It’s been a busy year for Greater Manchester’s hospitality scene. There’s been a variety of new restaurants to try out, including the Michelin-tipped Skof by Tom Barnes; a new fine dining spot inside a transformed Rochdale Town Hall; and a luxury Italian-American restaurant where photos are strictly banned.
This year has also seen more London brands make the move up North. That included Blacklock with roasts ‘almost as good as your mums’; Caravan, with its New Zealand-inspired brunches; and more bakery sites from Gail’s – the latter ruffling some feathers in some Greater Manchester towns.
The bar scene has also flourished, with a wealth of new places to try including a crop of new Irish bars, another craft beer haven at a Manchester railway station, and a city centre bar hidden in the basement of a burger joint. Summer also saw the arrival of Manchester’s swish new hotel with canalside views.
As we look to the year ahead, we’re also gearing up for a host of new restaurants, bars and hotly-anticipated hotels to open across the region. Below we take a look at some of those opening up their doors this year – from the massive curry house inside the Stockport Pyramid, to the host of eateries arriving at the Trafford Centre and Manchester Airport.
Manchester Airport Food Court and luxury shops
The new Terminal 2 will include the ‘Great Northern Market’, a food-hall style eating experience
(Image: Manchester Airport)
In September it was revealed that 20 new shops, bars and restaurants would be opening at Manchester Airport’s new Terminal 2 in 2025. It will feature a new market hall-style street food dining experience, as well as high street favourites like JD Wetherspoon and Greggs. As well as luxury retailers like Chanel opening its first standalone airport boutique, Fever Tree will open its own bar too.
Part of the airport’s £1.3bn transformation programme, the Great Northern Market – a 472-seat food hall – will bring the best of Manchester’s street food scene to the airport and feature six international food kitchens and a Gooey dessert section. Elsewhere, there will also be a new Joe and The Juice, plus an extension to the popular Amber Alehouse by Salford Brewery Seven Bro7hers.
Luxury brands like Chanel and the Fever-Tree bar will be situated in a Boutique Mall, while LEGO, Pandora and Rituals will be located on a high street style shopping strip called The Avenue, which will link up with the existing departure lounge in the section of Terminal 2 that is already open.
Chotto Matte
How Chotto Matte at the St Michael’s development in Manchester will look
(Image: Chotto Matte)
This year we were given a glimpse at a new rooftop restaurant that will be part of Gary Neville’s £400m St Michael’s development. Chotto Matte, a Japanese-Peruvian restaurant will take the 20,000 sq ft space for its new restaurant and will be able to seat 450 diners.
The new development is situated on Jackson’s Row on the site of the former Bootle Street police station. CGIs released earlier this year show terrace seating, a fire pit and views across the city, as well as an indoor sushi area and contemporary-style design.
Founder Kurt Zdesa, formerly of the Nobu and Hakkasan chains, has already established Chotto Matte restaurants in Miami and Toronto, and this will be the second in the UK outside London. The restaurant will focus on Nikkei cuisine and combine Peruvian and Japanese influences. In December, it was reported that the Marylebone site would shut to give the team a chance to focus on the new Manchester opening.
The Royal Nawaab at Stockport Pyramid
Plans have been given the go ahead for the iconic Stockport Pyramid to be transformed into a ‘luxurious dining experience’.
(Image: Royal Nawaab)
It’s been years in the making – and the source of inspiration for some Greater Manchester musicians – but 2025 will finally see the arrival of The Royal Nawaab at Stockport Pyramid. The iconic curry house was given the green light to turn the landmark venue into a huge dining hall and events space by Stockport Council back in November.
Planning was granted for the ‘luxurious dining experience’ after the building, which is sometimes dubbed the ‘eighth wonder of the world’, lay empty since 2018. Built in 1992, there were originally plans for four more pyramids, but it eventually became the Co-operative’s base for their call centre.
The venue in Stockport is set to open in the first quarter of 2025 and will include a restaurant with a capacity to accommodate 350 diners on the ground floor. There will also be three premium banqueting facilities, ranging from the smallest, with a maximum capacity of 150 covers; a medium sized banqueting suite with a maximum capacity of 300 covers to the largest with a maximum capacity of 700 covers.
Mahboob Hussain, of Royal Nawaab, said: “Living close to Stockport, the Pyramid has always been an iconic symbol of the town for me. It is unique and we are thrilled to be bringing Royal Nawaab Manchester. This is definitely not ‘a curry house’. Royal Nawaab will be a destination and will attract visitors from across the UK and beyond to experience the best cuisine in the most stunning of settings.”
Cut & Craft
The Cut & Craft, which has sites in Leeds and York, will be opening within a historic Manchester location in Spring 2025
(Image: The Cut & Craft)
A stylish new steak and seafood restaurant will launch within one of Manchester’s most historic buildings in 2025. The Cut & Craft, which has sites in Leeds and York, will open on the corner of Mosley Street and York Street inside the former Royal Bank of Scotland site, now known as ‘Bond’.
Originally designed by famed Mancunian architect Edward Walters, The Cut & Craft will be housed within the final extravagant palazzo-style building in the city. The Grade II-listed building dates back to 1862 and has been carefully restored to its former glory following significant investment.
The 150-cover restaurant boasting towering ceilings, intricate cornicing and original features will also house a stunning destination bar serving premium cocktails, sparkling wine and Champagne. The extensive restoration project will also see unique private dining and entertainment spaces created within the former subterranean vaults.
In terms of the menus, the restaurant will showcase locally-reared steak and fish specials, as well as freshly-shucked oysters, Exmoor caviar and hand-cut beef tartare with breaded yolk and sesame croutons, amongst other dishes. The Cut & Graft menus also include brunch and dessert, while drinks include its Crafted Tales cocktails which are unique to each of the restaurant’s locations.
Trafford Centre
The new-look China Town area has reopened at the Trafford Centre allowing shopppers through to The Orient after a major refurbishment
(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
This December saw the reopening of the former China Town area at the Trafford Centre following a big budget makeover – but this is only just the beginning. The passageway is one of the main routes through The Orient central food court and has been closed for months for the revamp.
Bosses reopened what they describe as the ‘Upper Orient’ area in the lead up to Christmas, but a new name will be unveiled in the New Year. Giving shoppers a sneak peek at what’s to come, there’s a new circular entrance and a statement pink cherry blossom tree.
New restaurants launching at the site include Manchester Chinese restaurant and food hall Hello Oriental, and high-end Japanese-Peruvian restaurant Nichi, taking over a 3,000 sq ft space and offering sushi, Wagyu and tableside flambé. Already bedded in are Rusholme legends Chit ‘n’ Chaat, with their menu of curries, noodles, and breads.
Also announced to take over a unit inside the new Upper Orient space will be independent bakery and kitchen Blanchflower, known for its popular sites in Altrincham and Sale. The new Blanchflower will not be opening until the New Year.
Soho House
How the rooftop pool at the top of Soho House in Manchester is likely to look
(Image: Soho House)
Despite a few delays, 2025 should see the arrival of exclusive members’ club Soho House. Located in the St John’s neighbourhood in the heart of the city and taking over the Old Granada Studios site, Soho House had initially been slated to open in late 2022, but the brand’s first North of England outpost has been delayed numerous times.
As well ‘unforeseen building delays’ confirmed in July this year, its original constructors also entered administration and ceased trading in May.
Soho House will take over five floors of the former Granada Studios building, while another five floors of the vast space will become a Mollie’s Hotel, a sister venue from the operator, inspired by American motels. The interiors of Soho House Manchester will “take inspiration from the history of the Old Granada Studios and its 1950s-1960s heritage”.
It will offer 23 bedrooms on the 6th floor dedicated to members, which will range from cosy rooms to large suites plus a vast two-bedroom private apartment that can be booked. Membership of Soho House is open to “creatives” and involves filling in an application form. Once approved for membership, you gain access to the House with up to three guests.
Mollie’s Manchester
Mollie’s Manchester will open in summer 2025
(Image: Supplied)
Mollie’s Manchester will be the motel and diner brand’s third and largest site to date and its first city centre site. The new opening will occupy 100,000 sq ft of the city’s iconic 1950s landmark, the Old Granada Studios in Quay Street, the first purpose-built television studio in the UK.
When it opens in summer 2025, it will feature 128 rooms across five floors (with 23 bedrooms for Soho House guests on the sixth floor), a state-of-the-art gym for Soho House members and Mollie’s guests, the classic Soho House designed Mollie’s diner, a lounge-lobby combining bar, food-on-the-go, sociable co-working space and an informal living-room vibe as well as a large, open-plan cocktail bar with live music and entertainment.
Treehouse Hotel Manchester
Treehouse Manchester
(Image: Treehouse Manchester)
Though it was originally slated to open in 2023, it is now thought that Treehouse Hotel Manchester will open in early 2025. Looming large at the far end of Manchester’s Deansgate, it has taken root on the site of what was once Manchester’s Renaissance Hotel and is still being redeveloped by the Treehouse brand.
When it opens, the hotel will have 224 rooms, and will feature a similar style to that seen at its London hotel – a bar and restaurant on the 14th floor, and rooftop bar The Nest with stunning views across the whole city.
Mary-Ellen McTague, known for her former restaurants Aumbry and The Creameries in Manchester, will take over the ground floor restaurant, with plans for a sustainable, ‘zero waste’ all-day menu. Meanwhile, Sam Grainger, the young chef behind Belzan and Madre, will be in charge of the 14th floor restaurant, which will focus on a pan-Asian concept.