This past year has been a funny one for hospitality – completely messing with the traditional model of things, whilst simultaneously creating big opportunities for furloughed staff who set up their own sites.
Manchester has seen the launch of some ingenious new concepts: from a city-wide gravy taco obsession to two-fisted Italian American hoagies and a glut of new bakehouses.
Most are still operating out of dark kitchens – meaning if you want to try their stuff, it’s either been an order-at-home job or a sit in the park affair.
That’s not going to be the case for much longer, though.
As part of a collaboration with food bloggers Eatmcr, The Refuge will be inviting Manchester’s lockdown success stories down to its terrace for a summer of street food every Thursday to Sunday from 12-10 pm.
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Birria Brothers Tacos
From Sopranos-themed, Italian-American hoagie slingers BadaBing (officially making the henchest sandwiches in the city) to gravy tacos from The Koffee Pot’s Birria Bros, the list of confirmed traders reads like a who’s-who of Manchester’s best lockdown openings.
They’re joined on the line-up by artisanal, organic doughnut brand DGHNT and independent bakehouse Batard – the new project from Gooey founder and former head baker Lewis Loughman.
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It’s not all lockdown success stories, though, there are a few more established concepts on the roster too.
Things Palace, a Pan Asian inspired food concept curated by Lorcán Kan of Stockport’s Michelin-recognised Where the Light Gets In, is also set to make an appearance.
Having begun life as a supper club concept in 2019, it’s now a regular pop-up around town and a frequent fixture at Platt Fields Market Garden.
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DGHNTBatard bakehouse
Pippy Eats, the excellent dumpling and noodle concept from Britain’s Best Home Cook contestant Pippa Middlehurst is also due to appear there this summer – as is independent Levenshulme bakery Longbois Bakehouse.
On the drinks front, local breweries Pomona Island and Shindigger will be on site with some of the city’s freshest beer alongside German gin brand Monkey 47.
Running from Thursday 20 May to Sunday 22 August, traders will rotate every two weeks on the heated and covered terrace with a soundtrack supplied by selectors including Lil Minx, Massey, Abigail Ward and Neil Diablo.
One of Manchester’s grandest restaurants has finally reopened TWO YEARS after fire
Daisy Jackson
One of the most historic restaurants in Manchester has reopened at last, two years after a fire forced its closure.
Mount Street Dining Room & Bar – which many of us may remember as Mr Cooper’s – stands within the Grade II-listed Midland Hotel.
The grand dining room dates all the way back to 1903, when it opened with the hotel as the Grill Room.
The restaurant was at the epicentre of the Industrial Revolution and was frequented by railway travellers, perhaps best-known for hosting a lunch between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce in 1904, who went on to form the world-famous Rolls-Royce brand.
The Midland’s restaurants has gone through several changes in the decades since, undergoing a major £14 million refurb in 2020 to relaunch as Mount Street Dining Room & Bar.
Its interiors are inspired by the hotel’s early 1900s art deco and railway heritage, with a menu that focuses on locally-sourced British produce.
But the restaurant has been shut since early 2024, when a fire damaged the entrance and trellising around its main entrance on Mount Street.
The beautiful bar areaA glimpse of the menu at Mount StreetCocktails and British food
The Midland has finally managed to get the restaurant back open again this month, with a new food and cocktail menus, which aims to offer refined but simple British dining.
Expect dishes like pork and black pudding bonbons, white onion soup with crispy potatoes, smoked British salmon with lemon gel and dill mascarpone, and slow cooked beef daube with confit garlic mash.
Plus desserts such as rice pudding with Anise glazed pearsand Bakewell pudding with cherry syrup.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen inside this beautiful, storied dining room – and it looks just as beautiful as we remember.
Georgina Pellant -
13th May 2021 
