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
News
Fans are preparing to pay tribute to Mani from The Stone Roses ahead of his funeral service
Danny Jones
Stone Roses fans and Greater Manchester locals alike are getting ready to pay their respects to the late, great, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, following his tragic passing last month.
As well as details surrounding his funeral being announced earlier this week, the iconic Manc musician’s cause of death has also finally been revealed.
While Hatton’s service featured a high-profile cortège which started all the way from his hometown of Hyde, past multiple landmarks and ending at the Etihad Stadium, those local to Mani’s family home on the edge of Stockport are also being welcomed to help send him off.
It's the funeral of Mani of the Stone Roses on the 22nd. He lived locally. This poster is asking people to line the route of his funeral cortege to "show that he truly was adored". pic.twitter.com/X0DYHl10Hp
He had been struggling with emphysema for some time; he was declared dead at his home in the suburb of Heaton Moor, and is said to have died peacefully in his sleep.
As you can see from the posters put in various places around the area, residents wishing to pay their own tributes to Mani before his private funeral service at Manchester Cathedral are encouraged to line the long street leading down from St Paul’s and Heaton Moor United Church as he heads towards the city.
Departing Parsonage Road from 10am on Monday, 22 December, before turning right onto Heaton Moor Rd, then Wellington and eventually on to the Cathedral, you can expect plenty of people to show up.
One of those people will be his former bandmate and another influential guitarist, John Squire, who is one of many famous musical names to have honoured him in their own way over the last few weeks.
Other members of The Stone Roses, as well as Primal Scream (who he joined in 1996), are expected to join the close family and friends at the service itself.
Nevertheless, we have no doubt that plenty will be observing the funeral in their own way.
So, for those of you also looking to honour him, you know what to do; and to quote the poster itself, “together we can show this local legend and his family that he was truly adored.”
Plans to transform Chorlton’s old shopping centre have been green-lit
Danny Jones
Yes, after a prolonged period of uncertainty, the plans put together for redeveloping Chorlton Cross Shopping Centre are now moving forward.
Following an extensive consultation period back in 2023 and planning permission having now been approved by Manchester City Council, the transformation of the long-neglected retail complex has been green-lit, and the project will be moving forward even sooner than you think.
As confirmed earlier this week, Stretford-based construction company PJ Livesey will be working in tandem with the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to deliver the major regeneration, which will see even more living spaces and leisure facilities arrive in the already thriving suburb.
Following an official press release on Thursday, 18 December, we’ve now been given a latest glimpse at what the developers are hoping the new Chorlton Cross district will look like.
Credit: Font Communications (supplied)
Plans for the transformation of both the high street and the old Leisure Centre date back to 2023 and even further when taking into account the Council asking the public for their thoughts on what should happen with the area, but Chorlton Cross, specifically, has been the subject of debate for some time.
The bulk of units in and around the largely forgotten shopping centre are now empty, with just a few hold-outs still clinging on to their space.
Now, following extensive feedback from native Mancs and those who have flooded into the South Manchester town over the past decade, the approved plans have now been revealed.
They include:
A mix of 262 one, two and three-bed apartments, all with access to outdoor space through balconies and gardens
20% affordable homes available through a mix of tenures, with 18.5% of these being available for social rent
Around 3,500 sq metres of public open space, including a fully walkable route through Manchester Rd and outdoor seating areas to encourage people to stop and dwell
A mix of flexible retail spaces, such as a new ‘Makers Yard’ suitable for smaller, start-up businesses
Up to 60 new trees across the site with maximised retention of existing trees
Manc filmmaker, Bernard Leach – who has been making videos about the region since 2007 – shared a longer look at how the vision for this next chapter in Chorlton‘s residential and retail history is currently shaping up earlier this month.
As you can see, some sections of the old Lancashire village and ‘cum-Hardy’ parish could look rather unrecognisable sooner than you think.
Should everything go ahead as scheduled, those involved are hoping to get work underway in the New Year, with the ‘decommissioning’ of all existing buildings, including Graeme House, undergoing demolition by early 2026.
With the majority vacating their premises in recent years, it’s fair to say that it’s been vastly underutilised for far too long.
Posting on social media back in September last year, nearby resident Nigel Woodcock wrote: “Serious question, not just councillor-baiting, but can anyone explain why the retail businesses in Chorlton Precinct were booted out before any decisions were made about what’s going to happen to it?
“It makes no sense to me. No plans have even been submitted, so far as I’m aware, so why kick out those businesses and leave it derelict for so long? The land and buildings are actually owned by the combined GM Local Authorities, so one might expect a modicum of political and business nous to be applied.”
Similar to the new plans being put together for the stretch of land between Castlefield and Salford, most are just glad something is finally happening with the space.
Commenting on the plans progressing, PJ Livesey’s Managing Director, Georgina Lynch, said in an official statement: “This is a landmark moment for Chorlton, marking the transformation of the former shopping centre into a vibrant new hub for the community.
“Working closely with Manchester City Council, we’ve carefully balanced the delivery of much-needed new homes – including 20% affordable – with the creation of lively, welcoming spaces to shop, relax, and spend time.
“This site is at the heart of Chorlton, and we’re bringing it back to life, cementing the area’s reputation as a truly great place to live.”
What do you make of the Chorlton Cross Shopping Centre regeneration plans?
Georgina Pellant -
27th July 2022 
