21 Oct LUYA’s Lowdown on… Manchester
It’s certainly no secret that here at LUYA we love to eat out. We’re fans of everything from the small, independent restaurants hidden deep in the countryside to busy food markets and fancy venues in the hustle and bustle of the city centre. This month, we’re giving you The Lowdown on Manchester.
- KALA
Having opened in May this year, KALA is the sixth restaurant in the Elite Bistros empire, located on King Street. KALA’s menu features bistro style dishes, such as burrata, beef tartare, braised featherblade and crème caramel, as well as bread baked on-site and Elite Bistros’ famed truffle and parmesan chips. The city-centre restaurant also offers an all-day menu at the bar, featuring small, simple and delicious British dishes. With its contemporary and comfortable interior (and two glowing national reviews to boot), KALA is definitely a must on anyone’s trip to Manchester.
- Australasia
A stylish sanctuary hidden under the heart of Manchester, Australasia offers more than just a beautiful backdrop for all your favourite Insta-stars’ feeds, with modern Australian food bursting with exciting, fresh flavours. The menu features a range of exquisite sushi and light tempura, robata grill favourites and ‘big’ and ‘small’ plates including black cod roasted in hoba leave and chicken breast with sesame miso. Its interiors are modern with driftwood features adding to the exotic vibes. So, enter through the glass pyramid, descend down the staircase and enjoy a world of delicious flavours and cocktails.
- Mana
The name that has been on everyone’s lips this month is undoubtedly Mana. Open less than 12 months, the Ancoats restaurant has given Manchester its first Michelin star in 44 years and in our opinion, thoroughly deserved. The venue, headed up by Chef Simon Martin who trained at Copenhagen’s Noma, serves “exciting modern dishes with Nordic influences”. Following a ‘hyper-seasonal’ ethos, the menu currently features such dishes as monkfish liver tart and blackcurrants, Scottish langoustines with cured egg yolk and spruce, and yakitori-style eel with roasted yeast and blueberry.
- Hawksmoor
Set within a restored Victorian courthouse on Deansgate, Hawksmoor offers famous grass-fed British beef and sustainably sourced seafood, as well as an array of delicious sides from triple cooked chips to roasted field mushrooms and buttered English greens. The interior features a lot of reclaimed materials from the area, including parquet flooring from another Manchester courthouse, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. This, paired with their famed service, means that Hawksmoor is a fail-safe good time in the city.
- Enxaneta at Tast
Owned by Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, Tast opened in 2018 with Enxaneta at Tast, their ‘gastronomic dining experience’ opening a few months later. Head Chef Paco Perez is at the helm (his ‘Restaurant Miramar’ in Spain has two Michelin Stars, and he has earned three more at other establishments) so it’s no surprise that the menu is something to behold. Aiming to ‘take you on a culinary adventure across Catalonia, on a journey through the senses’, the choice of two tasting menus feature the likes of artichoke with black truffle rice, langoustine cannelone and wagyu ‘in two steps’.
