A TWITTER storm of protest has forced the owner of a new city centre bar/restaurant to decide against filling the venue’s 118,000 litre wraparound fish tank with stingrays.
Phil Healey, who launches his 1761 restaurant and bespoke Bollinger bar Lily’s on NOvember 13, told us: “Listening to Manchester’s comments across social media we have decided not to have stingrays in our fish tank.
“Even though the tank will be huge and we are confident that it would provide the right amount of space for the rays to thrive we don’t wish to upset or offend anyone and can see that there are people who would object. So this was the right choice for us.”
So are we to expect a gaggle of goldfish or Koi carp? We shall have to see; there’s enough to savour in the £1million plus transformation of the former Avalanche premises in Booth Street.
Every new food and project these days seems to pay homage to our city’s industrial heritage even when they are not adapting appropriate premises. Store Street at the modern Doubletree By Hilton plays that card big time; now it’s time to hark back to 1761 – date of the birth of the Industrial Revolution in Manchester. Not to be confused with the new home for 1847, around the corner in Chapel Walks, the veggie restaurant named after the year the Vegetarian Society was founded.
1761 will apparently serve modern British food and drink inspired by the city’s industrial past, from open sandwiches of salt beef and gherkins alongside popcorn cockles and oysters as well as some healthy looking veggie led platefuls.
The fish tank is star feature of the
All very tempting but the main draw of this £1million plus refurb promised to be be in the basement, where Bollinger bar Lily’s features the controversial fish tank. It’xs named after Lily Bollinger, who ran the famous Champagne house after the Second World War.
She’s responsible for the legendary quote: “I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it – unless I’m thirsty.”
To add to all the decadence there’s also Lily’s Library – a secret drinking den available for private hire, featuring its own bar, projector and fireplace.
There’s an equally inventive array of cocktails on offer, ranging from Sparkling Cyanide, inspired by an Agatha Christie tale and Diamonds are Forever, milking the Bond and Bolly link as well as homelier concoctions such as Needle & Thread (below).
Bar manager Jon Kloman tells us: “1761 is very much about the city’s identity and culture, whereas Lily’s is based a lot more around ‘The Golden Era’ – a place where you can lose yourself for hours. Having researched into different historical movements and artistic cultures we will deliver moments in time which will resinate with customers, using abstract references to help tell a story.” Or you can just watch the fish.
The restaurant will open daily for brunch, lunch and dinner, 11am-10pm and Lily’s will be open from 12pm to 12am daily. Prior to opening the venue will host two invitation only complimentary dinners on November 10 and 11, where guests will be given the option to donate to our two charity’s We Love Manchester Memorial Fund and Centrepoint for the support of homeless young people.