New tapas outlet opens in city centre
AN authentic Spanish tapas bar has opened in Manchester with funding support from NatWest.
Natalia Esquerdo-Girbes and Nacho Barreiro-Perez have launched Tapeo & Wine on Deansgate at its junction with Bootle Street.
Tapeo serves an assortment of authentic Spanish tapas and appetisers as well as small and larger plates alongside high quality, Spanish wine, Cava, and spirits including Spanish gins.
The restaurant has also partnered with Estrella to offer a number of their product lines. The restaurant is also an official supplier Estrella.
The two-floor restaurant is located in the former Model Zone retail unit and has undergone a major refurbishment which was supported by international Spanish footballer Juan Mata and his father Juan Snr.
The restaurant includes a state of the art kitchen and a private dining facility.
The main bar area has been fitted with bespoke handmade brightly coloured Spanish-style tiling and the restaurant’s interiors include leather seating and tables with a rustic woodwork finish. There is also a large wine cellar.
More than 40 new jobs have been created with the restaurant opening.
Esquerdo-Girbes and Barreiro-Perez have been working in the food industry for more than 20 years and believe Tapeo will give Manchester a taste of Espana.
Esquerdo-Girbes said: “Tapeo will be a truly continental restaurant.
“We want people to feel welcomed and at home when they visit, and enjoy the good food and drink that’s available.
“If you come in for a drink and then decide you want some food you can sit at the bar or in the restaurant, wherever you are most comfortable which is what happens in a lot of places in Spain. There are plates for sharing but if you are hungry you can order something for just yourself. It’s whatever the customer wants.
“We want Tapeo to have a bubbly but comfortable atmosphere with lots of energy as we are passionate about our food, drinks and the restaurant.”
The duo first approached NatWest relationship director John Howard more than two years ago for support.
They originally looked at premises on King Street but decided they were not quite right, and eventually found the unit on Deansgate.
Howard also introduced them to colleagues at Lombard Asset Finance who supported the couple with a package for the purchase of kitchen equipment and mentor, the bank’s HR advice service.
