Rumours have been circulating for a while, but news that Maray, Liverpool’s nationally acclaimed restaurant is opening a branch in Manchester has now finally been confirmed. Maray Manchester will open this summer at Bruntwood Works’ Union building on Brazennose Street, right in the city centre.
Founded in 2014 by James Bates, Tom White and Dom Jones, Maray currently has three sites in Liverpool, on Bold Street, Allerton Road and on the iconic Albert Dock. The Manchester site will be first branch of Maray to be located outside its hometown and will be Maray’s largest site so far.
The concept was inspired by (and named after) the owners' experiences in the Le Marais district of Paris. The vibrant arrondissement is well known for its bustling Middle Eastern restaurants and stand out cocktail bars.
Signature dishes include ‘disco cauliflower’, served whole and doused in chermoula, harissa, tahini, and yoghurt, with pomegranate, almonds and fresh herbs, and their crispy buttermilk fried chicken with harissa and pickles. Their menu also features a selection of hot and cold mezze, and small plates like falafel, lamb shawarma, and baked halloumi.
There’s an extensive range of plant-based plates and a vegan menu offering including dishes such as wild mushrooms with cannellini beans, sweet potato with tahini and date molasses, and spiced lentil and rice mejadara served with local kale and Aleppo chilli oil.
Maray also offers a drinks menu featuring a range of bold and delicious cocktails, including a Margarita bolstered with Turkish apple tea and sumac salt, a house G&T made with beetroot infused gin, and guest favourite - The Agent Cooper, Maray’s famous riff on an espresso martini. There’s also an interesting wine list featuring bottles from across the world - they’ve chosen grape varieties which originate from the same area many of the recipes come from.
“Opening a restaurant in Manchester has long been an ambition of ours and we have combed the four corners of the city to find somewhere we felt was just right,” says Maray’s Managing Director, James Bates. “We’re so excited to get going at Union, we love the area and feel like we’re going to be right in the middle of it all, in a city with a huge reputation for loving restaurants, nights out and a good drink!”
Maray recently became the first independent restaurant in the North West to achieve a 2 star Sustainable Restaurant Association rating. It is one of several Liverpool-born restaurants which have recently chosen to open branches in Manchester. Graffiti Spirits Group who are behind Liverpool venues Santa Chupito’s, El Bandito, Slim’s, Bold Street Coffee, Maluco Pizza and Duke Street Market launched Salt Dog Slims on Bow Lane in October 2021 followed by Bold Street Coffee which opened on Cross Street in December.
Maray’s new site at Bruntwood Works’ Union building is on Brazennose Street, next to ‘The Hidden Gem’ church, not far from Peter Street, Albert Square and Deansgate, and features a wraparound terrace, for al fresco drinking and dining.
In the lead up to the opening, and to give Manchester a taste of what’s to come, Maray will be hosting a series of events and collaborations with some of Manchester’s most popular restaurants. The full programme of events will be announced over the coming weeks and months.
Keep up to date with Maray via Twitter @MarayRestaurant and Instagram @MarayRestaurants or sign up to their newsletter.
--------
Also read: DIECAST - A NEW BEER HALL, NIGHT MARKET, BAKERY AND FOOD HALL IS HEADING TO MANCHESTER