When only the latest, hottest and biggest openings will do, Manchester has plenty that are sure to fit the bill. If you're feeling homey British restaurants from celebrated female chefs, Thai restaurants with Michelin acclaim, seafood bars courtesy of the team behind Higher Ground, and a new Mexican restaurant coming soon, then check out this list of the very best new restaurants Manchester has in store.
Discover our list of recommendations below, spanning top new openings from last year and places hot-off-the-press in 2026 too.
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Best New Restaurants Opening In Manchester
1. Treehouse Hotel
- When: June 2026
- Where: Blackfriars Street, M3 2EQ
Since opening its doors last year, Treehouse Hotel has been finalising its new spaces. The 14th floor is launching this June, featuring Sister Moon, a Southeast Asian barbecue restaurant, The Hideous (an intimate lounge bar) and rooftop bar The Nest.
The eatery is led by chef Sam Grainger, from Madre and Medlock Canteen, specialising in Thai cuisine inspired by Grainger’s experience cooking with a local family in Thailand. He's also collaborating with Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford, the team behind Volta, Electrik in Chorlton, Freight Island, The Refuge and Electric Chair.
There's a whole lot coming to Treehouse Hotel.
2. Portfolio MCR
- When: June 2026
- Where: 67-69 Bridge Street, M3 3BQ
The UK’s 1st Champagne Boutique, Portfolio MCR is opening in Manchester this June. You can head here for drinks or bar snacks, or venture to the restaurant for an 18-course tasting menu curated by Julian Pizer.
They serve 10 Champagnes by the glass, and more than 350 by the bottle. On the food menu? Everything from pork fat lobster rolls to black garlic hasselback potatoes and spring shoot salad tacos.
This Champagne bar and restaurant is truly unique.
3. The Counter
- When: September 2026
- Where: Island Building, 17-27 John Dalton St, Manchester M2 6FW
The renowned Open Restaurant Group is opening up a brand new location in the heart of Manchester. The Counter is set to be an all-day dining spot in the city's Island Building.
Opening its doors in September, its menu will flow with the rhythm of the day. Get down here in the morning for breakfast flatbreads, tuck into indulgent rotisserie lunches or drop by for fine dinners finished with showstopping desserts like the knickerbocker glory.
A glimpse at what The Counter may look like.
4. Zadie's
- When: Autumn/Winter 2026
- Where: Medlock Square
The renowned Laura Montana is set to open a new venue in Manchester's Medlock Square. Sitting at the top of the upcoming Etihad Campus development, it's set to serve up refined pan-Asian dishes, creative cocktails and late night vibes.
Laura will be joined in the exciting new venture by several hospitality heavyweights, including head chef Paolo Bianchi of Zuma, Alain Ducasse and Lucky Cat and head of bars Cressida Lawlor, best know for Sexy Fish and Ego Death.
The vision for Zadie's at Medlock Square.
3. El Pastor
- When: TBC
- Where: TBC
Acclaimed restaurant group El Pastor operates four beloved venues in London, and they're promising a brand new site in Manchester. While it's still in the early stages, they have appointed boutique property consultancy Starka to acquire a large site for them, so we could be seeing them pop up somewhere in the city soon.
Renowned for their authenticity, these guys are known for serving some of the very best tacos around. Their existing menu features flavours like habanero-braised beef brisket, chipotle-coated soft-shell crab and tenderstem broccoli tempura, paired with premium tequila.
El Pastor are bringing their tantalising tacos to Manchester.
Best New Manchester Restaurants Open Now
1. Sticks'n'Sushi
- When: Now Open (March 2026)
- Where: Spinningfields Square, 14-15 The Avenue, Hardman Street, M3 3HF
The arrival of Sticks’n’Sushi in Spinningfields marks a sophisticated new chapter for Manchester’s dining scene. Taking over a striking two-storey corner designed by the award-winning architects Diener & Diener, the space is a visual masterclass in 'Japandi' style, where the clean, light-filled lines of Scandinavian design meet the meticulous precision of Japanese architecture.
The menu is a clever, high-wire act of 'Sushi and Sticks,' offering something for every palate. Expect bold, signature plates like beef tataki with truffle ponzu and the fan-favourite Hell’s Kitchen maki, alongside charcoal-grilled treasures like miso-marinated black cod.
Look forward to drinking a hibiscus margarita or their own-label yuzu pale ale.
2. Lennox
- When: Now Open (March 2026)
- Where: 2 John Dalton Street, M3 2BY
Celebrated chef Nico Simeone is shedding the theatricality of the tasting menu for his most personal project yet. In late March 2026, the Spring Gardens site of the famed Six by Nico will be reborn as Lennox, a 56-cover restaurant and bar that prioritises the raw, unfiltered energy of the kitchen over scripted storytelling.
Moving away from the rotating themes that defined his early success, Simeone describes Lennox as the 'other side of the coin' - a stripped-back, instinctive space where steel, concrete, and low lighting shift the focus entirely onto the plate. At the heart of the room sits a 'chef’s studio' kitchen, anchored by a built-in Japanese barbecue and visible dry-ageing fridges for steak and fish. The menu will feature elevated takes on familiar comforts, such as Scotch eggs with black pudding and loaded potato skins with oxtail ragu.
Lamb belly with katsu curry, pomegranate, and preserved lime (pictured).
3. Bangkok Diners Club
- When: Now Open (January 2026)
- Where: Inside Exhibition, Peter Street M2 3NQ
Known for a rotating residency of chefs and restaurants, the upstairs dining space at Edinburgh Castle had another makeover last April - since Shaun Moffat left to open up his very own solo project, Winsome. In a move away from hearty British dishes and gastro pub grub, the latest concept here was Bangkok Diners Club; a new spot from none other than Ben and Bo Humphreys, who you might recognise if you loved their (now sadly closed) Bladerunner-inspired, Michelin-listed, new wave Thai restaurant District.
This new iteration quickly also earned Michelin acclaim, with chef Ben (previously of Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay, Tokyo Ramen and Rabbit in the Moon) continuing to flex his cookery muscles across a menu heavily influenced by wife Bo's birthplace - the Isan region of Thailand - and her life in Bangkok as a teenager. Ending their relationship with Edinburgh Castle in January 2026, the pair have moved their concept into one of the resident kitchen spaces at Exhibition on Peter Street.
Moving away from the fast and furious barbecuing of Bangkok and towards the slow and low cooking of Miami, the Humphreys duo bring a fresh take to traditional Thai dishes across a meat-focused menu, cooked using an in-house smoker. Think unique dishes like ex-dairy beef Nam Tok and roast pork belly phat pet with sour cherry.
Sea Bream Tom Kha (left) and the Bangkok Diner's Club duo at their former Edinburgh Castle location (right).
4. Mollie's Motel & Diner
- When: Now Open (January 2026)
- Where: Old Granada Studios, Quay Street, M3 3GS
On the ground floor of Soho House members' club, which opened back in November, Mollie's Motel & Diner is the much-anticipated final piece of the puzzle for the Old Grenada Studios development. With locations already going strong in Bristol and Oxfordshire, the brand offers an affordable yet stylish take on the American motel-diner, complete with a relaxed, vintage feel.
Manchester marks their first city centre location but carries much the same ethos, so we'd recommend Mollie’s Diner for all-day favourites, including everything from mornings filled with piled-high American pancakes and meals of burgers and prawn & lobster rolls to late-night shakes. Head to Studio IV for cocktails, small plates and live music until late too.
Mollie's is an aesthetic setting to enjoy comfort food by the forkful.
5. Soho House
- When: Now Open (November 2025)
- Where: Old Granada Studios, Quay Street, M3 3GS
It's been tipped for opening since 2022, and November 2025 is finally the time for Soho House to arrive in Manchester. It'll emulate the 50s and 60s inspiration of its location, the former Granada Studios, across stunning decor - and applications to be a member are open now.
Expect a glam rooftop pool with a late-night bar and live music space overlooking it, plus a formal dining area run by head chef James Lord, a gym, 23 bedrooms and a further indoor pool too.
Rooftop views, an American diner and an outdoor pool all make Soho House a top choice on our 'just opened' list.
6. Bar Shrimp
- When: Now Open (October 2025)
- Where: 7 New York Street, M1 4JB
Brought to you by the team behind the award-winning restaurant and wine bar Flawd, Bar Shrimp is a brand new seafood and listening bar coming to central Manchester. They're promising premium cocktails and British seafood, alongside beer on tap, an unbeatable sound system and oyster happy hours.
Expect the likes of shellfish over ice, Cornish crab cocktail and British bluefin tuna crudo on the menu. As for the interiors? They've teased decor made up of red banquettes, luxurious floor-to-ceiling curtains and low lighting, with table service available throughout.
Bar Shrimp is from the team behind Higher Ground, making it one of the biggest new openings in Manchester last year.
7. Chotto Matte
- When: Now Open (October 2025)
- Where: St. Michael's, Jackson's Row, M2 5ND
Another well-known brand down in London that's making its way up north, Chotto Matte is a Nikkei restaurant specialising in Japanese-Peruvian cuisine. So, what's so special about their Manchester venue?
It's going to be the crowning glory of Gary Neville's St Michael's development on Jackson Row, occupying a huge 20,000 square foot of space across a rooftop and multiple tiered terraces for the ultimate wow-factor. And if that wasn't enough, the Instagrammable element continues with live entertainment and late-night DJs, alongside sushi torched at your table and robata grill dishes.
Sushi and panoramic scenes? It can only be new opening Chotto Matte.
8. Horse & Jockey
- When: Now Open (October 2025)
- Where: 9 Chorlton Green, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, M21 9HS
Though the venue itself isn't strictly new (it's actually been around since the early 1800s), the Horse & Jockey is being taken over by new owners. Set to reopen in October after a brief closure, the new team are the same one behind The Black Friar in Salford, masters of gastro fare.
It will be given a new look, retaining original features while introducing a more stripped-back appearance. The menu will change regularly, focusing on traditional British flavours, from pub classics to elevated plates. Plus, there'll be a fantastic wine list to boot.
This 200-year-old pub is getting a whole new look.
9. Nell's MediaCity
- When: Now Open (September 2025)
- Where: MediaCity
Manchester’s beloved New York-style pizza brand, Nell’s, is making a bold move with the launch of its fifth and largest site yet, set to open this autumn in MediaCity’s Orange Building. Known for its massive 22-inch pizzas and laid-back vibe, Nell’s is upping the ante with a 6,000 sq ft venue that blends food, fun, and nightlife.
The new space will feature not only its signature pizza and craft beer offering but also a dedicated karaoke room and four shuffleboard tables, creating a social hub that’s as much about play as it is about pizza. This expansion marks a significant evolution for Nell’s, which has steadily grown from its roots in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. The MediaCity site is poised to become a destination in its own right, tapping into the area's creative energy and diverse crowd.
Soon you'll be able to grab a slice of Nell's pizza in MediaCity.
10. Bistro Three Rooms
- When: Now Open (August 2025)
- Where: 2 Warburton Street, Didsbury, M20 6WA
Created by the people at Platzki, Bistro Three Rooms is a hot new opening in Didsbury. This place is all about great quality food and wine, in a charming space filled with rustic decor. We're talking comfy armchairs, a wooden bar and dark walls lined with paintings.
Wondering what's on the menu? Expect Eastern European plates presented beautifully, ranging from spinach potato gnocchi to slow-roasted pork collar and whipped feta with mint and pickled cucumbers.
Platzki have done it again with their new bistro.
11. Circolo Popolare
- When: Now Open (June 2025)
- Where: St. Michael's, Jackson's Row, M2 5ND
Parisian restaurant group Big Mamma are known for the Instagrammable interiors and Italian food at their London locations, spanning everything from Sicilian trattoria Circolo Popolare to the 70s Capri-style looks of Gloria and a maximalist Florence-inspired venue in the form of Ave Mario. They chose Manchester as their second UK venture outside of the capital (La Bellezza in Birmingham opened last year) and have made the St Michael's development their home, launching a second UK location of Circolo Popolare.
Circolo Popolare Manchester opened in June with a Sardinian theme. Think familiar bottle-lined walls much like its London counterpart, but swapping flower installations for eucalyptus-filled ceiling and a courtyard-inspired floor scattered with antiques and a wishing well. There's also an all-terracotta styled space with open kitchen views.
This Big Mamma expansion was one of the best new Manchester restaurant openings last year.
After new bars opening? Check out the ones we've spied.
