Manhatta Sheffield: Official launch night for swanky New York inspired bar and restaurant

Inspired by the neon lights, food and swanky cocktails of New York, the establishment gets its name from the city of Manhattan. The chain behind it already runs two successful bars in Birmingham and Leeds and the Sheffield venue looks set to be just as much of a hit.

We went along yesterday for a preview and to try out what it has to offer.

Walking inside, the decor is stunning with a huge bar spreading across one wall. There are an array of neon light slogans including “Save water, drink martinis,” “Follow the call of the disco ball,” and even “I bet that you look

good on the dancefloor” - an ode to Sheffield’s own Arctic Monkeys.

The atmosphere is great and you really feel like you’re inside a luxurious bar in New York City.

The restaurant area includes a DJ booth, dancefloor, photobooth and swing seating. At night time it transforms from a sit down restaurant into a boujee bar.

I took a look at the extensive cocktail menu and it was hard to pick just one. On the menu, they’re split into four sections based on New York’s boroughs: Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. From gin to vodka to rum, there was something on offer to everyone’s taste.

I went for the Manhatta Spritz, a fresh and vibrant cocktail made up of Tanqueray Gin, Campari, lemon, sugar and grapefruit soda.

I also tried the Sailor’s Punch which consisted of spiced rum, pineapple liquor, ginger, maple syrup, lime and pineapple. Both drinks were presented beautifully and tasted amazing.

We even got to watch the bartender make them, which added to the atmosphere.

If you go to Manhatta any day except Saturday, you get two for one cocktails so it’s good value for money. The bar staff are also willing to make any classic cocktail you’d like, even if it’s not on the menu!

When it comes to food, there is a menu of small plates to choose from if you’re wanting a tapas kind of meal or you can opt for a traditional starter, main and dessert. There are 14 different small plates, most of which have a vegetarian or vegan version.

We went for the Korean Cauli Wings: crispy panko coated cauliflower wings with a sweet and spicy glaze and miso mayo to dip. I never usually go for the veggie options but this was delicious. I’ve never tried anything like it, it was full of flavour and I think I’d even prefer it to actual chicken wings. The miso mayo was a great touch too.

For the main courses, we had to go for the most American, NYC inspired food they had to offer in keeping with the theme. We went for the All-American Dog (a nine-inch hot dog with monterey jack cheese, pickles, jalapenos, ketchup, mustard and house fries) and Burrow’s Burger (spicy crispy coated chicken with smoked pancetta, monterey jack cheese, gem lettuce, sliced tomato, mayo, BBQ and ranch sauce).

The portion sizes were really generous and I struggled to finish mine so again, it’s good value for money.

Both meals were enjoyable and had a lot of different elements to them that worked really well together. If you’re veggie, don’t be put off by the fact there are a lot of burgers, chicken and hot dogs - there are so many meat-free options and you can even get a meat-free hot dog or ramen with meat-free chicken. Most meals are adaptable to your dietary requirements.

Finally, for dessert I opted for The Little Apple, deep fried apple gyozas with vanilla ice cream, shortbread crumble, gingerbread syrup and miso caramel sauce. This tasted delicious and I’d never had a sweet gyoza before so this was new to me but I loved it. It’s not a common dessert and definitely has a luxurious feel.

Overall, the atmosphere was buzzing, the food was amazing and the staff were all really friendly and welcoming.

If you want to try out a slice of New York in Sheffield, I would really recommend giving it a go.