A new Greek-Mediterranean escape in Manchester from the team behind Tattu, opening this month
Interior design and architecture practice Fabled Studio announces its latest project, FENIX, opening this month. The stylish and opulent new venture is from the same team behind the cutting-edge hospitality concepts of Tattu which has outposts across the UK with flagships in Manchester and London. They will open a new destination in Spinningfields, Manchester following a £7 million investment from the independent restaurant group, Permanently Unique.
Drawing inspiration from the abundant landscapes and Greek seas, Fabled Studio brings the essence of the islands of Mykonos and Delos with its carefree hedonism and beauty to Manchester’s dining scene, timelessly celebrating Hellenic culture in every aspect of the design. Following on from the award-winning design of Tattu, diners will be enveloped in a space subtly layered to tell the mythological story of a Fenix rising from the ashes.
When it comes to the cuisine, the new opening is led by two celebrated chefs recruited from Greece, bringing modern techniques together with traditional ingredients and flavours. Executive Head Chef, Ippokratis Anagnostelis, has built his reputation across a wealth of fine dining establishments in Athens and Mykonos, from JackieO’, Scorpios and Kensho Mykonos to Kiku and Michelin Star destination, Hytrain. He, alongside long-time collaborator and Head Chef, Zisis Giannouras, has created a sharing-concept menu for FENIX in Manchester which is designed to take customers on a journey of Greek discovery.
Upon entering FENIX, guests walk into the Fenix’s nest – a dark and brooding, cavernous interior anchored around the feathered, burning cauldron of the back bar. Charred rockface walls symbolise the Fenix’s re-birth, layered with a hanging barley ceiling echoing the ancient agriculture of the Aegean Islands.
A large format terrazzo solid stone floor takes influence from the iconic streets of Mykonos, with bespoke furniture swathed in natural boucle, palm wood and custom-made ceramic tabletops.
As guests move through the bar, the magnificent interiors continue to a staircase sculpted around a 25-foot oak tree. Live sounds and cutting-edge light technology mimic the setting sun and rising moon across the Greek isles reflecting the iconic Mykonos twilight, to offer a restaurant space reminiscent of a Grecian beach-side hotel with ash-toned driftwood dining chairs paired with tactile, travertine tables and refined tableware.
The first floor represents the Fenix’s ascendence, warm and natural tones mimic the affirmation of the re-birth. The Bar and Restaurant channels the Mykonos nightlife vibe – a seam which is threaded throughout all aspects of the space. The design is brilliantly atmospheric, with clever innovative lighting that transforms the restaurant from an idyllic, glowing daytime retreat, to a romantic, moonlit paradise each evening – a truly ethereal zone.
Inside the Restaurant, a double-height cliff face ascends from the ground floor into this heavenly space; designed by the talented team at Codsteaks, a set design company that worked closely with Fabled on several aspects of the design, it is a monumental statement of intent – a slice of the Aegean coast brought to Manchester. Hanging succulent plants line the full-height windows to bring freshness and greenery to this elegant space. The open-plan restaurant is a bright, breezy space with banquette seating sculpted into rendered, curved alcoves formed by hand using ancient rendering techniques with chandeliers hanging from feathered, bronze domes.
Steven Saunders, Founder of Fabled Studio comments, “We are delighted to be working with Permanently Unique on this project and together we developed a holistic design treatment, placing an emphasis on traditional Greek craftsmanship paired with elements of dramatic theatre and intrigue.
FENIX was born from the idea of the restaurant industry re-emerging after the pandemic – and using the concept of a Fenix rising from the ashes, we were able to playfully allude to this in our design approach. Using materials from Mykonos, curating every detail from tableware to furniture, it offers an environment that blends into the earthy tones of the island. FENIX has given us an opportunity to explore and depict beautiful touch points of Greek culture through design in an eclectic and playful manner.”
FENIX is set to be a true Greek retreat in Manchester – a new restaurant with an extravagant bohemian ambience, delightful food, and drink, all in one place.