The
fantastic restaurant on the top of URBIS closed
its doors without notice on Monday 21st February
as the Millennium Quarter Trust, which funds the
building, decides on its future. In preparation
for the arrival of the National Football Museum,
construction work is currently taking place on the
floors below however rumours are abound that the
The Modern will be replaced by a more museum-orientated
offering instead come the launch in Autumn.
Puccinis
in Swinton, arguably the best Italian restaurant in
Manchester, are behind the opening of a new outlet
in Ashton-under-Lyne. Loyal manager Robert will be
joined by Christopher, one of the young Pucci twins,
in the venture. Rumours are that they reluctantly
turned down an offer from regular customer Gary Neville
to run his planned Swinton restaurant as it was too
close to their existing branch. Those plans were also
rejected by the council because of a lack of car parking.
Following
Living Ventures purchase of Paul Heathcotes Spanish
restaurant, it has been confirmed that Grado will
join The Grill On The Alley in becoming a Blackhouse
Grill in March 2011. It will more than likely be refurbished
to try and improve the ambience, for which it is so
often criticised for at present.
Following
a fire in December, just days ahead of the planned
launch of the plush brasserie in the grand building
vacated by Atheneum, Browns has finally opened its
doors to the public on the 28th January 2011.
Pride
Of Manchester members were invited to a week of free
taster sessions ahead of the launch and the feedback
has been fantastic, with the Steak, Mushroom &
Guiness Pie, Veal Schnitzel, and Wild Boar & Chorizo
Burgers going down especially well.
After
3 years as Executive Chef at Michael Caines restaurant
in Manchester, the Pride Of Manchester Award-winning
"Best Restaurant in Manchester" in both
2009 & 2010, talented chef and star of The Great
British Menu, Ian Matfin, has ended his 8 year relationship
working for the double Michelin star chef to pursue
a new challenge.
He
will be replaced by Mark Rossi, who has been Executive
Chef at Michael Caines Canterbury for the past 6 years
The
Knutsford based company behind Grill On The Alley
and Gusto have bought three of Paul Heathcote's Olive
Press-branded outlets in Cheadle Hulme, Liverpool
and Manchester city centre, as well as his Spanish
restaurant, Grado, on New York Street and the London
Road restaurant in Alderley Edge.
London
Road has already been rebranded as Grill On The Edge,
whilst it's likely the Olive Press restaurants will
be rebranded as Gustos in 2011.
Olive
Press Bolton and Simply Heathcotes Liverpool have now closed
down with the celebrity chef continuing to run his original
Longridge Restaurant, the Olive Press in Preston and his
newly-opened Heathcotes Grill & Bar in Clitheroe.
Looking
forward to running a smaller more focused family restaurant
business, Paul Heathcote stated:
“The
deal will allow me to concentrate on gaining recognition
for a small group of restaurants. I have high ambitions
for my original restaurant and the new restaurant in Clitheroe.
I am still a shareholder and director in the Heathcotes
Outside catering business, of which I am very proud. We
have some prestigious contracts and more in the pipeline
and it continues to be an exciting business to be involved
in. I have always said that at 50 I would change the way
I worked. After nearly 35 years in the business I still
have ambitions, including gaining Michelin recognition for
Longridge."
Stockport Greek restaurant, Rozafa Taverna,
is set to open a Manchester city centre branch in the premises
by the side of the town hall, previously occupied by the ill-fated
Crisp many years back. ~
22nd Feb 2011
JD Wetherspoons have opened The Mardi Gras,
a jazz themed bar and restaurant at The Trafford Centre. They've
spent £1million pound developing the former Dexter’s
Bar & Grill outlet. ~
22nd Feb 2011
Sous Chef takeaway in Didsbury is set to become a new restaurant
called The Rose Garden. ~
22nd Feb 2011
Beetham Hotels Manchester Ltd, who own the franchise for the
Hilton on Deansagte have gone into administration.
The Hilton Hotel Group will continue to manage the hotel and
its restaurant Podium
as normal for the time being. ~
21st Feb 2011
Australasia, the exciting new casual fine
dining restaurant from the guys behind Grill On The Alley,
Gusto and The
Alchemist is set to open in May. Located underneath Georgio
Armani in Spinnigfields, the menu is based around Pacific
Rim Pan Asian cuisine with former Young Australian Chef of
Year, Paul Greening, heading the kitchen. Meanwhile, the glass
pyramid entrance on Deansgate has been erected. ~
10th Feb 2011
Living Ventures are obviously loving Spinningfields as Australasia
and The
Alchemist (Olive Press
and Grill On The Alley
are also just across the road), are set to be joined by Marmalade,
a new casual dining, coffee and tea house, offering deli sandwiches
and sushi. Again it opens in May. ~
10th Feb 2011
Ithaca,
the spectacular multi-million pound failure on John Dalton
Street, is set to re-open in March as Vertigo
restaurant and bar, keeping many of the expensive original
features. ~
10th Feb 2011
The unit vacated by the Rags To Bitches shop
on Tib Street in the Northern Quarter is set to become a vintage
tea room if a license is granted. ~
10th Jan 2011
Bristol-based Sanguine Hospitality have announced plans to
build a 150-bed hotel with a Marco Pierre White
restaurant in the derelict City Buildings, next to Victoria
Station and URBIS. ~
6th Jan 2011
Dulcimer,
the fantastic folk bar in Chorlton has closed down, together
with its sister restaurant, Charango, presumably
as a result of the debts from their brief flirtation with
the ill-fated Ostara restaurant. ~
6th Jan 2011
Luso,
the Portuguese restaurant on Bridge Street has gone into liquidation.
After opening in 2006, they won rave reviews for the food
but, in our opinion, failed badly with their promotion and
marketing. ~
6th Jan 2011
Simple
have opened up a second outlet, Simple Bar &
Grill, just around the corner from their Tib Street
home, in the building formerly occupied by Bulb,
at The Light apartments on Church Street. ~
1st January 2011
