AS the eagerly awaited Iberica opens its first Manchester operation in Spinningfields great news of a Northern chef with his own bold, modern spin on Spanish plates – Simon Shaw of El Gato Negro.
When the original city centre destination for his summer opening – the former Brasserie Blanc, Chapel Walks – fell through TOM feared the worst, but now El Gato is back on track with a much more suitable site.
It’s over three floors at characterful 52 King Street (between The Pen Shop and Kooples) and will incorporate areas for al fresco all-season eating and drinking, as well as an open finishing kitchen showcasing the theatre of authentic tapas. Work is already underway on what the owners describe as ‘a stunning conversion sympathetic to the building’s heritage and location’.
The brainchild of ex-Harvey Nichols- chef Shaw, El Gato Negro has won countless awards during its nine years in business in the Pennine hamlet of Ripponden including recognition from Hardens, Michelin, and The Good Food Guide. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin Guide 2015 Bib Gourmand for the second year running before it closed its doors after New Year
Shaw tell us: “Bringing El Gato Negro to Manchester is a timely opportunity to showcase a broader selection of the dishes and wines I’m so passionate about. There’s a massive resurgence in the new British wave of Spanish restaurants and we want to go further with the dining experience we pioneered almost 10 years ago.
“The redevelopment of King Street, one of Manchester’s most iconic addresses, presents us with the unique opportunity not only to bring El Gato Negro to Manchester but to play a significant role in shaping the heart of the city.
“52 King Street is the perfect destination for us. It’s a fantastic building – inviting and airy with great ceiling heights that are so very typical of a traditional tapas bar – it feels like it was made for us.”
El Gato Negro Manchester is a partnership between Simon Shaw and Mills Hill Developments Ltd and will open in late summer 2015. By then the ailing retail stretch should also host Quill restaurant and Ed’s Easy Diner, neither of which set TOM’s pulse racing. El Gato’s arrival does.