Ambitious new Japanese fine dining restaurant MUSU is about to open in Manchester city centre. The dazzling new venue will open to the public on Friday, but we headed for a sneak preview to see the stunning interiors of the venue on Bridge Street this weekend.
The Mancunian entrepreneurs behind MUSU have been working on the concept for the past four years - and after pouring £3.5m into the venture are finally ready to unveil it to the public.
They are aiming to deliver a unique new dining experience to the city - after years spent travelling to some of the finest restaurants and clubs across the world. The focus is first and foremost on the food - with ambitions to deliver some of the best cuisine in not only Manchester but the UK.
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But after 11pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the space will also transform into an exclusive late night bar and club venue. It boasts state-of-the-art video walls and sound system.
The dazzling video wall is what guests will first see when they walk into the new venue, through its glossy all-black exterior on Bridge Street. The wall will beam changing scenes of Japan, from towering cityscapes to tranquil mountain scenes.
It sits above a row of plush green booths, opposite a white and brass latticed bar where guests can choose from what is billed as the largest selection of Japanese Yamasaki in the city, while a full cocktail menu ranges in price from £14 to £17.
Walking on into the main 55-cover restaurant space sees an expanse of Japanese murals along the walls, with globe lighting above the banks of green seating. Diners will sit opposite the open kitchen which has been designed to look like "a kitchen in a high end apartment" as chefs prepare the cuisine.
The centrepiece of the dining experience here will be the 7-course and 11-course Kaiseki tasting menus. The ambitions for the dining are clear in the pricing here - at £110 for the 7-course menu and £150 for the 11-course menu placing it immediately among the most expensive restaurants in Manchester.
There will also be an a la carte Sentaku menu, taking diners on a "tasting journey" with options of sushi, tempura and a grill section, as well as a more casual dining lunch menu with dishes starting from £6.50. The kitchen will be headed up by chef-patron Michael Shaw, who has worked in some of the top Michelin Star restaurants across the UK.
To the end of the restaurant space is the venue's plush private dining room, that can open out to be used as an extension of the main restaurant, or closed off with glass doors for those wanting a more intimate dining experience or private party for between 14-20 people.
MUSU is the brainchild of Manchester duo Vincent Braine, 39, and Marius Kamara, 41, who were the men behind Suede and the Milton Club in the city.
Vincent said: "We are trying to create a 2020s version of fine dining - where the ambiance and delivery is more accessible. If you look at the city dining scene right now, there are a lot of people out spending a lot of money at places like The Ivy and 20 Stories.
"There's a massive market out there for people to have something a little bit special but in a more informal sort of space than traditional fine dining may be associated with."
The Japanese theme continues with the after-dinner sessions on Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays when MUSU will from 11pm til 4am for "Nijikai" - a late night concept with restaurant-style table service, minimum table spend and the option of late night small plates from the Izakaya menu.
Vincent says: "It's not something that has really been done before in Manchester. We are a restaurant first and foremost, but with an amazing bar space and then the option of have a late night club but with restaurant-style service.
"But we also want to encourage people to use this restaurant more casually, where you can come in the day and order a bit of sushi or tempura and know it's going to be absolute quality."
Vincent, who grew up in Gorton, and Marius, from Chorlton, first got into the hospitality scene as club promoters before working there way up to club bosses. Vinnie says: "This is our passion, and through our travels and experiences and being proud Mancunians, we wanted to bring this to our city.
"When you talk about something that's super luxury with class there's not that much around. We've spent four years, day and night, going through this concept and finally we are here.
"We see a gap in the market, there's not muh at this sort of level. But we've tried to make it feel native - so that people walk in and love it and feel the mood and sexiness of the venue."
MUSU restaurant opens from Friday November 25. It will then open daily for lunch from 12 - 3.30pm, then for dinner from 5pm to 11pm. On Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, once dinner service is complete, the club will open from 11pm to 4am.
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