There’s a new bottomless brunch in Manchester serving up non-stop Hooch, pornstar martinis and pina coladas, and we’re absolutely here for it.
New to canalside haunt Joshua Brooks, this walk-in brunch takes all-day kitchen favourites like burgers, burritos and halloumi dippers and combines them with 90 minutes of bottomless drinks for a riotous, fun-filled start to your weekend.
Available from 12-5pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, for £25 a head throughout April you’ll be treated to a dish of your choice and a selection of cocktails, beers and prosecco – with an hour and a half at your table to make the most of the offering.
Image: The Manc Eats
Often run alongside the F1, with an F1 rig in the venue where guests can race the weekend’s track on, or with the football on the big screens, this is a perfect bottomless brunch for sports lovers.
Dish-wise, think grilled cajun chicken fries loaded with cheddar cheese, jalapenos, salsa, chipotle and crispy onions; breakfast burritos stuffed with chorizo, pico de gallo, peppers, cheese, scrambled egg and jalapeno; or a classic burger and fries with cheddar cheese, maple-smoked bacon, pickles, salad, burger sauce and sweet onion marmalade.
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Elsewhere, you’ll find homemade pancake stacks drenched in maple syrup and topped with bacon, covered in Nutella, strawberries and whipped cream, or served simply with fresh fruit and a summer fruit compote.
There’s also a ‘Grandad’s Brioche’ using Manchester-made Grandad’s sausages and a fried egg, as well as vegan options including a plant-based burger and bratwurst, both served with fries.
Or, if you really want to live your best picky tea life, you can opt for either panko chicken tendies, halloumi dippers or cajun fried chicken with fries.
As for drinks, the range on offer is pretty huge with pornstar martinis, pink and lemon Hooch, pina coladas, brambles, passionfruit bellinis and mimosas all featuring on the bottomless list.
If that’s not doing it for you, though, there’s also pints of house lager and glasses of prosecco available alongside the vast cocktail range.
Served all afternoon on the weekends, to find out more and book your table, visit Joshua Brooks website here.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Manchester
The Bodyguard at Palace Theatre, Manchester – a celebration of Whitney Houston’s hits
Clementine Hall
If you’re looking for a night out at the theatre drenched in glitz and glamour, then this is the show for you.
Whether you’ve seen the smash hit 1992 film The Bodyguard or not, the musical adaptation that has just arrived at the Palace Theatre is hard not to tap your foot to.
It’s a show that celebrates Whitney Houston’s powerhouse vocals whilst delivering a heartfelt love story wrapped up with moments of thrill and light comedy.
My initial concern from the offset was whether or not the vocals would match that of the icon herself, but boy oh boy, there was there no need to worry.
The Bodyguard at Palace Theatre, Manchester / Credit: Paul Coltas (Supplied)
Sidonie Smith, who plays the Hollywood superstar Rachel Marron, hits every note with ease, and this isn’t an easy job.
The soundtrack – which quickly became one of the best selling soundtracks of all time – features ballads like ‘I Will Always Love You’ and ‘One Moment In Time’, as well as energetic bops like ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ and ‘I’m Every Woman’.
It’s a tough role to play (and mostly sing), but Smith really proves herself as the superstar she’s portraying.
Sidonie Smith and Adam Garcia in the lead roles of Rachel and Frank / Credit: Paul Costas (via Supplied)
A special shoutout must go to the costume department, as I’ve never seen so many show-stopping glittery bodysuits in one show, and the speed with which these were changed into too was truly impressive.
Adam Garcia, who plays the bodyguard himself, Frank Farmer, perfectly portrays the handsome, American secret agent-type that you want.
Standing tall on stage exuding irresistible charm and warmth, a standout moment was Sasha Monique’s rendition of Saving All My Love where the two shared undeniable yet heartbreaking chemistry.
Credit: Paul Coltas (via Supplied)
The choreography was sharp, snappy, and full of Hollywood glitz and glamour, making the ensemble scenes some of the best, as the audience revelled in Houston’s disco hits.
Overall, this is a fabulously fun celebration of the classic film that’ll get you up dancing on your feet at the end.
The Bodyguard at the Palace Theatre Manchester is on until Saturday 31 January and you can get your tickets here.
Featured Image – Paul Coltas (Supplied)
Manchester
We’ve found some of the best Chinese food in town – being served out of a snooker hall
Danny Jones
Yes, you heard us right: we’ve stumbled across one of our favourite new places for Chinese food just on the outskirts of Manchester city centre – it just so happens to be served out of a best-in-class snooker hall.
And that really is just the tip of the iceberg here.
Some of you may have heard about and/or seen it already, but we’ll admit we were a little late to the party when it comes to Club 200, a.k.a. the pool, snooker, darts, mahjong club and more, which has so many different things rolled into that it’s really more a Russian doll than a Chinese restaurant or sports venue.
The hook speaks for itself: a place where people spend just as much time practising with chopsticks as they do their cues, as it really isn’t a gimmick, as some pessimistic folk would have you think – the food is banging and so are the vibes in general.
Not only is this quite literally the best snooker club in Manchester – complete with everything from classic American billiards and Chinese 8-ball to king-size snooker tables that the Ronnie O’Sullivan has played and won on, to a special AI system you won’t find anywhere else – it is SO much more than that.
Whilst the backroom was packed with everyone from casuals to those looking to get their pro certification via the official Q Tour, and lads in the front were practising their arrows, as co-owner Simon admitted they get almost just as many darts regulars these days, a storm was cooking up in the kitchen.
It would be unfair to say this place doubles as a bar and restaurant, because we really couldn’t get over how well put together this menu was.
‘Café 200’s food offerings involve classics like fried rice and chow mein dishes, to the kind of sides you could expect from your local Chinese chippy, but it’s even more authentic exports that really impress.
For instance, the beef ho fun seemed to be a big hit with everyone; we loved the salty seafood udon as well (a great chew on those noodles), and we know plenty of people still searching for proper Hong Kong-style French toast – they might just find it here.
Speaking of the special administrative region, which has a twisting and turning but nevertheless rich culinary culture all of its own, that last dish had us hopping with joy.
You’re looking at baked Portuguese rice: a Macau speciality rooted in the region’s colonial history.
We’ve never quite had anything like it before, even in all of our years eating this kind of cuisine around the 10 boroughs, but we haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
And then there’s everything else they do, from karaoke and bingo nights to catering for birthdays and other functions, or even just serving as a cool, somewhat tucked-away spot to watch the footy and other live sport come the weekend.
You can tell this place has built up a real community over the last 18 months or so, and while the food speaks for itself, it’s the sheer abundance and variety going on that makes it especially charming to so many.
Speaking of jack-of-all-trade venues, we stumbled across a similar multi-talented one over in Salford not so long ago, too…
Georgina Pellant -
13th April 2022 
