IT’S a close run thing which big arts opening this spring is the most exciting – Home, and The Whitworth, the first a new build project, an amalgamation of Cornerhouse and the Library Theatre, the second a relaunch of the iconic art gallery after a £15m refurbishment.
Home based on the new frontier of First Street, is set to open on the Spring Bank Holiday weekend with the opening celebration featuring world premieres of theatre, visual arts and film projects over five days from Thursday, May 21.
It will offers three spaces for food and drink in its new build complex. The ground floor bar seats about 150 and includes an outdoor seating area, the first floor Cafebar will seat between 170 – 200, making it very similar in size to the Cornerhouse cafébar, while up on the third floor there will be a small bar area where you can grab a drink before seeing a film. Taste of Manchester wishes it well and hopes that the food and drink offering itself will step up a gear from Cornerhouse, which could be a bit hit and miss.
We have more immediate confidence in the dining promised at The Whitworth, which re-opens on Valentine’s Day (February 14 for all the non-romantics among you), mainly because its new cafe and restaurant has decided to go with a tried and tested formula. Welcome back Peter Booth, who previously earned the gallery’s tiny cafe an entry in the Good Food Guide with his simple, superbly sourced and seasonal daytime menus.
This time it’s a more ambitious brief for the passionate Scouser and his company, The Modern Caterer, in line with the spectacular restaurant space he’s been given. As the Whitworth points out: ‘The cafe and restaurant will be a highlight of the new Whitworth. It is situated in a stainless steel extension which cantilevers into the surrounding Whitworth Park and overlooks the newly designed Art Garden.’
This time the restaurant will open into the evening with dinners served up to 9.30pm. It’s a huge challenge that could turn The Whitworth into a destination dinner spot. The art’s pretty tasty, too.
Here are details of the vibrant (and free) opening weekend, where you can visit the “cafe among the trees’ and enjoy a fire and light show.
Café & Restaurant Opening Hours
Breakfast: Mon - Fri 8am - 11.30am; Sat 9am - 11.30am; Sun 10am all day (weekends at the Whitworth). Lunch: Mon - Sat 11.30am -3.30am; Sun 11.30am - 7pm (traditional roast) (weekends at the Whitworth). Dinner: Mon - Sat 5.30pm -9.30pm; Sun 12pm - 7pm (weekends at the Whitworth)