New all-day cocktail, wine and coffee venue opens on Peter Street
Fitted with plush booths and quartz-topped surfaces, the new cafe-bar began life with a soft launch this week - with plans to expand the menu over summer.
Haunt MCR – a brand-new cocktail, wine and coffee destination – has launched in the middle of Manchester city centre.
The all-day venue – open on Peter Street from “sun up to sun down” – invites guests to “perch, sip and nibble”; offering a range of hot drinks, booze and informal finger food called stuzzichini.
Fitted with plush booths and quartz-topped surfaces, the cafe-bar began a soft launch this week (June 14) with a limited menu.
But plans are being made to branch out in summer – serving breakfast dishes and traditional Italian pastries.
Fitted with plush booths and quartz topped surfaces, the cafe-bar began a soft launch in June / Image: Haunt MCR
Currently, Haunt’s hot drinks menu stars exceptional coffee supplied by North Star – with espresso, flat white, latte or piccolo all available.
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For the post-work crowd, there’s Aperol Spritz, Hugo Spritz, Tarragon Spritz, Bellini and Rhubarb Fizz up for grabs, as well as classic cocktails including Negroni, Boulevardier, Gin Martini and Espresso Martini.
There’s also an expansive wine list featuring bottles from several regions of Italy.
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Haunt MCR will serve a range of light bites and nibbles as well as cocktails / Image; Haunt MCR
Will Parkinson, co-founder of Haunt MCR alongside Sam Wheatley, said: “The insolvency of private equity backed hospitality businesses has created a void for creative new independent concepts in their wake.
“People working in the surrounding area will understand the continental meaning of Aperitivo from their trips to Europe & in particular Italy.
“Haunt is the first of two venues we have secured funding for this year.”
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.
The Manc -
18th June 2021 
