Since relocating from Ripponden in West Yorkshire to the pedestrianised side of King Street in spring 2016, Simon Shaw’s El Gato Negro has gone from strength to strength. Among the accolades to its name are back-to-back Bib Gourmand awards in 2017 and 2018 – making the only holder in Manchester – while neighbouring ventures including Quill and Suri have come and gone. Shaw recently revealed plans for Canto, a Portuguese restaurant set to open in Ancoats later this year, headed up by El Gato Negro’s head chef Carlos Gomes – but is there any risk that the new venture might distract the team from their original venture? We’d say not, based on our recent weekday visit: we tested several dishes that have been introduced to the menu this year – with chargrilled beef fillet skewer with mojo rojo (pictured) and cod pil-pil two of the highlights. Other new items include a chorizo selection – ideal as a sharer – plus several vegetarian options, with the heritage carrots among the best dishes we tried. El Gato Negro’s savoury refresh has quickly been followed with an updated dessert menu – and its new lemon meringue tart stole the show from the sweets list. Add to this refresh the introduction of Sunday sharing platters and it’s evident that El Gato Negro has no plans to rest on its laurels. Still, though, roll on autumn for a chance to put the team’s take on all things Portuguese to the test.
El Gato Negro, 52 King Street, Manchester, M2 4LY, Tel: 0161 694 8585, www.elgatonegrotapas.com
- Words:
- Chris Horkan
- Published on:
- Wed 30 May 2018
