SEAN Finnegan’s CV is a random roll call of cutting edge bars. From the legendary Mash & Air to Red’s True Barbecue and El Capo in Manchester via the likes of Platinum and Baby Blue in Liverpool, the genial Ulsterman man, these days accompanied by the bushiest of beards, has mixed it with the best.
So ToM has high hopes for his latest project, Roc & Rye, a 150-capacity craft coffee and cocktail bar with patisserie. It has taken a time coming but planning permission has finally been given to renovate inside 60 Spring Gardens, the Grade II listed former warehouse designed by Manchester Town Hall architect Alfred Waterhouse, close to the Hotel Gotham.
First announcing the project back in September 2016 Finnegan said: “I’ve been cherry-picking ideas from the global cocktail scene for some time now, the revolution in bar spirits and the growing appreciation for craft coffee, all with an eye on this opening.
“Rye will clearly be a focus, with a strong whiskey offering, coupled with great coffee, but we’re also going to offer a platform for local bakers and chocolatiers with a strong emphasis on provenance.”
His partners in Roc & Rye are Maz Haydon and Matthew Bonner and the pledge is to accentuate the architectural glories of the 1880s interior, which was refurbed in the 1980s. It is a spectacular space, which should be enhanced by the development with Bonner work=ing on reclaiming a solid oak dance floor from the 1920s.
Expect an all-day menu with a 10am-3am alcohol license, seven days a week.