramisu, including classic, pistachio, Biscoff, mango, and lemon – plus a whole host of new varieties for the cafe.
Misu Tiramisu will be creating new flavours like strawberry matcha, white hazelnut, and ‘intenso’.
The desserts will be served alongside speciality Italian coffee, plus focaccia sandwiches and pastries.
The new cafe will feature an open counter where customers can see the tiramisu being made.
Misu Tiramisu owners Aleem and Aishah spent a year refining the recipe for their tiramisus after a trip to Milan, first launching with their first market stall in Sale.
Misu Tiramisu at the Manchester Christmas MarketsMisu Tiramisu will open a cafe in Stretford
Aleem, Co-founder of Misu Tiramisu, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be opening our first bricks and mortar cafe in Stretford town centre. It’s a big milestone for us, and we can’t wait to create a destination where people can sit down and really enjoy the experience of our range of freshly made tiramisu..
“More than anything, we want to build somewhere that brings people together and becomes a genuine part of the local community – see you soon, Stretford!”
Chris Houghton, Retail and Leisure Director from Bruntwood added: “The Misu Tiramisu cafe will be a great addition to Stretford town centre. The team’s unique offering adds a fresh and vibrant concept to the area and we can’t wait for everyone to try it and enjoy their great hospitality.”
Cllr Liz Patel, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration, said: “We are delighted that the Misu Tiramisu cafe has decided to open in the new-look Stretford town centre.
“The Council is committed to improving all our town centres. This will be a great addition to the shops and hospitality in the Stretford redevelopment.”
Misu Tiramiu will open its doors at Unit 6, The Mezzanine, 26 King Street, Stretford, Manchester, M32 8AE.
Coffee Rules: The Greek-born cafe that’s gone on to become a beloved Greater Manchester brand
Danny Jones
It’s rare that you find a place in an already saturated food and drink scene like Greater Manchester’s that genuinely comes across like a local community cornerstone, but that’s exactly what we got when we visited Coffee Rules in Salford.
We went for a brew, one of those viral iced coffee we’ve seen on socials, and maybe a nice bite to eat – but we left with much more and the impression that these lot are onto something big.
Opened in Arta back in their home country (also up in the northwest, by the way), they’ve never struggled to get queues out the door, and it’s no different here. This one is run by two siblings, 23-year-old Thomas and his big brother Marios, 30, who have been smashing it since 2023.
Since launching their growing UK brand in the likes of The Meadows neighbourhood – one of two they have in the city of Salford alone, the other being Swinton – they’ve brought the lines with them. With authentic Greek food and drink like this, it’s not hard to see why.
They’ve now expanded to more than eight sites total, including one still keeping their own local reputation alive over in Athens, and this looks to be just the beginning.
Having not only spread across the ten boroughs but further out into the region with their Liverpool locations as well as a Yorkshire stronghold up in Sheffield, there’s more to come from Coffee Rules, both in terms of premises and their plans to take on the rest of the brunch game and beyond.
Suburban Mancs may have already seen the regular midday and weekend crowds that pack out their Chorlton venue, the Rusholme one is often filled with fresh-faced uni students in need of their caffeine fix, and it’s an increasingly similar story for those based in Bolton.
Or maybe you’re one of the many people based in Manchester city centre, who nip to their quiet, tucked-away corner of Ancoats for a fresh bake or even to have your eye caught by some of their merch with that modern mythological-inspired logo.
Whichever one happens to be closest to you, you’ll have the same satisfying experience, from sipping on speciality coffee and the scran, to the service and all-around atmosphere.
They’re also about to start hosting board game nights over at their Salford site, where they’ll be making the most of their large terrace with plenty of seating, which also has the added bonus of a retracted pergola – perfect for sunny days or simply sheltering from the Manc rain.
One thing we also noticed was just how many locals not only popped in throughout our time there, but the sheer number that had chosen to start their day at this particular spot.
There’s a regular Greek crowd, of course, but there’s also the native Salfordian and those currently residing in and around the up-and-coming area, who were pulling up in the large car park and taking a pew, or even those just looking for quick and top-quality grab-and-go stuff.
In fact, it’s one of the quickest venues we’ve seen fill up that fast in a hot, Med minute.
Speaking of, whether it be one of their superb Spanish lattes, or the equally sweet, sultry and viral ‘Freddo Cappuccino’, or their traditional spanakopita, not to mention their many Mediterranean pastry variations, there’s a big call for pretty much everything on the menu.
We could go on at length in listing what impressed us about just this one Coffee Rules branch, and we’ve made many trips to their Chorlton one in the past already, but it’s probably best that we just urge you to give it a try sometime soon. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed.
This is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the UK, and it’s no wonder they keep pulling in plaudits and invites to bigger and better industry within the industry as time goes on events over the past few years.
Oh, and one more thing, there’s plenty of savoury stuff that you’ll likely fall in love with, but we highly reccommend ordering the red velvet. Wow…
Georgina Pellant -
29th November 2021 
