It was the runaway success of the Manchester January deal season so King Street’s Quill, is making its 20.16 deal a permanent fixture for those looking to try the best in fine dining for the most reasonable of prices.

Service times at Quill are:
Lunch - 12 - 2.30 - 20.16 offer available every lunchtime
Tuesday - Thursday 5.30 - 6.45 - Early dining with £20.16 available
Tuesday - Thursday 7.00 - 9.45 A La Carte and Eight Course Tasting Menu availableFriday and Saturday 5.30 - 9.45 only A La Carte and Eight Course Tasting Menu available.

Infamous Diner has launched an epic new menu, bursting at the seams with all your diner favourites, plus lots of exciting new dishes from diner classics to wings, burgers and dogs.

Part of the MAD Ltd group of bars and restaurants, the 1950s inspired diner has also updated its cocktail menu and will launch ‘Late Night Liquor, Beats & Eats’ on Friday 4th March - offering 2 for £10 cocktails every Friday and Saturday night from 9pm, with late night food options and a cult movie and soundtrack.

Group Exec Chef Jason Latham, who is renowned for his love of smoke and BBQ cooking, is blazing a trail with his new menu, which has more variety, more flavours and there’s even a new Pancake Challenge - for those who like to push their eating to the limits (or just fancy a huge feast).

Competitors will have 30 minutes to eat 21 Infamous pancakes; seven, x three stack pancakes with all of the toppings. The T&Cs state no sharing and no bog runs. Those who manage it will be spared the £25 price tag and will get a T-shirt, pin badge and their name on the wall of fame.

New ‘Diner Classics’ include; Chicken and Waffles (£10.95), Infamous secret recipe fried chicken, with homemade bacon stuffed waffles and white sausage gravy, the All American Breakfast (£13.95) a feast of all your breakfast favourites plus pancakes and waffles with Infamous syrup and Hash and Eggs (£9.95) pulled beef brisket with street cart onions and fried potatoes.

The new Infamous Diner menu is now available and the Late Night Liquor, Beats & Eats launches on Friday 4th March from 9pm.

Scene are bringing the far east to Manchester with the launch of their quarter-of-a-million-pound heated riverside terrace to their Spinningfields restaurant.

With a seating capacity of 150, this spring will see Manchester diners treated to fabulous soft furnishings, swinging cuddle sofas and lanterns lighting up the River Irwell, all designed and installed by top Manchester creative studio, NoChintz.

No expense has been spared for Scene’s latest offering. 6 months’ worth of planning and executing is due to be unveiled at a private pre-launch on March 1st with the terrace being officially open from March 2nd. Managing director Asif Ali is pleased Scene’s vision is coming into fruition. He said: “The whole team at Scene are excited for our guests to experience something never seen before in Manchester. We’ll be taking our diners to India without the need to step foot near the airport! Every little detail of the riverside terrace has been meticulously designed to offer visitors a first class experience.”

As the temperature heats up, Scene will be guiding diners through a culinary journey, alighting the senses and taste buds with their flavours and spices from the sub-continent whilst watching the water world float by. The terrace is ready just in time for the launch of Scene’s new drinks menu with a selection of signature cocktails, mocktails, wines and beers.

As Scene Indian Street Kitchen approach their first birthday, they are firmly becoming regarded as one of the North-Wests top Indian restaurants. Their executive chef, Sudesh Singh, has worked throughout India with the 5 star Taj Group before spending many years at the helm of Manchester’s legendary Shimla Pinks kitchen. He said: “We encourage sharing at food at Scene so our guests get to try a variety of dishes. The riverside terrace will offer the perfect tranquil surroundings to enjoy our menu whilst relaxing beside the waters and I am looking forward to welcoming current and new customers to the terrace.”

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, and Hard Rock Cafe will celebrate the holiday with its new GUINNESS® Irish Stout and Jameson® Irish Whiskey infused-burger and beer duet!

The GUINNESS® & Jameson® Bacon Cheeseburger, paired with a GUINNESS® stout, will be available at cafe locations across the nation beginning Monday, February 29th through Sunday, April 10th, 2016, just in time to help guests’ taste buds get lucky for St. Patrick’s Day.

Hard Rock Cafe’s GUINNESS® & Jameson® Bacon Cheeseburger features a Certified Angus Beef® patty topped with Jameson® Irish Whiskey bacon jam, a GUINNESS® Stout cheese sauce, tomatoes and seasoned arugula. The burger will be served alongside Hard Rock’s seasoned fries with the option to add a topping of GUINNESS® cheese sauce and bacon, allowing guests to experience Irish stout flavours with every bite.

“For our fifth burger and beer pairing, we pushed ourselves to create a burger that masterfully infused unique and exciting culinary ingredients like bacon jam, Jameson® Irish Whiskey and GUINNESS® Stout,” said Darryl Mickler, Senior Director of Research and Development at Hard Rock International. “Hard Rock’s new GUINNESS® & Jameson® Bacon Cheeseburger offers a savory flavor profile that balances the rich notes of GUINNESS® and plays up the smoky and sweet nuances of the Jameson® infused bacon jam.

GUINNESS® has been brewing beer for more than 250 years, and we knew Hard Rock would put a new, delicious culinary spin on our classic beverage,” said Allen Roosa of GUINNESS®. “This burger enhances the flavor of our GUINNESS® Stout and will not disappoint loyal fans around the nation. What better time to roll out the pairing than around everyone’s favorite Irish holiday – St. Patrick’s Day!”

The GUINNESS® & Jameson® Bacon Cheeseburger and beer pairing will be available at Hard Rock Cafe Manchester along with additional pairings throughout 2016.

After 13 years at the top of the Italian restaurant scene in Manchester, Piccolino is to get a major £1.3m refit, which will see the restaurant nearly doubling in size following the acquisition of adjoining premises.

Work is well under way in the new premises and the current Piccolino closed on Monday 21st February, to allow works to commence. Caffé Grande by Piccolino, will re-open following this major investment in early April. The new-look restaurant will increase to seat 200 guests and will also offer a 30 cover alfresco terrace, which overlooks Manchester Town Hall.

Individual Restaurants which announced another record year, continues its strong growth programme following the recent opening of a flagship Piccolino in Alderley Edge, Cheshire. Following the launch of the new look Piccolino, Clarence Street, Manchester, the team will be focusing on opening a brand new 250 cover flagship restaurant in Chester, under sister brand, The Restaurant Bar & Grill.

In addition, Steven Walker, founder of Individual Restaurants partnership with Gino D’Acampo, the UK’s favourite Italian chef is also in full swing, following successful openings of Gino D’Acampo - My Restaurant in both Corn Exchange, Manchester in December 2015 and a second which opened last week, in Euston Station, London. 

Steven Walker says “It’s always exciting to be opening restaurants in our North West home and now our guests can be well looked after when travelling to and from, Euston Station, London. The refurbishment of Piccolino, Clarence Street, Manchester, is on a grand scale. The new restaurant will seat 200 guests and brings a new meaning to “all day everyday dining. The new look restaurant will have more of a feel of a Harrods style food-hall with the addition of a pizzeria, deli counter, gelato and pastry counter, theatre grill, meat, fish and shellfish counters, together with a cocktail bar and wine boutique.”

Ettore Cicchetti who has been the General Manager since Piccolino first opened its doors in 2003 says. “I can't wait to showcase our new look to our loyal followers.”

Ahead of the official opening on February 22, El Gato Negro has lifted the curtain and provided a glimpse of the interior of its new home, located at 52 King Street, Manchester. Images from the interior of El Gato Negro reveal a scheme that pays homage to the building’s past life whilst incorporating modern design elements. The former retail space has been transformed to create a restaurant set across three distinct floors.

Leading the design of the project is Mark Mason of Mark Mason Design, a Manchester consultancy. Commenting on the scheme, Mason said, “The original building probably started life as possibly two or three houses that have been altered many times over a few hundred years to retail. This can be seen by looking at the layers and styles of brickwork that we have left exposed purposely to show the building’s heritage.The challenge was to convert a long, high building into a viable restaurant by fitting in steelwork, kitchens, mechanical extract and, of course, bars and seating.  Obviously the focus is on quality Spanish cuisine, speciality beers and cocktails, but we didn't want to create a specific Spanish theme to the design concept.  We designed a comfortable relaxing urban bar/restaurant that would sit easily in London or New York. We’re proud it's in Manchester.”

El Gato Negro founder and Chef Patron Simon Shaw said, “We’ve been careful to make the most of our new home in Manchester and to maintain the intimacy and character which has always been a key appeal of El Gato Negro. We wanted to make this a venue that is inviting, comfortable and that will appeal to those looking to drop by for half an hour over a selection of tapas and a glass of wine or sherry, as much as it will for those taking time to enjoy a bigger occasion. We’re very much looking forward to sharing our vision with diners when we open our doors this month.”

At El Gato Negro a casual drinking and dining space unfolds at street level with a relaxed bar area and charcuterie counter serving a thoughtfully selected range of Spain’s best cheese and cured meats.

The food offering takes centre stage on the restaurant’s first floor with an open finishing kitchen, which will allow diners to experience the theatre and thrill of tapas in a Spanish style. Here, vistas over the King Street conversation area can be enjoyed from sumptuous seating and provides the perfect environment for longer dining experiences.

The Black Cat at El Gato Negro, a dedicated cocktail bar at the top of the building, will provide a relaxed setting with a retractable roof, which opens to reveal the Manchester sky.  Treasures sourced from local antique dealers and reclamation yards, add character and personality to a bar stocked with both premium local produce and a select range of Spanish wines and sherry.

After a non stop start to the year with their hugely successful January sale 2016 has finally arrived at
Splendid Kitchen with the launch of two new menus and an updated a la carte menu.

Scene Indian Street Kitchen would like to introduce you to their latest offering – the innovative and exciting take away Tiffins.

What is a tiffin?

A Tiffin is a simple lunchbox that has its origins in the Subcontinent and is freshly prepared at home with love and care by homemakers on a daily basis throughout India. Once prepared these meals are sent to loved ones at their workplaces and offices using special delivery persons called ‘tiffin wallahs’. These delivery guys provide an invaluable daily service of getting these piping hot, home- cooked meals out to the workforce throughout the day, especially during lunchtime and evenings.

The Tiffin itself contains a tantalising selection of true Indian delicacies stacked one on top of each other, into three or four different layers to create a complete, wholesome and hearty meal.

As well as being the Year of the Monkey, time for another Olympic games, and a Leap year, 2016 also sees Bella Italia's 15th year of trading in Manchester!

The Restaurants Of Manchester team were invited along to help celebrate this fantastic feat with a Bella Italia guided tour of the city, themed around Manchester's Little Italy.

The tour was done by the incredibly knowledgeable Sue McCarthy, one of the city's premier tour guides (Tour Manchester), and also joined by Sam Hjelm (one of Bella's Ops Directors). Unfortunately In typical Manchester fashion the weather was miserable, wet and windy. However this didn't dampen our spirits as the upbeat Sue relayed various interesting facts and stories about how the Italians have played their part in Manchester's history.

We visited all three Bella Italia city centre restaurant units on the evening (Piccadilly Gardens, Arndale and Deansgate). Bella showcased various dishes on the evening from the new menu.  There were a few dishes that stood out for us which included the Alpino & Calabrese antipasto sharing boards. Bella import their cured meats and salami from San Vincenzo,  a family run business based in Calabria who specialise in producing some of the world’s finest cured meats. 

The main dishes worth special note were the Lamb Shank, slowly cooked in garlic, red wine & rosemary sauce served with mashed potatoes and green beans. We were also huge fans of the Amore Formaggi: pasta parcels filled with four cheeses, in a basil and pesto sauce topped with semi-dried Pachino tomatoes.

The 'less is Amore' healthy dishes proved extremely popular on the evening with everyone who attended particularly enjoying the Spiralized Vegetable Spaghetti Gamberoni (259kcal); king prawns sautéed with garlic and chilli in a spicy Pomodoro sauce.

We need to give a special mention to the Gelato ice cream cart which enables you to choose from various ice cream flavours from the Gelateria Callipo range. This was arguably some of the best ice cream we have had in the City with the inventive Cocotella (Coconut and Nutella) being the pick of the bunch.

We had a fantastic evening and can honestly say even with such a competing Italian market in the City we'll be back soon and not just to raid the Gelato ice cream cart. 

Popular first date restaurant wants to be Manchester’s Cupid.

Are you unlucky in love? How about a sucker for a romantic Valentines date? Or just fed up of Tinder and want to go back to the old fashioned courting ways? Well then let Vapiano hook you up! 

A popular choice with first daters ever since its opening, Manchester’s Vapiano, based in the newly-refurbished Corn Exchange, is feeling inspired by its canoodling couples, and is now on the look out to find a match made in heaven for two singletons! 

With an array of delicious dishes with natural, quality ingredients made fresh every day, Vapiano wants to make 2016 a special year for two lucky people, with a complimentary meal, including a dolce and a drink. 

All you have to do is instagram a picture of yourself using #VapsDate telling us why you should be set up with the partner of your dreams, and you could be in with a chance of winning!

Those already lucky in love and planning on coming down to cosy up over a lovingly created, homemade pasta dish, can instagram a picture with the same hashtag, to claim a special Valentines prize.

This Sunday (7th Feb) is ‘Send A Card To A Friend Day’ so Vapiano has created its very own postcards ready for customers to ditch their technology, pick up a pen and get involved!

The postcards will be available in the restaurant this weekend for guests to fill in, send off in the very special Vapiano postbox, and make a friend smile.

The restaurant will post all of the cards by first class on Monday, celebrating all things traditional, helping tech-obsessed customers to reach out to people the good old fashioned way, without a phone or the internet in sight!

Along with the Manchester restaurant, the three London venues will also help bring friends together this month by offering these exclusive cards to guests

Alderley Edge is an appropriate location for the swanky Piccolino’s to open their latest restaurant and it was a pleasure to accept an invitation from the owners, Individual Restaurants Group, to review the new kid on the block.

The restaurant is situated in an eyecatching white building, the old Panacea club building, well located on the main road at the Wilmslow end of the village. Local parking in the village can be a bit of a challenge but we eventually squeezed into a space a short distance away and walked over to the front door only to find that, despite the two wall menus hanging on either side of the door, it is not an entrance. Access is via a side door in a cobbled passage, not best suited to Jimmy Choo footwear.

But when we stepped inside, we quickly warmed to the place. Piccolino’s usual high standards of design and décor create a real Wow factor and the restaurant is set up in a versatile way to suit diners, cocktailers and snackers. There’s even an innovative juice bar. There are several rooms for diners with the largest being a terraced area with a retractable roof, warmed in winter by effective wall heaters. The island cocktail bar is also in this space. The restaurant was bustlingly lively and at our midweek lunchtime visit didn’t really need the live DJ supplying the background music, but at least he seemed to be enjoying himself!

The extensive menu features classic Italian dishes ranging from pastas and risottos to top end meat and fish dishes. The wine list is exclusively Italian with a huge range from all across the country and includes a whopping 30 wines available by the glass – we wish more restaurants would follow suit.

We particularly liked the fact that the source of all food ingredients is set out in detail on the menu card, even down to the carrots and potatoes. On the other hand, the menu isn’t the easiest to navigate and you may need that glass of wine to sustain you in the meantime.

Pricewise, the wide range means that it is possible to dine economically or splurge. We chose the latter!
Our starters of carpaccio with rocket and parmesan (£10) and grilled asparagus with poached egg (£7.50) were beautifully presented and got us off to an excellent start.

We followed up with fish dishes, Misto di Pesce al Forno  - a mixture of oven roasted swordfish, salmon, sea bass and langoustine (£23.50) and grilled Sea Bass with garlic (£19). Side dishes were extra: broccoli, beans and peas (£4) plus hand cut chips (£3.50). Whilst there was nothing special about the presentation of the meals, the food was cooked to perfection.

To round off our lunch we opted for an excellent almond and apple tart, with ice cream, and a yummy panna cotta, both £6.

Channel 4 is set to uncover Britain’s most talented home cooks having commissioned ‘My Kitchen Rules UK ’ from 7Wonder Productions.

Hosted by Steve Jones the series is based on the knock out success of Australia's ‘My Kitchen Rules’, which holds the top spot as the country’s number one show, In the competitive elimination format cooking duos will create pop up restaurants in their own homes for the judges and rival contestants to savour. With a £10k prize and the chance to win the title of Britain's Best Home Chef it's a high pressure high octane and entertaining ride for C4 daytime.

Host and co-judge Steve Jones said: “This show is about real people making really great food; showcasing the very best of regional produce and pride in local dishes. Britain has got such a rich and diverse food heritage and I can't wait to get my teeth into it.”

Exec Producer Eve Kay added; “Pop up restaurants are the latest addition to the UK's ongoing food revolution and a brilliant way for amateur chefs to show off their cooking skills and passion for food. An entertaining national competition pitching different regions against each other will bring out the best in British food and should discover exciting new food talent.” 

Of the commission Syeda Irtizaali said “We are delighted to be bringing our own distinct version of this highly successful Australian series to Channel 4 with the brilliant Steve Jones at the helm, alongside top chef names. My Kitchen Rules UK will inject real glamour, entertainment and competitive edge into the world of Britain’s greatest home chefs as we ask, could you take the pressure of transforming your home into a five star restaurant for the night?”

Think you have what it takes - Applicants have until February 29th to apply and they can do so by sending their name, contact number and age to MKR@7wonder.co.uk

Chi va piano, va sano e lontano - If you have a relaxed approach to life, yours will be long and healthy.

Whether you’re a seasoned gym bunny, a potential yoga guru, or simply just wanting to look after yourself that little bit more this year, Vapiano has a range of delicious dishes just for you. 

All dishes are homemade from scratch, so watch them cook it as you choose from the fresh, quality ingredients on offer, plus you can adapt dishes however you please to suit your own taste or diet! 

Their signature salads are perfect for a healthy, yet tasty new year. The Strawberry Spinach Salad is made with fresh spinach, strawberries, goat’s cheese, red onions, pine nuts and homemade raspberry maple dressing and is truly delicious! Or, if you need a bit of protein in your diet, the Reef n Beef Salad boasts grilled fillet of beef and king prawns with grilled vegetables, cherry tomatoes, spring onions, mixed leaves and Grana Padano D.O.P. 

Maybe a change from a salad is what you’re looking for? If so, there’s a range of homemade, egg-free pasta to keep you satisfied including the Pomodoro Fresco E Basilico with fresh cherry tomatoes, onions and fresh whole leaf basil.

So, take a break from the meal prep and head down to the newly-opened Corn Exchange restaurant for a healthy lunch or dinner, and treat yourself!

Plus, guests in a hurry to get back to a hectic January schedule will be able to pop in and grab a take-away from any of the sections of the menu

Manchester House has won an impressive four AA rosettes in the latest round of awards, the scoring puts the Living Ventures fine dining restaurant which is headed up by award winning chef Aiden Byrne as one of the best in the country.

Simon Rogan’s The French, at The Midland Hotel, is the only other restaurant which can boast having 4 starts which it has maintained since 2014.