By Krystal Starkey
Following succesful launches in Manchester, Leeds and Harrogate, it was perhaps only a matter of time before New York-inspired food and cocktail bar, Manahatta, came to York.
And if you’re wondering how it happened so smoothly, that’s because Banyan, the previous bar, and Manahatta are both the glamorous children of food and drink mogul, Arc Inspirations.
Manahatta’s home on Little Stonegate is nestled comfortably in the ‘Latin Quarter’ of York – and it fits in perfectly with its indulgent food, glamorous cocktails and plenty of photo opportunities.
Eat
Manahatta’s menu is indulgent and naughty. Think classic American dishes like macaroni cheese, big dirty burgers, and the naughtiest of them all, the Empire State Chicken: a towered stack of crispy coated chicken, waffles, American cheese, purple slaw, maple syrup and skin-on fries. This is the main course I was destined to order.
The dish gets the balance between sweet and salty just right, while the softness of the waffle combined with the crunch of the fried chicken will haunt me as I try to eat my weekday salad two days later. So good.
For starters I go for the Calamari Melts, which are lightly fried balls of broken up calamari on a bed of seaweed with a dollop of garlic mayo. I’m relieved to see that the size is appropriate, considering the main course I’ve got on the way.
My guests order the BBQ Chicken Nachos, which would serve as a meal in their own right, and are a welcome side step from traditional nachos; and the Halloumi and Mozzarella Fries with a spicy chipotle ketchup, because you can never have too much cheese.
But I don’t want to tar the whole menu with the filthy food brush, because there are still modest options like salad super bowls and wraps.
Drink
When it comes to drinks, happy hour is all day, every day, and it’s always 2-4-1 cocktails at Manahatta. This is just as well, because the cocktails are £10-£13 – so getting two for this price makes it good value for money.
The cocktails are split into sections like glamour, party and luxe, and there’s been no cutting corners on the ingredients. But my favourite part is the ‘low alcohol’ and ‘no alcohol’ sections. There’s seldom a compromise on drinks menus and it’s nice to see it being catered to here. I go for a ‘low alcohol’ Spices Citrus Spritz: a fresh and sweet blend of Atopia spiced citrus ultra low alcohol, blood orange and apple soda.
Cocktails aside, there’s plenty of draft lager, house wines, and, if you’re feeling really extra, you can even order a bottle of liquor to your table for a cool £120.
Overall Manahatta is a welcome addition to Little Stonegate, and the perfect place to start your night out, especially if you fancy a big meal to kick off.
Manahatta opening hours are 12pm – 11pm Monday to Tuesday, 12pm – 12am Wednesday to Thursday, 12pm – 2am on Friday, 11am – 2am on Saturday and 11am – 11pm on Sunday.
Follow Manahatta in Instagram @ManahattaUK for further updates.
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