Kitten

Handcrafted sushi and charcoal grills are on the food menu in this sleek Deansgate Square set-up, complete with its own ceiling-bothering tree, while your drinks needs are catered for with a contemporary and creative cocktail list featuring Japanese infusions.

Claiming to be an izakaya – an informal after-work boozer, really – the Insta feed full of clean marble lines and bamboo decor details begs to differ. A central sushi station offers front row viewing of the top-end ingredients being prepped, while guests can also peek into the semi-open kitchen for visions of firey Robata action. For raw dishes, think hamachi nigiri topped with black and blue tuna, with pickled kohlrabi and squid ink tuille, and Wagyu beef tataki with sliced truffle, chives and crispy shallots, and truffle ponzu dipping sauce. This place is go big or go home, with, not just the biggest bonsai you’ve set eyes on (a Japanese white pine or Hime Komatsu, since you’re asking), but also one of the largest charcoal-fuelled Robatayak grills in town. From this, you can expect the finest cuts of meats – the likes of T-bone steak with pickled red radish and sesame miso dressing and chicken yakitori with pickled heritage carrots and pink ginger. Grilled seafood, meanwhile, includes whole sea bass served with ginger, sake-steamed clams and seaweed, and salmon with dashi-poached choi sum, kohlrabi, caviar and shiso dressing. The vegetarian and vegan offer encompasses Robata sweetcorn, heritage tomatoes and charcoal-seared aubergine, crispy tofu, tempura and yasai vegetables, and nobashi noodles.

Weekends see DJs and live music, and al fresco drinking and dining can also be had in the Square itself, weather permitting.

Want to be the first to receive all the latest news, tips, articles, guides and updates from Confidential Guides? Sign up here.