As far as new restaurant and bar openings go, Manchester really has been spoiled over the last six months. From Hello Oriental, the multi-storey food hall beneath Symphony Park at the Circle Square development, which opened its doors in February, to Blinker, the sleek cocktail spot spearheaded by the former bars manager for Gordon Ramsay, the city’s hospitality industry has certainly come back fighting.
Luckily for us there’s plenty of big openings still in store, with June in particular shaping up to be a great month - especially where new bar concepts are concerned. We’ve cherry-picked some of the best including a futuristic skating venue with its own space-themed bar and the 10,000 sq ft ‘battle bar’ sure to bring out your competitive side.
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Pollen at Kampus
This week it was confirmed that acclaimed Ancoats bakery, Pollen, purveyors of some of the best pastries in Manchester, would finally be opening its sister site over at the Kampus neighbourhood. The bakery’s new flagship pastry kitchen and café opens on Thursday, June 9, and will feature a ‘glass gallery’ wall, designed to give diners a front row seat of Pollen’s master bakers at work.
Pollen’s full range of bakes will be on offer but the new, larger kitchen space will also give the team more opportunity for creativity and experimentation. Plus, there will be a brand new menu to try out, which will change with the seasons and showcase the very best produce available at the time.
Paradise Skate World
Yes, we did think that this one might open at the end of May, but in order to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s, Manchester’s first futuristic skating venue pushed back its opening by a couple weeks. So, what can you expect? Well, the 6,000 sq ft venue, which has been brought to life by the people behind Junkyard Golf, promises a cocktail bar with a roller skating element, and will feature a sprung floor that surrounds the central bar.
Described as a 'space station bar’, it will be accessible via a bridge and 50 to 60 people will skate around it at any one time. The bar’s cosmic-themed drinks menu has been created by Joe White, one of the city’s best known bartenders, and will feature ingredients such as ‘cosmic dust’ and ‘violet clouds’.
Kitten
Another new addition to Deansgate Square comes in the form of Kitten, a Japanese charcoal grill and casual izakaya restaurant. The izakaya - a type of informal Japanese bar that serves up drinks and snacks - is set to be one of the most visually striking spaces in the city with its walls of bamboo, Venetian plastering and five-metre bonsai tree.
Tableside, diners will be treated to a front-row seat of one the largest Robatayaki grills in the city and chefs preparing sushi using only the finest ingredients. The uber-stylish restaurant - seriously, check out their Instagram page - will also specialise in delicious cocktails, and punters can expect live DJ sets into the early hours.
Bask
Stockport’s food and drink scene has really taken off over the last year, with openings such as The Mekong Cat, Yellowhammer and Bistro Marc in the Old Town, really raising the stakes. Now, the town's railway station is getting a new neighbour in the form of Bask, a speakeasy bar. Opening in early June, visitors can expect fantastic local and worldwide beers and creative cocktails, set against a backdrop of live music, DJs and events.
Canvas
Giving an extra boost to Manchester’s music scene, Canvas - a ‘next-generation’ music venue featuring a members’ lounge, late night bar and restaurant - will finally open its doors in June. The 600-capacity, subterranean venue will feature a ground floor restaurant, Canvas Kitchen, which will be open to the public from 7am to 4am, and will serve up a variety of globally inspired small plates, international wines and cocktails.
Asha’s and The Peterman
The long-awaited five-star hotel Forty-Seven on Peter Street will open this summer and is being flanked by some major food and drink talent. The 32-key property will be joined by Asha’s restaurant, which will reopen on the ground floor. Co-owned by Bollywood singer Asha Bhosle, it has previously appeared in the Michelin Guide, and will take diners on a ‘culinary journey through India’s famed north-west frontier province’.
Meanwhile, there's also a new bar to check out at the hotel -The Peterman. Serving hand-crafted cocktails, the bar will nod to the history of the Petersfield area, and will feature an afternoon bites menu to accompany the drinks.
Boom Battle Bar
There’s a lot to take in here, but essentially what we’re looking at is the UK’s first and only battle bar - an ‘entertainment battleground’, with competitive gaming spanning augmented reality darts booths, axe throwing lanes, beer pong tables and much more. Opening in mid-June at Manchester Printworks, the 10,000 sq ft venue will also play host to American pool, karaoke booths and arcade games.
When you’re done thrashing your family and friends at shuffleboard, there’s a variety of food and drink options to tuck into. From Boom Bites such as chicken tenders and nachos, to battleground-themed cocktails including 'Long Island Iced Tee' and 'Axepresso Martini'.
Boom Battle Bar's Facebook page.
Bird of Prey
New to Manchester's Circle Square development is Bird of Prey - 'a fried chicken joint with a difference'. The new comfort-food inspired eatery is the brainchild of family restauranteurs Asad, Saify, Sadaf and Saj, who after years of honing their skills and tweaking their secret recipe buttermillk fried chicken, are finally opening their doors to Manchester.
Bird of Prey brings a unique offering to the city, including a marinading process where all birds are soaked in buttermilk overnight and double dredged in their house flour, herb and spice mix before being dropped in to the fryer. The impressive menu will feature signature fried chicken sandwiches, wings, strips, sides and shakes alongside a newly developed Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Waffles breakfast menu available at weekends from 9-12pm.
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