Manchester's latest restaurant opening is a true love letter to Mexico. Madre, the ‘taqueria and mezcaleria’ that's been a huge hit in Liverpool since 2019, has finally landed in the city centre - and it's a beauty.
Opening its doors at the vibrant Kampus Development near the Gay Village and Piccadilly Train Station this Saturday, the 90-cover restaurant is looking to provide diners with an authentic taste of Mexico through classic dishes like tacos, pork carnitas, beef birria and fresh seafood cooked over a wood-fired grill.
It's been four years in the making for the team behind London's Breddos Tacos and Belzan restaurant in Liverpool, and draws inspiration from trips the team - which includes Chris Edwards, Nud Dudhia, Sam Grainger, Owain Williams and Chris Witney - have taken around Mexico over the past two decades.
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"Madre is our love letter to Mexico City, it's a place born out of our absolute commitment to celebrating Mexican gastronomy and culture, and that comes to design, music, food and drinks," says Nud, co-owner and executive chef, during a sneak peek of the space.
"It's big on tacos, but what we've tried to do here is focus on all the other things within the world of Mexican food. Tacos are the street food element, and it's the entry point for a lot of people, but we've also got a massive wood-fired grill here, where we're cooking seafood like butterfly seabass, oysters and prawns, as well as big steaks.
"I've been going back and forth to Mexico now for 20 years and it's my favourite place on earth, after, Manchester of course," he laughs. "I was here at university and lived here for seven years. It's electric here, I love coming back to Manchester because of the energy flowing through the city, things are changing so quickly but it still retains that warmth, and we love being up here, it's so important to us."
"So we hope people will come here and try some of the tacos, but also try the Mexican small plates too. We also want to celebrate the idea of 'sobremesa', which is basically enjoying a long, lovely meal with family and friends, and just letting it flow as long as possible."
Stepping inside Madre, past the well-appointed terrace decked out with tables and chairs for dining al fresco, the space embodies that feeling of sobremesa, with a relaxing mix of rich, earthy tones, bold colours and rustic furnishings. The open kitchen and bar space, built with deep blue and vivid orange tiles, feels convivial and allows diners a front-row seat on all the cooking action.
The menu at Madre is split into four sections – snacks, oyster and raw bar, tacos and wood-fired - with dishes ranging from corn with chipotle mayonnaise and twice-cooked wings tossed in spicy arbol sauce, to sea bass ceviche and lamb cutlets crusted in pistachio.
Raw bar highlights include the cured seabass, and several styles of oysters with toppings such as jalapeño, bone marrow and salsa verde, while wood-fired showstoppers include aged wing of rib beef with grilled jalapenos, onion rings and beef jus potatoes. Not forgetting the tacos, there are six types to choose from including birria beef shin, pork carnitas and fried prawns, alongside whipped potato and tempura avocado.
Complementing the diverse menu is an impressive drinks selection, which samples from a collection of more than 100 tequilas and mezcals. The drinks list is inspired by flavours found on the team's travels to Guadalajara, Oaxaca and Mexico City, and cocktails that have brought agave spirits to the forefront of drinks menus all over the world.
Diners can expect some familiar favourites like margaritas, palomas and pink chihuahua, alongside concoctions they may not have encountered, but are guaranteed to immerse them in the flavours of Mexico, such as the Silver State made with Derrumbes San Luis Potosi mezcal, eucalyptus, chamomile and dry vermouth, and Mole Palmetto with rum, vermouth and mole spices.
Madre opens on Saturday, June 17, and is open seven days a week, 12pm-12am.
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