The former Knott Bar is set to become a new Italian restaurant. The old owners have closed their doors for good and now the building has been taken under new management.
It’s always been an iconic venue in Manchester, sat on the edge of Deansgate and Castlefield, but now The Knott Bar is no more – at least, not as we’ve known it up to now.
Rather, the two-story hospitality venue is due for some big changes this autumn as news reaches us that it’s been acquired by a new operator and is set to become Manchester’s latest destination Italian restaurant.
Dom’s Paccheri al Ragu and Alle Verdure pizza / Image: Ellen Eats Out
Chef restauranteur Dominic La Cola has been a solid presence in the city for years, running his much loved Dom’s Tavola Calda from the other end of Deansgate.
For decades now, he’s been lovingly dishing up authentic pizza, pasta, and Southern Italian mains from his authentic little kitchen – but now the restaurant is on the move and it has found a new home inside the former Knott Bar.
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With Dom’s existing home landmarked for demolition, Dom’s Tavola Calda has now been pushed out by its landlord – and its owner now plans to reopen his popular Italian eatery at the other end of Deansgate, close to Castlefield Bowl.
Inside the old Dom’s Tavola Calda restaurant, which has now closed and will be moving into the former Knott Bar unit / Image: Dom’s Manchester
Speaking to The Manc, he revealed that he’s currently refurbishing the bar and plans to open his restaurant there sometime in the autumn.
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It’s good news for fans of his authentic kitchen, which has long been an Italian staple on Deansgate for those in the know.
When The Knott Bar reopens as Doms Italia later this year, it will serve up all his kitchen’s popular favourites with weekly specials appearing on the board alongside beloved antipasti dishes like the house fritto misto, homemade meatballs and signature oven-baked ribs.
Dom’s Tavola Calda has been a fixture on Deansgate for decades. The speciality pizza ‘Dom’s’ uses spicy sausage made in house, red onion, porcini and mozzarella / Image: Feast Street
In the meantime, whilst renovations take place all of the staff at Dom’s have moved over to the restaurant’s sister site Vincenzo Trattoria which is located just of St Ann’s Square.
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Sharing the news with their followers on social media, an update from the restaurant said:
“Good evening to all our customers friends and family of Doms,It comes with great regret that we have to close our doors for last time on Monday the 9th August.
Chef restauranteur Dominic La Colla pictured with his general manager and chef / Image: Dom’s Tavola Calda
“It has been an eventful and memorable 8 years, and we would like to thank all of you that have been to see us here at Doms, whether it was just for a coffee or an evening out.
“For the foreseeable future, all our staff will be moving over to our sister restaurant Vincenzo Trattoria, st Anne’s street manchester.
“Fortunately, it’s not the end of Doms as we will be opening a new restaurant at 374 deansgate Manchester in the up and coming months called Doms Italia , as soon as we have finished the renovation we will inform you all, again
“Thank you and hope to see you all soon in the near future.”
At a time when so many hospitality operators are struggling, it’s great to hear that such an iconic Manchester restaurant has found itself a new home and a new lease of life.
For more updates on the return of Dom’s, head over to the restaurant’s Instagram page here.
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Greater Manchester’s Christmas crime rate named one of the highest in the UK
Emily Sergeant
New research has revealed the UK regions that should expect to see a spike in crime over the festive season this year… and it’s pretty grim reading for Mancs.
For several years running now, our region has unfortunately found itself near the top of the list when it comes to seeing the highest rates of crime over the Christmas holidays, and according to a recent study conducted by ADT, 2025 is unfortunately no different.
With what’s supposed to be ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ only a few days away now, home security experts have decided to analyse crime rates from December 2020-2022, and have highlighted the percentage difference in crime during the festive period in a bid to reveal where ‘Christmas crime’ is most prevalent.
Cleveland Police still has the highest reported crime rate, according to the study, with approximately 147.7 recorded crimes per 1,000 population, and more than 5,000 police reports of burglaries in early 2024 – with ONS data revealing 79% of which were residential burglaries.
Greater Manchester’s Christmas crime rate has been named one of the highest in the UK / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Aurelio Arantes (via Unsplash)
West Yorkshire Police also stays in second place, with crimes in the county having risen by 20%, going from a crime rate of 111.61 in December 2021, to 133.8 crimes per 1,000 population by March 2024.
And then, we have Greater Manchester.
Once again, Greater Manchester Police ranks third for the areas with the highest crime rates in England and Wales, with 129.7 crimes per 1,000 population.
ADT’s research this year found that theft offences accounted for almost a third of all crimes committed in our region, while residential burglaries and shoplifting had over 16,000 reported accounts, respectively.
Top 10 Christmas crime ‘hotspots’ in the UK for 2025
Rank
Police force area
Crime rate per 1,000 population
1
Cleveland Police
147.7
2
West Yorkshire Police
133.8
3
Greater Manchester Police
129.7
4
West Midlands Police
125.9
5
Merseyside Police
119.0
6
South Yorkshire Police
116.7
7
Humberside Police
108.1
8
Durham Police
101.8
9
Gwent Police
101.8
10
Metropolitan Police
100.2
Home security expert Michele Bennett, who is ADT UK’s General Manager, has shared some tips on how best to deter uninvited guests from your home during the Christmas period, and says it’s ‘important to remain vigilant’ at this time of year by enhancing your home security.
“This will ensure you and your loved ones have a safe and enjoyable holiday experience,” she explains.
“Several proactive measures can be taken to deter intruders throughout the holidays, including installing visible security measures such as smart alarm systems or burglar alarms, with visible cameras and alarms display signs that indicate your home is highly protected.
“Also, secure your doors, windows, and other potential entry points with strong locks and deadbolts… and indoor and outdoor lighting is a good option to maintain a lived-in appearance by using smart plugs connected to lights, motion-sensing cameras, and video doorbells in and around entrances and other key areas of your home to make it less attractive to burglars.”
“The combination of these measures can drastically improve your home’s security,” Michelle concluded.
“As the appearance of an active and protected home is crucial to deterring potential intruders during Christmas and throughout the year.”
Featured Image – ADT
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Five of the best things to watch on TV this Christmas 2025
Emily Sergeant
Christmas – it’s a hectic time, right? We all know that.
For some of us, if the run-up to Christmas wasn’t already busy enough as it is, there’s often not a moment to breathe on the big day itself between presents being opened, travelling to see people, entertaining guests, slaving over a hot stove for hours, and eating plenty of food.
Sometimes though, you may find yourself twiddling your thumbs with some time to spare, and that’s why the distraction of festive television is so brilliant.
For others, sitting around to watch the TV is an important part of Christmas itself.
No matter what your situation is, there’s some cracking things to watch on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day this year – with classic seasonal films, to festive specials of our favourite shows, and a few family-friendly additions all on the agenda.
Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Christmas Fishing 2025
BBC Two
Christmas Eve – 9pm
Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Christmas Fishing 2025 / Credit: BBC
Bob and Paul (and terrier Ted too, of course) are back for another Gone Fishing Christmas Special, and this year, they’re heading down to Devon and Cornwall for their festive treat.
The duo fish the stunning rivers Lyd and Camel in Devon, and even head out to sea in Cornwall on a traditional fishing boat.
There’s also appearances by other famous faces Dawn French and Dr Anand Patel, and they’re even welcomed into No6, Paul Ainsworth’s celebrated restaurant in the heart of Padstow, for some Michelin-starred fine festive dining.
You can watch Gone Christmas Fishing 2025 on BBC Two at 9pm on Christmas Eve.
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Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2025
BBC One
Christmas Day – 5:30pm
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2025 / Credit: BBC
We’ve all come to expect a Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special at this point, haven’t we? After the iconic ballroom dance competition programme has been bringing us smaller, festive editions of the show we all know and love since 2004, it’s back once again this Christmas Day.
Six celebrity contestants will be taking to the floor to impress the judges and battle it out for the Christmas glitter ball trophy.
Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt, singer and cook Melanie Blatt, and Irish singer-songwriter Brian McFaddan are just some of the big names competing this year.
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You can catch Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One at 3:55pm on Christmas Day.
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The Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off
Channel 4
Christmas Day – 8pm
The Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off / Credit: Channel 4
For the first time since Peep Show wrapped in 2015, fan favourites David Mitchell, Olivia Colman, Isy Suttie, Matt King, and Sophie Winkleman are reuniting on screen.
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And this time, they’re donning festive jumpers and rolling up their sleeves to tackle a series of seasonal baking challenges.
Under the watchful eyes of judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood, and with plenty of mischief and charm from Bake Off hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond, you can expect laughter and chaos in this Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off special.
Watch The Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off on Channel 4 at 8pm on Christmas Day.
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Amandaland Christmas Special
BBC One
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Christmas Day – 9:15pm
Amandaland Christmas Special / Credit: Natalie Seery (BBC/Merman)
Massively-popular BBC sitcom Amandaland is back for a festive special on Christmas Day.
You’ll get to see title character Amanda and her family head to Aunt Joan’s country house, but the plans change when Mal and Anne tag along and she struggles to recreate the magical Christmases she spent there as a child.
Anne’s in despair at being separated from her family, and Felicity is increasingly irritated by her sister’s constant high spirits. Meanwhile, Mal sees a hidden photo that seems to reveal a deep family secret.
You can catch the Amandaland Christmas Special on BBC One at 9:15pm on Christmas Day.
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Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2025
Channel 4
Boxing Day – 9pm
Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2025 / Credit: Brian J Ritchie (via Channel 4)
What’s Christmas without a quiz? It’s time to remember everything you’ve already forgotten from this past year, as the Jimmy Carr is back with the annual Big Fat Quiz of the Year for 2025, and a handful of famous faces will be put to the test.
This year, Jonathan Ross, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Ryan, Nick Mohammed, Roisin Conaty, and Lou Sanders all answer questions about Katy Perry, Lily Allen, and THAT Coldplay concert.
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You can watch Big Fat Quiz of the Year on Channel 4 at 9pm on Boxing Day.
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Fancy a festive film?
As an added bonus, we thought we’d just round up all the Christmas films that are being shown on telly in the coming days, as there’s nothing like sitting down to watch a festive flick to get you into the spirit of the season.
Nativity! – Monday 22 December at 2:20pm on BBC One
Bridget Jones’s Diary – Monday 22 December at 10:10pm on BBC Three
Home Alone – Christmas Eve at 5:35pm on Channel 4
Love Actually – Christmas Eve at 9:10pm on ITV
When Harry Met Sally – Christmas Day at 11:35pm on BBC One
There’s also just plenty of great films on in general, ones that aren’t strictly Christmas films or set during the festive season like the ones mentioned in that list.
Here they are:
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Mrs Doubtfire – Monday 22 December at 6:35pm on ITV2
Oppenheimer – Tuesday 23 December at 11pm on BBC Three
E.T – Christmas Eve at 1:35pm on ITV
Sister Act – Christmas Eve at 1:35pm on Channel 4
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Christmas Eve at 2:55pm on BBC One
Paddington – Christmas Eve at 5:30pm on BBC One
The Devil Wears Prada – Christmas Day at 6:50pm on Film4
Jaws – Christmas Day at 9:15pm on BBC Two
Edward Scissorhands – Boxing Day at 6:55pm on ITV2
Four Weddings and a Funeral – Boxing Day at 10:15pm on BBC One
Elvis – Saturday 27 December at 7:45pm on BBC One
2001: A Space Odyssey – Sunday 28 December at 6:15pm on ITV4
The Godfather – Sunday 28 December at 10pm on BBC Two
Challengers – Sunday 28 December at 10pm on BBC Three
School of Rock – Monday 29 December at 6:45pm on ITV2
Pretty Woman – New Year’s Eve at 9pm on ITV1
The Sound of Music – New Year’s Day at 3:15pm on BBC One
Back To The Future (the whole trilogy) – New Year’s Day from 7:10pm on BBC Three
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Featured Image – BBC | Disney+ / 20th Century Studios (Press Images)
Georgina Pellant -
26th August 2021 
