As we prepare ourselves for the summer months ahead, Manchester's food and drink scene is really coming into its own. The start of the year is always a bit slower, as those working in hospitality take a well-deserved break and new concepts are cooked up.

Now, as we enter June, Manchester's new restaurant and bars are finally ready to be unveiled. They follow some stellar openings across the city though with recent additions like jaw-dropping Italian restaurant Cibo now bedding in, as well as acclaimed chef Tom Barnes' hotly anticipated Skof opening over at NOMA.

So, as we enter June, we welcome some fresh new concepts into the fold. Lauded culinary talent Niall Keating picks up the mantle at the Stock Exchange hotel, while the team at viral pasta spot Onda open their own restaurant over on Oxford Road. There's also expansions in the works over at beloved Chips @ No.8, a huge Electric Shuffle bar opening on Deansgate and a new Irish bar picking up from where legendary drinking spot Font left off.

Tender

In just a few days time, the grand domed hall at the heart of Manchester’s historic former Stock Exchange will reveal its latest iteration. Formerly occupied by acclaimed chef Tom Kerridge’s Bull & Bear restaurant, the dining space has now been transformed into Tender by the two Michelin Star chef Niall Keating.

The grand dining space has been painted a new rich green colour, while one of its ornate walls has been adorned with mirrors, further elevating the offer at the luxurious five-star hotel co-owned by Manchester United stars Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs alongside hotelier Winston Zahra. Menus are designed to be ‘accessible’, with some small plates priced £9, while larger dishes will start from £23 and a two-course Sunday lunch feast for £38.50. Tapping into Niall’s fine dining background, a special ‘Chef’s dinner menu’ spanning nine courses will set you back £115.

4 Norfolk St, Manchester M2 1DW

Onda

The hit pop-up pasta restaurant that shot to fame after going viral last year will swap Ancoats The New Cross Bar for its own site on Oxford Road in the coming weeks. Onda soared to stardom last year thanks to a video of its tiramisu drawer, which even attracted the attention of Hollywood star Florence Pugh, but it’s also known for its take on Italian dishes including hand-rolled pasta.

A collaboration between much-loved Manchester café Gooey and Michelin-trained chef Sam Astley, the first official restaurant space for the brand takes over the spot formerly occupied by New Zealand restaurant and bakery Tahi which shut its doors last year. Posting ahead of its opening on Wednesday, June 12, the team have been keeping followers up-to-date with the latest and said there will be more availability for walk-ins at the new site.

1, Circle Square, Oxford Rd, Manchester M1 7FS

Habbibi

A new Dubai-inspired restaurant from an international social media star will be opening its doors in time for Euro 2024 in Spinningfields. The new dining spot and shisha bar comes from social influencer and boxer Abdu Rozik - who made an appearance during KSI and Tommy Fury’s boxing match last year - and will open its doors with the XYZ building.

Habbibi, which also counts British DJ and producer Tom Zanetti as a partner, is described as being a ‘haven for food enthusiasts’ with a menu featuring a ‘fusion of global flavours inspired by [Abdu’s] extensive international journeys’. Dishes currently available at its Leeds site include grilled sea bass, beef fillet medallion and chicken kabsa, and its new spot will also offer desserts, cocktails and shisha.

Building, 1 Hardman Boulevard XYZ, Manchester M3 3AQ

Chips @ No.8

After a few setbacks due to building works, beloved Prestwich chippy Chips @ No.8 is almost ready to unveil its grand expansion. The spot famed for its amazing chippy teas has gone from strength to strength since opening in 2018, with queues regularly tailing down the street and a number of prestigious awards to their name.

Earlier this year, owner Dan Edwards announced the restaurant and take-away would be moving into the premises next door adding a dining space - giving diners more food choices, quicker serving times and a drink while they wait. The restaurant will be ready to open in the next few weeks.

8 Clifton Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 3HQ

Leo and Roobs

The team behind the much-loved Salford pub The Black Friar will be branching out this June with the launch of sister venue Leo and Roobs, a neighbourhood café. Situated in the up-and-coming Blackfriars area of Salford, and just a stone’s throw from Deansgate, Leo and Roobs is set to officially open its doors to the public on Monday, 10 June.

Named after the owner’s children, the café will serve up artisanal coffee and fresh juices, as well as brunch and lunch options. The star of the show will be house-baked crumpets, featured in several dishes, including the soon-to-be-famous “Leo’s Stack,” which includes a juicy sausage patty, poached egg, American cheese and tomato chutney.

Leo and Roobs is located on 2 Garden Lane, off Blackfriars

Electric Shuffle

A huge new Electric Shuffle bar will open its doors in the city centre in just a few weeks time. Brought to life by the team behind Flight Club, it will open on a prime spot on Deansgate in mid-June and represents the brand’s fourth site.

Bosses have said we can expect "addictive and high-energy games, semi-private shuffleboard areas dotted around a stylish art-deco-inspired central bar, an impressive cocktail list and a mouth-watering menu of small plates and stunning sourdough pizza". The venue will boast a plush bar and several nods to the city’s rich musical history throughout the design when it opens on June 21.

Ground floor, 201 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3NW

Rat & Pigeon

A historic backstreet pub building in the city centre with a dark past is due to reopen under a new name and ownership. For almost 35 years, the Mother Mac’s pub on Back Piccadilly in the Northern Quarter, became an institution as a ‘proper pub that makes no excuses’ thanks to its no-frills set-up.

Having shuttered at the end of 2022, the building - which has served as a public house since as far back as the 1870s - will now reopen at the Rat & Pigeon following a huge renovation. Some may not know, but the site was the scene of a massacre in 1976 when then landlord Arthur Bradbury killed his wife, her three children and cleaner before starting a fire.

The alcohol licence application for the Rat & Pigeon has been filed by M1 1HP Ltd, which lists Alex Daw, who is behind Ancoats pub the Crown & Kettle and arts venue Sidney & Matilda in Sheffield, as company director.

Mother Mary’s

A new Irish bar featuring two stages will take over a beloved Manchester bar in the coming weeks. Font Bar on New Wakefield Street announced its closure in January 2023, with punters hailing it as the ‘end of an era’. Now, it is set to reopen as new owners turn it into an Irish bar with live music and DJs.

The venue, which will be run by nightlife veterans Greg Dwyer, Joseph Finegan and Chris Sharp, will feature a bespoke KV2 sound system, as well as a state-of-the-art lighting system that will be used to illuminate the two stages. As well as serving a range of beers, wines, ciders and craft ales, there will also be a dedicated cocktail menu which will include a special £2 cocktail called ‘The Font’, in honour of the site’s former resident, plus a food menu headed up chef Andrew James who also fronted Stockport pie shop Ate Days a Week.

7-9 New Wakefield St, Manchester M1 5NP