I came here for dinner with friends as it had great reviews and I found the food to be quite good. It's like Japanese fusion served in tapas style, the flavour of everything was great and I loved all the things I ordered, which were the Salmon tataki, chicken Shumai and the broccoli side dish. The portions are on the smaller side for the price, which is about £30 per person for a meal of 3-4 dishes. The atmosphere is on the lively bougie side, they had a DJ for a while as well. I liked the decor and how vibes overall. The staff were friendly and polite but service was quite slow as it took ages to get the waiters attention to order. The one thing that disappointed me was the lack of sake ok the menu as they seemed to be a Japanese tapas bar, so sake seems like an obvious option. They only have whiskey, beer, wine and cocktails though. Also they only accept card, no cash and also American Express which I found out when I tried.. Overall good food, chic atmosphere and lively, but quite pricey, no sake and not so efficient service. read more

Been here a couple times since original review. Most recent times there to eat - and trying out much of the menu. Most recently, went with friends and tried the Summer Set Menu. This was 4 small plates for just £15. Very good value! There are 4 different sections with 3 different items in each - since there was 4 of us, we tried every item - plus duplicates of what sounds the best. Depending what you get, you won't leave hungry. But it depends - the ribs are more filling than e.g. the dim sum selection. My fav from the Summer Set Menu were the ribs, and the mackerel donburi I think. Duck and watermelon salad was good even though I don't like watermelon! Fish collars were yummy too! So much of it was good! We also got dessert which was not included in the set menu - costs £6 each dessert. My rating has gone up to 5 stars from 4 because every time I have been, the food is almost spot on. Would recommend it to anyone. Service is friendly too. read more

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I came here after deciding to walk out from a VERY rude experience at another restaurant in the area... Right away it was like being on another planet. The hostess and servers were extremely polite and helpful. Cool vibe in the restaurant- they had some djs... it's a bit like a restaurant/bar hybrid. The menu is a marvelous concept - Japanese tapas. Lots of vegan items to choose from and the presentation of food was artistic and the ingredients were top quality. Unique drink list and flavors between drinks and tapas blended seamlessly. read more

Cottonopolis - Japanese Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Kinda an ok place with some asian inspired food and cocktails. It was a bit crowded and loud so we didn't stay long. Also people seemed a little more dressed up than us so we had our own insecurities to deal with. But if that's what you're going for, then this is a good place to go for it! read more

Cottonopolis is way too loud for any kind of group chatting on a Friday night, in fact I could barely hear the person sitting right next to me. For that reason alone I probably wouldn't come back - I just don't see the point in places like this where I can't have a good time because talking with my friends involves hours of shouting and repeating things. If I wanna dance I go to a club and if I wanna listen to music i go to one of Manchester's awesome live venues. Plus, the music was crap (cf Albert's Schloss, which is also stupidly loud but at least plays decent stuff). The decor is nice and kind of similar to nearby Tariff and Dale. Service was good with one waitress in particular making an effort from my arrival to take care of our table. She was patient with half our group being about 45 minutes late - in fact they'd walked past twice but it's very hard to spot (it's basically on the south east corner of Dale & Newton, diagonally across from Tariff & Dale) It's very expensive to eat a full meal here as each small plate is at least £5 and a lot are more like £8 - £9. I ordered the soft shell crab tempura (this being a favourite dish of mine at Bonedaddies), the blackened mackerel treacle (thinking it might be like the sensational eel at Umezushi) and the pork bao buns (which I recently really enjoyed from Tender Cow at Altrincham Market). All of those places do these dishes a lot better - the soft shell crab needs a better (spicier) dip and the pork bao buns were particularly bland. Granted mackerel and eel aren't the same but the chilli jam is just one-note sweet. Combine this with the noise problem and the fact the food came out in stages so I had to start eating before my food got cold while my friend sat there for another 10 minutes and I just wouldn't bother eating here - I don't know whether they see themselves as a restaurant but they are not acting like one. I should say however that the prawn gyoza were great! The wine we had was a favourite of my friend's - a gewurtztraminer. I thought it tasted a bit like elderflower - in fact the menu says it's a lychee flavour. A very nice change from other white wines and worth a try. read more

I've only been here for drinks so watch this space for another food based review, I hear the sushi platter is delish. My favourite cocktail has to be the awkwardly named Sake-Wray night fever, pictured. A plum sake and Wray and Nephews rum based beauty, Japan meets Jamaica :) It comes with a sprinkling of glitter. They used to pop a small disco ball in the glass but apparently the punters have nicked them all so no more disco balls *sniff* The place was packed but we found a little spot at the end of the bar by the serving section, we were asked to shuffle along a little as the staff needed to get in and out from behind the bar but the waitress let us stay put which was nice of her. The barmaid was full of charismas and sass, we loved chatting to her about this and that. Great staff and great vibe. read more

Cottonopolis - Japanese Near Me - Manchester, XGM

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When I arrived at Cottonopolis I started to familiarise myself with the 'Ice, Fire, Steam and Oil' sections of their Japanese inspired menu. All reasonably sized dishes, they're priced anywhere between £5 and £9.50 and only 2 or 3 are needed per person for an ample sized meal. The Loch Duart Salmon Maki and Beef Tataki from the 'Ice' section are both great dishes. The fire section served up some Pork Belly Yakatori - a fatty, delicious cut of meat that fell to pieces at the slightest touch. The Blackened Mackerel was cured with treacle and blowtorched to create a crispy surface whilst leaving the tasty flesh succulent underneath. The final plates sent our way to be devoured were lightly battered wild mushroom tempura and outstanding Kara-age chicken wings with kimchi coleslaw. The miso marinated tender cutlets of the Lamb Nasu ensured that I left with a smile on my face. What Japanese meal would be complete without a small 'ochoko' of sparkling Sake. Keeping to tradition, the Sake was served in a Masu and was sweet and fruity. I sipped with instant regret that I did not order the full bottle. read more

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Using one of Manchester's nicknames for an Asian-influenced eatery and bar may have raised a few eyebrows at first, but I have to say the beer, service and overall experience here was really good. It's a former textile warehouse, from back when the city was pretty much in control of the cotton industry, so the name's appropriate. The designers have also been very sympathetic to the original features - the cast iron columns are pride of place, as are the wooden floors. From memory there may have been some old sewing machines on the walls. Their large bar has a wide range of beers, but their tank beer is delicious so we stuck to that (apparently it's the same as is delivered to Albert's Schloss on a weekly basis from the Czech Republic). The staff here (all who seemed to be tattooed to the max) were friendly and efficient, in fact, the service was probably the best I've had in the NQ for a long while. They're a credit to the place. Fancying a light-ish bite, the four of us ordered a range of dishes to share between us. Everything was good, but it was the pork belly skewers that stood out by far. Juicy and flavoursome - we should have ordered a portion each! Prices are a tad on the dearer side here, so be aware though. It's a lively, striking and exciting spot in a rapidly growing section for the city. Would definitely recommend a visit. read more

Cottonopolis - The inspiration for the place is seemingly the item they bring your bill in ;) - Japanese Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Although I've been aware of Cottonopolis for some time, I have to be honest in saying I never thought it would be quite 'my' kind of place - aka, I'm not cool enough for it. However, after meeting someone for a drink here and also a proper meal, it may have just changed my mind. A group of us visited pre-Christmas for a bit of indulgence and to catch up before everyone went their separate ways for the holidays. We were seated at a slightly awkward table (think there should be a prize if you manage not to hit your head on the lamps, even if they do look beautiful!) but soon managed to squeeze everyone in and just about hear one another. Really, there's no need for the music to be that loud. Numerous dishes were ordered across the table, meaning we could all dig in but also ensure our favourites were present. The pork yakiton - grilled pork belly - was obviously present, alongside dishes such as the chicken yakitori, vegetable tempura, katsu chicken, and beef tataki. Some of us even managed to save space for dessert after this array of plates, and the pineapple upside down cake certainly provided the sweet hit I was looking for after the array of savoury we'd just demolished. Everything was presented beautifully and even the plates themselves are worth noticing; the fit out and design of the space has been done very well. There were a few hiccups with the service and requiring extra cutlery but on the whole they were really friendly and understanding of the rather large order we put through. Always extra points for noticing an empty bottle of wine and offering another also. It's also worth noting that they're dog friendly so, fellow pooch spotters, you'll probably be in luck. read more

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After a couple of days of pure indulgence, I'm glad to have topped it off at Cottonopolis. Located on Newton St in the Northern Quarter, I walked past it twice and had to open my maps to make sure I was in the right place. We had a table of four booked at 7.30 and having got there around 7ish they were more than happy to bump our reservation up. That being said, I could have easily spent 30 minutes at the bar taking in the surroundings sipping on my gin. The dining area is quite small in comparison to the bar. When I got there they were setting up a dj section so I'd imagine as the night goes on the dining area gets smaller as the bar grows. The menu is split up into four sections; Ice, Fire, Steam and Oil. It's basically Japanese/Asian inspired tapas much like Australasia. I helped myself to yellow fin tuna nigiri (ice), pork belly buns (steam) and some crispy chicken wings (oil). The food doesn't come in any order and can come all at once. This wasn't a problem for me as it varied up each bite. I thought that the bar was really well set out, staff were great and the food was amazing. As for price, I'm not totally convinced it's great value for money (£9 old fashioned cocktail) however as an alternative to Australasia, I'd recommend going. read more

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Cottonopolis is an AOK place to hang out with friends. The food is decent, though it's nothing to write home about. Specifically, the Chicken Yakitori was OK; the Katu was dry, the Bao had a tasty filling bit a terrible bun; the Pork Shumai was very good, though it would have benefited from being served with a dipping sauce. The lunch special seems to be quite a bargain - overall, I wouldn't at all mind coming back another time :-) read more

Excellent food! Came here at a weekend a few month a ago. Great staff and lovely atmosphere. Great selection on the menu and the food was a treat! Will visit again soon! read more

Cottonopolis - Japanese Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Went there for a quick drink. I like the layout of the place and the bartenders were very friendly. Am gonna head back there again to try the food next time. read more

Cottonopolis - View from the inside - Japanese Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Cottonopolis is somewhere I saw quite a few times before going in. It being literally next door to where my other half works provided the perfect opportunity to visit when a couple of friends came over to Manchester for the day a while back. I had a few pints of the tank beer which was called Krusovice. It was served in a frosted glass and went down very easily but also caused me to me want/need bar snacks very quickly. Em and I ordered some chicken wings and bao buns (I think they were pork or duck...) which were pretty tasty and left me wanting much more food. Overall I liked it and will probably go back at some point but I can't say I'm in any great rush. read more

I'd probably say that this place gets a 4 based on the time of day I went (Monday at 6pm) and that's because I really wanted somewhere chilled out to meet my friend for a catch up. I would however be quite keen to return soon to try their ramen lunches and have some drinks in the bar when the energy and vibrancy is turned up a few notches. Originally I really didn't think I'd like this place - another exposed brick bar selling the same drinks, with cool eclectic music - all seems a bit 3 years ago, but I did like it because it does seem like some real attentions been paid to everything. I like the really high ceilings as it gives it a feel of a blank canvas and seems like it has a lot of potential as a multi-purpose venue read more

As I work directly opposite this bar, I've been watching the development over the past few months with keen interest. I was itching to go from the second they opened their doors and then when I did go, I ended up there two nights in a row. It's really attractive and spacious in here. Low lighting without it feeling like you're sitting in the dark, and good music without it being so loud you can't talk to your companions. On both my visits I had the tank beer, which is Krusovice and is very delicious - equally as good as the tank Pilsner Urquell at Albert's Schloss. If any other Manchester bars wanna get tank beer then I suggest Zlatý Bažant. A pint was £4.80 and was served in a frosty glass. However they don't have bar mats (and were quite adamant about not having them when I asked) so expect your table to get really wet from the condensation off the glass. The staff come round every now and again to wipe your table though. There's plenty of seating for big groups. Unfortunately on my first night here we were moved from our table to make way for the DJ. I get that the DJ needs to go somewhere but it would have made more sense for there to be a 'reserved from x o'clock' sign on the table when we sat down. The friendly staff helped us move all our stuff to another table though which was nice. From their menu I have sampled the pork bao buns, the duck bao buns, and the chicken kara age wings. All was really tasty. I've got to say it's not cheap - £8 for two buns. I won't be making this my regular lunch place, let's just say, but if I'm in here drinking I'd be happy to have some snacks to tide me over. Overall I'm very impressed with this place and I'm happy it's a new addition to the post-work drinks options! read more

I really like this new addition to the Tariff Street, Dale Street area of the Northern Quarter, It has a really nice modern feel to the place and has some great beers on tap. It feels like a great place to be. Perfect for catching up with friends in this really trendy bar! read more

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So so so I'm back!!! This is the first 2016 review and there is many more to come. So sit back relax. Prepared to be entertained. So I do like the latest addition to the Northern Quarter Bar and restaurant scene. We frequented this little gem before Christmas for my friends birthday. When i called to book the staff where very accommodating and worked a little magic to get me the corner table that has been recommended to me. I got there slightly early to decorate with balloons etc and to my horror the table was full. The poor waiter must have seen my face and with a waft of his tea towel the group before us vanished. Literally. We had waiter service and I can certainly recommend a good peruse of the cocktail menu and be adventurous. The bar staff are attentive and handsome in an asos indie grunge model way, ink, athletic muscles, take me to bed simile you catch my drift. They were a little slow but compensated with some shots to apologise so all good. The food is a absolutely gorgeous. An eastern and exotic explosion of amazing flavours and spices. It will defo give those tastebuds a sensational wake up like a power spray first thing in a morning! We tried lots of little sharing bits. There are these pork dumplings. Oh my days. My mouth is watering now thinking about it. Again the service was slow but the waiter certainly made it up for it. Great communication. Apologetic. Considerate. He got a huge tip. Wink wink nudge nudge. I do actually put it down to not being open that much however it's was a very pleasurable experience and i would certainly recommend it read more

So I was pretty drunk when I got to this place, so i may have overlooked things.... However I really enjoyed my visit to cottonopolis, a large group of us went on a saturday night and I was suprised to have no issues getting in as we were all pretty wasted and it was about 12:30am when we actually got there! The music was great, funky soul type stuff, Isaac hayes, james brown, etc. The decor was industrially styled but done well, quite low lighting so make sure that boy/girl you're eyeing up is actually as attractive as you think... There was a good selection of beers and spirits, I expect the wine selection was good too... Thats about all I remember, oh. it closes at 2am, which usually is late enough for me but on this particular night I was still wanting to go on, I chatted to the bouncer and he offered a few suggestions for other places to head to, which was nice, I like nice bouncers read more

I've been here a couple of times now. The first time was by sheer abundance of time, the second time was more of a planned excursion. My favourite cocktail here is the black cofey. Has booze, coffee and soya sauce. yes, sounds revolting but believe me, it's excellent, especially if you love your old fashioneds. The second time we went we stuck to beers. Not bad at all. The place has a nice vibe and appears quite relaxed despite being busy. Service and staff are all amazing and I can confidently say that I am not done going to this place yet. read more

Had breakfast here yesterday. Avocado and eggs on sourdough toast with chillis and hot sauce. My perfect breakfast, especially after a night out. The eggs were perfectly poached. The coffee was also really good. The staff were extremely friendly. Highly recommend. read more

I have been here twice now for food. The first time, I was with work colleagues and we had a few drinks beforehand elsewhere. It took us a while to choose from the menu as we had to use our mobile phones to see the menu (we were sat in the dark) which is laid out by elements e.g ice, fire, water and in small font! After deciding what we want we had to track down a waiter who are dressed like customers. Some are easier to spot as they have a tea towel hanging from their belt. When the food came, all of it was delicious. It is Japanese style tapas, small plates. As there were 6 of us we had to order extra as some didn't get a morsel and so we had to order more plates. One of our dishes too forever to arrive and after constantly pestering a waiter to see where our dish was, we got our dumpling for free. The place is really dark, even the toilets are scarily dark! The food is delicious but I wouldn't say it was value for money. On my second visit we spent GBP50 and were left extremely hungry afterwards and decided to go elsewhere for our fill. This place is good for cocktails and their beer is good too. The food is great, shame about the service. It can be slow and we had to ask many waiters for plates until we got some. Our side of sticky rice was late in coming after dishes had already come out. Don't come here if you are in a rush. read more

This is very near my work, so we went a few times for a post-work drink. A great looking bar, with impeccable style, and the tank beer in the frozen glass was a great drink. But we haven't been back in a while as its not the best in the area. This is sadly mainly the staff who were never very helpful, often chatting whilst people were stood at the bar waiting for a drink, without even a cursory "we'll be with you in a second", which made you feel like you weren't that important to them. The oddest incident was the bouncer making more noise telling people to keep the noise down than the people he was talking too. We were 2 tables away and we heard him and hadn't been interrupted by the other guests! A real shame! read more

A really cool and swanky bar with lots of different beers wines and spirits. The atmosphere is really chilled and the Staffa the friendly! read more

Cottonopolis - Japanese Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Had the katsu curry... the only option.. and it was was good. But very disappointed that this was the only option during "eat out to help out." This info was not communicated when booking the reservation. Was embarrassed in front of my guests for taking them to a restaurant with one menu option. read more

Came here with some coworkers on a Wednesday night, for which we had made a reservation the week prior. The food and service were good, but there were a few concerns. First, we were seated at a table with a wrap around bench across two sides of the table then chairs on the third side. Some people came up to us to ask if they could have one of our empty chairs, to which we said yes, and they proceeded to set the chair right behind mine and sit at our table on the piece of the bench that jutted out behind the table and right behind my chair! Multiple servers helped our table and none bothered to say anything to them. As the guests, we should have to do anything about these rude, loud, obnoxious assholes who decided to commandeer our table, and proceeded to leave their empty bottles ON OUR TABLE when they left! I tried to discreetly motion to our waiter towards them, in hope she would help us, but she didn't seem to get the hint, and there was no way for me to directly say something to her without them hearing. Also, the bartender messed up my drink a few times (odd, since I ordered the same thing as a coworker after seeing how good her drink looked) and so he brought my two drinks, the corrected one and the original one, and proceeded to charge me for both! I figured one was complementary to make up for the error, but I never would have accepted the second drink if I knew they were charging me for it, as I didn't actually order it! Lastly, our food came out in the most illogical order (our sides came last, well after our main orders had been delivered and eaten) and everyone got their food at vastly different times, which made it awkward for some of the group who waited 15+ minutes for their food, which mind you were the same dishes that some of the others had ordered and already received well beforehand. The food and atmosphere were fantastic, which was the saving grace, and I would give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe they were busy, but if I were to go back and have any of the same problems then I would recommend not returning here. read more