Manchester restaurant bosses have banded together to hit back at Ilkay Gundogan’s wife after she claimed there was nowhere nice to eat in the entire city.
Sara Arfaoui married the Manchester City midfielder earlier this year and has relocated from Italy to join her husband in the United Kingdom. But she incurred the wrath of local business owners, branding all Manchester restaurants as “horrible”.
The 27-year-old, during an Instagram Q & A, was asked to name some of her favourite places to eat out in the city. But rather than offer recommendations, she replied: "Sorry I'm sad to be honest but nothing. I tried so bad to find a good restaurant but... horrible food everywhere.
"Can't find a real Italian or good sushi or just fresh food .. everything frozen. Restaurants here are just focus on making money with drinks and shot like night clubs not quality food."
And Manchester Evening News have been gathering responses from many of the critically acclaimed eateries in the city, who have pulled no punches with their responses to the Italian.
Gary Usher, owner of Kala in the city centre and Hispi in Didsbury, took to Twitter to weigh in on the debate. “We have two restaurants in Manchester & I’m genuinely delighted that footballers & their wives don’t come because I’d be questioning our offer if they did. Good taste & class is hardly synonymous with footballers wives & their leopard print themed cinema rooms.”
Liverpool-based chef Sam Granger, who is due to open a restaurant in Manchester later this year said: “I would really like to know where she's actually been in Manchester, as she clearly hasn’t researched and looked where to go.
"It’s really damaging to hospitality at the moment, everything is on a knife edge and we could lose everything, so these comments could really destroy us - it's just really wrong. I honestly think Manchester’s food scene is unbelievable and it's just going to get better and better. You’re going to see all the London restaurants heading this way - we’re really at the forefront.”
Renowned food critic Jay Rayner was quoted by the Sun responding to the initial post: “This is a ludicrous point of view. Manchester’s packed full of brilliant, independent restaurants.
"It's an absolute gem of a place to eat and comments like this during difficult economic times are not helpful to businesses struggling to make ends meet."
Man City skipper Gundogan also found himself in some hot broth when another notable restaurant owner hit back - his manager Pep Guardiola.
The former Barcelona boss was asked about the comments in his pre-match press conference on Friday and joked: “What I’m disappointed about is they’ve not been to my restaurant – that’s what annoys me. Gundo is not going to play one more minute this season. I’m going to invite her – and Gundo as well – to go to Tast and of course they are going to eat properly.”
