Contact Bar & Kitchen
Wednesday 1st December
GRUB have been commissioned to takeover the food and drink offering over at the newly refurbished Contact Theatre – creating ‘Contact Bar & Kitchen’ and working with one of the best street food chefs in the north – Tikka Chance On Me’s Michael Anderson. The kitchen will open on Wednesday 1st with a fully curated menu of Indian-inspired dishes, alongside a packed bar with beers from independent breweries such as Green Quarter’s Runaway Brewery, Manchester Union, Fierce Beer, and a unique range of cocktails created by GRUB’s in-house mixologists.
Jardim Brazilian BBQ
Thursday 2nd December
From the co-founder of Fazenda comes this all-you-can-eat restaurant – taking over the old Post Office building on Stamford New Road in Altrincham. They’ll offer the traditional Brazilian ‘rodizio’ meat selection that we’re all accustomed to, with an endless stream of grilled meats, served alongside unlimited sides and salads from the bar. There’s also the promise of a “large choice of lighter options” too, as well as a more seasonal, local approach to ingredients too.
The Brasserie @ Harvey Nichols
Wednesday 1st December
The Brasserie at Harvey Nichols is now open for Christmas and we can’t wait to get in there and enjoy the ambience and fantastic food offering. The menu offers all-day dining, fine wines, Champagnes and cocktails, and puts a spin on traditional British dishes and “elevates modern European cuisine to new levels”. There’s also a dedicated 3-course Christmas Party menu to get to grips with too.
Bread Flower Café at KAMPUS
Wednesday 1st December
Okay, so Bread Flower actually opened up their café at the end of November – but I don’t care – they’re in this list and you better get over it. Because they didn’t get included in November’s round up – they’re here and you should probably head on down to KAMPUS to grab yourself some of these outstanding open bagel sandwiches, bouquets, wreaths and table centrepieces and plenty more.
Bar Rumbug
Thursday 2nd December
A pop-up from the Salford Rum Company – and with a name like ‘Bar Rumbug’ you just know this is going to be a Christmas themed gaff. Launching on the 2nd December, the pop-up will be located at what’s set to be Salford Rum’s forthcoming Dirty Old Ton Distillery, in the railway arches on Viaduct Street. Expect loads of rum, local beers and (potentially) all of your favourite Christmas tunes on loop.
Cibo Great Northern
December TBC
Cibo on Liverpool Road have secured themselves an impressive new restaurant location – in the old ‘Home Sweet Home’ spot in the Great Northern. They’ll have a bigger kitchen, more seating and just generally much more square footage to offer more excellent Italian dishes and drinks. They’ll also be introducing an Italian Bottomless Brunch – which we’re looking forward to immensely.
Sicilian NQ @ Deansgate Square
Thursday 9th December
Joining the Italian Christmas Markets over at Deansgate Square is Sicilian NQ, who will have their own chalet and have created a new menu of ‘Arancino & Chips’ and Special Christmas Puddings. Their range of arancino is always bang-on – huge stuffed rice balls served with their homemade ragu, and with chips? This is going to be gooood! On the sweet side – they’ve created a couple of sweet arancino which are a must-try, plus their Panettone, Cannolo and Cakes.
The Wild Goose
Friday 10th December
A new addition to Altrincham from the team behind the wildly successful Tre Ciccio – The Wild Goose will be taking over the iconic ‘Francs’ site on Goose Green. Not much is known about The Wild Goose at the moment, except that the menu is inspired by classic European dishes, and will be put together using the best locally sourced produce and paired with an exciting wine and drinks menu.
Vurger Co.
December TBC
You’ll have probably noticed the boardings and branding up for Vurger Co. on the ground floor of that new(ish) block of flats in the Northern Quarter opposite Black Dog. It’ll be their first foray into the north and after considerable success in Shoreditch and Brighton over the last couple of years – should do well in this busy NQ spot. There’s still no concrete opening information from them – if things go right it might be December, or if not – early 2022.
