Rhubarb Pie Rises Again - Medlock Canteen is plotting a comeback

Grab the custard. Medlock Canteen, the all-day French bistro meets American diner that closed in Deansgate Square last year, is coming back, the Manchester Evening News reports.

The original opened in March 2024, run by the teams behind Madre, Winsome and Liverpool's Belzan. Critics loved it, Jay Rayner included. But less than 18 months later the owners announced it was closing, blaming rising costs, higher taxes and people spending less, and regulars were gutted.

Now it's back on. The owners have announced a return at a different location they're not naming yet. Expect it to run all day, from morning fry-ups to late dinners, with sandwiches at lunch and a few greatest hits back on the menu. Fans have spotted the deep-fried rhubarb pie and custard and the turkey schnitzel with duck egg in the announcement pics. No date yet, so keep your eyes peeled.

So what for hospo people? Our favourite detail is that the old Medlock menu had a "staff dinner" dish: whatever the kitchen had knocked up for the team's break that day, and it regularly sold out. Proof that the best food in any restaurant is the stuff cooked for the people who work there. Bring it back, please.