We’ve officially entered ‘fool’s spring’, that time of year when even the briefest glint of sunshine has us optimistic that brighter days are coming.
Admittedly, of late the Manchester weather has been pretty mardy – but there’s plenty of cheery sunshine to be found on the plates at some of these new restaurant and bar openings.
From a globally-inspired seafood pop-up to foraged small plates, chip-stuffed souvlaki and saucy sandwiches taken from the streets of Naples, Manchester’s operators have been busy.
As a result, we’ve got some cracking new openings to shout about this March.
We’ve rounded up some of the best new restaurants to check out this month. Keep reading to discover where to put on your list next.
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Pesky
A new pop-up at Deansgate Square, cocktails and fishy small plates are the order of the day at Pesky.
Think seaweed martinis, prawn and cabbage Japanese okonomiyaki pancakes drizzled in Kewpie mayo, and BBQ squid in fragrant north African Chermoula butter.
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Elsewhere, you’ll find ‘drunken oysters’ served with paired shots and a ‘from land’ section mostly comprised of fresh, plant-based dishes that both cut through the greasiness on the fish side and cater to vegans.
Only here for a month, find it opposite the General Store until 27 March.
Owen St, Manchester M15 4YB
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Mira (Ancoats General Store)
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Mira’s saucy Neapolitan-inspired street food sandwiches have moved down the road, leaving The Crown and Kettle for Ancoats General Store.
The saucy ‘Cuzzetiello’ sandwiches first became a hit with Mancs during lockdown – stuffed with the likes of giant meatballs, slow-cooked beef brisket stew, or juicy aubergine parmigiana.
The team has added some new breakfast sandwiches to the menu for the move.
Made using homemade vegan brioche (a first for them), opt for a Lincolnshire sausage butty with tomato jam or a ‘vegan bacon hashy’ with added cheese sauce.
Read more: Mira’s saucy Neapolitan sandwiches are coming to Ancoats General Store
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57 Great Ancoats Street, Manchester M4 5AB
Pong & Puck
Image: Pong and Puck
A new beer pong and shuffleboard bar, Pong & Puck is opening inside the Great Northern Warehouse this month.
Specialising in beer pong, table tennis and shuffleboard, it comes from the team behind Bar Hutte, which brings Alpine-inspired karaoke huts to the city every Christmas.
Filled with neon signs, graffiti and murals, it will be soundtracked by music from the 80s, 90s and 00s.
From the same company that owns Franca Manca, The Real Greek is incredibly popular down south – now it’s making moves on Manchester.
This is the second site to open up here in as many months, meaning shoppers at The Trafford Centre can now get their hands on its trademark chip-stuffed souvlaki wraps and halloumi popcorn.
Elsewhere, diners will find a good selection of Greek wines, hot and cold mezze, homemade baklava and Greek filo custard pies.
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Unit R8B, The Orient, Trafford Centre, Manchester M17 8EQ
The Post Box Cafe and Shawarma (Chorlton)
Image: Google Maps
Attached to the Post Office on Wilbraham Road in Chorlton, this new shawarma spot has only been open a week but it’s already got tongues wagging.
Served in super fresh samoons, a type of yeast bread popular in Iraw, shawarma filling choices include chicken, lamb or doner – all roasted on huge spits inside.
Meat is marinated long in advance to a secret recipe, then served shredded from the spit with salad, hummus, tzatziki, cabbage and mixed olives (if you so desire).
You can also get all the usual takeaway fare here: burgers, chips, onion rings and pizzas also feature on the menu, but we get the feeling it’s all about the shawarmas, really.
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543 Wilbraham Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9PP
O’Sheas Irish Beer Garden
Image: Supplied
It was one of the biggest openings of 2021 – and now O’Sheas giant Irish beer garden will return this month, this time with an indoor venue.
Still within staggering distance of Piccadilly station, punters can expect ice-cold Guinness, pornstar and espresso martinis on tap, plus bagels and loaded fries courtesy of Eat New York.
Re-designed and draped in the colours of Ireland, a clear roof above rows of tables will keep revellers dry no matter what the weather.
Another promising new addition to what might just be Manchester’s most overlooked foodie street, Another Hand opens on Deansgate Mews from 3 March.
Cheffed by Max Yorke, formerly of Hispi and Edinburgh Castle, the new opening sees him join up with Julian PIzer and Danny Foggo of Three Hands Deli to bring the project to life.
Serving a daily changing menu of seasonal small plates, the focus here is all on the quality of ingredients – with operators taking huge pride in sourcing from the very best local producers.
With room for just 24-covers, it will offer an intimate atmosphere and a mostly vegetarian menu with some sustainably sourced meat and fish dishes.
Food will be served with natural wine, craft beer, seasonal cocktails and coffee.
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255 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4EN
Band on The Wall
Image: Supplied
Band on The Wall reopens from 10 March, following an extensive £3.5 million expansion project that has transformed the 200-year-old venue into a ‘bigger and better’ version of its old self.
Expect a larger ground floor venue space, a new ‘grand and ambient’ bar area and a second newly created bar and restaurant space, which will serve a menu of hot and cold food throughout the day.
The second bar space also includes a stage, perfect for smaller gigs. Elsewhere, a whole floor is now dedicated to BOTW’s learning programme with breakout rooms, a state-of-the-art AV suite and a large group space.
A new Polish bakery that’s just opened up inside Stockport’s market this week, selling locally-made breads, sweets and more.
Sweet tooths will find a large variety of breakfast pastries, all made from scratch every morning.
Everything comes hot out of the oven at 7am, with bread choices ranging from sweet Challa to crusty Italian/
There is also an extensive selection of high-end desserts to discover, so make sure to go hungry.
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Market Pl, Stockport SK1 1UN
Black Milk NQ
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Manchester’s favourite naughty dessert cafe has reopened following a two-month closure with a new look and a new pancake menu.
Not content with celebrating on just one day, the team is stretching Shrove Tuesday out into the whole week, serving up delightful late-night pancake stacks loaded with the likes of blueberry crumble, maple syrup, Kinderella cream and hot fudge from 12-8pm all weekend.
After that, they’ll be launching a new birthday-themed menu from 7 March to celebrate the cafe’s 7th anniversary with plans to introduce more cakes, cookies, gelato and brownies as the weeks go on.
Doja Cat at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
One of the 2020’s leading female artists, Doja Cat, is heading to the UK for a stop on her newest tour and has chosen to host it at Co-op Live in Manchester.
American recording artist Doja Cat is making her long-awaited return to Manchester and an arena debut, with this artist’s first and only visit to the city being back in 2024, headlining Parklife.
Heading to the UK as part of her Ma Vie World Tour, the California-born star is recognised for her spellbinding performances, extravagant outfits and array of UK Top 40 hits.
Not afraid to blend genres, Amala Dlamini, better known by artist moniker Doja Cat, has lent her voice to rap, hip-hop, pop, R’n’B, and now 80’s synths on her newest LP, Vie.
Gig guide | Doja Cat at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doja Cat is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester for one night of her Ma Vie Tour / Credit: Publicity Picture (Supplied)
Doja Cat UK tour dates
Sat 23 May – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Tues 26 May – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Fri 29 May – London, UK – The O2
Are there any tickets left for Doja Cat at Co-op Live?
Do you ‘Need to Know’ about grabbing tickets to see this multi-hyphenate performer live? Well, you’re in luck…
After seeing this iconic ‘Woman’ live on stage in Manchester? Well, if I’ve got your ‘Attention’, you can find tickets and more info HERE.
All you ‘Need to Know’ about Doja Cat’s Ma Vie World Tour in Manchester / Credit: Greg Swales (Supplied) / The Manc Group
Doja Cat setlist for 2026 UK tour
Lipstain
Cards
Get Into It (Yuh)
Kiss Me More
Gorgeous
Couples Therapy
Take Me Dancing
Woman
Acts of Service
Agora Hills
Make It Up
All Mine
Ain’t Sh*t
Paint the Town Red
Silly! Fun!
Juicy
Need to Know
Streets
Wet Vagina
WYM Freestyle
Demons
Tia Tamera
AAAHH MEN!
Boss B*tch
Stranger
Happy
One More Time
Say So
Jealous Type
What are the stage times for Doja Cat in Manchester?
Doors for Doja Cat’s Ma Vie Tour at Co-op Live in Manchester are set to open from 6:30pm with a kick-off time of 7pm from one very good warm-up act.
Supporting the rapper and performer on her UK and EU leg of the tour is alternative-r&b artist Naomi Sharon with singles like ‘Better Days’ and ‘Bittersweet’.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Beloved Greater Manchester-born presenter Judith Chalmers has died at 90
Danny Jones
Well-known Greater Manchester native and beloved British TV presenter Judith Chalmers has sadly died at 90 years old.
The former Wish You Were Here…? host was known not only for the once smash-hit travel programme, which ran for the best part of three decades, but she also enjoyed a spot on BBC Radio 2, along with the Strictly forerunner, Come Dancing, among many other guest appearances over the decades.
Judith Rosemary Locke Chalmers OBE, to use her full title, was born in Stockport back in 1935 and is said to have passed away peacefully at home on Thursday evening, 21 May.
The tributes to the broadcasting legend are continuing to pour in online.
A familiar Northern face, Chalmers presented the primetime show from its inception in 1974 until 2003, and was made an OBE for her services to broadcasting in 1994.
The proud Gatley girl enjoyed a long and successful stint on screen before having to step away from her various duties in her later years due to declining health.
She leaves behind her husband, Neil Durden-Smith – himself a former sports commentator – along with two children, including Mark Durden-Smith, who has also gone on to a career in presenting
Unfortunately, Chalmers was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years ago, meaning she gradually withdrew from the public eye even further; those around her have done plenty of important fundraising for the cause ever since.
Stopfordians have also been honouring the local lass’ legacy and much-admired reputation.
I met legendary broadcaster Judith Chalmers, who has died aged 90, when as a boy I won a competition to be VIP guest at a celebrity cricket match played at @StockportCounty Judith, who hosted the event, was happy to be home as she was raised in Gatley #SCFC#StockportCountypic.twitter.com/58pcm39y3V
In a statement issued to ITV (once her long-time employers), her family said: “After living an extraordinary life that involved over 60 years in broadcasting and countless adventures all over the globe, Judy sadly passed away last night, surrounded by the family she loved so much after suffering with Alzheimer’s for some years.
“We will miss her greatly, but she leaves behind a giant suitcase of the happiest of memories.”
Our thoughts are with her family, friends and long-established fan base up and down the country at this difficult time.
Georgina Pellant -
4th March 2022 
