New in Food: Suri, Pancho's, Wreckfish & more

If you're anything like us, you'll sometimes feel overwhelmed by the number of new restaurant and bar openings in Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester. To help you conquer this feeling – and hopefully give you some new ideas for Sunday brunch – we're going to be rounding up the best new openings across the region every month, from craft beer bars to coffee places, to street food pop-ups and fancy restaurants. Opening a new food and drink venue in Leeds, Liverpool or Manchester? Let us know – send the details to jess@theskinny.co.uk.

Award-winning burritos and an organic food market in Liverpool

Pancho’s

Reigning champ of Manchester’s abundant burrito scene, Pancho’s is adding to its ever-expanding empire with a third joint in Liverpool, which joins the original stall in the Arndale Market and its follow-up restaurant near Oxford Road. Having already proven itself with several wins in The Skinny Food and Drink Survey throughout the years, we reckon Liverpool’s more than ready for the Pancho’s treatment, which covers burritos, enchiladas, fajitas and many other Mexican classics, catering well for vegetarians and vegans too. Opens end of Feb,

Bold Street

LIV

Billing itself as “Liverpool’s new ultimate healthy shopping destination”, LIV is an organic and natural food market opening soon in Bold Street’s Radiant House. Along with fresh fruit and veg, specialist products for vegan and gluten-free customers, an artisan bakery and a cheese counter, the store will also feature LIV Eatery, a lounge area serving up healthy breakfast and lunch, organic Italian coffee, herbal teas and 'health waters' – whatever they are. Opens March, Bold Street

Wreckfish, Liverpool - Pop-up from Natural Selection Design on Vimeo.

Wreckfish

With his crowdfunded third restaurant Hispi settling in nicely to the Manchester suburbs, it seems Gary Usher – of Sticky Walnut and Burnt Truffle repute – is at it again, making his first foray into a city centre with Wreckfish. Set for an empty site in Liverpool’s Ropewalks district, for this one Usher will begin with a series of pop-up events in the venue to test the waters, before turning back to his loving crowds to help fund the venture. We kinda think it's worth backing for their signature braised featherblade alone, TBH. Opens February, Seel and Slater Street.

Modern Middle Eastern food and pain au unagi in Manchester

New Beer’s Resolution at Hispi

Meanwhile, over at Usher’s new Didsbury bistro, Hispi, there’s still time to get in on New Beer’s Resolution, a four-course menu paired with craft beers from fellow locals Alphabet Brewing Company. Dishes include beer-battered salt pickles and citrus-cured sea trout and that aforementioned heavenly featherblade, this time served up with pearl barley and crispy kale, alongside ABC’s malty Crate Digger coffee stout. Coming in at £50 per person including drinks, you can view the full menu here; simply state when booking that this is the menu you’re after. Until 29 Jan,

School Lane

Suri

The slightly sorrowful former Quill site on King Street is finally being given a new lease of life with Suri, a new restaurant inspired by the food of the Mediterranean and Middle East – named after the Persian word for ‘red rose’. Embracing the continental ethos of shareable small plates that we’ve grown to love, the menu promises ingredients from local suppliers, served in a relaxed and informal style that the building’s previous tenants should perhaps have gone for… Opens early March, King Street

The Rabbit in the Moon

Michael O’Hare – yup, he of Leeds’ Michelin-starred The Man Behind the Curtain – has opened a space-age Asian restaurant in the Football Museum. Named after the moon-dwelling rabbit of Asian folklore, the restaurant serves up a menu of innovative canapé-style small plates for £75 a head.

And while a couple of the dishes like the Chinese bacon butty have proven a little more miss than hit, some are absolute knockouts – namely the pain au unagi (much like the chocolate version you know and love, just layered up with eel mousse and sardines) and razor clam udon. S’pose with 17 courses on the menu, you’ll always struggle to please everyone with everything – but Rabbit seems to arrive somewhere that’s close enough. Open now, Urbis, Cathedral Gardens

Too Good to Go 

Not exactly a new restaurant but too-good-not-to-mention, Too Good to Go is a new app ensuring restaurant leftovers don't go to waste, where you can purchase a restaurant-quality meal for as little as £2 before going to pick it up at your allotted time. Having now launched in Manchester, participating names include Soup Kitchen, Foundation Coffee, Efes Taverna and Red Hot World Buffet, with hopefully many more in the pipeline. Read our news story here.

Ethically-produced wines and Neapolitan pizza in Leeds

Pizza Fella

You’ll have heard of Pizza Fella from its road-tripping days as a 1967 Citroen H street food truck, but three years later it’s now also set down roots with a permanent pizzeria on Vicar Lane, where it’s all about authentic, wood-fired Neapolitan pizza. Open now, 

Vicar Lane

Chida Cantina

Leeds-based bartender Robert Jump branches out into the world of Central America with a forthcoming new bar and restaurant Chida Cantina – ‘Chida’ being slang in Mexican for something cool – where it’ll be a double hitter of tequila and tacos. Opens Feb, Cross Belgrave Street

Pancho's Burritos

Yet more proof that, despite what we thought, the fascination with Mexican street food is still going strong: it seems that, as well as a new gaff in Liverpool, Manchester burrito bods Pancho's are also opening up shop in Leeds with a taqueria near the Trinity Centre. In fact, they're so intent on conquering the world, that apparently owners Enrique Martinez and Klaus Bohne have funds rustled up for another eight restaurants in the next two to three years. Holy guacamole. Opening date TBC, Albion Street

Ham & Friends

Following a water-testing Christmas pop-up shop called All the Trimmings, Friends of Ham’s new wine bar/deli/restaurant Ham & Friends inches closer to its spring opening. As well as the spread of tasty small plates and ethically-produced wines that its parent bar has become locally famous for, you can also expect a walk-in cheese room, charcuterie counter and various wine, beer and food tastings across the two-floor Grand Arcade space. Due to open Feb/March, Grand Arcade