The best new food and drink to try in Manchester this May

Madre’s take on Mexican cuisine has proved a resounding hit during the team’s time in Liverpool and more recently, Escape to Freight Island. While talk of a move to Kampus has been the cards for a while now, it seems its finally happening at some point this month, which we couldn’t be more thrilled about.

Over in Urmston, an incredibly exciting new opening will celebrate British seasonal flavours via what the restaurant describes as an affordable tasting menu ‘with a nod to Mancunian charm’. The name, Örme, derives from the area that Urmston was once recognised as, way back in the 12th century. The tasting menu, along with a veggie version, starts at £45, with a drinks flight available for an additional £35.

The much-loved Three Little Words launch a brand new canal-side terrace bar at Kampus for a six-month residency. Part of the award-winning The Spirit of Manchester Distillery, the team will be serving up a gorgeous, seasonal array of cocktails throughout the warmer months.

Red Light, the brainchild of Deana Ferguson, a recent finalist at the Manchester Bar Awards, will serve innovative cocktails from a stunning Victorian warehouse off Little David Street. The bar’s name is a nod to the LGBT+ history of Kampus, with the canals and warehouses once at the heart of the cotton industry, but then becoming a hidden red-light district after the businesses wound down.

One of our favourite recent openings in town, Maray has unveiled its latest seasonal menu and it’s as brilliant as we’ve come to expect. The Baklava cheesecake is godly, you absolutely need to try it.

If your hypothetical Mastermind subject was hot chocolate then, my word, do we have the opening for you. Knoops, which is now open just on the corner of Cross Street and South King Street, has a menu boasting more than 20 different kinds, ranging from 28% white chocolate all the way up to 100% extra dark.

Taking over the former Solita site in Didsbury Village, Eastern Revive has added to its portfolio which already boasts restaurants in Knutsford, Stockton Heath and Wilmslow. The team have done a lovely job on the refurb, and given South Manchester’s affinity with Indian cuisine (Third Eye, The Great Kathmandu, Mughli), we’ve got high hopes.

Peru Perdu, another firm favourite of ours, has announced that the restaurant will now be open for lunch services from 12pm, and will be serving a new Prix Fixe and Pre-Theatre menu, priced at £14.95 for 2 courses or £18.95 for 3 courses.

Early diners are invited to start with Anticuchos Ancho (jaguar spice, Salvadorian ‘slaw, lime), Slow Tuna Salad (purple potato, Lima beans, tomatoes, olive, coriander, pickled chilli, duck egg, anchovy), Lobster Bisque (croutes, saffron aioli, hard egg yolk) or Chicken & Avo Flatbread (queso fresco, bonita). Mains include Steak Frites (U.W.A Picanha, polenta fries, chimichurri), Lomo Saltado (U.W.A fillet, sofrito), Pollo Tigre de Lȇche (buttermilk chicken thighs, tiger milk, sakura) or Mountain Curry (with red rice, roasted plantain, greens, and optional Argentine Red Prawns).