Perched on a tall stool at a new Manchester bar, I peruse a menu of fishy things and aquatically adjacent items: Lindisfarne oysters, devilled eggs with brown crab and trout roe, hand-dived razor clams, and scallop tartare with elderflower dressing. Bar Shrimp sits on New York Street, feeling fittingly like a quiet, sceney New York spot rather than an edgy London one. Glass-fronted with discreet net curtains and a Tracey Emin-esque neon name sign, inside it is draped floor-to-ceiling in red, reminiscent of the Twin Peaks red room. Expect oversized monogrammed ice cubes, nine types of mezcal, and just as many amaros, alongside cuttlefish sandwiches and buffalo fried cod with blue cheese dressing.
A Nod to 1980s New York
Bar Shrimp is a dog whistle to 1980s kids who grew up seeing New York in films like After Hours or Wall Street. It is opened by three friends: chef Joseph Otway, sommelier Daniel Craig Martin, and general manager Richard Cossins, who met at Dan Barber's Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York State. Despite this pedigree, Bar Shrimp makes no fuss about it. There are no nods to Dan Barber, nor mentions of Cinderwood Market Garden, their own working farm in Cheshire that supplies both Bar Shrimp and its acclaimed neo-bistro neighbor, Higher Ground. The Shrimp boys are too cool to namedrop.
Intriguing and Risky Concept
Otway, Cossins, and Craig Martin are spreading their tentacles stylishly: first a pop-up, then a bricks-and-mortar restaurant, and now Bar Shrimp—intriguing and risky. Not quite a restaurant, not a wine bar, it is a difficult sell. Do shellfish snacks and complex cocktails go together? Eating in a bar feels like cheating. Yet a glass of Laherte Frères champagne or a Death in the Afternoon cocktail pairs beautifully with Cornish Baerii caviar, house-cut crisps, and soured cream. This is north-west England, not Antibes, but Bar Shrimp seems to have hit the water swimming. A seat at the bar with smoked mackerel rillettes, crisps, and cold pét-nat might be one of the best seats in Manchester, if not the entire north.
Meaningful, Highly Adept Cooking
Devilled eggs with brown crab are perfectly executed: symmetrical, neatly stuffed, pungent with crab, and topped with glossy orange bubbles of trout roe. Arbroath smokie is turned into glorious fritters. Morecambe Bay shrimp is served in cocktail sauce, and crisp croquettes are made with cuttlefish ink and bacon. These are not throwaway snacks; this is meaningful, highly adept cooking, honoring truly great produce. Oysters are served plainly on stainless steel with vinegar and lemon. Larger plates include monkfish pasta and a juicy Dexter beef burger, but the real beauty lies in simpler moments: marinated mussel escabèche or finely chopped beef tartare with crisp cod skin and wild garlic.
The Antithesis of Self-Importance
Bar Shrimp is the very antithesis of hip places skewered by self-importance. It is not another jaunt into curated cocktails made by men with steampunk tattoos. Instead, it has smiley staff and an all-welcoming door policy that includes slinky youth and their mothers and grandmothers, who likely pay for it all.
Puddings and Cocktails
Puddings are limited to cherry blossom soft serve with maraschino cherry or affogato. For cocktail enthusiasts, the Dabinett Apple made with Capreolus eau-de-vie, ice cider, and honey is a relaxing choice. For the adventurous, lemon drop shots mix lemon, vodka, and curaçao, evoking memories of Playa de las Américas. I’ll stick with the soft serve. Bar Shrimp: Manchester’s new best thing ever.
Bar Shrimp, 7 New York Street, Manchester M1. Kitchen open 4-9pm Wed and Thur, 2-9.30pm Fri and Sat. From about £35 a head for three courses, plus drinks and service.
