First look inside the classy new Spinningfields' restaurant, bar and club that cost £1.8m to transform

A brand new bar, club and restaurant will be opening its doors to punters in Manchester this weekend. Raft will open on Avenue North off Bridge Street in the Spinningfields area.

Replacing SakkuSamba, which announced its closure a couple of weeks ago, the owners of the new, day-to-night spot have utilised the large space to create a drinking and dining destination that they say combines all the best parts of a night out into one.

Elements of SakkuSamba remain to some degree, with the popular mirror selfie room still intact and ready for the next wave of guests. But now, the two-storey unit combines a swanky high-end restaurant, a tavern-style pub, two large private dining rooms, a 'toilet disco’, 360 DJ booths and an after-hours club.

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The 'coastal boozer' - also known as 'The Tavern' - is the Raft's version of a modern day pub. A bright, warm and inviting space with a tan colour scheme, it serves as the entry point for customers on the street level and features huge screens for sports, along with a jukebox.

Heading upstairs, visitors will notice a significant shift in the mood from The Tavern to the upstairs dining spaces and bars. The bright lights are switched for dark, moody lighting with a clementine-orange hue to create the atmosphere of the sun setting over a beach. Rattan-style fixtures, greenery draped from the ceiling and candles transport guests to an almost tropical location.

From here, the space expands out into four bars, two huge private dining rooms and a nightclub that holds up to 180 people. The concept takes inspiration from more decadent upmarket venues found in coastal destinations, with strong nods to Dubai, Greece and