Guests at the opening event, including celebrity chef Simon Rimmer, were treated to welcome drinks and a speech from founder and Chef Patron Simon Shaw on his ambitious plans for the restaurant at 52 King Street, Manchester. Canapes cosisted of delicacies from the impressive ground floor charcuterie counter along with a range of cocktails, including a fabulous Tio Pepe and quince gin bellini.
In the first floor restaurant the food and wine offering takes centre stage, with food being served from the open finishing kitchen. A range of tapas plates were presented paired with a Barbiana Manzanilla before moving onto more complex dishes such as confit of belly pork with rosemary flavour arrocina beans and Carabineros prawns with shellfish rice, giving just a hint of what delights the menu has in store.
Moving onto the third floor, you'll find the home of 'The Black Cat at El Gato Negro', the restaurant’s dedicated cocktail bar situated at the top of the building. Here you can savour a selection of Beverage Manager Garry Foy’s exclusive cocktail creations under the retractable roof, which opens to reveal the Manchester sky. A sherry cobbler was given a classy treatment and a Pedro Ximenez cocktail was a perfect finale to the night.
Speaking on the launch event Simon Shaw said, “Standing here tonight I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved, there have been some long hours invested and I couldn’t have done it without the fantastic team around me. We’re looking forward to opening the doors to the public and welcoming people to El Gato Negro Manchester.”
El Gato Negro is renowned for seasonally-inspired dishes reflecting a mix of modern and traditional Spanish flavours and techniques with influences from closer to home. For your chance to sample the extensive tapas and drinks menus, you can find the contact details in our Sherry Spots listings; El Gato Negro
Alternatively you can try one of Simon's recipes for yourself and pair it with the perfect sherry for a taste of El Gato Negro.
Roasted butternut squash with cauliflower florets and Manchego
