Chotto Matte Manchester

Chotto Matte has been something of a big deal in London for a while now, not to mention other shiny, sparkly locations such as Miami, Toronto and Riyadh. And now it’s Manchester’s turn. 

Chotto Matte means “wait a second” in Japanese, which is a term often heard in Piccadilly Gardens before an outburst of rambunctiousness. All good. Makes sense. 

We jest. Chotto Matte is all about the other Manchester, the ruffian-free bit, the new, forward-thinking, skyscraping Manchester. Suitably, Chotto Matte is high up in the eaves, giving panoramic views across the city. Town Hall’s coming along well.

It’s over on Jackson’s Row, just off Deansgate, occupying 20,000 square foot of rooftop space at No. 1 St Michael’s development. Think of it like a hench 20 Stories or a glowed-up Ivy. 

On a Saturday afternoon, the place is heaving. No seat left empty, everywhere buzzing and bustling. If you’re looking for Manchester’s new focal point, this is it, and then some. 

Pleasingly, there’s more to come – staff tell us new terrace bits are set to open soon, with plans afoot to take advantage of the sun and warmth once we get this pesky winter out of the way. Although we don’t get a chance to sip cocktails in Claude’s, the in-house bar, this seems set to be a solid fixture of the high-end bar scene, focusing on tequila and mezcal-based cocktails. 

But all this is window dressing. What about the food? It’s all about Nikkei cuisine – a fusion of Japanese techniques and Peruvian ingredients. No, it’s not an AI hallucination, the concept dates back to the late 1800s when Japanese immigrants to Peru took advantage of the wealth of produce available and kickstarted a whole new form of cooking. 

It’s a marvellous combination. Elegant and graceful, with a powerful zing. Plus, there’s nothing else like it in Manchester. (We did have the Icarus-like Shoku over in Mediacity, a few years ago, but nothing since.)

There are a few menus to choose from, from à la carte to vegetarian sharing, and even a deluxe skyview bar package where you get plied with – and I believe the official term is – a shedload of booze. We go for the deluxe sharing package, and budget-permitting, so should you – it’s the city’s newest, swankiest place, go big. 

And it’s great. The food is far from an afterthought – it’s new and exciting, cherry-picking the best elements from both cuisines, and made fresh onsite. 

Even the side dishes are special. No disrespect to the guy who invented miso soup, but it’s not one of the world’s most stimulating broths – yet, somehow, here, it is. It’s packed with seafood – prawn, squid and bonito – plus a hint of truffle, and the results are transformative. 

But to hone in on the big beasts – the black cod and lamb chop courses are the showpiece dishes of this menu. Visually, they have the wow factor, sure, but the full-throttle flavours more than match up. By this point in the menu, everything’s vibrant, opulent and a little bit mind-bending. On our way out, a cheery doorman tells us that he buys the black cod for himself at least three times a week – as well he should, it’s an absolute standout. 

As Manchester grows and the money flows in, we’re seeing an influx of world-renowned restaurants at a rate of one a month, give or take. Happily, in Chotto Matte’s case, the glitz is backed by a powerful culinary brain – a worthy addition to the city’s food landscape.