Eats

The new restaurants and bars opening in Manchester this week | 29 November – 5 December 2021

Think TWO new steakhouses, festive tipis on Deansgate, Christmas toasties slathered in gravy, Smiths-themed curries at The Deaf Institute and more

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 29th November 2021

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.

Jardim Rodizio

Image: manchesterfoodreview

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.

Bar Rumbug

Salford Rum is opening a pop-up Christmas-themed bar, Bar Rumbug, inside its soon-to-be new distillery home.

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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,

Image: @eating_w1th_us
Image: The Manc Group

Herd NQ

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.

Find it at 135 Grosvenor St, Manchester M1 7HE.

Happy Lemon Taiwanese Bubble Tea

Image: Happy Lemon via Facebook

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.

Find it at 84 Portland St, Manchester M1 4GX.

Feature image – Happy Lemon / Amanchesterfoodreview / The Manc Group

Eats

Award-winning cocktail bar in Manchester announces shock closure

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Red Light, award-winning cocktail bar in Manchester announces shock closure

Red Light, a Manchester cocktail bar that’s been named as one of the best in the UK, has announced its shock closure.

The beautiful bar on the cobbled Little David Street has said that ‘this Pride will be our last’, with the doors set to close for good on Sunday.

Red Light opened its doors at Kampus in 2023, an inclusive space with great drinks, events, and DJs.

The bar was the brainchild of Deana Ferguson, an adopted Manc originally hailing from Belfast, who created a cosy, welcoming space with a fantastic martini.

But now, the Red Light team have announced that they have just days remaining in their home.

They wrote that ‘sustained financial headwinds’ are partly to blame, along with the challenges presented by operating a late-night venue in a residential area.

Red Light in Manchester has announced its closure
Red Light in Manchester has announced its closure
The beautiful bar is on Little David Street at Kampus in Manchester
The beautiful bar is on Little David Street at Kampus in Manchester

In a heartbreaking statement, Red Light wrote: “For so many years, this bar has been more than a place to drink. It has been a home, a dance floor, a refuge, and a place where people could find friendship, freedom, love, and themselves.

“We are immensely proud of the community that has grown within these walls, and grateful to every person who has been part of it.”

The statement went on to thank the DJs, performers, neighbours and friends who ‘made this bar what it was’.

Red Light added: “We want our final Pride to celebrate everything we have created together. Come raise a glass, fill the dance floor, and help us give this place the joyful, unapologetically queer farewell it deserves.

“We hope to see you over the weekend, for one last Pride together.”

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

Viral Manchester doughnut window serving ‘spaghetti ice cream’ to close down

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Viral Manchester doughnut window serving 'spaghetti ice cream' to close down

Baby Mayhem, a dessert hatch in Ancoats serving fluffy filled doughnuts, has announced it’s closed for good.

The brand shot to fame with its baked-fresh-daily treats, which customers could have topped with ‘spaghetti ice cream’ and cheesecake filling.

For a year and a half, they’ve had consistent queues for their doughnut ice cream sandwiches and coffees, and become one of the most viral traders in Greater Manchester.

But now Baby Mayhem’s doughnut window in Ancoats is closing for good, with its founder James Turner citing a rise in rent and ongoing building works among the reasons for its closure.

He said that it’s become ‘increasingly difficult’ to operate the site, with the wider building undergoing construction work, telling followers that he’s only been able to open seven days out of the last eight weeks.

He’s also said that there is a ‘proposed increased rent’ looming, forcing him to close the Ancoats hatch for good.

But it’s not the end of Baby Mayhem as a brand, with a unit outside the Etihad Stadium, pop-ups planned at the Joie stadium, another term at Manchester Metropolitan university, and more appearances around town.

He also dropped a hint at a certain Christmas Market…

James will close the Baby Mayhem doughnut window in Ancoats
James will close the Baby Mayhem doughnut window in Ancoats
Baby Mayhem's fluffy doughnuts
Baby Mayhem’s fluffy doughnuts
Credit: The Manc Group

In a statement, James said: “After an incredible year and a half, we’ve made the really difficult decision to close the Baby Mayhem hatch – for now.

“Over the past few months, ongoing building works have left much of the site under construction, making it increasingly difficult for us to operate consistently. We’ve only managed to open seven days in the last 8 weeks.

“The works have also had a huge impact on our kitchen, making it impossible to create our desserts to the standard we expect from Baby Mayhem. Alongside the disruption and proposed increased rent, continuing to operate from the hatch simply isn’t sustainable right now.

“But one thing is certain – this is not the end of Baby Mayhem.

“Over the last 18 months, we’ve been lucky enough to build a wonderful relationship with Manchester City FC and that’s something we’re incredibly proud of. That relationship continues to grow, with our unit outside the stadium, we will have pop ups at the Joie stadium for all the WSL home games, and also popping up at Kids Fanzone at every Manchester City home game.

“We’ll also be back at Man Met for another term of Baby Mayhem Burger, with more pop-ups around the city, a few festivals still to come and of course, we love a Christmas market.

“Sometimes in business you have to take one step back to take two steps forward.

“For now, the hatch is closing – but Baby Mayhem isn’t. To everyone who has supported us over the last year and a half, thank you.

“This isn’t goodbye. It’s ”we’ll see you soon”.”

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

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