Japanese Izakaya restaurant and cocktail bar KITTEN in Manchester

The new Izakaya restaurant and cocktail bar KITTEN in Manchester, a traditional Japanese gastronomic bar for every day. Conceptually, the institution is a great place for meetings after work, in which the emphasis is shifted to dishes for alcoholic beverages for large companies.

Designed by full-service interior design studio Jolie, the restaurant is located in the new up-and-coming area of Deansgate Square, a skyscraper cluster on the southern edge of Manchester City Centre. The designers moved away from a purely aesthetic approach and used sensory zoning, combining visuals, touch, feel, fragrance and soundtrack for each interior area to enhance the customer experience throughout their stay.

The KITTEN’s interior aesthetic combines Japanese fine dining and contemporary cocktails in a stylish setting, featuring vast eight-metre-high ceilings, bamboo walls, Venetian plastering, an extensive marbled bar and a towering five metre bonsai tree.

Guests can access a front row seat to the sushi chefs handcrafting dishes from the best quality ingredients, including the finest grade tuna and hamachi, as well as peek into the semi-open kitchen to see dishes grilled on one of the largest Robatayaki grills in the city.

Interior design studio Jolie has created a space that not only incorporates sustainable practices and elements but also influences consumer behavior, promoting a socially and environmentally sustainable landscape of the future. This signature approach to the design process helps ensure the longevity of their work by creating socially sustainable and adaptable spaces that encourage interaction and communication.

"For us, social sustainability comes down to the idea of building lasting communities that nourish people and the planet, and nurturing spaces that improve collaboration, connection, and wellbeing," says Jolie Founder and CEO Franky Rousell.

The KITTEN menu includes Wagyu beef tataki with truffle ponzu, traditionally cooked best beef cuts on the open fire of the Robatayaki grill, T-bones with pickled red radish and sesame miso dressing, chicken yakitori with pickled heritage carrots and pink ginger, as well as carefully prepared duck, pork and lamb dishes.

Seafood lovers can enjoy a whole sea bass cooked over a charcoal grill served with ginger, sake-steamed clams and seaweed.

The restaurant's cocktail menu consists of classic yet inventive drink combinations, complemented by Japanese influences.

On weekends, visitors can enjoy live music and entertainment and, on warmer days, dine al fresco in the stunning square surroundings.

The imposing and even majestic interior of the restaurant set the stage for a promisingly fresh and modern take on fine Japanese cuisine in Manchester.

KITTEN, Deansgate Square, 9 Owen Street, M15 4TW, Manchester, United Kingdom