A stylish new Italian in one of Manchester’s coolest neighbourhoods opens this week
New Italian restaurant Bruco in Ancoats on Murray Street(Image: Carl Sukonik | The Vain Photography)
It was once famed as Manchester’s “Little Italy”, now Ancoats has a new Italian restaurant making its home there. Bruco opens today at the site of the former Trove bakery on Murray Street.
The new Italian restaurant and wine bar has been opened by property entrepreneur Ethan Harvey, who has long dreamed of opening his own restaurant. Ethan lives in Ancoats, and so when he spotted the former Trove site come up for grabs it was the sign he needed to take the plunge.
He’s new launched Bruco with an ethos of serving up quality, but affordable, Italian small plates and wines. The restaurant menu’s dishes range in price from £4 to £20, while they will also be opening in the mornings serving fresh coffees and pastries too.
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Ethan says: “My background is in property but food has always been a massive passion of mine. I have friends who are chefs who I’ve helped them out over the years and so it’s always been a dream of mine to have my own food place.
“When this place became vacant I thought this is my chance, I’ll put my foot in.”
Ethan used his interiors expertise to reimagine the space in the unit with an elegant new design on Murray Street, in Ancoats, known as one of the the UK’s coolest neighbourhoods.
Bruco is in good company on the street too – as Ethan has a host of acclaimed foodie neighbours including Michelin-Starred Mana, award-winning Erst and chocolate cafe Cocoa Cabana.
As for the name of Bruco? It’s the Italian word for caterpillar, and also the name of a region of Siena in Tuscany famed for its textile industry. Ethan thought it would be a clever nod to Ancoats’ place in the Industrial Revolution, where cotton mills once thrived.
Inside Bruco(Image: Carl Sukonik | The Vain Photography)
The coat of arms for Bruco, complete with caterpillar, can be found in a painting on the wall, as can an image of Siena’s famous horse races.
Ethan has been able to call on the help of acclaimed chef Mike Jennings to oversee the project, while the culinary team at Bruco is led by Head Chef Cosimo Torlo, born in Muro Lucano, just outside of Naples, who brings with him a wealth of experience and a deep love for Italian cuisine.
On the menu, guests can enjoy dishes such as roast squash gnocchi with honey and sage, truffle mushroom and parmesan arancini, octopus with butter beans and capers and their signature indulgent slow cooked short rib lasagna. All dishes are priced from £4 – £20, with a menu “designed to offer something for everyone”.
The wine list offers a variety of Italian wines by the glass and bottle with the house wines starting at £24 a bottle and restaurant favourites by the glass including Gavi and Primitivo.
You can dine at the bar and in the restaurant(Image: Carl Sukonik | The Vain Photography)
Ethan, 33, says: “People have said to me ‘you could charge more’ but I want it to be a reasonable and affordable place for people to come in and enjoy.
“One of my pet hates now is you go to restaurant and house wines are £30 minimum for something very average – so my idea is to offer good house wines from £24.
“We are offering good food and good wine for really good value for money. We want this to be the sort of place you can pop in to with friends for a full meal, or have drinks and small plates at the bar.”
The stylish interiors designed by owner Ethan inside Bruco(Image: Carl Sukonik | The Vain Photography)
Consultant Mike spent 10 years working in Michelin starred restaurants alongside his decorated career and has a keen eye for detail when it comes to restaurants.
He said: “Bruco will be an excellent addition to Ancoats and we can’t wait to welcome diners from all over to enjoy our little taste of Italy.”
The restaurant opens this week from Wednesdays through to Sunday initially, opening from 8am to midnight. Ethan says “phase 2” will be opening an outdoor terrace when the weather improves in the spring.