Maray, a Middle Eastern-inspired dining spot famed for its ‘disco’ cauliflower and buttermilk chicken, will finally open its doors this weekend on Brazennose Street just off of Albert Square. The Manchester site is its first outside Liverpool, where it has been a big hit with its three locations; one on Bold Street; one on the Albert Dock; and a spot in Allerton.
Founded in 2014 by James Bates, Tom White and Dom Jones, Maray embraces Middle Eastern flavours and is inspired by the Marais neighbourhood in Paris, a buzzing district of the city influenced by Middle Eastern food among other cuisines. The Manchester branch, which opens this weekend is located in Bruntwood Works’ Union Building and has been five years in the making.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News ahead of its official opening this weekend, James said: “We probably started looking in Manchester five years ago, quite a long time ago now, but for various reasons it hasn’t happened. Dom is from Greater Manchester and it’s obviously a hugely exciting time in the city at the moment.
"We’ve got three restaurants in Liverpool so we’ve sort of completed that, and Manchester was the obvious next step.”
The first Maray restaurant opened on Bold Street in Liverpool in 2014, and was closely followed by two more. Its opening was followed up by reviews in the national press, including a rave write-up from The Observer’s Jay Rayner, who described Maray’s falafel - which is made from scratch everyday rather than with chickpea flour - as “marvellous” and the sharing plates concept “extremely clever”.
Tom adds: “When we first moved to Liverpool our mission was to serve the best falafel in the city with amazing cocktails. Since then we have expanded the menu to include a wider range of Middle Eastern-inspired dishes.”
So, what can people expect from Maray in Manchester? Well, firstly its spot on Brazennose Street, is well-placed between Manchester’s shopping district and Deansgate. The restaurant, which is the biggest of its sites so far, and right next to St Mary’s RC Church - better known as The Hidden Gem Church - also features a wrap-around outdoor terrace - an ideal spot for sipping cocktails and enjoying the Manchester sun.
Inside, the Parisian influence is clear, with a nod to French cafe culture evident through its use of chic curtains, frosted glass partitions and deep blue banquettes, which all work together to make the vast space feel intimate and informal. Meanwhile, exposed ceilings, a stylish bar and semi-open kitchen add a contemporary touch.
Dishes at Maray will mirror those in Liverpool and span mezze, veg dishes, and meat and fish plates, and are all designed to be shared. From the mezze portion of the menu, you can expect whipped goats cheese, falafel, labneh and warm flatbreads, while veg dishes include halloumi, braised carrots, and the show-stopping Disco Cauliflower, a roasted head of cauliflower served whole and doused in chermoula - a marinade and relish used in Algerian, Libyan, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking - harissa, tahini and yoghurt, and topped with pomegranate, almonds and fresh herbs.
Maray are also well-known for their buttermilk fried chicken, which features on the Manchester menu and is served with harissa and pickles. Other meat and fish dishes include lamb kofta, seabass with tomato and fennel, and mackerel with pea puree, fried beans, rhubarb and lemon.
James adds: “We changed our menu a couple of months back actually and we’ve also got a great pork collar dish now, which is served with amba - a spicy chutney, but the vegetarian side of the menu is probably the aspect we’re most proud of. Great salads and the falafel Tom mentioned, which we serve with hummus and tabbouleh - it’s a simple dish but the ingredients are super fresh.
“In terms of the mezze section we have a really lovely labneh dish and the dishes from this section goes really well with the lovely breads that we make.”
Not forgetting the drinks menu, cocktails here include their own take on the espresso martini - the Agent Cooper - which has been a staple of the menu since day one and is made with vodka, spent coffee, hazelnut, espresso and ras el hanout. There's also the Whip Royale, made with peach, ginger , sparkling wine and cucumber.
The drinks menu also spans short and punchy cocktails like the Maray Negroni, long and refreshing like Lillet and tonic, and a selection of no-and-low cocktails such as the Persian Spritz, a mix of apricot, black tea, ginger and thyme. Helpfully, the drinks menu highlights the team’s favourite three cocktails - in case you’re in need of a steer.
Maray Manchester, Lincoln Sq, Brazennose St
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