New in Food: The Refuge, Squid Ink & more
The Ancoats regeneration continues in Manchester with Squid Ink and Cha-ology, while Unabombers' new bar The Refuge inches closer towards lift-off. Elsewhere, it's all about small plates as La Casita and Ricci's Tapas open in Leeds, and Chica opens in Liverpool.
If you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of new restaurant and bar openings in Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds, our monthly round-ups of the best new openings should help you choose somewhere new to try – from wood-fired pizza places to kid-friendly cafes. Opening a new food and drink venue in Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds? Let us know – send the details to jess@theskinny.co.uk.
New restaurants and cafes in Manchester
[Unabombers to open The Refuge]
The Refuge by Volta
Without doubt the most hotly anticipated new venue for Manchester, The Refuge at The Palace Hotel will be partly open to hotel guests throughout summer, before opening fully on 14 September. From the Unabombers team behind Didsbury's much-loved bar Volta, this city-centre 'creative lobby, public bar and dining room space' is part of The Palace Hotel’s multi-million pound renovation.
Can't wait that long? They're throwing a huge free party over the Pride weekend in one of the venue's hidden spaces. Find out more here. Oxford Road, opens 14 Sep
Luck, Lust, Liquor and Burn
The ground floor bar at Cali burrito joint Luck, Lust Liquor and Burn has had a pretty sweet new makeover, which has seen the space blossom into a cocktail bar in its own right rather than the thoroughfare to the restaurant upstairs that it often felt like before. Higher ceilings, more light and bar food make it more of a contender for the daytime, while a strong cocktail menu keeps things lively as the night draws in. Cosmic Watermelon Margs all round. High Street, Open now
Squid Ink
The Ancoats regeneration chugs on, now with the welcome addition of Squid Ink, which, unlike the much-hyped-about revival of the area, opened recently with minimal fanfare. Run by the elusive Anthony Barnes, who funded the venture himself, the restaurant is housed in a unit of the Nuovo building – with gym-themed cafe (more of that later) Kettlebell Kitchen not far down the strip.
The minimal, polished interior signals a new elegance that the area’s not always been famed for, yet Squid Ink aims to remain relatively relaxed through globe-trotting flavours from Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Caribbean and beyond (think pig's cheek Tonkatsu and sous-vide curried lamb fillet), and a menu that regularly rotates – so you won't be chowing down on the same dishes week after week. Great Ancoats Street, open now
Cha-ology
In the same building as Squid Ink, the Ancoats neighbourhood is also getting a taste of the Far East with Japanese tea room Cha-ology – another opening that’s crept up fairly unannounced. The space itself is sleek and calm, and you’re encouraged to sit on the floor of a raised platform, shoes kicked off and placed in a basket. It’s intended to be a place to relax and take your time; it's the very antithesis of some of the bustling coffee houses we see elsewhere. Great Ancoats Street, open now
Vero Moderno
Meanwhile, over in neighbouring Salford, there’s a new independent Italian gaff for
Caramello
The sweet-toothed among you will now be able to skip straight to pud, with the launch of Didsbury's Caramello Gelato and Patisserie. Get your sugar fix from the likes of pancakes, waffles, milkshakes, cakes and gelato. Wilmslow Road, open now
Pot Kettle Black
After relaunching last month with a new expanded space, Barton Arcade coffee spot has now also launched a new brunch menu, where it's all about twisted classics like eggs Benedict with cured pork loin, coconut porridge with rhubarb compote and chai-soaked fruit and N'duja baked eggs with rosemary toast. The whipped ricotta with fresh and preserved figs on toast sounds like an absolute dream, but when we went to check the menu out ourselves the standout had to be the Asian tofu and mushroom scramble with ginger, chilli and sesame, which is testament to how well the new menu caters to vegetarians and vegans. All kinds of yum.
Deansgate, brunch menu available daily 8am-3pm
New bars in Manchester
We had fun checking out the new @beatstreetmcr yesterday! Impressive booze, great food and lots of outside seating pic.twitter.com/kcvQa5yZVN
— The Skinny North (@TheSkinnyNorth) July 15, 2016
B.Eat Street
We went to check out the latest project from B.Eat Street, which this time is literally an entire street of bars and street food units. With traders Eat New York, Bart's Dog Kart, Bali Beach Hut, Lekker Eat Dutch, Chaat Cart, Jerk MCR and Big Grillie Style on food duties, you also have no fewer than three bars to choose from – two serving surprisingly good wine and gin on top of all the usual stuff; the other a Chinese restaurant themed cocktail bar called Lucky Lucky.
Pair this with unexpectedly strong outside seating potential, including a fairly large roof terrace, and it seems they’ve managed to turn a great concept into an amazing, multi-winning venue. Deansgate Mews, open now
Junkyard Golf
And now that B.Eat Street's all up and running, the team are also working hard on the reincarnation of pop-up concept Junkyard Golf Club, which will open in its new home opposite Piccadilly train station this August for a five-month run that'll take us through to Christmas. Along with the two new nine-hole golf courses, there will also be three bars and a second site for that aforementioned Bart's Dog Kart. Piccadilly Place, opens 1 Sep
New restaurants and cafes in Liverpool
Chicha
Peruvian small plates restaurant Chicha is the latest addition to Bold Street, and while it's not been around for long, it's already busy knocking up some serious praise. Expect innovative flavour combinations from dishes including sweetcorn and feta pancakes, king prawn ceviche and pickled fruit and vegetables, all to be eaten in a similarly vibrant setting that uses splashes of colour to remind you of the sunny ingedients on your plate. Bold Street, open now
Koop
Not content with the recent overhaul of their Bold Street site, formerly known as Chez Le Coq, Koop have also announced they'll be opening a second branch in Aigburth. Due to open at some point next month, it'll no doubt serve up more of that great New York-style fried chicken that we've come to love. Aigburth Road, due to open in August
Pure Cabin
Urging you not to let "those hard hours in the gym go to waste," Pure Cabin is a new fitness food restaurant serving up wholesome stuff like cottage cheese croquettes (hmmm), prosciutto-wrapped asparagus "slightly heated in coconut oil" (righto), four-egg omelettes and protein shakes. While the opening date has been moved back a couple of days, judging from social media the launch appears to be imminent... In the meantime, that iron ain't gonna pump itself, is it? Queen Square, opens late July/early August
New bars in Liverpool
Tom Hall's Tavern
After lying untouched and unloved for three decades, Liverpool's historic Tom Hall's Tavern has re-opened following a £400,000 refurbishment. Original features remain, but have been given a slick new lease of life to create a stylish space for live music and live sports on the big screen – a fitting tribute to the 1920s Liverpudlian boxer from whom the bar takes its name. Brunswick Street, open now
Arthouse
Signature Living’s latest move is Arthouse, a movie-themed bar set in their new movie-themed hotel One Arthouse Square in the Ropewalks district. Paying homage to silent film and classic Hollywood-era cinema, cocktails are named after stars of the screen – some a little clumsily (we’re looking at you, Charlie Chapgin and Marilyn Monroetini) – while bar snacks cover the basics with pizzas, hotdogs and nachos. Seel Street, open now
New restaurants and cafes in Leeds
Stories
Oakwood's smart new cafe Stories has joined the area's small but strong army of independent venues, with Leeds native Emily Crocker at the helm following a 10-year stint in the capital. The minimalist, Scandi-style joint pairs simplicity with quality in both its decor and its food, where it's all white walls, geometrics and pine for the former, and open sandwiches, cakes from Noisette Bakehouse and boiled eggs with cultured butter for the latter – along with local North Star Coffee beans in the grinder. Roundhay Road, Oakwood, open now
Ricci's Tapas and Cicchetti
Halifax's Ricci's Tapas and Cicchetti has now branched out with a new outlet in Leeds, taking over the Grade II-listed Goodbard House in the city's financial district. The ever-popular small plate concepts from Spain and Italy join forces for a menu of shareable dishes like chorizo cooked in cider, Sicilian roasted poussin and poached hake with cockles, asparagus and 'Nduja, while a 'secret gin den' takes up residence down in the basement. East Parade/Infirmary Street, open now
La Casita
Following success with its award-winning Ilkley flagship, tapas restaurant La Casita now also has a Leeds site on the go. Here, it's a smart, modern take on Spanish tapas, with dishes including braised Iberico pig cheek with Pedro Ximenez and celeriac puree, and the truffle puree Manchego croquetas with roasted onion puree. Puree a-go-go. Town Street, Horsforth, open now
In the pipeline...
Allied London have revealed plans to transform Spinningfields in Manchester with The Field, due to open later this year as an 'urban oasis' in the heart of the city with multiple bars and restaurants interlinked by green space.
And branching out from Spinningfields, the folk behind swanky Chinese restaurant Tattu will soon be taking on the Northern Quarter with a new project, Show Me, which will occupy the ground floor of Cheetwood House on Dale Street with a relaxed casual dining ethos.
In Liverpool, pay-per-minute cafe Ziferblat is getting a sister site, due to join the Albert Dock original with a location in St Paul's Square opening later this summer.