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Zadie’s has opened at Medlock Square in East Manchester, introducing a 258-cover restaurant and bar combining dining, drinks, art and late-night entertainment.
Located above Medlock Square, close to the Etihad Stadium and Co-op Live, the restaurant provides panoramic views towards the South Pennines alongside 258 dining covers and a further 30 counter seats.
The venue operates from Wednesday to Sunday between 5pm and 1am, with an entertainment programme designed to develop throughout the evening.
Live vocals, saxophone and percussion will feature alongside DJ sets, with the programme also incorporating changing performances including magicians, dancers and themed live shows.
Contemporary art forms part of the restaurant’s design, with the collection curated alongside Manchester artist and curator Meg Saoirse Williams.
The opening collection includes work from Fern O’Carolan, Danny Davidson, Pat Flynn, Jamie Holman, Sondra Meszaros, Trackie McLeod, Magdalena Wysocka, Claudio Pogo, Shaun Peckham, James Tailor, Alistair Woods, Matthew Wood and Williams.
Zadie’s has been developed by Director of Restaurants Laura Montana, whose hospitality experience includes senior positions at The Ivy and Sexy Fish as well as Monkey Bar in New York.
She has worked on the concept alongside hospitality consultancy Gorgeous Group, led by Manchester-born Robbie Bargh.
The kitchen is headed by Paolo Bianchi, whose previous experience includes Zuma, Alain Ducasse, Lucky Cat and Les Grandes Alpes Courchevel 1850.
Bianchi’s menu takes its inspiration from Itameshi, combining Japanese ingredients and flavours with Italian techniques and dishes.
Menu items include Burrata with Nashi pear compote, Veal Tonnato with bonito dressing and Tortelloni Cacio e Pepe with furikake.
Roast Lobster is served with a choice of tomato ponzu or yuzu kosho, while larger sharing dishes include a 1.3kg British Wagyu Tomahawk.
Paolo Bianchi, Head Chef at Zadie’s, said: “As a chef, it’s important not to set limits. Being Italian, Italian cuisine is naturally a big part of who I am, but I’ve also spent a lot of my career working with Japanese cuisine. Itameshi gives us the freedom to bring those two worlds together and explore something new, and I wanted to be the first to bring that to Manchester. That’s what makes it exciting for me — it’s fun, there are no rules, and there’s always something more to discover.”
The drinks programme is led by Head of Bars Cressida Lawlor.
Cocktails include the Pandan Grasshopper and Champagne Problem, combining plum wine, yuzu, jasmine and Champagne, alongside the Purple Old Fashioned, made with Maker’s Mark bourbon, taro butter, ube and vanilla.
Laura Montana, Director of Restaurants at Medlock Square, said: “Zadie’s has been a long time in the making, and we’ve been really intentional about how we’ve brought this space to life. Manchester is a city observed globally for its ability to make a statement, create a moment and celebrate the sheer joy of hospitality. We’ve brought all of that together in this beautiful, big, seriously entertaining restaurant.”
Zadie’s forms part of Medlock Square, the new £300 million hospitality and entertainment district being developed at Manchester’s Etihad Campus.
The wider development brings together hospitality, food and drink, entertainment, culture, retail and leisure alongside the Etihad Stadium and Co-op Live.
It also includes The Medlock, a 401-room Radisson Blu hotel which opened in September, together with restaurants and bars including Three Rivers Brasserie and Bar and Blend.
Further elements of the development are being introduced as Medlock Square seeks to establish itself as a year-round destination beyond the area’s football and live entertainment events.
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Manchester’s New Entertainment Destination Named Medlock Square
The Medlock Opens at Manchester’s New Medlock Square
Adds further context on the development of Medlock Square following the September opening of its 401-room Radisson Blu hotel and accompanying food and beverage concepts.
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