When only the latest, hottest and biggest openings will do, Manchester has plenty that are sure to fit the bill. If you're feeling Spanish tapas from local names, restaurants from chefs with Michelin acclaim, and not one, or even two but three stunning rooftops coming soon, then check out this list of the very best new restaurants Manchester has in store this year.
📢🍽️📢
Levanter At The Beeswing
When: Now Open (January 2024)
Where: The Beeswing, Kampus, 24a Minshull Street M1 3EF
While The Beeswing isn't new, it's still an ever-popular wine bar with a gorgeous terrace overlooking the gardens of Kampus. For the latest seasonal tapas menu, the team here have joined forces with the Spanish food legends of Levanter, who sadly closed their doors in Ramsbottom last April.
Having continued a successful spin-off residency as Baratxuri at Exhibition, they're now also bringing signature dishes and lesser-known plates to this canalside location in the city centre. Chow down on Iberico pork collar braised in a red wine stock with pomegranate molasses, oozing potato tortilla, and even newly launched brunches complete with bottomless sangria, mimosas or bloody marys.
The finest Spanish tapas is on the cards at this restaurant opening.
Gino D'Acampo
When: Now Open (February 2024)
Where: INNSiDE by Meliá, First Street, M15 4RP
On the site of the former First Street Bar & Kitchen, which was already run by the cheeky TV chef's team, you'll now find Gino D'Acampo - an Italian restaurant adding to his collection across Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and more. This not only continues a partnership with luxurious INNSiDE by Meliá hotels but also comes with a £800k revamp.
The contemporary space features baby blues, marble-topped
tables, brass finishings and floral wall features throughout - plus
those pretty foliage ceiling hangings everyone loves. Better yet,
if the floor to ceiling windows aren't enough for you, then you can
head outside to a two-tiered terrace and alfresco dining space.
Food covers classic dishes alongside 'at the table theatre'
courtesy of mains like cheesy black truffle pasta served in a
pecorino wheel or whole seabass flambéed with grappa at
the table. Bellissimo.
You'll be saying 'ciao bella' to this new restaurant in no time.
LĂĽcky
When: Now Open (February 2024)
Where: 13 Blossom Street, Ancoats, M4 5AF
Formerly just the evening restaurant of Mule Coffee, LĂĽcky has now taken over the space from open until close with a full-time offering of ramen, sushi and Pan-Asian brunches. They don't take bookings and the intimate Japandi-style space only seats a dozen diners, so expect waits of up to 90 minutes for tables at peak times.
We'd recommend a stroll around Ancoats and New Islington Marina to pass the time (do stop off at waterside cocktail bar Finders Keepers, which opened last summer) but either way, it'll be well worth it - trust us. Think daytime meals of peanut butter sauce-smothered Vietnamese fried chicken or Indonesian pork belly bacon on sourdough with poached eggs, mushrooms and spicy Hollandaise, alongside 50% off ramen from Monday to Tuesday and half-price sushi on Wednesdays.
Although not technically new new, these guys taking over for brunch too is still worth shouting about.
The Lamb Of Tartary
When: Now Open (March 2024)
Where: 16 Newton Street, Northern Quarter, M1
1AE
If pubs and grills with a gastro leaning are more your thing, then March opening The Lamb of Tartary is sure to fit the bill. After the closure of Cottonopolis on Newton Street, the team behind the venue and the award-winning Edinburgh Castle are back with another upmarket public house concept.
With chef Shaun Moffat at the helm, you can expect a menu reminiscent of EC's viral chip butty (triple cooked chips and beef tartare sandwiched with beef fat mayo, Burford brown egg yoke and pickled shallots), including brown crab crumpets drenched in hollandaise, fresh oysters, Galloway roasts on Sundays, and bacon collar that's salted in-hourse. Plus, thanks to 24 beers on tap and their own signature cocktails on the cards too, you can't go wrong.
A new opening packed with elevated pub grub? Sign us up.
Medlock Canteen
When: Now Open (March 2024)
Where: Deansgate Square, Owen Street, M15 4YB
Born from the brains behind Madre (the modern Mexican in Manchester and Liverpool known for serving dripping birria tacos and mole-covered grill plates) and Belzan (Liverpool's answer to seasonal small plates and natural wine), Medlock Canteen is inspired by two other kinds of venue entirely: Parisian bistros and American diners. Food here is recognisable and the menu accessible, featuring the likes of confit duck leg in haricot vert, bream with charred leeks and butter sauce, and eggs many ways at breakfast.
The best new restaurants opening in Manchester in March 2024? This one has to make the list.
Maya
When: Now Open (March 2024)
Where: 40 Chorlton Street, M1 3HW.
For all your canal-side action, new brasserie Maya has come to town. It has taken over the ground and lower floors of 40 Chorlton Street, a historic warehouse building dating back to the 20th century, promising a mix of art deco and industrial stylings.
This modern European and ingredient-led concept comes from a group of hospitality operators known for working with Isabel Mayfair, Michelin-starred Petersham Nurseries in Richmond and Covent Garden, and Soho House. But that's not all, as the restaurant is led by Mancunian chef Gabe Lea, who has his own experience at Michelin-starred venues like Le Manoir and Northcote - plus Manchester's very own Adam Reid at The French.
Out of all the new restaurants in Manchester city centre, Maya is a canal-front favourite.
Double Zero
When: Now Open (March 2024)
Where: 55 Spring Gardens, M2 2BY.
Adding to their Chorlton location, which was voted 'Best Pizza' in the Deliveroo Restaurant Awards 2024, is Double Zero. They've been a Barlow Moor Road mainstay for the last nine years, providing 48-hour fermented dough and tasty toppings to the adoring masses in South Manchester.
Their pizzas are cooked in authentic wood-fired ovens that have come all the way from Naples for that perfectly soft and chewy crust, plus they have gluten-free bases available and a half pizza, half calzone hybrid to tuck into too. Now the restaurant has opened a second venue, joining the likes of Six By Nico and Blinker on Spring Gardens in the city centre.
Named after 00 flour, this restaurant group has expanded to give the city centre a taste.
Cibo
When: Now Open (April 2024)
Where: 43 Spring Gardens, M2 2BG
After more than 14 years in our city, Rio Ferdinand's Rosso restaurant closed its doors last year. However, celeb hotspot Cibo - who already have venues in Hale and Wilmslow - are taking up the mantle of serving Italian fare at the end of King Street.
Their venues aim to capture the glam of Mayfair across Cheshire and Manchester, with this space undergoing a ÂŁ2m refurbishment to get ready for opening. On the menu here? Seared scallops with spiced pineapple carpaccio and a cured ham crumb, alongside recognisable classics spanning veal cutlet, lobster ravioli and even a burrata-topped pizza.
Cibo will prove that you can never have enough Italian.
Jaan By Another Hand
When: Now Open (May 2024)
Where: Exhibition, St George's House, 56 Peter Street M2 3NQ
With a mention in the Michelin Guide, Deansgate Mews' Another Hand is one of the city's most popular and most lauded restaurants. Branching out (but not too much) from their delicious small plates at the original location, chefs Julian Pizer and Max Yorke have launched a new concept at Exhibition - taking over the space left by Rigatoni's to complete the Peter Street venue's kitchen residency trio.
Jaan By Another Hand styles itself as a 'Persian bread kitchen', bringing Another Hand's much-loved flatbreads to the next level. Think flavours like Shetland mussels with za'atar and lemon crème fraiche, smoked aubergine with macadamia nuts and wood sorrel, or ras el hanout-spiced lamb with cucumber labneh, cured egg yolk and chive. Larger non-flatbread dishes also feature on the menu, from fire-roasted sea trout to chermoula chicken.
A Michelin Guide recommended restaurant has branched out to a pop-up location.
Skof
When: Now Open (May 2024)
Where: Hanover Building, Federation and Hanover Street, NOMA, M4 4AH
When somewhere was tipped to be Manchester's next Michelin star before it even even officially opened, you know it's a hot topic. Skof is the highly anticipated fine dining restaurant and first solo venture from chef Tom Barnes, a name known for being head chef at Rogan & Co when it received a Michelin star and executive chef at Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume when it earned its third.
He's taken over the Hanover Building in NOMA, bringing a new lease of life to the Grade II-listed space with a more relaxed take on tasting menus - all designed to focus on local, seasonal ingredients.
One of the biggest new Manchester restaurant openings in 2024, Skof could end up holding the city's second Michelin star.
Tender
When: Now Open (June 2024)
Where: Stock Exchange Hotel, 4 Norfolk Street M2 1DW
Another hopeful Michelin star contender, Tender is the latest venue from chef Niall Keating; a man who already earned two stars at The Dining Room at Whatley Manor Hotel, as well as being the brains behind Barlaston's Lunar restaurant (also home to a Michelin green star). It's launched at Gary Neville's hotel this summer and is named after the immense care the team will channel into creating each dish.
You'll find recognisable and accessible food crafted with a gourmet leaning across everything from chef's tasting menus to afternoon teas, Sunday lunches and brasserie-style a la carte offerings, all created by Keating himself. We'll be making a beeline for the rib of beef with blue cheese, bone marrow, tallow chips and confit garlic, plus the jam-cinnaroll pudding served alongside crème anglaise.
One of the UK’s youngest two Michelin star chefs is bringing his latest restaurant to Manchester.
Onda Pasta Bar
When: Now Open (June 2024)
Where: 1 Circle Square, Oxford Road M1 7FS
If you haven't seen Onda Pasta Bar on your Instagram feed, then your algorithm clearly hates you. Their tiramisu drawer went viral, with Michelin-trained chef Sam Astley-Dean turning his restaurant's success as a pop-up at The New Cross into a permanent location in Circle Square on Oxford Road. They raised funds by selling vouchers for the restaurant in advance of opening and operated a tiramisu takeaway while the venue was kitted out.
But it's not just dessert these guys have going for them (although we'd still probably visit for that alone, to be honest), as all pasta here is made fresh and in-house, with dishes like scallop and crab cappelletti and beef shin ragu on the cards. Mopping up any leftover sauce? Garlic, parsley and mozzarella or 'nduja, mascarpone and honey pizzetta: mini pizzas with a signature, super-risen crust and generous grated parmesan.
Get a taste of the viral tiramisu drawer at Onda's first permanent location.
Flat Iron
When: Now Open (July 2024)
Where: 200-204 Deansgate, M3 3NN
A staple in London thanks to its 13 venues, Flat Iron is the renowned home of ÂŁ14 steak; yup, you read that right - just fourteen pounds. Although the 'secondary' cut this restaurant is named after is often passed up for more popular and higher priced steaks like sirloin, fillet and ribeye, these guys manage to make flat iron more tender and juicy than anywhere else.
The group raise their own rare, traditional breed cattle in Thirsk, Yorkshire, with the help of third-generation beef farmer Charles Ashbridge. Meat here is cooked to perfection and served alongside favourite sides like creamed spinach and aubergine parm (seriously, they're a must), with free beef dripping popcorn to start and an ice cream each when you leave. It's top bargains all round.
Seriously great steak at affordable prices makes Flat Iron a fantastic new restaurant for the summer.
Louis
When: Now Open (September 2024)
Where: Hardman Square, Spinningfields M3 3EB
Permanently Unique Group, who are behind the ever-popular Tattu and prominent 2023 opening Fenix, have unveiled another venture at Hardman Square in Spinningfields. Coming in the autumn, Louis will be inspired by the Italian-American restaurants of New York - a growing trend we're seeing across the country.
Executive chef of Greek-inspired Fenix, Ippokratis Anagnostelis, has designed a menu of classic flavours to show the influence of the Mediterranean on food in the US, while swing bands, jazz quartets, singers and pianists provide the entertainment. Plus, if this place is anything like its sister restaurants, interiors are sure to be equally as luxurious.
One of the biggest new openings coming to Manchester in 2024, Louis will be the restaurant filling everyone's feeds in the Autumn.
Blacklock
When: Now Open (September 2024)
Where: 37 Peter Street, M2 5GB
Another one for the steak aficionados, Blacklock is the London chophouse that's chosen Manchester as its first location outside the capital. Coming to a Grade II listed building on Peter Street this Autumn, the restaurant specialises in chops and steak cooked over charcoal, as well as a signature white chocolate cheesecake dessert served straight from the dish at your tableside (just remember to 'say when' or you'll end up with more than you bargained for).
Their current venues' meat comes sustainably sourced from Cornish family farmers and butchers Philip and Ian Warren, although they'll be looking for new, Northern suppliers to add this legacy of regenerative farming and a no waste, local approach. Better yet, you can count on Blacklock's award-winning Sunday roasts being part of the offering here too.
Blacklock is bound to be a top choice of new restaurants in Manchester this year.
KAJI
When: Now Open (October 2024)
Where: 37 Peter Street, M2 5GB
Part of the MUSU Collection and a slight branding change compared to their now-closed, eponymous MUSU restaurant at the same Bridge Street location, KAJI is a Japanese restaurant with a focus on the ancient art of cooking over fire. They use Binchotan coal, oak and cherry wood as fuel, creating a unique sear and a complex smoked flavour. But that's not all, as the team here are also experts with a flambadou; a traditional iron cone that's been wielded by chefs for centuries, heated until white-hot and used to baste meat and seafood with molten fat.
From a ten-course tasting menu with the option of adding wine pairings to a la carte or a ÂŁ30 per person, two-course lunch and early evening menu, KAJI has a number of different price-point options for trying out their food. Aside from the meals, also expect a lineup of sake, fine wine and Japanese-inspired cocktails, as well as those gorgeous interiors with a moody colour scheme.
For a new Japanese restaurant, check out KAJI.
Cantaloupe
When: 6th November 2024
Where: 71 Great Underbank, Stockport SK1 1PE
A restaurant to really get excited about, thanks to it being founded by two chefs with stellar CVs, Cantaloupe finds it home in Stockport's Great Underbank at the start of November. Joshua Reed-Cooper's past experience includes time at Where The Light Gets In, Michelin-starred Mana, and Sterling, while Mike Thomas is the former head chef of Mary-Ellen McTague’s The Creameries and Campagna in Chorlton. Quite the repertoire.
They're branding themselves as your friendly neighbourhood restaurant, celebrating the regional food of the Mediterranean and serving wine from small European producers. Menu specifics are being kept under-wraps for now, so we'll have to wait until opening to see what these guys have up their sleeves.
Stockport's dining scene is bursting at the seams with great restaurants - with Cantaloupe adding to that from November.
Little Scarfs
When: 7th November 2024
Where: 17a Lower Hillgate, Stockport SK1 1JQ
Another Stockport pick - opening a day later than Cantaloupe, no less - Little Scarfs has taken its 6-month success at Altrincham Market and quickly turned it into a new, permanent home on Lower Hillgate. With much the same casual ethos and remaining walk-ins only, this fresh pasta and natural wine bar will be serving up pretty plates that change regularly - just check the chalkboard scrawls to see today's offerings.
A focus on quality ingredients and fresh flavours span their dishes, with pastas including giant sun-dried tomato-filled pappardelle with a mint butter, handmade orecchiette topped with samphire and a creamy tomato sauce, and smoked aubergine ravioli with a citrus butter. Here's to hoping they bring back their pasta-making masterclasses, too.
Fresh pasta is all the rage, and so is Little Scarfs - the restaurant that's already built up a following from its time at Altrincham Market.
Soho House
When: Early 2025
Where: Old Granada Studios, Quay Street, M3 3GS
It's been tipped for opening since 2022, so we're hoping 2024 is finally the year for Soho House to arrive in Manchester. This spring, we might just get our wish. It'll emulate the 50s and 60s inspiration of its location, the former Granada Studios, across stunning decor - and applications to be a member are open now.
Expect a glam rooftop pool with a late-night bar and live music space overlooking it, plus a formal dining area run by head chef James Lord, a gym, 23 bedrooms and a further indoor pool too. Downstairs, you'll also find the American-inspired Mollie's Motel & Diner as the icing on the cake of this anticipated development.
Rooftop views, an American diner and an outdoor pool all make Soho House a top choice on our 'coming soon' list.
Lina Stores
When: Spring 2025
Where: 17 Quay Street, M3 3HN
Also making a move north is the renowned Lina Stores, with the brand opening a restaurant, delicatessen and bar in Manchester this coming spring - so watch this space. Their first venue outside London (where they currently have locations in Soho, King's Cross and more), this occasion also marks 80 years since the original delicatessen opened its doors on Brewer Street, Soho. This regional restaurant reflects its counterparts in ethos; a space where only the finest Italian ingredients combine with an authentic experience of Italian hospitality.
It'll open on Quay Street - opposite the Opera House - in the recently refurbished Quoin building, taking over the ground floor with all-day dining; from Italian-inspired breakfast through to fresh pasta with lamb sausage ragu and chicken Milanese with Amalfi lemon at lunch and dinner. Expect an open kitchen for that element of theatre, plus their signature pastel colour accented by dark green booths, terrazzo and wood flooring, bespoke marble tables and original vintage Bentwood chairs. Similarly, the adjacent Bar Lina promises the tradition of aperitivo to the city across a space inspired by Italian design from late 1960s to 1970s, while an open-plan deli will provide the perfect space for a quick lunch of salads, sandwiches, and lemon and limoncello meringue cake.
Lina Stores Manchester promises pastel green hues and authentic Italian dining. Pictured: Lina Stores King's Cross.
Chotto Matte
When: Early 2025
Where: St. Michael's, Jackson Row, M2 5ND
Another well-known brand down in London that's making its way up north, Chotto Matte is a Nikkei restaurant specialising in Japanese-Peruvian cuisine. So, what's so special about their Manchester venue?
It's going to be the crowning glory of Gary Neville's St Michael's development on Jackson Row, occupying a huge 20,000 square foot of space across a rooftop and multiple tiered terraces for the ultimate wow-factor. And if that wasn't enough, the Instagrammable element continues with live entertainment and late-night DJs, alongside sushi torched at your table and robata grill dishes.
Sushi and panoramic scenes? It can only be new opening Chotto Matte.
Treehouse Hotel Manchester
When: TBC 2025
Where: Blackfriars Street, M3 2EQ
Treehouse Hotel has been 'taking root' just off Deansgate since 2022 and is eagerly awaited - and not just for the signature secret garden look, rooftop views and living green walls that make the London location is so popular. We're most excited about the new bars and restaurants coming to Manchester's hottest hotel opening. Sam Grainger - chef-patron of Belzan and Madre - is launching a 14th-floor eatery fusing British and South-East Asian fare and a stand-alone bar, while Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford from Volta will curate the music and entertainment on these upper floors.
On the ground floor, Manchester chef Mary-Ellen McTague, who worked alongside Heston Blumenthal at his esteemed Michelin-starred restaurants and ran The Creameries until its sad closure, will lead low-waste restaurant Pip. The menu will be focused around seasonal ingredients from local suppliers and regenerative farms - minimising the restaurant's carbon footprint - and the wine list follows a similar vein; organic, biodynamic and low-intervention bottles for a focus on sustainability. Featuring new flavours and unconventional ingredients, the dishes here span everything from Carlingford oysters with fennel kimchi liquor to Lancashire hotpot with pickled red cabbage and oyster ketchup, plus rhubarb fool with olive oil biscuits for dessert.
Pip will be well worth the wait.
Big Mamma
When: To Be Confirmed
Where: St. Michael's, Jackson Row, M2 5ND
Parisian restaurant group Big Mamma are known for the Instagrammable interiors at their London locations, spanning everything from Sicilian trattoria Circolo Popolare to the 70s Capri-style looks of Gloria and a maximalist Florence-inspired venue in the form of Ave Mario. They've chosen Manchester as their second UK venture outside of the capital (Birmingham is also coming soon), with whispers that they'll also be coming to the St Michael's development.
While there aren't many other details right now, we think the earliest they'll arrive is 2025. Expect a gorgeous Italian restaurant serving creamy truffle pasta, spaghetti in cheese wheels, oozing burrata and tender veal dishes, all accompanied by twists on classic cocktails or fine wine. And don't miss out on the limoncello either.
Jaccuzi gives you a taste of what Big Mamma Manchester could look like.
After new bars opening? Check out the ones we've spied, then sign up to our newsletter to have the latest sent straight to your inbox.
