As ever, there are a host of exciting new restaurants and bars opening in Manchester this August.
From a brand new Withington venue from the team behind Cottonopolis and The Edinburgh Castle, to the first bricks-and-mortar site in six years for supper club favourite Stretford Canteen, we’ve got plenty of good things to shout about.
Think kitchen residents, new street food stalls, and all-you-can-eat steak and sushi restaurant and loads more.
Keep reading to find out where to put on your list this month.
HandleBar
Image: Supplied
An independent cycling-themed cafe and bar has opened in Fallowfield taking over the former Font bar unit.
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Whilst you won’t find cocktails for £2 here any more, Font’s cheap drinks legacy does live on with a pint of ‘Big D*ck Energy’ lager for just £2.75.
Opened by keen cyclist and music enthusiast Steve Dunbar, there’s a bike repair workshop, a secure place to lock your bike up inside, and plenty of cycling memorabilia on the walls.
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Cycling fans can catch tournament screenings here as well as live music gigs, bike workshops, art fairs and film screenings later in the year.
Frankie’s Toasties have opened a second ‘Little Frankie’s’ stall in the Arndale Market selling supernoodle, spaghetti hoop and bean and cheese melts.
Lovers of an old-school Breville toastie will not be disappointed, with scalding childhood favourites slitting alongside the likes of spicy ramen noodle toasties, tuna melts, apple and custard toasties and chicken katsu toasties.
From the same team behind the Portland Street favourite, find it in the former Blue Caribou unit. Still in soft launch, milkshakes will be available from 1 August.
Open now
Slice at Arlo’s, Northern Quarter
Image: The Manc Eats
Roman-style pizza favourite Slice has moved into Arlo’s Deli, marking a long-awaited return to where it all began.
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NQ pizza fans can once again enjoy their famous crispy-based, rectangular slices alongside natural wines, cocktails and pizza bianca (crunchy white cheese-topped Roma-style focaccia sandwiches).
As ever, orders are done on a by-the-slice basis – with choices including the famous broccoli sausage, as well as margherita and vegan rustica (vegan mozzarella, vegan pesto genovese, rustica semi-dried tomatoes and rocket).
Open now
Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria, Northern Quarter
Image: The Manc Eats
Lazy Tony’s residency at Alvarium finishes this month, meaning the slab shack is off to pastures new.
This month, chef-owner Danny ‘Keko’ smith will move across into the Northern Monk taproom – taking over kitchen duties from Kong’s Chicken Shop.
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Fans can expect to find all their five-layer lasagne favourites, giant mozzarella sticks and truffled honey dipping sauce, alongside an increased menu of giant Italian subs and slab choices, loaded fries and espresso martini tiramisu when they arrive later this month.
24 August, TBC
Abeja, Northern Quarter
Image: Abeja
Manchester’s tiniest tapas bar, Abeja, is moving into a new home in the Northern Quarter this month as it takes over the Alvarium kitchen from Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria.
Chef-owner Ana Villegas is known for serving up authentic tapas dishes from her home region of Granada and has hosted several pop-ups around the city, most recently at The Chorlton Green, since leaving her original home at Hatch.
When she opens later this month, staples like croquetas, tortillas and patatas bravas will all be available, alongside more unique Spanish dishes adapted from family recipes passed down to Ana through generations.
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10 August
Libertine, Withington
Image: Supplied
The team behind Cottonopolis and Edinburgh Castle open their third Manchester venue this month, taking over the Grade II-listed former Natwest bank in Withington village.
Promising a varied food concept with something for everyone in mind, small plates, brunch and Sunday roasts will all feature on the menu here.
The landmark site will finally reopen this August as an all-day eatery with a community focus – a place where you can eat well, drink well, soak up the atmosphere and listen to good music.
August, TBC
Yum Cha, Kampus
Image: Yum Cha
After eleven hugely successful years in Liverpool, Yum Cha will open the doors toa second site in Manchester this August.
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Moving into a new site at Kampus, diners can look forward to an array of roast meats, cooked for 24 hours in a custom-made roasting oven, plus Chinese small plates, dim sum and a strong cocktail list.
August, TBC
New Century, NOMA
Image: Supplied
Legendary 60s dancehall New Century Hall will open the doors to its new food hall this month as the first phase of its redevelopment is complete.
From a new butty shop courtesy of The French at The Midland’s head chef Adam Reid, to nasi goreng and stuffed Vietnamese baguettes from Altrincham market favourite Banh Vi, there’s lots to get excited about.
With six kitchens to choose from, there’ll also be bao, loaded fries and desserts from 2021’s British Street Food Awards ‘People’s Choice’ winners BaoBros23, coffee and grab ‘n’ go concepts from New Century, plus local beers, wines, cocktails, teas, juices and smoothies.
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Sakku Samba
Image: The Manc Eats
Brand new to Spinningfields, this all-you-can-eat steak and sushi restaurant fuses two distinctly different cuisines in a glamorous setting.
Breathing new life into Avenue North, formerly home to Artisan and Manchester House, Sakku Samba boasts a ground-floor caipirinha bar and first-floor restaurant with room for 400 covers.
Elsewhere, there is a second restaurant for VIPs only with its very own access and private VIP corridor.
Guests can order fresh sushi and traditional Brazilian meats like picanha and pork belly in unlimited quantities using digital tablets, giving them access to over 150 varied dishes at the click of a button.
Stretford Canteen has just opened the doors to its first-ever bricks-and-mortar site after six years of hosting pop-ups and supper clubs.
The new cosy 24-seat bistro has an intimate feel complemented by antique French furniture and an original 1920s Parisian bar station, with a pop of colour provided by sky blue retro bar stools.
The menu is made up of bar snacks, plates, sides and desserts and is set to change regularly with the seasons,and diners can expect an all-day menu of classic French and European dishes – as well as the return of Stretford Canteen’s famous supper clubs.
Open now
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Turtle Bay, Salford Quays
Image: Turtle Bay
Caribbean-inspired restaurant and bar Turtle Bayis is set to open a new 180-cover waterside restaurant at Salford Quays this month.
Boasting a beautiful waterside terrace area overlooking world-class arts centre The Lowry, it will be the first Salford location for the restaurant group.
From its famous bottomless brunch and range of island-inspired breakfast dishes, to a jerk pit barbecue, buddha bowls and small plates, there will be plenty of crowd-pleasing favourites to tuck into when doors open later this month.
19 August
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New Lancashire Cricket investors aiming to make Manchester Originals as big as United and City
Danny Jones
Lancashire County Cricket’s new investors and Manchester Originals’ majority owners have stated their desire to make the local Hundred team as big as Man United and City.
The Originals were courted by the RPSG (Rising Pune Supergiant) Group this month, with the Goenka family agreeing to buy up a 70% share of the club after LCCC sold part of their stake in the franchise.
Famously in charge of the Lucknow Super Giants over in the Indian Premier League and their Durban equivalents in South Africa, the possibility of not just a shiny new kit but the Originals being renamed the ‘Manchester Super Giants’ isn’t out of the question, though it would be much further down the line.
Although the conglomerate was initially interested in one of The Hundred’s Southern teams, London Spirit – and they were quizzed on this in a press conference on Friday, 14 February – Vice Chairman Shaswat Goenka’s answer was simple: “Lords is Lords but Manchester is Manchester.”
Expressing a huge amount of respect and admiration for the city’s competitive history, even dubbing it a “sporting powerhouse”, Goenka began by insisting that the opportunity presented is one to build a perfect marriage of culture and a love for cricket.
Going on to identify sport as “one of the single biggest things that unites people across the world, regardless of race, colour” and so forth, he believes that while this is categorically not football, this new chapter could rival its prominence here in the UK and especially Manchester.
From there, he went so far as to argue that the stopping power is there and that RPSG “want the Manchester franchise in the Hundred to become the third biggest sports team in Manchester and challenge those two sports teams [Man City and Man United] in Manchester.”
Quite the statement indeed – but one that was echoed by his two new key collaborators in Lancashire’s CEO, Dan Gidney, and Manchester Originals Chair, James Sheridan.
Gidney in particular was visibly energised by the prospect, reflecting on the moment he realised a great potential after seeing the fanaticism shown by the crowd during India vs Pakistan at Emirates Old Trafford for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
Even with new leadership, Lancashire Cricket will remain 30% owners of the Manchester Originals. (Credit: The Manc Group/Matt Eachus)
Waxing lyrical about seeing “just how much supporters celebrate a single game of cricket”, he said the goal is to “inject some of that passion into Manchester and LCC“.
Doubling down on Goenka’s statement, he continued: “We’re a bit conservative in the UK, we need to embrace the power of this sport; the fandom is off the scale – [it could be] stronger than the Premier League, in my opinion.”
All three executive speakers were also keen to reiterate that is by no means a complete takeover but rather a “joint venture” aiming to achieve a “true partnership” which could pose even more exciting cross-pollination in the future.
The consensus seems to be that further collaboration with the Super Giants is pretty inevitable and not just in regards to the men’s game but that this merging of brands presents a huge opportunity for young players and the women’s team too, the idea of players spending more time over in India and even some games perhaps being held still sounding very plausible.
Manchester Originals’ Chair, James Sheridan, did caveat the discussion by noting that “contracting isn’t straightforward in franchise cricket” but that conversations have at least started to take place” and, like Goenka, they don’t see this as a gamble but what is bound to be a “formidable partnership.”
He also reiterated the belief that Manchester is “probably the UK’s No 1 sporting city, adding “There you go, I said it”, and that the vision is to build the best team, the biggest fan base and the best culture – with this particular region being the perfect staging ground to do so.
The Manchester Originals Chair and LCCC Chief Exec welcome the incoming co-owners. (Credit: Supplied)
Two players were present for the press conference as well, with Originals Women’s star Beth Mooney saying she had “admired The Hundred for afar” since it started and quickly knew she “100% wanted to be a part of it”, aiming to “help create a legacy with the Originals as the tournament.”
Men’s player Phil Salt welcomed the new ownership as the start of an “extremely exciting new era” that should help them “bring the best product to the UK”, reiterating that “being part of the right organisation is key.”
Although the investment is yet to be fully ratified by the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) and Lancashire made no bones about the arrears they still have on the books, Gidney was keen to label a lot of as ‘good debt’ and an investment in facilities and infrastructure, something which RPSG will only further aid.
One of the biggest outlays even prior to the new co-owners is the ongoing Farrington project but since the wider county region may have struggled to cheer on a Manchester team, the Originals and Lancashire, more importantly, will no doubt benefit from its completion.
The new sister stadium will be based over in Preston, offering a second home for what is crucially a Lancashire club. (Credit: Supplied)
Featured Images — Matt Eachus (supplied via Lancashire County Cricket Club)
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Free roses are being handed out at a Manchester train station this Valentine’s Day
Danny Jones
In an effort to spread the love this Valentine’s Day, free roses are being hands out to commuters at a Manchester train station this week.
Add that to the ever-growing list of why we absolutely adore this place.
Not everyone is coupled up come the most mush day of the year, nor do they need to be – self-love, Galentine’s and even just a whoelsome pint or two with the boys – but it’s nice to see Greater Mancs going out of their way to make things nicer for each other.
In our eyes, in a relationship or otherwise, this day is just about sharing the love with everyone and if you happen to arriving or leaving Manchester (excuse me, why would you ever?) from Victoria station this Friday, you could be in for a lovely little surprise.
The brains behind the touching little gesture is the city’s legendary live music and entertainment space, AO Arena.
Although many arrive at the venue via the Trinity Way Tunnel on the other side of Arena, the AO is already directly attached to Victoria by a simply set of stairs, meaning you can arrive in the city centre via train or tram and arrive directly at your destination.
It’s also one of the busiest stations in the North West, so for commuters looking to start the day with a little love, whether that be to treat their significant other, brighten a colleague’s day or just make themselves feel good, these roses are set to be handed out on Valentine’s Day morning.
100 of the most romantic flowers will be up for grabs from 8am at Manchester Victoria Station on a first-come, first served basis, naturally, Simple as that – but it gets better…
There is also an exciting chance to win a handful of surprises, including free tickets to a show at the arena, which will be given away with a select few lucky roses.
This year marks an extra special milestone for the AO Arena, as they are celebrating thirty years of spreading joy in the city as Manchester’s longest standing large music venue.
With that in mind and tying together the arena’s history and love for entertainment, each rose will be individually wrapped in a special 30th birthday edition print.
This design features the names of all artists and acts who have performed there over the last three decades; consider it just a small token of AO‘s love and affection for 0161, wrapped in nostalgia.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Manchester – you’ll always be ours x
Georgina Pellant -
27th July 2022 
