The news that Manchester is to welcome the UK's biggest restaurant opening of 2018 is an exciting prospect for anyone fed up with the country's London-centric way of thinking - particularly because the opening in question is that of The Ivy, which means with that sheer size also comes all-out grandeur.
For the new offshoot of the iconic celebrity haunt, the Manchester Spinningfields site boasts 535 covers set across a ground floor brasserie, a private dining room on the first floor, an Asian-themed bar and restaurant on the second floor and a roof garden, with all the spaces bound together by The Ivy's trademark sumptuous art deco style.
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We're talking fire pits, gilded ceilings, marble bar tops, a fully retractable roof and menus promising the likes of wagyu beef with truffle sauce or lobster linguine. Basically, we're talking unadulterated, balls-out extravagance.
But is the time right for such opulence? Manchester's luxurious financial district in which The Ivy sits has been plagued by a spate of high profile closures recently - not to mention the wider failings of high street chains that many had assumed were doing well.
Many of Manchester's residents aren't entirely convinced that the time is right, with chatter on social media speculating that The Ivy will be 'gone within 24 months'.
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One person wrote: "Guess Manchester's like Glasgow - big prices, wee portions and pretentious doesn't survive long."
Another added: "Let's see how long that stays open."
Someone else also pointed out the juxtaposition between such big displays of wealth and the city's homeless community, writing: "Ah... homelessness and then this. Proud times for this city."
While many are foreshadowing an ill fate before the restaurant has even opened, its staff remain defiantly upbeat.
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General manager Kate Cooper told FOODbible: "We're confident that The Ivy Spinningfields will add to Manchester's already impressive dining scene. We're all very excited to welcome both those living and working in Manchester, as well as those travelling from further afield once we open our doors in the next few weeks."
She added: "We're confident that our ethos - to offer accessible, all-day dining - will prove popular. Despite recent closures, we feel there is still very much a market for dining-out with friends, colleagues or family in the city."
The new site has also created 279 full and part-time jobs, with Cooper pointing out that most of the team are from Manchester and the northwest, including head chef Jason Annette.
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"They are very proud to be part of the opening team here in the city," Cooper said.
Senior Head Chef Steve Scoullar added that, because the site is home to several different dining and drinking areas, it doesn't have to be a case of all or nothing; you don't have to splurge to enjoy the space.
"Guests will be able to enjoy everything from breakfast to a working lunch, afternoon tea, cocktails, weekend brunch or celebratory dinner with Champagne," he explained.
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Sure, 535 covers is a daunting prospect for any city - though it's worth bearing in mind that this number could have been exagerrated for the purpose of bragging rights. The number of seats don't always correspond with the number of covers, for instance, and 40 of those covers are also down to those private dining spaces, out of the view of the public.
More importantly, maybe the optimism of this new venture is precisely what the UK needs. At a time where we're faced with so much uncertainty, perhaps the confidence of such a flashy concept could prove to be the perfect antidote.
Maybe a throwback to the hedonism of the 1920s - with its gaudy art deco design, free-flowing Champagne and enviable 'fuck it' mentality - wouldn't be such a bad thing after all...
Featured Image Credit: The Ivy
Topics: Food, News, Manchester, UK