What a weekend, what a hangover. At least we can always rely on good food and drink to make us feel better.
We’ve got some absolute corkers for you this week, ranging from an epic-sounding 7-course crisp “tasting menu” at a pub in Stalybridge to high-end hot dogs and even a pop-up from Bury market’s favourite jerk chicken stand, Blackbird Pantry.
There’s plenty more to be announced in the coming weeks too, as even more operators gear up to reveal their new Manchester food and drink venues amidst an easing of coronavirus restrictions in England.
Keep reading to discover our top food and drink picks in Manchester for this week.
A super-pink new cafe on Deansgate selling boujie red velvet and saffron lattes
La Vie Cafe is a new arrival on Deansgate, taking over the ground floor space previously occupied byCOSMO and Red Hot World Buffet.
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Pinker than pink, it’s got a huge drinks menu with a big focus on coffee – think red velvet, saffron and pistachio lattes, freddo espresso – plus some gorgeous looking gelato and freshly-made cakes on the counter.
Find La Vie Cafe at 48 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2FE.
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Social enterprise Eat Well MCR can be found hosting some of Greater Manchester’s best chefs at MIF’s festival square on Cathedral Gardens all this week. An optional £2 “Meals for Manchester” donation can be made when ordering to fund a meal for vulnerable Mancunians. / Image: Eat Well MCR
Handmade sausages, jerk chicken and salads from some of the region’s most acclaimed chefs
Social food enterprise Eat Well MCR is at MIF all week long with some of Greater Manchester’s most acclaimed chefs. Hosting a different menu every day,
Tuesday sees Mancunian charcuterie duo, Northern Cure, dishing up their take on currywurst; followed by some incredible chicken and veggie salads from Elnecot chef-patron Michael Clay on Wednesday.
Bury market regular Blackbird Pantry rocks up on Thursday, serving up their ever-popular jerk BBQ, followed by handmade sausages from acclaimed Stockport restaurant Where The Light Gets In on Friday.
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Find Eat Well MCR at MIF’s festival square on Cathedral Gardens all week. Make sure to order via the app.
Bundobust’s head brewer Dan Hocking has revealed a new 6.5% New England IPA and 4% Kellerbier-style lager / Image: Bundobust
More new beers from Bundobust’s ‘secret’ Oxford Road brewery
Bundobust got us all excited when it revealed it had quietly been brewing its own beer on Oxford Road for the past 9 months. Having just released its initial three creations, the Indian street food favourite is already tempting us back with two more.
Head brewer Dan Hocking has revealed a new 6.5% New England IPA (East is East) which comes “stacked” with cita,amarillo and mosaic hops; and a 4% Kellerbier-style lager (Kipsy Bhal) with German malts and hops.
Both are currently on tap in Manchester at Bundobust’s Piccadilly restaurant. Find it at 61 Piccadilly, Manchester M1 2AG.
There’s a new crisp butty menu and 7-course crisp “tasting menu” available in Stalybridge / Image: @jobiwhan74
A 7-course crisp “sharing platter” and butty menu
For one week only, Northern pub group Beerhouses Pubs has launched an extensive crisp butty menu and 7-course tasting option. All served on thick white bread with lashings of Lurpak, it’s split into four sections: “crinkle-cut classics”, “not crisp butties”, “combo butties” and a “special sharing platter.”
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The epic “tasting menu” is a must – comprised of hot pork scratchings,poppadoms with dip, Monster Munch, Bacon Fries, Scampi Fries and two bags of Seabrook (£7). Get it before it’s gone.
Butty prices start from £2.25. Get your hands on one at the Stalybridge Buffet Bar inside Stalybridge rail station all week long.
The AFC x Tampopo burger is a new “off the menu” addition at Tampopo for the summer / Image: Tampopo
A new secret ‘off-menu’ item at Pan-Asian favourite Tampopo
Not everyone knows this, but a lot of restaurants have secret menu items that you can only order if you’re “in the know”. From Starbucks to Burger King, there are loads to discover – but for now, there’s a unique one new to Manchester we simply just have to talk about today.
Made up of a seven-spice fried chicken thigh, BBQ sauce, lettuce and Asian slaw in a super soft bun, the AFC Burger can be ordered at Tampopo but you won’t find it listed on the menu. Pass it on, as it’s only available for a short period this summer.
Order the secret burger at Tampopo’s restaurants on Albert Square, in The Corn Exchange or the Trafford Centre.
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@afcxtampopo
Feature image – Eat Well MCR. (pictured: Joseph Otway of Higher Ground Manchester).
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Pep Guardiola has been given an honorary degree by the University of Manchester
Danny Jones
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been presented with an honorary degree by the University of Manchester.
The Man City boss and club legend was given the accolade in a ceremony this week in recognition of the “extraordinary contribution” to local sport and the city in general.
Since arriving at the Etihad Stadium nearly a decade ago, the Catalan head coach has overseen the most decorated period in the team’s history, broken a litany of records and changed how the English game is played significantly.
His time at City has also seen their success and revenue generation spill over into East Manchester as a whole, too, with the area being significantly developed and regenerated. He was presented with the degree by the University’s Chancellor, Nazir Afzal.
Speaking via the institution, he said, “I have lived the best moments of my life, I would say”, right here in Greater Manchester and even admitted he’s come to “love the rain and the dark days and nights.”
Damn right.
“I know how important the University of Manchester is to our city. It’s the home to a lot of research, and it has a history of discovery. So, honestly, to be honoured in this way by such an esteemed institution is an amazing feeling.
“I want to thank everyone at the University of Manchester for this moment – and I want to thank everyone at Manchester City for their constant support.”
Addressing the audience inside Manchester’s beautiful Whitworth Hall, he described being recognised with the award as an “amazing feeling”, going on to express just how much the city and the community mean to him.
“I have spent nine years here and it has become home. The people, the culture, my incredible football club, my colleagues… it is all so special to me and my family.
“When I arrived here in 2016, I did not know how long I would spend here. The way this city embraced me made everything easy. My time here has been beautiful.”
The 45-year-old also took time to speak on important issues like the Ukraine war, suffering in Sudan and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Pep Guardiola delivered a powerful speech while receiving an honorary degree from the University of Manchester, where he spoke about the suffering in Sudan, Ukraine, and the ongoing genocide in Gaza.@PepTeampic.twitter.com/IdLXFsNaa5
Pep Guardiola, while receiving an honorary degree from the University of Manchester:
“It’s so painful what we see in Gaza, it hurts all my body. It’s not about ideology but the love of life. It’s about refusing to be silent or still when it matters the most”@PepTeampic.twitter.com/HlC5q1adi5
Touching on the latter, specifically, he added: “It’s so painful what we see in Gaza. It hurts all [of] my body. Let me be clear; it’s not about ideology, about I’m right and you’re wrong. Come on, it’s just about the love of life, the care of your neighbour.”
He also went on to cite ‘The Brave Little Parrot‘ (sometimes simply referred to as ‘The Bird in the Forest here in the West’) – one of the famous Jātaka Tales taken from the original collection of 550 morality stories from centuries-old Buddhist literature.
Unsurprisingly, the Spaniard has been heaped with praise for using his platform for good and shedding light on humanitarian crises; as for UoM itself, you can read what they had to say about him in full HERE.
So, while he may have finally spent a season without silverware – although his side could still go on to win the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup – he’s still managed to walk away with another impressive personal achievement.
Congratulations to Pep Guardiola on his honorary degree, but it’s worth noting he’s not the only City icon being celebrated this week either…
Best minute-to-trophies won ratio in the game and an absolute icon living. 🙌 😅
Manchester’s Central Library and Town Hall to close this summer for ‘major upgrades’
Emily Sergeant
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Manchester’s iconic Central Library and Town Hall are set to close to the public this summer while major investment work takes place.
The community hubs in the heart of the city centre welcome hundreds of people through their doors each week, but this August, the Central Library and Town Hall Extension will be closed temporarily for several weeks with no access for staff or the public, as the replacement and upgrade of ICT networks and Wi-Fi systems are due to take place.
The ICT project will update the Local Area Network (LAN) and the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), ensuring that the Central Library and the Town Hall Extension have a flexible ICT network providing ‘seamless connectivity’.
📌Central Library will be closed for 3 weeks from 2 –24 August, as we get to work on an exciting upgrade to the building’s Wi-Fi.
Once complete you’ll have a faster, more reliable Wi-Fi connection for work, studying, socialising and more. ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/pmHqRvEwL9
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) June 10, 2025
During these upgrades, there will be no ICT network access available, which means no connectivity for laptops, PCs, printers, and other digital infrastructure.
Central Library and the Town Hall Extension are to be closed for three weeks from 2 – 24 August.
In the meantime, Manchester‘s 21 other local libraries – all of which have already had successful LAN and Wi-Fi network updates – will be open as usual providing PCs, book lending, and study space for the public to make use of.
On top of this, staff hours will be increased in nine key libraries in the Manchester region.
Staff will be at Central Library entrances throughout the closure to support visitors and signpost to alternative libraries, places to sightsee, meet or enjoy a coffee in the city.
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) June 10, 2025
Staff will also be on hand at Central Library entrances to advise people of the closure and signpost them to alternative libraries.
“Although there is never a good time to shut Manchester Central Library, we cannot move forward in updating the network without this necessary closure,” commented Councillor John Hacking, who is the Executive Member for Skills, Employment, and Leisure at Manchester City Council.
Georgina Pellant -
12th July 2021 
