Long-standing food and drink spot Cottonopolis may be coming to an end as we know but it has now been confirmed that the location will soon reopen as a brand new public house and grill concept known as The Lamb of Tartary.
Cottonopolis confirmed its closure at the start of 2024 after an eight-year stay as one of the Northern Quarter institution’s best-known restaurants but it has now been confirmed that a new bar and grill will take its place and is set to become an “unrecognisable space”.
Headed up by the award-winning team behind Edinburgh Castle over in Ancoats, named one of the best gastropubs anywhere in the UK, the reinvention will promise customers a place to sit and enjoy a pint with friends, watch the sports or dive into a delicious plate of food.
Executive Chef, Shaun Moffat has established his name across the country before settling first in Manchester at Edinburgh Castle, and his new vision is said to feature an all-day dining menu, exemplifying accessible British seasonal dishes spanning from brunch and small plates to Sunday roasts.
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Moffat, whose style focuses on ‘nose-to-tail’ eating absolutely epitomises the North’s food culture. Speaking on the imminent opening, he said: “It’s an exciting time for the team to be working on this new project at The Lamb of Tartary.
“We all loved Cottonopolis and will miss it dearly, however, we are looking forward to launching this new concept to fall in line with the success we’ve achieved at the Edinburgh Castle.
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“The Lamb of Tartary will be a slightly more casual affair whilst still championing the produce and suppliers we’ve spent the last year or so building up.”
The new logo.‘Head to tail’ is at the cornerstone of their cuisine.They aren’t giving much away about what this place is going to look like beyond a nod to their philosophy. (Credit: Supplied)
He went on to add that he and his team “will continue to utilise the best produce to create new favourite dishes and modern takes on classics, and as a result, allow us to offer an exciting food and drink concept.”
The Grade II listed former cotton warehouse will be totally transformed into a cosy, traditional space, boasting a massive selection of 24 tap beers and plans to show all the major sporting events throughout the year, including the likes of Six Nations, this summer’s Euro 2024, Wimbledon and more.
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Local favourites Manchester Union Lager and Cask Beer from Buxton Brewery and Mobberley Brewhouse will also form part of the bar’s lineup.
The vibe might be a fairly far cry away from its predecessor but there will still be plenty of continuation when it comes to local themes, as well as seemingly offering a more accessible dining and drinking experience, by the sounds of it.
A public house serving proper bistro food with a local focus. You won’t find any of us complaining about that combo.
Cottonopolis passes the torch in more ways than one too, with the new name continuing to pay homage to Manchester’s history of cotton, deriving from an old legend from the Middle Ages in which people believed that lambs came from the cotton plant.
In mythology, the Lamb of Tartary is believed to be both a true animal and a living plant. Imagine the lamb as if it is grown as a fruit, propped up above the ground and connected by the stem, almost like an umbilical cord.
The lamb would be able to graze the grass around the plant for food and when all accessible foliage was gone the pair would die. An interesting concept to build, we’ll give them that and we can’t wait to see how the place is reborn.
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It isn’t the only Greater Manchester hospitality news we’ll be keeping an eye on either as beloved Chorlton food spot The Thirsty Korean has revealed it will be closing its current restaurant and hopefully finding new premises sooner rather than later.
Deansgate bar Simmons closes just over a year after opening
Danny Jones
London-born bar brand Simmons has closed their Manchester site just over a year after opening their first Northern location.
They’ve lasted roughly 15 months on one of our busiest nightlife strips.
Opening on Deansgate back in October 2024, Simmons Manchester wasn’t just their first foray here up in this half of the country but their only other venue outside of the capital.
An otherwise well-established and popular chain down south, they have a total of 15 different bars in central London, but things clearly haven’t quite taken off as planned here in Manchester.
Placing a poster in the unit’s shopfront besides the likes of Be At One, Yours, The Moon Under The Water Spoons and the Deansgate branch of Slug and Lettuce, as you can see, the fellow franchise founded over a decade ago said: “After much consideration, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our doors.
“It’s never easy to say goodbye”, they add, “We’re incredibly proud of what the team built here and so grateful to them, as well as everyone who joined us over the past year.
“We’ve had some unforgettable nights. We love Manchester, and we hope to be back under the right conditions.”
They go on to thank everyone for being “part of the journey”, but for now, it looks like the room has closed effective immediately.
Simmons started back in 2012 when founder Nick Campbell opened the first bar below his flat in Kings Cross, and their presence has grown hugely since then. The closing sign was spotted and shared on social media earlier this week.
Offering everything from stylish cocktails to New York-style pizza, live music and even private karaoke booths, the place had plenty going on.
With rising business rates, energy bills and more dovetailing with the continuing cost of living crisis that is still hampering both hospitality and the nightime economy, they are just one of many to unfortunately close their doors of late.
For instance, it was only earlier this month that we saw multiple well-known names shut up shop here in the city centre or elsewhere in Greater Manchester, including another long-standing late-night favourite, Revolution.
It’s a shame for any business to close, and we certainly hope they’ll return someday with a model that can be sustained in the current climate.
Inside Butter Bird – Ancoats’ hottest new neighbourhood rotisserie with a menu dedicated to butter
Clementine Hall
A new restaurant has opened its doors in Ancoats serving up two of life’s greatest pleasures.
Those two things being chicken and butter. And coincidentally, they go very well together.
Introducing Butter Bird, a new neighbourhood rotisserie restaurant that has taken over the old Counter House site on Blossom Street.
If you’ve been living under a rock or you have a healthy relationship with social media, then you won’t know that rotisserie chicken is very much ‘in’ for 2026.
Images: The Manc Eats
So of course, just like anything, Ancoats is first to hop on that trendy bandwagon.
When simple things are done properly then they’re very satisfying indeed, and that’s exactly what Butter Bird have achieved.
Built around classic spit cooking and time honoured technique, with an impressive Rotisol Millenium rotisserie oven at the heart of the space, the chickens are seasoned and brined in house, then slowly rotated over open heat so the meat self bastes as it cooks.
Images: The Manc Eats
The result? Moreish, crisp, golden skin, succulent meat and deep flavour.
If that doesn’t sound enticing enough, they’ve also got a section of their menu dedicated entirely to their house butters.
Flavoured, complex butters designed to compliment your bird in however you desire.
My personal favourite was the moroccan-spiced Chermoula, but the tarragon with wildflower and mustard was also stellar.
Images: The Manc Eats
Drinks wise they’ve got a great selection of Crémant, chosen to cut through the chicken fat, as well as fun cocktails and decent wines.
Obviously you’ll need some sides to go with your bird which you can order as a quarter or half, and they’ve got everything from rotisserie potatoes which you can douse in chicken gravy to a Caesar salad stuffed with enough croutons it’s probably not classed as a salad anymore.
Butter Bird opens to the public on Thursday 29 January, with a launch offer offering 50% off rotisserie chicken when booked in advance for the first two weeks.
Harry Quick -
12th January 2024 
