As spring continues to do its thing, thoughts turn to outdoor drinks, longer evenings and warmer temperatures, and there are a host of new places to do it all popping up across the city this month.
There are underground bars, ice cream spots and (of course) another Tim Hortons, so let’s dive into what’s throwing open its doors this May…
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Red Light
A new LGBTQ cocktail bar, Red Light will be landing on the handsome Little David Street later this month, promising upscale cocktails, indie craft beers, music, art and dimly-lit vibes. Just a hop from the quickly expanding Kampus, with Nell’s, Yum Cha and Pollen already nicely established, this will be a fabulous addition to the growing neighbourhood.
Little David Street, Manchester, M1 3GA
Almost Famous Withington
Almost Famous is heading out to the suburbs, taking over what was briefly The Libertine pub in the old bank on the high street. It’ll be turning out its line in highly-stacked, insanely topped burgers, as well as being something of a neighbourhood boozer too, with film nights and pub quizzes. It’ll also have its own burger, the Southside, and do take-out as well, meaning nearby Chorlton, Didsbury and Burnage will be able to get Almost Famous delivered to their door.
437 Wilmslow Rd, Withington, Manchester M20 4AN
Nightcap
The owners of Another Heart To Feed discovered there was a huge basement area running the length of their place and the units next door in the Northern Quarter. So they’ve turned it into a very smart subterranean bar for the night owls, with great music, great drinks and some very nice original decor too. Anyone who misses lost nights downstairs at Cord bar should head on down.
10 Hilton St, Manchester M1 1JF
The Little Dutch Cafe
Moving from Alty Market trading to its own permanent cafe spot, family-run Papa Dutch will be turning out puffy poffertjes (little mini-pancakes) and (good heavens) their own homemade stroopwafels from their new location in Goose Green, called The Little Dutch Cafe. It will be hard not to go every single day.
3 Goose Grn, Altrincham WA14 1DW
Maki and Ramen
Already a hit in Glasgow and Edinburgh, with a few branches opening up in quick succession, Maki & Ramen are making their first foray south of the border in Manchester. Expect excellent tonkotsu, noodles and sushi right in the centre of town.
11 York St, Manchester M2 2AW
Rudy’s Portland Street
Rudy’s latest and most ambitious pizza spot will not only be slinging out pies. Though it will be doing plenty of that. Housed in the old Dawson’s music store, this huge glass-fronted unit will also be the now-nationwide brand’s very first pizza school. So you can eat a pizza, and then learn how to make one. Smart, eh?
30 Portland St, Manchester M1 4GS
Oppio Lounge
From the people behind the ‘lounges’ - Benito in Chorlton, Expo in Didsbury and Bevano in Urmston, plus about 15,000 others across the UK - the Oppio Lounge is now open for business in Altrincham, providing breakfast, lunch, brunch, probably blunch, and in all likelihood blinner and dinner. They’re open all day, basically.
63 George St, Altrincham WA14 1RJ
Sweet!
From the minds behind Hula and the backstreet speakeasy The Fitzgerald, a new dessert place just in time for the sun to come out. Sweet!, on Stevenson Square, will be hard to walk past, with its array of colourful gelatos from Mrs Downson’s, a dairy farm out in the Ribble Valley producing some wonderful ice cream, as well as some belting vegan-friendly sorbets too.
9 Stevenson Square, Manchester M1 1DB
Three Little Words at Kampus
Cocktail mavens Three Little Words will be emerging from their archway home at the foot of Deansgate and setting up a residency at Kampus this month, moving into the excellent bungalow space for some pop-up booze action. There will be spritzes and other excellent concoctions to imbibe on the canal-side terrace.
Aytoun St, Manchester M1 3GL
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