New bar restaurant specialising in steak and gin opening soon at Corn Exchange

The already fantastic Corn Exchange is about to get even better.

Construction begins this week on its newest venue, Alston Bar & Beef.

The much-anticipated restaurant and bar will be accessed via a dedicated external entrance on Cathedral Street and will bring the highest quality steaks in the UK to the city, alongside a selection of the world’s finest gins.

The 160-cover venue, which will contain an additional private dining area, is set to open its doors in the autumn, following an extensive fit-out of the 6,500sq.ft. space situated below the Corn Exchange.

This will be the first English venue for its award-winning Scottish counterpart Alston Bar and Beef in Glasgow and represents a £2m investment from owners Glendola Leisure.

Not long to wait now…..but the wait will be worth it! #steak #amazingfood #delicious pic.twitter.com/T3fDgWZzEW

— Alston Bar & Beef (@alstonmanchestr) September 2, 2017

It will build on the success of the Glasgow venue, which has developed a reputation for offering the highest quality steak and the biggest selection of gins in the city, while incorporating highlights of Manchester’s food and drink heritage and culture.

Alston Bar & Beef will be the first venue in Manchester to offer Tweed Valley steak on its menu. The beef is selected from the top one per cent of Scottish beef and dry hung for 35 days for optimum flavour.

The chosen cut of beef will be seasoned and cooked in a high spec Montague oven which can reach a temperature of 600 degrees, sealing in the flavour to deliver a tender and delicious steak.

At the bar, an initial selection of 58 gins from all over the world will be available, several of which are distilled here, including Manchester Three Rivers and Manchester Gin.

A selection of bespoke gin-infusions, created in-house will also be on offer. Each will be created using a blend of botanicals, many of which have been foraged from the Manchester area and created via a cold-compound process.

Interior design and architecture practice Jestico + Whiles have been appointed as designers of the new venue. The practice was also responsible for the design of the original Alston Bar & Beef in Glasgow.

The design will draw upon the heritage of the Corn Exchange location and the culture of the city of Manchester, as well as reflect elements of the original Alston Bar & Beef venue in Glasgow.

Guests will enter the venue via a feature staircase and will be greeted by the bespoke stylish bar centred around the extensive gin offering.

The restaurant space will draw the eye to a 10m wide mural feature wall which has been specially commissioned by Manchester-based street-artist Tank Petrol. The space is completed by a high spec show kitchen and private dining room catering for up to 12 guests.

Just building the bar…..Will be Open Soon! #steak #gin #Alston pic.twitter.com/GhyU1ez7OL

— Alston Bar & Beef (@alstonmanchestr) September 1, 2017

Alston Bar & Beef Manchester general manager Riki Bennett said: “We are looking forward to launching our second Alston Bar & Beef venue here in Manchester. Our Glasgow venue has had great success and has built a reputation for the best steak and finest selection of gins.

“We’re confident that when we open we will provide the perfect addition to Manchester’s buzzing restaurant and bar scene. We look forward to serving up the best gin and steak on offer on the city.

“Whether it is our stunning venue, the top one per cent of Scottish Beef we will have on offer, or our huge range of bespoke gin-infusions and gin-based cocktails, Alston Bar & Beef will offer something for everyone and it is great to be one step closer to our official launch,” says Riki.