A stylish Manchester bar, praised for its New York-style vibes, has been hailed by MasterChef host Grace Dent as the city's 'new best thing ever'. Bar Shrimp, located on New York Street, opened last March and is led by industry veterans Daniel Craig Martin, Joseph Otway, and Richard Cossins, who also run the Flawd wine shop and the acclaimed Higher Ground restaurant, recently named in the National Restaurant Awards top 100 list.
Seafood and Cocktails at the Core
True to its name, Bar Shrimp focuses on British seafood dishes and high-end cocktails, with a 'relaxed and focused' concept. The menu features snacks like cured pork croquettes and devilled eggs, alongside curated music nights with a world-class sound system. In a recent review for The Guardian, Dent described the bar as 'intriguing and risky in equal measure' for its 'shellfish snacks and complex cocktails' concept, but ultimately felt the vision paid off.
A Memorable Dining Experience
Dent complimented the Death in the Afternoon cocktail, a blend of champagne and absinthe, which paired exceptionally well with Cornish Baerii caviar, house-cut crisps, and soured cream. The menu also includes British and Irish oysters, whole Morecambe shrimp, a cuttlefish sandwich, and a Dexter beef burger. All seafood is sourced from the British Isles, ensuring 'only the highest quality fish and shellfish' are served.
Praising the venue for 'hitting the water swimming', Dent said that enjoying mackerel rillettes, crisps, and a glass of wine 'might even be one of the best seats in Manchester, if not the entire north' right now. She also highlighted the 'perfectly executed' devilled eggs with brown crab, calling the bar snacks 'meaningful, highly adept cooking' rather than last-minute additions.
Sustainable and Local Sourcing
Like its Higher Ground counterpart next door, Bar Shrimp uses herbs and vegetables grown on their 1.5-acre organic farm Cinderwood in Cheshire, which supplies a large portion of the menu ingredients. This commitment to 'regenerative farming and local produce' is a key part of the bar's philosophy.
Earlier this year, Bar Shrimp was praised at Condé Nast Traveller's UK's Top New Restaurant Awards, where it was singled out as one to watch for its innovative cooking, stylish vibes, and ability to 'sweep you off your feet'. Judges noted: 'This is where Manchester's most stylish grown-ups go for a drink, linger over dinner, and dance until the lights come on. Combining finely-tuned cocktails, grower Champagne, and sublime seafood with DJs spinning records on a world-class sound system, the sultry, crimson-draped bar is conveniently nestled next door to the group's flagship restaurant.'
