James Martin Manchester will open in September and will replace the Linen restaurant within the Great Northern Warehouse gaming destination owned by London Clubs International (LCI), part of Caesars Entertainment.
Martin will become the latest big-name chef to open a venue in Manchester - Simon Rogan has taken over the running of the restaurants within The Midland Hotel in the city and Aiden Byrne is currently preparing to open Manchester House with Living Ventures.
"Over the last few months, there has been a definitive shift in Manchester’s restaurant scene and I can’t wait to be able to add James Martin Manchester into the mix," the chef said today.
"I’ve always been keen to have a restaurant presence in the city and my relationship with Caesars Entertainment gives me the perfect platform to do this," Martin added.
Casino restaurant
The opening will mark Martin's return to casino eateries after the closure of Alea Leeds, also owned by LCI, forced the closure of his restaurant within the entertainment venue.
"We are extremely excited to welcome James to the Manchester 235 casino," said Justin Carter, venue director at Manchester 235. "A chef of his talent and profile is exactly what we envisaged for the restaurant moving forward and will add to our already dynamic entertainment offering."
"Our philosophy at Manchester 235 is to create a destination entertainment venue with great bars, restaurants and entertainment alongside the gaming; Caesars Entertainment, which owns Manchester 235, has a number of established celebrity relationships in the US, and we are bringing that concept to the UK," Carter added.
Modern British
James Martin Manchester is expected to feature a classic British menu with simple dishes that are 'big on flavour' and use locally-sourced ingredients.
"I’m currently working on the menus, with our main focus on modern British cuisine - I’m looking forward to unveiling some of our key dishes very soon," Martin said.
Manchester 235 is open 24 hours a day and features a casino, cocktail bar, private event suite, poker lounge, gaming facilities and a bar which Manchester 235 re-opened as the Vega Lounge earlier this year following a re-branding and refurbishment programme.