Latest openings: the Dakota Manchester, the Buxton, Wahlburgers and more

Dakota Manchester
Ken McCulloch has opened a fifth Dakota hotel in Manchester. The £30m property features a 30-cover Champagne room and a Cigar garden and overlooks the city's Rochdale and Ashton canals.

 

The hotel has garden king rooms on the first floor with private garden terraces, while two junior suites have an eighth-floor balcony. The penthouse suite, known as the grand deluxe suite, is the largest in the city. It features a lounge, dining area, walk-in wardrobe, fireplace, bathrooms with steam showers and a sunken bath, and a private terrace.

 

The hotel's neighbourhood brasserie, the Dakota Grill, serves a classically inspired menu and has private dining space for parties of up to 24 people. The cocktail bar offers classic cocktails, in-house creations and wines. The waterside terrace offers al fresco drinking and dining, and is also available for exclusive use for 80 guests.

 

Opened 18 May
Bedrooms 137
Owner Evans Property Group and Unique Hotels
Operator Unique Hotels
Founder Ken McCulloch
General manager Matt Townley
Design Amanda Rosa
Website www.dakotahotels.co.uk

 

 

Haxells
Haxells, an art deco restaurant and bar, has opened at the Strand Palace hotel in London. The 240-cover restaurant serves a menu of British dishes in a space inspired by the hotel's 1920s interior. The launch coincides with the hotel's renovation of all 785 bedrooms.

 

Executive chef Alfonso Salvaggio
Typical dishes Grilled, marinated tuna; asparagus risotto; beer-battered fish and chips; shepherd's pie
Website www.strandpalacehotel.co.uk

 

 

Kimpton Blythswood Square
The Principal Blythswood Square in Glasgow has been rebranded under InterContinental Hotels Group's Kimpton banner. The hotel's restaurant has been relaunched as Bo & Birdy, overseen by Gillian Matthews, Scoland's first female executive head chef at a five-star venue.

 

Bedrooms 113
General manager Murray Thomson
Starting room rate £155
Website www.kimptonblythswoodsquare.com

 

 

The Buxton
The Buxton pub with rooms in London's Shoreditch has reopened following a restoration. The pub comes from the team behind the Culpeper in nearby Whitechapel, and it takes its name from former Truman brewery owner Sir Thomas Buxton.

 

Bedrooms 15
Typical dishes Cottage pie and salad; Scotch eggs with brown sauce; British asparagus
Starting room rate £100
Website www.thebuxton.co.uk

 

 

The Duck at Yeoford
James and Sarah Parkinson have reopened a 19th-century pub in Devon as the Duck at Yeoford after a renovation. James previously worked as an executive chef for Von Essen Hotels and as F&B operations manager for Luxury Family Hotels, and Sarah formerly worked for the AA as a restaurant inspector.

 

Owners James and Sarah Parkinson
Typical dishes Creedy Carver confit duck leg cassoulet; aubergine Parmigiana
Website www.theduckatyeoford.co.uk

 

 

The Glasshouse at the Grove
The Glasshouse restaurant at the Grove hotel in Chandler's Cross, Hertfordshire, has reopened following a renovation. Stephen Wheeler will oversee the menu, with live cooking stations including a tandoor oven, a ‘crustacean station' and a pasta station.

 

Executive head chef Stephen Wheeler
Design Martin Hulbert
Typical dish Pulled beef brisket with dill
Website www.thegrove.co.uk

 

 

Wahlburgers
The first Wahlburgers has opened in the UK in London's Covent Garden. The chain, founded by chef Paul and actor brothers Donnie and Mark Wahlburg, offers 10 varieties of burger, four hot sandwiches and six salads, as well as the UK-only addition of fish and chips.

 

Covers 200
General manager Andreas Musall
Typical dishes Sloppy Joe; tater tots; barbecue bacon burgers; Thanksgiving turkey burgers
Website www.wahlburgers.com