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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
News
Heaton Park’s ‘Gallagher Hill’ where people have been watching Oasis for free is no more
Thomas Melia
The Heaton Park viewpoint coined ‘Gallagher Hill’ which fans flocked to to watch Oasis for free has been closed off ahead of the remaining gig dates.
The particular high area of Heaton Park has gone viral online after Oasis fans have been using it to watch the Live ’25 shows for free, with a distant view of the huge screens.
But as thousands of ticket-holders flock back to the remaining Manchester gigs of Oasis Live ’25, fans who couldn’t manage to get any tickets will be disappointed to learn that the viral viewing point Gallagher Hill has been shut down.
Usually, this hill section of the Manchester green space isn’t filled with Gallagher supporters – it’s normally home to a herd of cows who use this land to graze and walk about on throughout the day.
Huge fences have now been erected around the area to prevent any further groups from gathering, with Oasis still set to perform on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
Manchester City Council has said that there are also around 300 young trees that have been planted in this part of Heaton Park to develop a new woodland area.
The purpose of the fencing is ‘dual purpose’, a council spokesperson said: “Both to protect the environment from further damage and to dissuade people from gathering there. The necessary measure means the concert will no longer be visible from this area.”
After seeing videos of fans in this particular area, one TikTok user checked it out for herself asking her followers: “Would you get on Gallagher hill now?” before panning her camera to show cows grazing on the land.
Although fans of the Manchester icons were flocking to this spot in order to join in on the Oasis fun from afar, issues have been raised via safety concerns of visitors, the cattle herd and reports of litter.
Fans are now being directed to enjoy the many, many events taking place in the city centre, including the MCR Live Hub at Piccadilly Gardens.
‘Gallagher Hill’ in Manchester today ahead of the next Oasis shows. Credit: The Manc Group
Some fans have been very understanding reasoning this fair decision admitting, “Probably because of security and threats unfortunately”, while others express their disappointment asking, “How sad do you have to be to put that up?”.
One social media user, who was planning on taking a family member to this brand new Manchester landmark commented, “They could’ve utilised Gallagher hill”.
The fan went on to pose the question of making it an official viewpoint for concerts, posing the question, “£30 entry fee, is that too steep?”.
Councillor John Hacking, Executive Member for Employment, Skills and Leisure, Manchester City Council, said: “The atmosphere across Manchester has been electric over this last week with the whole city swept up in Oasis fever and peaking over the weekend with the first two hugely successful homecoming concerts at Heaton Park.
“As you would expect given the size of the concerts and numbers of people attending, we go through a continuous process with partners of re-assessing the plans in place for the concerts to ensure both public safety and that any environmental impact on our award-winning park is minimalised.
“The steps being taken ahead of the next concert regretfully mean the distant view of the large screens behind the event stage will no longer be there. Unfortunately our hand has been forced in having to put these additional measures in place to protect the very recent extensive planting of young trees in that location as we try to establish a new woodland area in the park, and the wellbeing of our cattle herd in the field, as well as to keep people in the park safe.
“Our advice to music fans who don’t have tickets for the concerts is to head into the city centre instead. The whole city is going all out to celebrate and help everyone have a good time. We’ve got some fantastic things going on with a real party atmosphere for everyone to enjoy whether they’ve got tickets for the Oasis gigs or not.”
The Maccabees’ Orlando Weeks on Gavin and Stacey, Glastonbury and comeback tour
Thomas Melia
UK indie band The Maccabees announced their comeback tour earlier this year alongside a very impressive All Points East headline date.
Since rocking into the music scene in 2007, The Maccabees have a Mercury Prize nomination to their name as well as three UK top 40 singles and one chart-topping album ‘Marks To Prove It’.
Just last year, the band ingrained themselves into UK pop culture for eternity thanks to the inclusion of their single ‘Pelican’ in the finale of the much-loved TV classic Gavin and Stacey.
The Maccabees have been a staple in British culture and indie music alike, and it’s safe to say fans were overjoyed when the news of a comeback tour was announced.
The Maccabees are coming to O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester on 21 and 22 August.
After nearly a decade apart, the lads are ready to hit the road again with a string of UK tour dates, which are in preparation for their huge All Points East headline date at the end of August.
Lead vocalist for The Maccabees, Orlando Weeks, sat down with us to talk reuniting with fellow bandmates after almost a decade, as well as all things Glastonbury and the upcoming All Points East headline slot.
Orlando Weeks from The Maccabees | The Interview
The Maccabees have played Manchester almost 20 times since entering the music scene in 2007. What is it about our Manc crowds that keeps pulling you back?
Manchester has a musical heritage, which means there are enough venues that we can come back to so many times and people not be sick of us. The crowds are great, it’s always a good gig and always a good night out.
Having that kind of heritage and pride in your city makes it the kind of place [bands] want to come back to.
This will be the band’s first time playing O2 Victoria Warehouse, and after playing a variety of Manchester City centre music venues, how excited are you to be playing this one for the first time?
I’ve had friends that’ve played it, and everyone said that it’s a good gig. I have no doubt it’ll be good.
Due to incredible demand, you’ve had to add a second date after the first show sold out – what’s it like for you hearing news like this?
The original offer for us was to play All Points East, and so when we got that, it made up our minds to play these summer shows.
Getting to play once in Manchester will set us up [for this headline slot], and getting to play twice will set us up even better. I love being in Manchester anyway, so to have a little bit longer to have a wander and a drink is great.
What was it like getting back into the rehearsal process with the rest of the band after nearly 10 years of not performing or touring together?
It’s very odd how powerful muscle memory is. It’s crazy how quickly all of the songs, structures and playing came back to us.
When we used to play, I invented so many completely useless little triggers for me to help remember lyrics or a chorus that I’d get stuck on, and I still remember those foot taps and placements that bring it all back.
Felix [White] boasted before we even started rehearsing that he remembered everything off by heart, and he could go straight into a gig. To be fair to him, it’s amazing how much his brain has retained.
At your first show in nearly a decade at The Dome in London, you created artwork to raise funds for theMS (Multiple Sclerosis) Society. Will fans be able to buy your artwork and support this charity at both the Manchester dates?
There will be an MS charity stall as well as one for Doctors Without Borders. If you’re reading this or coming to either of the gigs and have anything that you can contribute to either of those charities, then we as a band would be extremely grateful.
This 2025 tour sees support from indie rock band, Sorry – how excited are you to head out on the road with this talented group?
The Maccabees have always been very lucky to travel around the world with other bands who are amazing, and Sorry are definitely part of that list.
You have a reason to get down early, because if you’re a fan of The Macs, you’ll be a fan of Sorry. I can guarantee that you’ll have a good time.
The Maccabees are taking part in some of the biggest events in the British music calendar[Glastonbury, All Points East]. How does it feel to have such immense support nearly 20 years into your career?
20 years in and 10 years off. There are a few people who aren’t in the band but have been such a big part of it, even through the 10 years that we weren’t really doing anything. They would say if you ever did wanna do something, there’ll be people there.
I just didn’t know that [The Macabees reunion] would be as popular as it has been. It’s very hard to explain or get your head around, really.
On the topic of Glasto, how surreal was it to be playing this major music festival for the third time?
I think we’ve been at least four times, maybe five times.
Headlining ‘The Park’ stage was special, and it was also the first time my son came and saw me on a stage singing. It was a great ‘take your son to Work Day’. We had Florence [Welch] coming out and singing with us, too.
I’ll remember all of The Maccabees’ Glastonbury experiences, but I think that’s the one I’ll hold onto for the longest.
Speaking of surreal moments, your song ‘Pelican’ featured in the finale of British favourite, Gavin and Stacey. How did this opportunity come about?
I think Matt might’ve texted me, but it was Christmas and I was swept up in all sorts of celebrations. We got a lot of messages after it aired because an insane number of people watch the show.
It’s all thanks to James Corden and Matt Horne, who have always been fans from early on. It was very flattering and very nice to be part of [Gavin and Stacey].
And finally, after playing Manchester so many times, are there any shops or special spots that you always make sure to visit when you’re in the city?
I remember when we were in Manchester last time for ‘The Farewell’ tour, I’d started running by then – and I loved the canals.
Usually, I defer to local friends and I’ll just let them take me to whichever pub or place they recommend – Wherever they go, I go.
The Maccabees are set to play two nights at O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, and there are still tickets available for their second date HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
27th July 2022 
