Introducing Manahatta: A little piece of New York right here in Leeds

The eagle eyed among you in Leeds may have spotted a New York style taxi driving through the city over the last few days, suggesting something new and exciting was coming. Saturday, it arrived. Manahatta has expanded from Merrion Street to a new site on Greek Street, which promises to bring the ‘Beat of New York’ to Leeds.

Manahatta not only brings the ‘beat’ of New York, it also serves up a menu which is inspired by New York’s diverse food scene. From pancakes for brunch to a ‘Liberty’ burger, (because it is not really New York without a burger) you experience the closet taste to Manhattan, this side of the Atlantic.

I asked one of the mixers which one they would recommend. The answer is ‘Rolling Stone’, a mix of vodka, Campari, lemon, pineapple, passion fruit, raspberry and sugar. It did not disappoint.

Even when the yellow taxi returns to the ‘Big Apple’, fear not, as Deliveroo can bring the beat of New York straight to your door.

The Tab spoke to Martin Wolstencroft from Manahatta to find out more about the coolest new spot in Leeds.

What drew you to opening a bar in Leeds? Why do you think the ‘beat of New York’ will work well in Leeds?

Leeds is the heartland of Arc Inspirations. With 11 sites already under our belts here, it was a no brainer to open a second Manahatta site in the heart of the city. Our Merrion Street site has been open for nearly 3 years now and we wanted to open something on the thriving, glamourous and sought after location that is Greek Street.

 As Manahatta is inspired by New York and all its glitz and glamour, the new Leeds bar will throw in a new dimension to Greek Street. It’s great to offer the people of Leeds something different; whether they’re after a place to relax, an excuse to get dressed up, celebrate a special occasion or pop in for an after work drink.  Manahatta Greek Street offers a versatile experience, and we hope Leeds loves it as much as we do.

 New York consistently leads the way when it comes to innovative, creative and glamorous food and drink. Taking inspirations from the Big Apple, the Greek St site aims to bring the beat of New York to the heart of Leeds by offering a new experience to an already thriving area of the city.

How are you interpreting New York into the bar?

From the name itself right through to the New York inspired menus and striking interior, we know our customers will feel like they’re in the heart of New York the moment they step through the door.

We’ve worked tirelessly to perfect our offering. Our brand new bar and restaurant promises to deliver a diverse menu inspired by New York’s eclectic food scene, a drinks list featuring the best cocktails from around the world and an atmosphere you won’t forget. Our bespoke cocktail list has been created by expert mixologist Mark Austin in partnership with The Savoy’s American Bar to guarantee all drinks offer intrigue, flair and flavour.

Ahead of the launch we even circled our branded New York taxi around Leeds to build excitement around the launch – it’s not often you spot a New York taxi in the middle of our city!

One of our key focuses for this site is of course the famous New York brunch, that has become somewhat of a religion to many New Yorkers

 Available until 4pm every day, our extensive brunch menu serves timeless classics such as Bloody Mary’s and American style pancakes to popular dishes including smashed avocado on toast – there’s something for everyone. And, by being available until late afternoon, there’s the added bonus of not having to get up early on Sunday morning to get your fix.

Which drink would you recommend?

Our whole menu has been carefully curated to offer our guests something different to the usual cocktail list. We’ve reworked old classics to make them new favourites. Guests will be surprised at the unique blend of flavours on offer, with our head of bar development Mark Austin working tirelessly to ensure this is our best drinks menu yet.

 Our menus are unique in that we have segmented them into time of day, ensuring we are pairing our drinks to our guests’ meals. They can of course have them whenever they like but we thought it was important to segment our cocktails just like you would a food menu. We’ve broken it down into; Good Morning, Sundown and The City That Never Sleeps.

 In the morning we of course offer the classic Bloody Mary and to start the afternoon, a selection of refreshing drinks, including our revitalising Cucumber Cooler – the perfect gin based refresher to kick-start your afternoon. To start the evening in true New York style, our menu offers everything from our own take on a Pornstar Martini to quintessentially Manhattan inspired Bourbon cocktails. They’re not to be missed.

Brunch is served until 4pm, so next time you want pancakes before a seminar, give Manahatta a try, especially if it’s a Tuesday!