Simon Shaw to open second El Gato Negro in Liverpool

By James McAllister

- Last updated on GMT

Simon Shaw to open second El Gato Negro tapas restaurant in Liverpool

Related tags Restaurant Tapas Liverpool Manchester

Simon Shaw, chef patron of Manchester’s well-regarded El Gato Negro tapas restaurant, has confirmed plans to open a second location in Liverpool later this year.

The restaurant will open within the city’s historical Exchange Flags building, in the space formerly occupied by Paul Adams and Steven Gerrard’s Vincent Café and Cocktail Bar.

High-profile chef Aiden Byrne had originally planned to relaunch the Vincent Café as The Metropolitan Bar & Grill Rooms later this year​, having acquired the space in early April.

However, it was announced on the café’s Facebook page a couple of weeks later​ that those plans had fallen through.

Speaking of the plans, Shaw said he was looking forward to opening a second El Gato Negro restaurant.

“Liverpool’s an incredible city and I love the community spirit and vibe there,” he said.

“The restaurant has been so popular in Manchester that it only seemed right to bring the venue to a second city in the North, and Liverpool seemed like the perfect fit.”

Shaw relocated his first El Gato Negro restaurant to Manchester​​ from Ripponden, West Yorkshire in 2015 after nine years of trading. It has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand since the 2017 edition of the guide.

Last year, Shaw opened modern-Portuguese restaurant Canto in Manchester’s Ancoats district as a follow-up project to El Gato Negro.

In January it was also announced that Shaw was planning to launch a new Middle Eastern concept in Manchester​, which is expected to open later this year.

Related topics Restaurant Openings Casual Dining

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