Gary Usherhas confirmed his Elite Bistro restaurants will be reopening across the north from next month.
The chef, who runs half a dozen venues in the UK, posted a video to his Twitter on Tuesday morning (July 21) confirming his restaurants will all relaunch on Friday 7 August.
Both the award-winning Hispi in Didsbury and Kala in Manchester city centre are now taking bookings – with tables ready from Wednesday to Sunday afternoon every week.
Wreckfist, Pinion, Burnt Truffle and Walnut will also reopen.
Good morning my loves. Here’s a little video explaining elite bistros new plans. Booking lines are now open to take reservations. Follow the elite bistro link in the bio above if you’d like to book in one of our bistros. We’ve missed you Xhttps://t.co/lgnMsFEyh0
Usher promised there would be a new menu and wine list accompanying the relaunch of his Elite Bistros, explaining that the new chapter was “actually really exciting.”
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Pan-fried sea bream, pork ribeye and warm salad of king oyster mushroom dishes have all been added to the mains list, along with a variety of sides including truffle and parmesan chips, tenderstem broccoli and roasted beetroot.
Hispi will be serving braised featherblade of beef, Miso glazed squash, pan-roasted cod loin and smoked lamb rump, as well as braised octopus and baked crottin among the starters.
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Kala has announced an epic-sounding Sunday lunch menu: featuring roast beef, fishcake, pan-fried sea bream and stuffed & rolled pork belly.
?ANNOUNCEMENT?
KALA BISTRO WILL RE-OPEN ON 7TH AUGUST! NOW TAKING BOOKINGS! Link in bio! We absolutely cannot WAIT to welcome you back to Elite ☺️ pic.twitter.com/YAtzFJKr5Y
With regards to hygiene and safety measures, Usher stated: “You can rest assured that we are on top of that and safety is paramount, and we will open according to the new guidelines that the government has set.”
“Come and join us, we’ve missed you, we can’t wait to see you.”
You can book a seat at one of Usher’s famous Elite Bistros online.
Eats
Greater Manchester’s quaint canal boat cafe with floating flat whites and unbelievable bakes
Danny Jones
There are a lot of good cafes in and around Greater Manchester but you won’t find many that serve up straight out of a canal boat.
Meet Libby and the ‘Cast No Shadow’ canal boat that is now the foremost river-based coffee and cake shop in our region, and with so many waterways around the 10 boroughs and beyond, you’ve got plenty of opportunity to meet both.
Currently moored up over on a picturesque corner of the Bridgewater Canal in Castlefield, just between the distinct white suspension bridge and The Wharf, this narrowboat cafe has only been up and running since May but has already earned queues of regulars who line up every weekend.
It also just might be one of the most wholesome things we’ve stumbled across in a long time.
Local legend Libby has had this pretty little vessel for three years and the cafe life is still pretty new to her as well, but she’s already nailed a really lovely niche.
You’ll find her serving up coffees freshly roasted right here in Manchester, snacks and soft drinks for the hotter days, as well as plenty of specials depending on the season or stuff going on around her.
Back when Sound of the City 2024 was still going on, we even saw her serving up handy little pots of mac and cheese to gig-goers on the way to Castlefield Bowl to fuel up before a long night of dancing and drinking.
Now that’s just legendary behaviour, if you ask us.
But aside from stunning pistachio lattes, colourful iced coffees and pure cosy vibes being served up right out of her small hatch, you can’t order from this canal boat cafe without grabbing one of the many delicious homemade loafs, cupcakes, cookies and more straight from fellow native The Vakery MCR.
With an ever-rotasting selection of sweat treats and regular favourites that sell-out almost immediately, almost everything baked is vegan, flawless and genuinely so good we couldn’t even tell the difference.
Complete with her little sausage-shaped companion and sea-furring captain/very laid-back guard dog Bob, and a small terminal so you can still pay buy card like any other shop, we love everything about this little slice of canal and coffee-fuelled life.
She’s previously been spotted in other spots like Altrincham, Macclesfield and various other spots around Greater Manchester and Cheshire, and may very well be moving on to the likes of Ancoats soon, but at the minute she’s found a perfect home and regular customer base in Castlefield.
To sum it all up, Libby is one of the friendlist people you’ll ever meet, the boat is a solar-powered little stunner that’s a welcome addition to the city, everything is reasonably priced and we love that she’s also helping support other local indie businesses like The Vakery.
So, if you’re in the area or are looking for the perfect stop-off on your next Sunday stroll, make sure to swing by to say hello and enjoy the cutest canal boat cafe in the country – we don’t care if there are others, this one’s ours.
The definition of service with a smile.The real star of the show (sorry, Lib x)Credit: Canal Life UK (via Instagram)/The Manc Group
The Footage pub has officially been bought is set for a £1 million transformation
Danny Jones
Not long after quietly closing its doors and being put on the market, beloved student pub and Manc institution The Footage has officially been bought and is now set for a truly transformative £1 million makeover – and a new name.
Well, sort of. Technically set to return to its old moniker, The Grosvenor, the bustling pub that sustained university students for years, previously served as a bingo hall and was once the largest cinema outside of London decades before that, the place is going back to its ‘Picture Palace’ roots, at least in namesake.
The Grade II-listed building which was first opened back in 1915 was listed on Rightmove for just £1 last month (no, not a typo) and has now been snapped by an independent local operator on the cheap, but is now set to have huge investment pumped into as they prepare to turn it into something entirely new.
Promising to become a cutting-edge hybrid between hospitality and social space, the aim is to create “the ultimate adult escapism experience in central Manchester.”
The Footage may be no more but The Grosvenor is being reborn. (Credit: Supplied)
Complete with the huge sports screens that were always a staple for the regular Footage crowd, as well as some outrageous new interiors and even a slide to transport punters from the cinema’s original balcony, the vision is very different from just reopening as another newly refurbished pub.
The spacious drinking and dining spot will feature 30 beer taps and a wide selection of sharing-focused food like buckets of wings, loaded pizzas, platters and big burgers, but will also serve as an entertainment hub, with pool tables, beer pong, darts and much more.
Scheduled to reopen this November and stay open from noon until midnight (make that 2am on Fridays and Saturdays), the idea is you can spend all day here and even capture all your memories in the photo booth at the end of the night.
Be it a bottomless brunch, simple after-work drinks with friends, private events or just somewhere to watch the game, the space will offer something for everyone.
Better yet, they’re making sure to carry on The Footage dynasty and keep the aspects people loved so much intact, starting with those student deals and even offering the most eager of punters some early discounts, offers and even a freebie by signing up to the new website.
Back to the original, as it were. (Credit: Supplied)
Chris Tulloch, Managing Director and founder of Blind Tiger Inns – the company behind the transformation and existing Greater Manchester venues like The Station Hotel in Altrincham and The White Horse in Irlam, is understandably buzzing about the project.
“The Grosvenor is in the midst of an incredible transformation, and we’re creating something truly special for Manchester. Our vision is to blend the best aspects of a sports bar, social venue, and nightclub into one vibrant, unforgettable space where memories are made.
“As we breathe new life into this iconic building, we’re excited to continue its legacy as a cornerstone of Manchester’s entertainment, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone in to eat, drink and have fun in the adult playground.”
Located on the corner of Oxford Road and Grosvenor St, The Grosvenor is striving to achieve the ‘ultimate hybrid hospitality and entertainment experience’ and provide an unrivalled experience on Manchester’s ever-evolving hospitality scene.
Although there’s no concrete launch date yet, we’re very much looking forward to enjoying The Footage like never before and seeing what goes into £1m transformation when The Grosvenor opens sometime this November.
The Manc -
21st July 2020 
