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Celebrating King Street Festival 2017

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This weekend sees the return of the fabulous King Street Festival; a celebration of shopping, food, drink art and live music. It’s running along the whole length the street which lies at the heart of Manchester city centre, on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th June.

El Gato Negro building frontage

We’ll be joining in the festivities alongside our fellow neighbours and traders. Chef Patron Simon Shaw will leading the street activities outside; look out for him and the team cooking al fresco, serving two special festival dishes, ready to enjoy at our pavement seating area, indoors alongside our menu, or to takeaway!

  • Chorizo, red pepper aioli and caramelised red onion sandwich £6 
  • Chargrilled vegetables with giant couscous and a salsa verde dressing £5

Our usual outside dining space will extend across King Street for the weekend weekend, so more diners can enjoy the fun of the festival from a prime position.

Our King Street Cooler for the King Street Festival

We’ll also be serving up a recent cocktail classic which celebrates our home: the King Street Cooler. Created with Midori, elderflower, apple, mint, cava & soda, it’s a vibrant, light and refreshing beverage to enjoy, day or night. El Gato Negro festival opening hours are midday onwards. Hope to see many of you there!

(Update) What a cracking weekend! We – along with hundreds of happy customers – enjoyed the weather and the atmosphere on Manchester’s best street alongside fellow traders and businesses!

Our new spring menus are here

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With the recent spell of sunshine and warm weather, a profusion of flowers and leaves everywhere, and the very welcome return of longer evenings, it’s definitely springtime in the city. Spring always brings new growth and change, and we’re delighted to announce the introduction of new menus for spring 2017 at El Gato Negro.

Simon and Richard have refreshed the restaurant menu, adding an array of delicious new dishes celebrating seasonal produce and flavours. Regular customers may spot dishes which proved so popular as specials they’ve been included on the regular menu. These include the spectacular Pig cheeks with parsley root and apple purée, and morcilla; and LED tomato, Monte Enebro goats cheese and watermelon salad, with mint and basil.

A couple of our modern classics have also made it back onto the menu by popular demand: the chargrilled onglet steak with patatas a lo pobre, as well as Gillardeau oysters, yuzu juice, wasabi tobiko and pickled cucumber.

With a comprehensive selection of options for diners who require gluten free or vegetarian dishes, we’re sure the menu will delight everyone who dines at El Gato Negro.

In response to customer feedback we’ve also introduced a brand new lunch option to complement our main menu – the ‘Menú Rápido’. This menu has been developed to offer customers a curated range of dishes that can be enjoyed when there’s less time to enjoy a leisurely lunchtime dining experience. Perfect when you’re limited for time, and speedy service is as important as quality of the dishes you know and love. The ‘Menú Rápido’ is available during lunch service from Tuesday to Friday, alongside our main menu.

Celebrating our first anniversary in Manchester

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El Gato Negro wins City Life’s ‘Best Restaurant’ 2016 award

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Last night we were thrilled to be revealed as the winners of CityLife Awards 2016’s ‘Best Restaurant‘ category at a ceremony at Crazy Pedro’s in Manchester.

Simon Shaw from El Gato Negro celebrates winning Best Restaurant award

Chef patron Simon Shaw with Lucy Lovell and Simon Binns from the MEN. (Photo: Joel Goodman/Manchester Evening News)

El Gato Negro was shortlisted alongside some of Manchester’s brightest and best restaurants so we’re honoured to have been voted as the city’s best, winning with more than a third of the public vote.

In a city with as dynamic and exciting a food culture as Manchester it’s a particular honour to be awarded ‘Best Restaurant’, and at the awards ceremony last night – surrounded by friends old and new – we were reminded how talented and welcoming everyone has been since we opened in February 2016.

At the ceremony Chef Patron Simon Shaw said

Wow, what a buzz! We’ve been open less than a year but the Manchester public have really embraced us and been so receptive of our vision and offering. This sets us up for a very exciting 2017, coming as it does just a few weeks before our first anniversary, and we have plenty of exciting plans for this year. Thanks for all the support and loyalty from our customers.

Coming on the heels of a run of accolades in 2016 – gaining a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand, Newcomer of the Year at the MFDF awards, Lancashire Life’s ‘City Restaurant of the Year‘,  and debuting in Restaurant Magazine’s National Restaurant Awards Top 100 has been a remarkable and inspiring experience.

A huge thank you to our incredible staff, suppliers and supporters… we really couldn’t have done this without you. We are so proud of the team here at El Gato Negro. As for our customers, thanks so much for helping us to make us feel so at home in the heart of Manchester in our first year. We look forward to serving you to the very best of our ability in the future.

 

We’re supporting StreetSmart tackle homelessness during December

StreetSmart restaurateurs in Manchester

Alongside some of Manchester’s best establishments we’re proud to be supporting a fantastic charity initiative for the rest of 2016: StreetSmart.

It’s a brilliantly simple, clever scheme and is focused on supporting local organisations which help the homeless in Greater Manchester. Between December 1st – December 31st we’ll be adding a discretionary 2.5% service charge onto each bill. Our customers get to enjoy great food and know they’re helping StreetSmart do something great too. Every single penny we raise contributes directly to the work being done in Greater Manchester to enable homeless people to build a better life for themselves. 

Simon Shaw, founder and Chef Patron at El Gato Negro said: “We are delighted to be taking part in StreetSmart and through this campaign want to support those charities working locally to get people off the streets and integrated back into society. It’s a simple way for us to join this worthy cause and at a time of year when the focus for people is very much on giving. People can really make a difference whilst enjoying themselves with a small charge on their bill.”

Please take the opportunity to have a real impact on the community in our area, and help us support StreetSmart in 2016. Thank you! StreetSmart logo

El Gato Negro unveils restaurant expansion and new menu for autumn 2016

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New expanded upstairs dining at El Gato Negro We’re pleased to announce that, in order to meet incredible customer demand, we’ve now extended restaurant seating onto the top floor of our historic building, creating an additional forty covers. This expansion, coupled with an updated booking process and a refreshed autumn menu, means El Gato Negro will be enjoyed by more diners than ever before in the months ahead.

Chef patron Simon Shaw says

“Since opening we have been blown away by the response. Such has been the demand that we’ve made the decision to extend our food offer into The Black Cat, so our guests can enjoy the dining experience across all floors.”

The increased number of tables now provides the ability to accommodate parties of up to sixteen, in time for the Christmas season. The venue is also now available for private booking. Interested parties can book by calling our expanded host team on 0161 694 8585 or make a reservation online.

We’ve taken the opportunity to update the food offering on all three floors. The ground floor bar sees a newly expanded menu, ranging from ‘para picar’ bar snacks and charcuterie through to some of our classic dishes, as well as daily soups and sandwiches. No reservations are required for the bar.

Grilled mackerel fillet with beetroot salad, horseradish dressing Our restaurant on the middle floor has introduced an autumnal menu refresh, with a range of appealing new dishes already proving a hit with diners.

“Autumn nights are drawing in and we’re looking forward to sharing the seasonal additions to our menu. As time has gone on I’ve wanted to experiment and to introduce new and exciting dishes. I’m really pleased with the additions we have on offer and look forward to hearing people’s reactions to them.”

We also now offer an express lunch option in the restaurant, based around six of our signature dishes. Whether you’re looking for a quick working lunch, or you’d like an introduction to some of our classics, the set lunch is perfect. Choose three dishes from the selection of favourites for just £15.

The top floor, with its signature retractable roof which is unique to Manchester, has been been a talking point since we opened in February. Our iconic bar, The Black Cat, will continue to create a cornucopia of incredible cocktails, and diners on this floor will be able to enjoy the incredible aspect and al fresco experience when weather permits.

With these developments coming in the same month as El Gato Negro picking up three notable industry awards, November’s proving to an incredibly exciting time. We hope you can join us to experience the expanded range of dining options and menus soon.

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We’re Lancashire Life’s ‘City Restaurant of the Year’

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City Restaurant of the Year winner was El Gato Negro, Manchester. Photographed here are Richard Jones and Simon Shaw

City Restaurant of the Year winner was El Gato Negro, Manchester. Photographed here are Richard Jones and Simon Shaw

Another week, and more great news for the team at El Gato Negro! We were delighted to be nominated in the 20th Lancashire Life Food & Drink Awards in our first year since we moved across the Pennines from Yorkshire.

It feels like longer than six months since the magazine gave a us a rave review but as Chef Patron Simon and Head Chef Richard made their way north to Dunkenhalgh Hotel in Blackburn on Monday they had time to reflect on the thrilling pace since then: hitting our stride in our new restaurant in Manchester, further honing and refining the food and drink offering, and building the team to service the unprecedented customer demand.

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It was a real honour to be crowned ‘City Restaurant of the Year’ at the awards, and to be surrounded by the great and good of the Lancashire and Lakes food and drink sector. A brilliant and inspiring evening, discovering more about how dynamic and progressive the food and drink scene is in the North West right now. You can watch a video of the event here.

A handsome restaurant that serves some of the best Spanish food found in the north. You could be in downtown Madrid.

October has been incredible for El Gato Negro. This is the latest in a trio of awards this month – picking up Newcomer of the Year at the MFDF awards and receiving a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand – and adding these in the same year we debuted in Restaurant Magazine’s National Restaurant Awards Top 100 has been amazing.

As always, we want to credit our staff for the win: this award has been earned because of the skill, dedication and hard work across our whole team. It’s because of them we’ve been able to make El Gato Negro Manchester what it is today… and we’re aiming to continue to grow and improve as we move forwards. Thanks too to our customers for all your support and enthusiasm!

 

Thrilled to win ‘Newcomer of the Year’ at Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards

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Chef Simon Shaw and kitchen team

Smiles all round as the team tonight celebrates a win at this year’s prestigious Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards, held in the spectacular settings of The Palace Hotel‘s Ballroom.

After enjoying a great Gala Dinner the gathered crowd of hospitality professionals – including our El Gato Negro contingent – settled down to enjoy this year’s awards ceremony, hosted by BBC Radio Manchester’s Becky Want and XS Manchester’s Matt White. The atmosphere was electric and the anticipation grew steadily as the winners of seventeen awards were announced. Our team was over the moon to be included amongst Manchester’s finest, collecting the Newcomer of the Year from the incomparable John Thomson.

Chef patron and founder of El Gato Negro Tapas, Simon Shaw says:

“This whirlwind year certainly shows no sign of slowing down and to receive the Newcomer of the Year award was really just the cherry on top. It’s a fantastic achievement having only been open a short space of time.

“It’s incredible for me and for everyone who has worked so hard. We’ve opened with a bang for sure, but there is still a lot of hard work to do. As a restaurateur, you have to gain trust. If a customer trusts you in your knowledge, production, presentation and the ambience you set – that’s why they come back. We are seeing regular customers in a period of nine months, which is amazing.”

Coming just a week after we were awarded a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand, and in the same year we debuted in Restaurant Magazine’s National Restaurant Awards Top 100, 2016 has exceeded all our expectations.

This award has a particularly personal resonance, knowing it’s voted for by members of the public as well our colleagues in the hospitality industry across Greater Manchester. We continue to be overwhelmed by the level of support, goodwill and enthusiasm we’ve received since we opened in our new home city, and we hope we’ll be able to reward such friendliness and loyalty as we continue to develop and refine our offering over the next few months.

More than ever, we’re indebted to our incredibly talented, hardworking and brilliant colleagues – who truly make El Gato Negro Manchester what it is – and our customers, without whom we would not exist. Thank you all.

Chef Simon Shaw and El Gato Negro staff

We’re supporting Action Against Hunger

lovefoodgivefood campaign banner action against hunger

(Updated: a huge thank you to all our customers who helped raise £5504.08 for ACF this autumn by dining with us and donating during #LoveFoodGiveFood. This is a the highest total ever raised by a Manchester restaurant for ACF!)

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El Gato Negro are very proud to announce that we’re official supporters of Action Against Hunger’s #lovefoodgivefood campaign this autumn to help #EndChildHunger.

We believe in a world without child hunger, which is why we’re joining hundreds of restaurants across the UK to raise vital funds for the #lovefoodgivefood campaign.

Black Cat with pound coin for Action Against Hunger
For the next six weeks, throughout September and until World Food Day on Sunday 16th October,  we’ll be adding a discretionary £1 donation to each food bill – both in the restaurant and the bar areas – to contribute to this campaign. Together our contributions can help transform lives overseas.

Thank you in advance for all your support and for helping us make a difference this autumn.

To find out more or get involved, watch this video, visit the Action Against Hunger website and follow @ACF_UK

LEEDS

35 Park Row, Leeds, LS1 5JL
0113 3220763

Phone | Email | Hours | Map | Instagram

LIVERPOOL

Unit 2, Walker House, Exchange Flags, Liverpool, L2 3YL
0151 2361331

Phone | Email | Hours | Map | Instagram

MANCHESTER

52 King Street, Manchester, M2 4LY
0161 6948585

Phone | Email | Hours | Map | Instagram

El Gato Negro is a Simon Shaw restaurant. The award-winning tapas menu combines modern and traditional flavours and techniques, offering seasonally-influenced small plates using quality Spanish and locally-sourced ingredients.

Canto serves up fast-paced, exciting Mediterranean tapas – paired with great service – in a relaxed, friendly environment.

© Copyright 2012-2024 Mills Hill Developments Limited, trading as El Gato Negro Tapas. All rights reserved.
Company no. 08811180. Registered in England, registered office address 52 King Street, Manchester, M2 4LY