10 highly anticipated restaurants and bars opening in Manchester this year

Manchester saw a boom in new restaurant and bar openings in 2017, both at the casual and more formal ends of the market – but what can diners look forward to in 2018?

From brand new ventures to the expansion of the city’s favourite independent restaurants, as well as new openings from some of London’s biggest names, here are ten restaurants and bars coming to Manchester in 2018.

20 Stories

Opening in February 2018 with Aiden Byrne at the helm, 20 Stories, from the restaurant group D&D London (whose stable includes Quaglino’s, Bluebird, and Michelin-starred Angler in London) will occupy the 19th floor rooftop of the No.1 Spinningfields building.

The 15,263 sq ft development will feature a restaurant, grill and bar, with a roof-top garden and terrace delivering 360-degree views of Manchester’s skyline. The modern British menu will celebrate local produce with suppliers sourced, where possible, from no more than 50 miles from the city.

Sugo

Sugo, nestled in the foodie market town of Altrincham, is the region’s first southern Italian pasta kitchen, with well-executed cooking ensuring a regular stream of locals as well as visitors from further afield.

Pasta-loving Mancunians will soon be able to get their Italian fix in Ancoats, with a larger, 60-seat Sugo site opening in early 2018 in Sawmills Court.

Sugo has delighted diners and critics alike with its hearty pasta dishes, especially the signature orecchiette with meltingly tender slow-cooked beef shin, pork shoulder and spicy ‘nduja rage The Ancoats branch is sure to win over a whole new fanbase.

Beatnikz Republic

Beatnikz Republic Brewing Co. set up a new permanent home in the Green Quarter in January 2017, having turned a railway arch that was previously used for electrical appliance storage into a microbrewery and taproom.

In May 2018, they plan to open their own bar in Manchester city centre – a 2,000+ sq ft site situated between Market Street and St Peter’s Square offering 14 craft beer lines, evenly split between their own beer and guest brews.

The new bar will also serve street food, with different traders taking over the kitchen for a month at a time.

The Creameries

New kitchen and bakery The Creameries, housed in a former creamery on Wilbraham Road, plans to sell a variety of homemade breads, cheeses, beer, wine and small plates, as well as sharing Sunday lunches, when it opens this spring.

Chef Mary-Ellen McTague, baker Sophie Yeoman and designer Soo Wilkinson last month raised the crowdfunding target for their proposed new restaurant in Chorlton after smashing their initial £20,000 goal, such is the local passion for the project.

Mary-Ellen trained under Heston Blumenthal at the Fat Duck and formerly ran the award-winning Aumbry restaurant in Prestwich, and the trio hope their combined experience in kitchens, farming, baking, cheese-making and design will be put to good use at The Creameries.

The Ivy

The team behind London celebrity haunt The Ivy are opening a brasserie in Manchester this spring, bringing a relaxed yet polished all-day dining experience to The Pavilion, a four-storey building in Spinningfields.

The Ivy brand was founded in London in 1917, and their spin-off mini-chain of brasseries across the UK offers the glamour, buzzy ambience and sparkling service of the original, but with a more casual feel.

Menus feature modern British dishes drawn from The Ivy’s own extensive menu, from breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and light snacks through to dinner and cocktails.

Dishoom

Inspired by Bombay’s old Irani cafes, and with five popular branches in London and one in Edinburgh, Dishoom’s arrival in the newly-redeveloped Manchester Hall later this year is sure to prove popular.

Dishoom Manchester will offer casual all-day dining, from their signature bacon naan roll at breakfast (dry-cured, cold-smoked streaky bacon with cream cheese, chilli tomato jam and fresh herbs in a freshly-baked naan), to small plates, grills, curries and salads into the evening, with plenty of vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options.

An inspired drinks list includes cocktails such as the Monsoon Martini (with espresso, vodka, chilli liqueur, black walnut bitters and crème), as well as lassis, coolers, fizzes and chai.

Rudy’s

The popular and critically acclaimed Rudy’s Neapolitan Pizza regularly has queues out of the door at their Ancoats restaurant, so news that they will open a second branch in the city centre is most welcome.

Last year Mission Mars, operators of the hugely successful Albert’s Schloss, Trof and Gorilla, purchased a stake in Jim Morgan and Kate Wilson’s indie business, with plans to open a Rudy’s branch on Peter Street.

The new branch, located near Bavarian bier palace Albert’s Schloss, will have space for around 100 diners eager to try an authentic slice of Naples in Manchester.

Manahatta

Arc Inspirations, the company behind Banyan Bar & Kitchen in the Corn Exchange, plans to open a 30-cover bar and restaurant in the grade II-listed Royal London House on Deansgate, creating a third outing for its New York-inspired concept Manahatta which already has two branches in Leeds.

Subject to planning consent, Manahatta will open in summer 2018, promising a taste of the Big Apple with all-day American-style brunch and a comprehensive cocktails list.

The company is reputedly investing £1.8million into the Manchester branch of Manahatta – the original native American name for the isle of Manhattan.

The Man Who Fell To Earth

Following the success of ‘space-age Asian’ restaurant The Rabbit in the Moon, footballers-turned-entrepreneurs Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs are planning to bring two new restaurants to the city’s Stock Exchange with chef Michael O’Hare, who also owns Michelin-starred Leeds restaurant The Man Behind the Curtain.

The Man Who Fell to Earth will be the most formal of the ventures, set in a dining room inspired by Parisian ballrooms, while Are Friends Electric (whose name will please Gary Numan fans) will be a more affordable option with an open kitchen.

The restaurants will form part of the planned conversion of the historic Stock Exchange into a luxury boutique hotel.

The Daisy

The team behind Mughli and Evelyn’s have announced the opening of new members lounge The Daisy, located beneath their Tib Street restaurant in the Northern Quarter and opening early 2018.

Waiting on summer like…🌼 ••••• #Inspo #TheDaisyNq #TheDaisy #MembersOnlyLounge #MembersOnly #Daisy #Summer

A post shared by T H E D A I S Y (@thedaisynq) on Dec 20, 2017 at 7:48am PST

The Daisy Manchester will provide a discreet co-working and event space with complimentary hot drinks during the day, and offer a private cocktail and wine bar environment in the evening. Members can sign in up to three guests at a time.

To become a member, follow The Daisy’s official private Instagram profile @Thedaisynq. Once the request has been accepted, a yearly membership fee of £100 will apply.