New 'fish and cocktails' bar Pesky to open at Deansgate Square

A new Scandinavian-inspired ‘fish and cocktails’ pop-up restaurant is set to open up at the Deansgate Square development.

The new concept, called Pesky, is being launched by Zaide O’Rourke, formerly of city centre bar staple Alchemist.

The menu will comprise small plates, ranging from £4 to £10, and specialising in oysters, which will be served either with a signature pickled rhubarb and herb oil, or ‘drunken’, pairing the shellfish with speciality shots.

Other dishes will include a ‘better than a chippy’ cod cheeks, in panko crumbs, hake with chimichurri, and king prawn pancakes.

There will be vegetarian and plant-based offerings too, including corn ribs, shaved fennel and grapefruit salad, and grilled aubergine and labneh with pomegranate molasses.

Taking care of the cocktail side of things, there will be a Seaweed Martini, a Grapefruit Negroni with Gin, Martini Ambrato, Pampelle and Campari, along with a selection of classics.

Another signature cocktail will be a whiskey sour with lychee and black cardamom.

“Pesky is a celebration of life, community and creative food and drink,” said O’Rourke.

“I am so excited to start feeding the folk of Manchester, and hopefully I get to meet loads of friendly faces over some cocktails - or seaweed pale ale if that’s your thing - next month.”

The pop-up will run from March 2 to 27, on Owen Street.

It’s just the latest development to emerge at the bottom of the three skyscrapers at the foot of Deansgate.

Italian standard Salvi’s will be opening a new branch in the coming weeks, while a very swish iteration of the General Store indie grocery chain opened up last summer.

They follow houseplant and flower store Flourish and Atomeca, the new bar from the people behind cocktail