Escape to Freight Island landed with a bang in summer, carving out a 600-capactiy open-air venue from the £1 billion Depot Mayfield regeneration project, with street food traders and live music creating a festival vibe. The first phase, known as Platform 15, has been transformed into a winter market, but in the meantime the team has been working to transform the former railway station into a fully indoor, socially-distanced seated venue.
The Ticket Hall will feature old Manchester favourites from Altrincham’s Sugo Pasta Kitchen, to Northenden’s Vietnamese gem Mi & Pho, while fresh faces will include Plant Grill, from meatless burger heroes Firebird Hope, and El Boleto, a Basque-style deli selling small plates and Mediterranean produce to take home.
Lattsam
Chomping at the bit since spring 2020, the bearded rascals at Beatnikz Republic brewery have been waiting patiently to fling open the doors to their new Scandi-style cafe and bar.
Since December, Lattsam has brought a little slice of hipster heaven to the outskirts of Chinatown, showcasing rotating artisan coffee from local Manchester roastery Grindsmith and keg lines flowing with its in-house brew alongside Danish guests Mikkeller and Warpigs. Taking square aim at the WFH crowd, an all-day brunch menu covers everything Swedish from waffles to meatball brioche buns, while the sweet toothed can enjoy a range of waffles with a Nordic flavour twist.
Social Square
A game-changer of a kosher concept, Social Square by Ed from Feast brings al-fresco pop-up dining to the Maccabi car park.
Tempting mums and dads away from the footie are a slew of street food stands including Cabana firing out Latin spice, Street Deli for stacked bagels, Fire Pit tasked with hot barbecue action, Stew + Brew for beer and cholent, and Huevo to nurse that Sunday brunch hangover, which may well have been caused by neighbouring bar, Liquor, boasting an impressive selection of sours.
A casual indoor dining concept is on the horizon, until then it’s a pre-match winter warm up refereed by the Manchester Beth Din.
Celia’s Kitchen
Ed’s not the only caterer looking to hunker down in bricks and mortar, as the old JS restaurant on Kings Road makes way for a new kosher deli headed up by veteran party starter Celia Clyne.
If you’ve been to a Manchester simcha in the last 20 years, chances are you’ll know the drill. Alongside her famous Jewish dishes, her all-singing all-dancing chef cooks the gamut of Indo-Chinese and middle eastern cuisines. Freshly baked bagels, soups and a classic Salt Beef on rye along with a range of pies are the order of the day. By night, burgers and shwarma come out to play. Head down on a Friday to take away a full shabbat dinner – we’ll let you off!
Gorge
BBQ-enthusiast Stephen Vickerstaff, the brainchild behind The Manchester Barbecue Company, has flown in the tropical Latin vibes to Bury New Road with a new flame grilled bar and bistro.
The resident mixologist has been let loose on a creative cocktail menu conjuring sandy Copacabana beaches – think espresso martinis with a shot of Patron, and cachaça and coconut milk with a twist of lime. Once you’ve whet the whistle, serious hunks of meats are flamed to your liking churrasco style (straight over the coals), from thick-cut tomahawk steaks to 12-hour brisket, served up with punchy salads and black bean stews. For dessert, did someone say cake in a jar?