FIRST LOOK: Iberica's £2m Spinningfields Restaurant

MANCHESTER hasn't been this excited about a big-name Spanish signing since Mr Silva transferred from Valencia to Man City for 4.8 trillion Pesetas.

"We think Manchester could be the busiest of all the Ibérica restaurants"

Spanish import Ibérica - headed-up by Asturias' celebrated three Michelin-starred chef Nacho Manzano - has just started welcoming diners on The Avenue... and slap my giddy aunt it looks beautiful.

Designed by Barcelona-based interior designer Lázaro Rosa Violán - one of the world's leading hospitality and retail designers - Ibérica is palatial down to its giblets; giant windows, lofty ceilings, oversized lampshades, deep woods, rich reds, golds, leathers, decapitated matadors and enough booty to sink the Santa Maria.

Understated it ain't, but then, Spinningfields has never been about subtlety.

Iberica Spinningfields

The new restaurant (Ibérica's fifth) cost upwards of £2m to fit-out and can seat 200 covers - making it Ibérica's biggest restaurant to date.

Reservations manager Roxy Sylvia also hopes it'll be the busiest. "Coming from London, Spinningfields feels very much like Manchester's own Canary Wharf," Silvia told us. "But with Canary Wharf it's mostly about lunchtime, here we expect to hit both lunch and evenings. We think Manchester could be the busiest of all the Ibérica restaurants."

We sat down with Ibérica's charming Head Chef, Cesar Garcia, and Restaurant Manager, Guillaume Vano, for a first taste of the menu and left with a skip and a song.

The trio of Iberico hams - the restaurant's mainstay dish - are perfect; juicy, light and sweet (the result of the piggy-wig's acorn only diet, Garcia tells us). The Gazpacho with berries, beetroot, a mere whisper of anchovy and ice cream cheese is just genius. Genius. As was the confit of salt cod with olive and grape.

Anyway, let's not give too much away. Confidential's full scored review will follow shortly. Until then, here's how she looks...

(Ibérica Manchester will open to the public on Wednesday March 11)

@IbericaMCR

Trio of Ibericos

Cecina air-cured beef

Squid with alioli

Gordo with Head Chef Cesar Garcia

Beautiful gazpacho

Signature serrano ham croquettes

Confit of cod

Sea trout with pickled cauliflower

Loo

(photo credits @EmGol)