Just when you thought The Ivy Spinningfields couldn’t get any more fabulous, it goes and opens a festive Christmas hideout on its opulent, third-floor terrace. As is customary for this en vogue venue, the whole affair is nothing short of lavish, providing a rather glamorous alternative for when you’re done traipsing around market stalls, wrapped in ten different layers and three pairs of thermal socks.
Stay cosy at this Manchester rooftop pop-up.
Leading on from its first birthday celebrations, The Ivy has transformed its gorgeous roof terrace into a cosy winter wonderland, complete with seasonal cocktails in collaboration with Veuve Clicquot Champagne. Take your pick from the North Terrace or the South Terrace – the former a toasty woodland snug, the latter a twinkling homage to an icy Antarctica.
Drawn to all things cosy, I naturally gravitated towards the North Terrace - aka the North Pole - which is the absolute epitome of hygge. An army of frosted Christmas trees bedecked with fairy lights framed the intimate den which was warmed with heat lamps and completed with a crackling fire under the decadent mantelpiece.
From themed cocktails to seasonally-spruced desserts, The Ivy has gone full-force this winter.
A small (but beautiful) bar sits to the right of the entrance and it’s here that we picked our poison from the seasonal cocktail menu. We both went for the Winter Garden; a festive concoction of Champagne, rhubarb and ginger gin, maraschino, lemon, apple and lavender bitters. Expensive at just over £13 a pop, but undoubtedly luxurious... especially when we remember the motto of the month: f*ck it, it’s Christmas.
The two poles are separated by a restaurant and bar area where you can tuck into the themed menu. Highlights from the eclectic selection included the roast butternut squash with minty grains, crumbled feta, tart pomegranate seeds, hearty chickpeas, earth harissa and coriander sauce and a stunning pumpkin soup with truffle ricotta. We also fell head over heels for the chocolate brownie with candied pecans and malted banana ice cream – a dish I like to think Mr & Mrs Claus share with two spoons after a long, hard day at the workshop.
The Ivy's North and South Pole terraces are spreading the festive cheer until the New Year. Find out if you've been naughty or nice at The Ivy Spinningfields, The Pavilion, Byrom Street, Manchester, M3 3HG.
