This week in Manchester, we’ve plenty of new food and drink spots to get you excited about.
From the sausage roll-steak bake pie hybrid that’s got the whole city talking, to a gorgeous new Italian restaurant from one of the city’s longest-standing restauranteurs, there’s lots to look forward to.
Keep reading to discover our top food and drink picks in Manchester for the week.
Potter’s Pies has its first pop-up in Ancoats this weekend selling these absolute beauties / Image: Potter’s Pies
A pie combining sausage rolls and steak bakes
The mum and son pie-making duo behind newcomer Potters Pies has already hit on a winner ahead of their first market pop-up in Ancoats this weekend.
Since sharing the picture of their steak bake-sausage roll hybrid pie to Instagram, Manchester’s interest has certainly been piqued – so we expect there’s going to be quite the queue for these bad boys on Saturday.
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They do make other pies though, too – including a very special cheese and onion creation by the late Alan Potter, credited with “pretty much starting the whole thing off”. Now made by Grandma Potter to a closely guarded recipe, these will be available alongside the much-talked-about sausage roll hybrid this weekend. Get down early to avoid disappointment.
Find Potter’s Pies at Ancoats pop-up this Saturday 28th September at its new home on Cutting Room Square.
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Vincenzo Trattoria is a little-known Italian gem right in the centre of Manchester / Image: Vincenzo Trattoria
A gorgeous new Italian restaurant from the Dom’s Taverna team
Vincenzo Trattoria initially opened at the start of 2020, but in a year (and then some) beset with issues for the hospitality industry, it’s spent more of its time closed than open – and battled off a takeover bid from competitor Salvi’s in the process.
Named after the owner’s late father, it comes from the same team behind the popular (and now sadly closed) Dom’s Taverna restaurant on Deansgate – a haven for quality southern Italian cuisine in the city.
On the menu here you’ll find a good selection of classic mains like saltimbocca alongside classic pizza and pasta dishes. Everything is made fresh to order, and we recommend you try the special spicy sausage which Dom makes himself in house.
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Find Vincenzo at 34 St Ann St, Manchester M2 7LE.
Ancoats favourites the Hip Hop Chip Shop have now got a stand down at the Etihad / Image: Hip Hop Chip Shop
A host of new independent street food traders at the Etihad
Whether you’re red or you’re blue, we hope we can all agree that it’s a joy to see local independents replacing chain brands over at the Etihad.
Man City is now working with seven local street food traders and four independent brewers, meaning you can now enjoy some tasty bevs from the likes of Beatnikz Republic, Seven Brothers, Track and Runaway down at this end of town on matchdays.
Find them serving at the Etihad stadium on Ashton New Rd, Manchester M11 3FF on match days.
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Kong’s Chicken Shop stopped us all in our tracks with their fried chicken roast, but they do so much more – and the menu’s getting even bigger / Image: Lous.brews
A new home for the creators of Manchester’s favourite fried chicken dinners
Kong’s Chicken Shop has revealed it will be taking over the kitchen at Foundation Coffee House there for at least the next few months, opening its doors from this Thursday 26 August. Of course, they don’t just do roast dinners – they first made their name cooking up chicken burgers, so it seems appropriate they’re launching at their new home on national burger day.
There is lots to look forward to here over the coming weeks, with rumours of a new ice cream menu currently doing the rounds amidst promises of new dishes on the way. Watch this space.
Find Kong’s Chicken Shop at 11 Portland St, Manchester M1 3HU from Thursday 26, then Wednesday to Sunday 5-10 pm every week.
The new bottomless brunch deal at Delhi House Cafe in the Corn Exchange is not to be missed / Image: Delhi House Cafe
A new Indian bottomless brunch with unlimited mango mimosas
Delhi House Cafe in the Corn Exchange is the place to be if you’re planning on brunching bottomless this weekend.
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Think chicken tikka with fluffy homemade naan and chips, bottomless mimosas, paneer wraps and rose sangrias. Think two courses and as many drinks as you can neck in ninety minutes for just £31.95. This is the new bottomless brunch deal that’s got Manchester by storm this week.
Available Thursday to Sunday, walk ins are welcome but booking is recommended. We expect it’s going to be busy this weekend. Fortunately, they have a lot of seats inside.
Find Delhi House Cafe at Unit 10, The Corn Exchange, Manchester M4 3TR.
I went all the way to Paris to test out Big Mamma ahead of Manchester’s most exciting new restaurant opening
Daisy Jackson
Hospitality heavyweights Big Mamma Group are finally heading to Manchester, opening a Circolo Popolare Italian restaurant in the city centre – so we nipped over to Paris to see exactly what’s in store for us.
In the 10 years since launching their very first restaurant, East Mamma in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, the group have spread their wings wide.
There are Big Mamma Group restaurants, under several different names, all over Europe – and although they all belong to the same family, each one is treated like a total individual.
Some have maximalist, kitsch interiors with animal print furniture, gilded ceilings and retro prints of men in Y-fronts; others are more traditional trattorias with exposed brick, terracotta floors and crisp white tablecloths.
These interiors are fun, which is so refreshing in an industry which sometimes takes itself a bit too seriously.
On our tour of Big Mamma restaurants in Paris I came across delightful details like a loo wallpapered in pictures of Rod Stewart, a cocktail menu designed like a retro football sticker book, and an ice cream parlour built into an old train station carriage.
Every corner is packed with whimsy and wonder and there’s a whole team dedicated to sourcing these little touches from antiques fairs, second-hand shops and independent makers, stashing them all in an Aladdin’s Cave of a warehouse. Each restaurant even has its own crockery pattern.
East Mamma, one of Big Mamma’s Paris restaurantsNo Entry cocktail barA Big Mamma speakeasyPink MammaLa Felicita food hallLa Felicita food hall
So yes, the interiors in Manchester will be similarly interesting and lavish.
Big Mamma Group has already confirmed that the huge two-storey Circolo Popolare trattoria will be inspired by a Sardinian Festa, meaning cosy alcoves, more than 8000 bottles of vintage booze, and a vast room inspired by an overgrown Mediterranean courtyard.
As it takes shape in Gary Neville’s £400m St Michael’s development, they’ll be moving in big sharing tables, antique trinkets, reels of twinkling lights and even an Italian wishing well ahead of the big launch next month.
But not enough of us are talking about the food yet – this is a restaurant group that sources its produce from 160 different Italian artisans to ensure that everything you’re eating as authentic and delicious as possible.
Food at Big Mamma
While the menus shift between restaurants you can expect hearty bowls of handmade pasta laced with truffle or tomato or cheese, crispy-soft pizzas layered in creative sauce bases (like zucchini cream or black truffle cream, along with their classic San Marzano DOP tomato sauce), and per iniziare starters like giant burrata balls, melt-in-the-mouth croquettes, and slivers of cured meats – all prepared in an open kitchen run by Campanian-born Alfonso Esposito.
And a show-stopper for Manchester will be an outrageous six-inch lemon meringue pie, with a wibbly wobbly tower of Italian meringue on top.
Circolo Popolare will officially open its doors on 6 June – and before then, there’ll be a very limited soft launch where you can snag yourself 50% off your bill. Sign up HERE, with bookings live on Monday 12 May.
The massively underrated rooftop terrace in Manchester with great views and top cocktails
Daisy Jackson
Manchester city centre is generally STARVED of outdoor space, but we’ve found the perfect sun-soaked oasis where you can enjoy a bit of fresh air and a whole lot of great food and drinks.
Tucked up on the sixth floor of the award-winning boutique hotel King Street Townhouse, you’ll find a rooftop terrace with beautiful views of the city’s skyline.
As Manchester buzzes along beneath you, you can tuck in to everything from full charcuterie grazing boards to seasonal snacks and small plates, all served alongside an impressive wine and cocktail list.
This often-overlooked local spot is a firm favourite of those in the know, thanks to its sheltered location that basks in the sun all afternoon.
And although it’s in a prime city centre location, just a stone’s throw from Deansgate, St Peter’s Square and Market Street, it’s a luxurious escape from it all – as is the entire boutique hotel it’s part of.
Whether it’s a post-work social, a relaxed date night, or a cheeky afternoon cocktail, the King Street Townhouse Terrace is open to the public and available for walk-ins or bookings when it isn’t privately hired.
On the menu you can expect locally-sourced dishes like Pollen sourdough served with whipped butter, a meat or cheese grazing board loaded with British produce, and larger plates like a beef and bone marrow burger or a fried fish roll topped with crisps.
British charcuterie grazing boardSpritzes on the King Street Townhouse terrace
Pairing perfectly with a spritz or a beer are snacks like deep-fried Gordal olives, stuffed with fennel sausage, and a brioche garlic bread packed with cream cheese.
The hotel has a cocktail list that celebrates classic drinks and a few of their own signature concoctions, and it doesn’t feel much more luxurious than when you treat yourself to a glass of sky-high champagne with views like this.
The South Terrace can also be hired privately for leisure or corporate events, with tailored catering options including summer BBQs.
And you can ramp up your trip to this oasis by staying overnight in one of the boutique hotels’ rooms, or visiting the King Street Townhouse ESPA spa for a treatment.
Find out more about the terrace at King Street Townhouse HERE.
The terrace at King Street Townhouse hotelThe terrace at King Street Townhouse hotelDeep-fried olivesGarlic bread with creamed cheeseKing Street Townhouse hotel
Georgina Pellant -
24th August 2021 
