Hugely popular NYC-inspired pizza parlour Nell’s Pizza is finally bringing its “substantial pizza slices” back to the Northern Quarter this week.
The “NYC-inspired, MCR made” eatery – famous for its 22″ pizza slices – has become a firm favourite of city centre foodies since arriving at Common last year, but has unfortunately been temporarily closed for the past few months.
The owners of Common and Nell’s Pizza made the difficult decision to close following the announcement of England’s third national lockdown back at the start of January.
This decision was taken primarily due to declining footfall in the city centre.
Explaining the choice to shut up shop in a post to social media, Common said: “Our hand has been forced by the new government grants that are contingent on sites closing [and] sadly it now makes more sense for us to furlough staff and close, [rather] than stay open and plod on in a ghost town city centre.
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“After 16 years in the game on Edge Street, this will be our longest closure and it is highly gutting [but] lots of other businesses are in the same boat as us so please support where you can if any of your local neighbourhood pivot experts are staying open / operating online / delivering etc”.
While the doors to Common may have been closed, Nell’s Pizza has remained open for takeaway services at The Beagle in Chorlton throughout the duration of the current lockdown.
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But is now set to return to its original Northern Quarter hub from this Thursday.
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Both Common and Nell’s Pizza will be coming “back in style” as a takeaway service this Thursday, and will be open every Thursday – Saturday, from 4pm – 9pm for the next two weeks, before reopening for outdoor hospitality from 12th April, at the earliest.
Advanced bookings from 12th April onwards are currently not being accepted, as Common will instead be operating on a first-come-first-served / walk-in basis.
A restaurant in Manchester is hosting a bottomless carbonara night
Daisy Jackson
A restaurant in Manchester has announced its first-ever ‘Carbonara Night’, with unlimited helpings of the popular pasta dish.
The Pasta Factory on Shudehill will be inviting diners to tuck into bottomless carbonara, with the chance to eat it all for free.
The restaurant recently celebrated its 10th birthday in the city, where it’s been serving fresh pasta dishes made by hand every single day.
When The Pasta Factory first opened, it chose not to sell carbonara, worried that the traditional recipe (guanciale, egg yolk, cheese – and absolutely no cream) wouldn’t be to the taste of diners in Manchester.
But realising there was an appetite for authentic Italian cooking, carbonara has made its way onto the menu and become a firm favourite.
And now The Pasta Factory is hosting an entire night dedicated to this delicious pasta dish.
There’ll be bottomless carbonara being served up in this cosy corner of Manchester, for one night only this month.
Your booking will get you a table for 90 minutes, during which time you can order unlimited portions of carbonara.
And if you manage to eat more than five carbonaras, Pasta Factory will give you your meal for free.
The bottomless carbonara night at Pasta Factory in Manchester will take place on Wednesday 18 February, with tickets priced at £30 per night.
Inside Kouba, Deansgate Square’s stunning new Lebanese restaurant and shisha bar
Daisy Jackson
A stunning new Lebanese restaurant and shisha bar has opened at the foot of the Deansgate Square towers, with an iced latte tap, shisha bar, and all-day dining.
Kouba has taken over the former Salvi’s site in the glamorous neighbourhood, and just days after opening, it’s packed to the rafters.
The space has been transformed from family-style Italian restaurant into a Middle Eastern oasis.
Kouba operates as a three-in-one concept, doing coffees and brunches in the daytimes before transforming to a lively Lebanese restaurant by night.
It also has a sizeable terrace (blissfully weather-proof) which doubles up as a late-night shisha lounge, open into the early hours.
This newcomer to the city has already found fame online with moments like an indulgent iced salted brown butter oat latte, served from a tap (plus the whole menu of other iced drinks).
There’s also a sharing cheesecake for two that’s built before your eyes, and hot cookies with soft serve, alongside pastries from the award-winning La Chouquette bakery.
Brunch menu dishes will include signatures like the ‘Pocket Toast’, with fillings including smash burger, bacon and egg, and avocado and egg, alongside smoothies, juices and matchas.
As for the restaurant menu, there’ll be a full Lebanese food offering that includes hot and cold mezze, and Lebanese favourites like meshwi, lamb chops, and moussaka.
Click or swipe through the gallery below to see inside
Inside Kouba at Deansgate SquareThe iced latte tapThe private dining roomThe shisha loungeA full spread of foodThe coffee shop section of KoubaIced matcha and pastries from La ChouquetteDinner at KoubaCookies and soft serve
Kouba is now open and will be operational seven days a week from 8am-2am.