It’s the end of an era: the iconic little boozer tucked underway the Oxford Road archways, Thirsty Scholar, is officially no more – but while this chapter has closed, a new one is set to begin very soon.
Set to take its place this month, a brand new Irish pub set to open in its place, joining the recent run of contemporaries opening across Greater Manchester.
The name of the new spot is O’Connell’s Irish Pub and not only is it opening up before the end of February, but its first visitors will be getting a taste of that familiar Gaelic charm as early as Tuesday ahead of the official public launch this Friday, 28 February.
Once known as ‘The Attic’ and famed for small gigs and Northern Soul nights down the years, it’s not the first time Thirsty Scholar has changed faces but we’re eager to see what its latest iteration turns out like.
Before…Soon to be…Thirsty Scholar may have closed but a new kid on the block is taking on the mantle. (Credit: The Manc Group)
Following a major renovation courtesy of its new owner, the once poky but ever-pleasant little pub has been transformed into a fresh space that feels authentic and fitting of the history it’s steeped in.
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The main bar front was sourced from an early 20th-century bank at Colledge Green in Dublin, and the ‘bunk’ seating arrived from locations such as a cathedral in Tralee, with some items even being moved over from Manchester Cathedral.
The upstairs – the aforementioned ‘Attic’ which overlapped with neighbouring live music venue and drinking sport, Zombie Shack – has also been completely transformed into a cosy, welcoming extension, complete with its own bar and snug area.
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With wooden panelling enveloping the interior; original stained glass features sourced from back home in the Emerald Isle, not to mention an impressive wall-to-wall whisky cabinet displaying a vast collection, O’Connell’s is set to become a fast favourite amongst city centre pubgoers.
Not only do we love a drink around here but Manchester famously has some of the best Irish bars outside of, well, Ireland, so we have every faith that O’Connell’s is going to prove an equally popular replacement – and believe us, it was well-loved:
The newly designed outdoor terrace underneath the arch seats 80 and will play host to events throughout summer, with murals from Guinness and Teeling Whisky due to cover the arch in time for warmer days.
Following on from its predecessor, O’Connell’s will have a jam-packed lineup of live music and performers every week on their dedicated stage, plus sports will now be shown all year round. Put simply, it’ll have a bit of everything.
There are a few keepsakes from the Thirsty Scholar too that you’ll spot around the building, plus new owner, Dom, has employed many of the former team, so it’s safe to say you’ll be in good hands.
With Dom and his team keen to get going, he said of the exciting new project: “I’ve worked in the industry all my life and always wanted an Irish pub, with the recent trend even more so. When the opportunity came up with the Thirsty Scholar being for sale I jumped on it.
Nice new planters instead of metal railsAs long as there’s still gig we’re happyThe old Zombie Shack/Attic cornerCredit: The Manc Group
“My aim is to let the fit out do the talking, I’ve sourced fixtures from all over Ireland, and the rest of the work fits around these pieces to give it a proper Irish pub feel. Plenty of nooks and crannies, space for big groups or for couples after a quiet pint.”
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O’Connell’s Irish Pub will be open from 11:30am until midnight Sunday-Thursday, with Fridays and Saturdays extended until 1am.
If you were hoping for one last pint in the Thirsty Scholar as you once knew it, we’re afraid to see you’ve missed you’re window as it closed some time ago, but don’t worry, punters at the new venue will be entitled to a free whisky with their first drink on opening night (28 Feb) from 5-7pm.
See you there, by a very colourful gas works wall!
In pictures: O’Connell’s Irish bar opens in Manchester
The bar itself has been reclaimed from an old bank in DublinThe main bar at O’Connell’sThe O’Connell’s snugRelics of The Thirsty ScholarUpstairs in the new O’Connell’s barUpstairs in the new O’Connell’s barGuinness at O’Connell’sPints of GuinnessUnder the arches is O’Connell’s terrace
Romantic bars and restaurants in Manchester that are perfect for Valentine’s Day
The Manc
With Valentine’s Day in Manchester fast approaching, the city’s restaurants and bars are turning on the charm to create some seriously romantic settings.
With so many great restaurants, if you’re looking to take your other half out to eat you are quite literally spoilt for choice.
For those lost in a sea of menus and wondering where to book, we thought we’d help make things a little bit easier by recommending some of our favourite romantic restaurants in Manchester and a few other popular date night spots to help get you started.
Keep reading to discover our top picks for where to take your date in Manchester this Valentine’s Day.
Chotto Matte, St Michael’s
Chotto MatteCocktails with a view
Manchester is climbing ever-higher, and so is the calibre of its restaurant – enter one of the city’s newest spots, Chotto Matte.
For a real get-dressed-up-to-the-nines date night, you could do a lot worse than this lavish newcomer, which has a menu of Nikkei dishes and some of the best views in town.
The restaurant space itself wraps around the new St Michael’s building, with views right over the Town Hall on one side and the city skyline on the others.
Circolo Popolare, St Michael’s
Inside Circolo PopolareA giant lemon meringue pie
You may not quite have the budget to whisk your loved one off to Sicily at this short notice, but there’s a restaurant in Manchester that’s trying its best to bring that magic to town.
Circolo Popolare opened last year from the Big Mamma Group, serving authentic and hearty Italian dishes and a gravity-defying lemon meringue pie, too.
It’s got to be one of the most opulent interiors in the city – there are ceilings draped in jasmine, thousands of vintage booze bottles, hand-painted crockery and more.
Blacklock, Peter Street
Blacklock’s cocktail trolley which roams their Manchester restaurant. Credit: The Manc Group
You might not immediately think gorging yourself on red meat is the most romantic way to woo your loved one – but Blacklock proves you wrong.
This cosy basement restaurant is all about top-grade meat, affordable cocktails, and its legendary white chocolate cheesecake scooped straight from the dish and dolloped onto your plate.
It’s a more laid-back date night spot for those who like ‘hearty fare and rowdy comfort’.
Opened by the team behind the Michelin-recommended Corvena in Chester, it boasts a stunning wine list (the name nods to the importance of weather in creating incredible wines) as well as some reportedly ‘genius’ dishes on its menu.
Serving a mixture of small and large plates, it also has one of the best panoramic views of the city skyline – looking down across Manchester from the restaurant’s perch on Blackfriars, especially at sunset, is pretty romantic.
Hawksmoor Hawksmoor Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Not many London brands successfully make the move up to Manchester, but one that has done it with aplomb is premium British steakhouse Hawksmoor.
It’s pricey but worth it, with a stunning wood-panelled cocktail bar available next to the restaurant to help you get your date off to a flying start.
Serving the very best dry-aged beef, sustainable seafood and seasonal farm produce from the UK, steaks come out beautifully blackened and charred thanks to its Josper grill whilst sides are indulgent (typically laden with rich cheese, nutmeg and cream).
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The aforementioned cocktail list is excellent, as is the wine list. All around a 10/10 spot with friendly service to boot.
The Sparrows, Green Quarter
Mix and match pierogi at The Sparrows. / Image: The Manc Eats
The Sparrows signature dish, spatzle. / Image: The Manc Eats
One of the best restaurants in Manchester by a long shot, it is run by a married couple – with Polish-born Kasia Hitchcock positioned out front and her chef-partner Franco Concli working away busily in the back.
Spatzle (pictured above) is the house specialty, said to mirror sparrows in flight – hence the restaurant’s name. It’s best eaten with a simple sauce of butter and sage, but there are numerous sauce options – plus countless European dumplings, a fine sake selection and an organic wine list.
The hushed, sleek interiors, meanwhile, will have you convinced you’re somewhere in New York – not on the back streets of the Green Quarter.
With sultry low lighting, quality cocktails, £1 oysters and plenty of tucked-away seating spread over three floors, 10 Tib Lane could’ve been made for date night.
Serving a tantalising small plates menu alongside some beautiful low-intervention wines, its Cumbrae oysters with mignonette are a must-order to get your date night going.
Followed up with the likes of steak tartare, lamb sweetbreads, duck in port sauce, bone marrow and pommes anna, and charred hispi cabbage in shallot sauce, foodies should be in absolute heaven.
Erst, Ancoats
Erst has just earned itself a Michelin Bib Gourmand, a prestigious honour that recognises exceptional cooking but still at great affordable prices.
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Open Tuesday to Saturday, with its concrete floors and relatively sparse settings, it’s the food here more than the restaurant’s decor that makes Erst so romantic.
A love of fermentation and pickling has clearly passed from one sibling’s kitchen into another. Plates here are ordered to share, with a list of around a dozen to choose from.
Each designed simply to showcase the natural flavours of the produce, order as many as you can muster then tuck in with a good bottle of natural wine on the side.
Bar San Juan, Chorlton
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
This teeny tiny tapas bar in Chorlton is a treasured local gem, and for good reason.
Named Manchester’s Neighbourhood Venue of the Year at the 2022 Manchester Food and Drink Awards, this cosy little slice of Spain on Beech Road is as unassuming as it is full of European charm.
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From the warmth of San Juan’s staff, for whom nothing is too much trouble, to its impeccable dishes, it’s easy to see how this cosy neighbourhood spot is so beloved. If you’re after an intimate date with top-notch food, you cannot go wrong here.
Inside Ornella’s Italian restaurant in Denton. Credit: The Manc GroupOrnella’s Kitchen has teased a new restaurant
Home to some of the best pasta in Greater Manchester, you do have to schlep all the way out to Denton for it – but if incredible Italian food is part of your partner’s love language then trust us, it’ll be worth it.
By day, Ornella’s is very much a tiny deli cafe with room for just 12 diners at once. By night, the combination of the small space, low lighting and mouthwatering dishes make it a pasta lover’s paradise.
Dish-wise, think plump lobster ravioli, butter-drenched crispy sage and hazelnut spinach ricotta ravioli, and carbonara bucatini liberally doused in pepper and egg yolk, with crisp flecks of guanciale on top – all freshly made on-site by hand that day.
Sitting right on the waterside next to Ancoats Marina, if good wine and small plates is your love language then Flawd is an absolute must visit – even if you just pop in for a glass before heading on for a swanky dinner elsewhere.
With views across the water, you’ll find a knowledgeable team pouring gorgeous low intervention wines in a casual but romantic, laid-back setting that feels more European than Manchester usually does.
Plates comes from acclaimed chef Joseph Otway, using their own organic produce grown on the team’s sustainable farm Cinderwood Market Garden in Cheshire.
Sterling, Spring Gardens
Nestled in an old bank vault in the basement of Gary Neville’s Stock Exchange Hotel, this swanky bar from the accomplished Schofield brothers oozes charm and seduction.
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With dark wood panneled walls, low lighting, sensory cocktails and table service, plus small plates to keep you going through the drinks, it’s a great place to enjoy some romantic drinks on a date – and there are even hotel rooms upstairs.
20 Stories, Spinningfields
It feels like this Spinningfields rooftop restaurant needs no introduction at this point, but we’re going to do it anyway.
A glamorous establishment with a huge, heated outdoor terrace, it sits right at the top of the No.1 Spinningfields building overlooking the swanky glass towers of the business district from its position on high.
Long favoured for romantic date night thanks to its breathtaking views of the Manchester skyline, this swanky restaurant’s menu is not to be sniffed at either with a selection of delicious modern British dishes on offer.
Evelyn’s and The Daisy, Northern Quarter
The DaisyEvelyn’s in the Northern Quarter
If you’re after more of a laid-back eatery with a casual setting, Evelyn’s is a great choice – offering a mixed menu of small plates that can be ordered to share or larger ones to enjoy alone.
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A popular Manchester cafe by day, at night it comes alive in a whole new way, the restaurant lit up romantically with plants trailing down from hangers above your head.
Evelyn’s also boasts a ‘secret’ bar below, The Daisy, where you can sneak off with your date afterward to enjoy a few cocktails (or wines) in a romantic setting.
El Gato Negro, King Street
This AA Rosette and Michelin-recommended restaurant on King Street is a fail-safe date option in our (humble) opinion.
Serving up a mix of tapas dishes split into sections like fish and shellfish, meat, charcuterie, vegetables and para picar, tuck into the likes of Catalan bread, Padron peppers, salt cod croquettas and Morcilla scotch eggs.
Alongside a great wine and cocktail list, El Gato is also known for its sherry and vermouth selection – and both make a great complement to this style of dining.
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For an ultra-romantic twist, if you love the idea of having a bit of theatre whilst you eat you can opt to sit at the chef’s table which faces directly into the kitchen.
Dishoom, Bridge Street
If you ask us, romance doesn’t have to be all white tablecloths and rose petals – sometimes it’s more fun to get stuck in and share a curry with your loved one.
Since it opened in Manchester with queues out the door, Dishoom has remained one of the city’s most popular curry houses whilst maintaining an elusive, sultry feel – thanks, in part, to its setting within the city’s stunning former Masonic Hall.
Nestle up in one of its many beautiful corners on Valentine’s Day, with walk-ins always welcome.
Where’s your favourite romantic restaurant in Manchester? Let us know via Instagram at @themanceats.
Featured image: The Manc Group
Food & Drink
Cult burger brand Burgerism opens first eat-in city centre restaurant on Piccadilly Gardens
Daisy Jackson
Burgerism is opening the doors to its first city centre eat-in restaurant this week, right in the middle of Manchester on Piccadilly Gardens.
The iconic burger brand, which started life as a dark kitchen off an industrial estate in Salford, is now almost ready to welcome fans into its first Manchester city centre location.
Set to open tomorrow – Wednesday 11 February – Burgerism will be serving up their signature smash burgers from a new flagship location.
And they’re doing 30% off the full menu during its opening soft launch period.
The new Burgerism site will have a relaxed walk-in-only dining experience with 22 covers, as well as takeaway, across a 1,000 sq ft space at One Piccadilly.
You’ll be able to order your food at the counter, via self-service kiosks, or through click-and-collect on the Burgerism website.
Highlights on the menu will, as always, include the fan-favourite Cheesed (two smashed patties, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and the brand’s signature sauce, served in a seeded brioche bun), as well as a range of chicken burgers, fries, and wings.
Inside Burgerism at Piccadilly GardensBurgerism founder Mark Murphy
The Piccadilly Gardens opening will be the fifth Burgerism site following its four openings elsewhere in Greater Manchester.
Mark Murphy, CEO and Co-Founder of Burgerism, commented: “The growth of Burgerism has always been very organic – we don’t follow the rules and we obsess over the details, even if that means we move more slowly.
“We’d rather get things right than rush it. So our arrival at Piccadilly Gardens is a big moment for us – and one that feels right. We’re excited to make Burgerism more accessible to the people who already know and love it, while opening the door to new fans too!
“We’ve stayed true to our values from day one, and this restaurant is no different. Same food, same ethos, same energy – just a brand new setting. We’re excited to open the doors with our 30% off deal during our opening week and welcome people into the space.”
Burgerism, One Piccadilly, will open on 11 February.
Danny Jones -
28th February 2025 
