Located in the former wine cellar of the historic Manchester Club building, the lower ground floor Middle Eastern Bar & Restaurant combines Grade 2 heritage features with furnishings sourced from the vast region to create a venue unlike any other in Manchester.
Accessed down a short flight of stairs, with a suspended neon logo confirming that you’re in the right place, there’s an instant sense of discovery as you descend towards the 200-cover restaurant and bar.
A heavy wooden door, surrounded by vintage books and ceramics awaits guests, and opens into the bar from where an impressive selection of cocktails inspired by the Middle East can be enjoyed alongside beer from Beirut and wines from Hungary and Lebanon. A wide selection of classic cocktails, premium spirits and popular wines from across Europe are also available.
To the right the large airy restaurant unfolds, with a huge open kitchen taking centre stage. The space is evocative with a wide mix of industrial, rustic, heritage and Middle Eastern furnishings effortlessly blending together.
Street level windows flood the space with natural light during the day and provide a glimpse of the city’s action by night. Atmospheric lighting provides a warm glow throughout, with candles adorning every table. The versatile space, consisting of high tables, low tables, booths and long benches, caters for every dining requirement, from dinner for two to parties of sixty.
Moving back through the central bar, a destination in its own right and where those looking for a drink are readily welcomed, is the restaurant’s lounge providing further seating for sixty. In here, deep comfy sofas and armchairs await guests, set against a backdrop of exposed heritage brickwork and a wall bursting full of nick-nacks, sourced from across the Middle East and a range of reclamation centres (one of Shaw’s favourite pastimes is scouring vintage finds).
A beautiful private dining room with seating for ten completes the restaurant and bar space with heavy drapes providing privacy if required or the option for diners to enjoy the surrounding action.
Split into six sections, the extensive menu contains; mezze, seafood, meat, vegetables and grains, desserts, and sweets, it's an inclusive menu that caters well for vegetarians, vegans, and fish and meat lovers alike.
Additional signature dishes include the spiced lamb ‘jackets’ – fried potato skins filled with spiced lamb and mint yoghurt; spiced aubergine served with lavosh bread, tahini yoghurt and chermoula and chicken schnitzel served with chilli and lime butter.
To book a table or request further information please visit: www.habas.co.uk.
