Manchester, look out! A new restaurant is bringing a bite of the Big Apple to the city and it’s giving swanky, classic New York vibes. Introducing a new style of dining in Manchester, Louis is a love letter to the Italian-American restaurants of New York and set against a backdrop of nightly musical performances.
Located in Manchester’s Spinningfields, Louis is an entirely new restaurant and musical venue from the Permanently Unique Group, the team behind Tattu and one of last year’s most talked-about new openings, FENIX. Louis is an ode to the classic New York restaurants which are often portrayed on the silver screen as a home from home, where guests are welcomed into an intimate booth, surrounded by quietly excellent cooking and perfectly mixed cocktails, whilst live music performances provide the soundtrack to the evening.
Guests are treated to a menu curated by Executive Chef Ippokratis Anagnostelis, who recently launched FENIX, and Italian Chef Matteo D’Elia who has worked previously at restaurants including Il Gattopardo, the Broadwick Soho and Bacchanalia. Together, a deep understanding of how the Mediterranean influence has shaped Italian American cuisine, and as such the menu will focus on a concise range of classic dishes made with exceptional produce.
To start, guests can indulge in the likes of Green Lip Breaded Mussels and Iberico Meatballs in marinara sauce or scratch-made Caesar salad. For main course, savour larger plates like Tomahawk and Veal Chop served with Crispy Potatoes in marinara. Diners can expect the likes of handmade fresh pasta, produced onsite from a dedicated pasta workshop adjacent to the Louis kitchen, with beloved favourites such as Rigatoni Alla Vodka and Tagliatelle Bolognese featured on the menu.
Plus, Head of Beverage, Will Meredith, has created a 12 strong drinks programme which focuses on American classic cocktails. This collection is thoughtfully divided into aperitifs, dinner cocktails, and digestifs, each cocktail featuring an artful blend of Italian heritage with American flair, including standout creations such as the Bloody Maria, the Manhattan, and the PB&J Old Fashioned.
As a city known for its music, Louis aims to “instil the quintessential Manchester ear for fresh new talent into the Louis line-up”, alongside a weekly roster of performers from soul singers and pianists, to jazz quartets and full swing bands. Each evening will be an entirely new experience, yet Louis promises to offer the constant, familiar feeling of being amongst friends. Designed by Fabled Studios, Louis offers the best seat in the house to each guest, with a tiered design centred around the main stage.
Deep velvet wraps the venue while classic Italian marble hugs the curves of the room leading guests into different areas within the space to discover pockets of intimate tables shrouded with café curtains. The bar, adorned with large chains, lures people over with warm lighting and glimmering gold tones while the WCs offer guests “a darkened and moody experience”. Louis is also be home to over £1 million of modern fine art including pieces by Marco Battaglini, Alec Monopoly, Brainwash and Ted Todd, combining classical Italian styles with modern graffiti style New York influence.
Like the era that has inspired much of Louis, the Manchester restaurant encourages a no-photos environment, with an emphasis on lived-experience over content creation. The restaurant aims to offer privacy and enjoyment for their guests, and create an intimate atmosphere.
Louis is a dinner-only venue and is open five nights a week, with a reservation only policy – you can find out more about Louis here. Bookings are open and tables can be reserved here.
📍 Louis is located at 3 Hardman Square, Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3EB.