Coronation Street star opens restaurant in Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre
Rupert Hill, who played Jamie Baldwin in Coronation Street, has opened a restaurant in Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre on St Ann's Square.
The Rivals, named after the Richard Brinsley Sheridan's play which was the first production at the theatre back in 1976, has been launched by Hill and business partner Goska Langrish.
Involving the redevelopment of the theatre's former restaurant, bar and cafe, the duo have given the Rivals a homely feel, using 65 reclaimed doors as wood panelling and old props from the theatre to decorate the space.
An indoor beer garden is attached to the restaurant, which overlaps in to the theatre's foyer.
The Rivals café is open from 9:30am, serving tea, coffee, cakes and sandwiches alongside a range of hot food.
The restaurant, which is open from 12noon to 12midnight from Monday to Saturday, will offer a ‘theatrical dining experience'. It will remain open during theatre performances.
Dishes include smoked mackerel rillettes with fillet of mackerel, celery and apple; the Rivals Burger with iceberg lettuce, house burger sauce and herb and garlic wedges; cauliflower risotto with roast and pickled cauliflower and slow roast tomatoes; and dark chocolate mousse with whiskey cream and mascarpone.
The bar menu, available from 12noon to 10pm, will offer snacks such as ham hock scotch eggs; baked chicken wings; monkfish goujons; and pea fritters.
Hill is co-owner of the Castle hotel and Gulliver's, situated in the Manchester's Northern Quarter; the Eagle Inn in Salford; the Bakers Vaults in Stockport; and was part of the team which launched the Parlour in Chorlton-cum-Hardy.
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