Chophouse, ‘French canteen’ and Japanese-Peruvian openings

Two new offerings in Manchester are among our latest look through some of the upcoming restaurant openings across the UK.

Manchester is set to welcome a Japanese-Peruvian establishment, as well as a chophouse, while there is a new Basque restaurant and ‘French canteen’ coming to London.

BLACKLOCK, MANCHESTER

With five successful restaurants in London, Blacklock are this month branching outside of the capital for the first time.

The chophouse is set to open in Manchester, on Peter Street in the city centre, with a soft launch from September 20.

It will be housed in the lower ground space of Harvester House, a Grade-II listed building which dates back to the Victorian era.

B Corp certified Blacklock offers a range of charcoal-grilled chops and steaks, along with Sunday roasts described as ‘almost as good as mum’s’.

The meals can be paired with crafted cocktails, which follow a ‘pip-to-peel’ philosophy, and wines on tap, before being finished off with Blacklock’s signature white chocolate cheesecake, served up tableside.

After scouring the UK for the best meat, Blacklock settled upon Cornwall family butchers the Warren family.

Blacklock’s first restaurant opened in Soho in 2015 and they now also have restaurants in City, Covent Garden, Shoreditch and Canary Wharf.

Blacklock Manchester will feature a 115-seat restaurant, including booths and a cocktail bar.

NICHI, MANCHESTER

Also in Manchester, ‘high-end’ Japanese-Peruvian restaurant Nichi is also set to open its doors.

Led by a team that has experience of working in restaurants including Nobu, Sexy Fish and Zuma, Nichi will make its debut at the Trafford Centre, opening in October, with head chef Kentaro Yanagisawa.

The restaurant is taking 3,000 square feet of space in the new-look dining area in the Upper Orient. Nichi will offer a “premium, immersive dining experience”, allowing diners to indulge in a wide variety of Japanese delicacies paired with an extensive selection of fine wine and sake. Bento boxes will be sold at lunchtime.

The homegrown Mancunian concept will be led by a seasoned team, managing partner Vanessa Mornet coming from Zuma.

She said: “Retail destinations

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are about so much more than shopping. However, while there are plenty of high-end stores, there are often not as many high-end dining experiences.

“Our aim is to be a pioneer and elevate the food offering found within UK shopping malls, and Trafford Centre provides the ideal platform to do just that.”

TOPA, LONDON

Topa, a 22-cover Basque restaurant, is set to open at Provisions bar on London’s Holloway Road on September 21.

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The restaurant will be led by Simon Shand, who was previously head chef at Michelin-starred Leroy in Shoreditch, the menu inspired by his trips to San Sebastian.

There are set to be a mix of Basque dishes, including slow-cooked crab, leek and Cognac Txangurro tarts, chorizo cooked in cider, summer wild mushrooms and raw egg yolk, hake with orzo, saffron and courgettes.

CAFÉ FRANÇOIS, LONDON

Tuesday, September 17 will see the opening of Café François, a modern-day French canteen in Borough Yards, from the team behind Maison François.

Drawing together influence from the classic cafes found in Paris, contemporary delis of California and stylish bistros of Montreal, founder François O’Neill, along with executive chef Matthew Ryle and Ed Wyand heading up front of house, have created a menu that pays homage to much loved affordable French classics, whilst also embracing global influences and flavours.

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Opening from morning through to evening, the menu will feature bread and patisserie items made in-house, before ingredients such as rotisserie chickens, sliced to order.

Wine director Daniel Illsley is curating a short, inventive wine list, while cocktails will also be on offer.

“Following the opening of Maison François, we had our eyes on a second site and couldn’t have found a more perfect location,” said founder François.

“Borough Yards has a real neighbourhood feel to it, as well as being a hub for visitors too. We have travelled around different cities, both in France, Canada and the USA, bringing together different iterations of Café culture to create something we think everyone will enjoy.”

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