September looks set to be an exciting month for eating and drinking in Manchester, with a whole host of exciting new openings on the cards.
With new venues from Bundobust, Higher Ground, and Track Brewery all tipped to open their doors later this month we’ve got absolutely loads to look forward to – but this week, we’re celebrating the return of the legendary Stevenson Square ‘nonna’ pizzeria Slice, which has opened a new home just off Oxford Road after a lengthy two-year closure.
We also welcome new Chinese hot pot restaurant Xiong qi to the city, wax lyrical about Manchester’s new lemon pepper wet wings (if you know, you know), and check out a new natural wine bar in the Northern Quarter that’s turning things on its head by serving some gorgeous-looking cake on the side.
Keep reading to discover our top food and drink picks in Manchester this week. You won’t be disappointed.
The return of the legendary ‘nonna’ pizzeria, Slice
Long before Detroit pizza became a thing and we got used to eating our pizzas square, Slice was down in the Northern Quarter serving up the original ‘nonna’ to queues of hungry Mancs.
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The Stevenson Square restaurant was forced to close in early 2019, but has since found a new home and has now finally reopened outside Oxford Road train station after leaving us hanging for two very long years.
The signature slice here has to be their broccoli, chilli, and sausage – but on any given day there’s a whole host of rectangular pan-cooked pizzas to choose from. The old Slice site also had a banging homemade gelateria which is pipped to make a return soon, too.
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Find it at Manchester Oxford Road train station, M1 5NP.
Lemon pepper wet wings at Wing Dash, Burgerism’s new brand, are a must this week / Image: The Manc Eats
The best lemon pepper wet wings in the city
Ok, truth be told, we’ve never actually found anywhere that does lemon pepper wet wings in Manchester before – so to our knowledge, these may well be the only ones about.
The cult food is an institution in the peach state, originating in Atlanta’s strip clubs and progressing into the rhymes of hip-hop artists like Rick Ross, Drake and Meek Mill before ultimately getting its international TV debut courtesy of Donald Glover in 2017.
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Now, they’ve been brought to Manchester by the team behind Burgerism – a lockdown success story in its own right. Crunchy, salty, peppery, and oh so lemony, these beauties can now be ordered for delivery online via their new brand Wing Dash and are an absolute must-try for any fried chicken fans.
The Gooey team are creating some fancy cakes to be enjoyed here / Image: Lewis Loughman
Arlo’s has opened on Stevenson Square in the old Gooey unit underneath Selina hostel / Image: Lewis Loughman
A new natural wine bar (with cake) from the Gooey team
The founders of Instagram food account Eatmcr have teamed up with hospitality heavyweight Sax Arshad (Mughli, Evelyn’s Cafe, The Daisy, Les Deux Pizza Bar) to launch a new natural wine bar concept called Arlo’s.
The trio previously co-founded the successful cookie and donut brand Gooey, now they’re venturing into new territory on Stevenson Square with this tiny little wine bar/coffee shop/deli.
As previously mentioned, Gooey’s bakers are providing some top-notch fancy bakes created especially. Elsewhere, a small deli menu features local produce from the likes of Holy Grain, the Crafty Cheeseman and Northern Cure.
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Find it at 19 Hilton St, Northern Quarter, M1 1JJ.
Xiong qi specialises in serving traditional Chinese ‘hot pot’ and can now be found on Faulkner Street, right in the heart of Manchester’s China Town.
Already established in London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Southhampton, Coventry, and Leicester – they’ve now landed in Manchester with their award-winning concept, which aims to transport you back to Chengdu, China with its authentic and healthy bowls.
For those who’ve never hot-potted before, this is an absolute cold-weather staple. You start by picking your own broth from a choice of four before choosing from a selection of meat, fish and vegetables which you cook yourself in the boiling liquid at your table.
Play it safe with a mixed meat platter, or go more adventurous with choices like ox tongue, mutton, and prawn mash with bamboo fungus. The beauty is, it’s a hyper-personal experience meaning you choose to eat exactly what you want.
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Find it at 56 Faulkner St, Manchester M1 4FH.
Off The Press is a new specialty coffee shop and deli located in the former Daily Express building / Image: The Greek Eats
A new speciality coffee shop and deli in the Express Building
It’s one of Manchester’s most iconic buildings, even more so following a recent £4m refurbishment. Now, the Express Building has welcomed in a new coffee shop and deli downstairs – fittingly called Off The Press.
Complete with its own in-house bakery, this little spot offers some cracking breakfast and lunch options like cheese-skirt-loaded toasties, alongside wholesome muffins, salted chocolate chip cookies, and a whole host of gorgeous-looking cakes.
Coffee-wise, choices abound – you’ll find bright pink beetroot lattes here alongside more standard choices like flat whites and americanos. An ideal choice if you’re working from home and looking to get out of the house for a few hours.
Find it at The Express Building, 9 Great Ancoats St, Manchester M4 5AD.
First look at Albert Square as Manchester Christmas Markets return to their spiritual home
Thomas Melia
Manchester Christmas Markets are back and all our Christmas wishes have come true, as its spiritual home Albert Square joins in on the festivities for the first time in six years.
Grab a mulled wine, toast yourself a marshmallow and take a seat, because we’re going to take you on a quick tour of this brand-new offering.
You’ll be able to tick off your Christmas Markets wish list in one place, as Manchester has got all your usual favourites and so much more taking place right here outside of its iconic Town Hall.
As soon as you walk in you’re greeted by a huge sign spelling out the city’s iconic abbreviation ‘MCR’, just in case you forgot where you were, that also doubles as a nice photo opportunity.
Albert Square in Manchester city centre is getting into the Christmas spirit for the first time in six years / Credit: The Manc Group
As you walk into Albert Square there’s a mix of nostalgic wooden huts and brightly coloured modern street food vendor stations waiting to tempt you with all their tasty treats.
There’s no messing around at this Christmas hotspot because not even 10 feet after you enter, you can warm up with a glühwein and bratwurst, yes please.
Think you’re done sampling some festive feasts? Think again as there’s a marshmallow toasting station, a roasted chestnut cart and lots of huts are offering their own hot chocolate creations.
Local street food vendor Rita’s Reign has made her mark in Albert Square too, serving up her foodie feasts with a seasonal spin such as the ‘Festive Feast’ and ‘Christmas Crunch’ combo boxes.
Rita’s Reign is just one of many food vendors at Manchester Christmas Markets / Credit: The Manc Group
As you keep making your way round there’s some lovely gifts and trinkets to browse including tree decorations, ornaments and some vibrant pieces of art.
There’s plenty of ways to keep the kids (and big kids) entertained with some carnival-themed games and stalls as well as a vintage carousel, if that doesn’t get you in the Christmas spirit what else will?
Of course, there’s even more food to mention like mini dutch pancakes, toasted sandwiches, French toast, the list is endless (Much like many of our Christmas lists).
And we couldn’t finish our visit without acknowledging the elephant in the room, also known as The Manchester Big Wheel, which is the perfect people-watching spot, but maybe hop on this ride before you try all the tasty treats mentioned above.
Drivers warned of ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter
Emily Sergeant
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ on the roads that could seem them hit with hefty fines as winter rolls around.
Once the temperatures drop, and the days get shorter and darker, fog tends to become a more common weather occurrence around this time of year – but an eye-opening new survey has found that most drivers don’t really how to use their fog lights correctly.
According to guidance from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), fog lights should only be used on British roads when visibility drops below 100 metres, yet the new research by eBay has found that 60% of drivers use their fog lights at the wrong times, and what’s more is that one in 10 say they switch on their fog lights when visibility is less than 300 metres.
48% of drivers who took part in the research admitted that they activate full-beam headlights when it’s dark, regardless of oncoming traffic and other road users.
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter / Credit: Nabeel Syed (via Unsplash)
The RAC says these stats reveal a ‘worrying trend’ among motorists, and have warned that these habits could actually means drivers are risking fines of up to £1,000 and three penalty points on their licence.
If the incorrect usage of fog lights wasn’t bad enough as it is, the new research also found that many Brits say they do not stay on-top of regular car maintenance when it comes to car fog lights, either – with just 15% saying they check them every month, and shockingly, 24% stating they’ve never checked them before.
Due to the ongoing issue of headlight glare, in whatever form that may be, The RAC has found that as many as one in four drivers (25%) who find headlights ‘too bright’ are actually driving less as a result.
“Unfortunately for a lot of drivers, the annual onset of darker evenings coincides with another unwelcome arrival – that of overly-bright headlights that they believe make driving more difficult due to dazzle and discomfort,” explained Rod Dennis, who is the Senior Policy Officer at the RAC.
“While most of us have no choice other than to adapt to driving at night more often as the clocks go back, the fact headlight glare is the leading cause of nervousness underlines it’s a problem that needs tackling.
“At the same time, it’s important to remember that brighter headlights can give drivers a better view of the road ahead, so there’s a balance to be struck.”
Georgina Pellant -
6th September 2021 
