A popular fixture on the restaurant scene in South Manchester and Cheshire, the launch of the first Gusto in Manchester city-centre was bound to cause a stir. Leading lights from Manchester’s acting, music, media and business world flocked to the stunning new restaurant to celebrate in style, when it launched on Thursday evening with a suitably lavish party.
Occupying the ground floor of the elegant Grade II listed Elliot House on the corner of Lloyd Street and Deansgate, the former Olive Restaurant has undergone a magnificent extension and transformation. Taking cues from the European grand cafes of the early 20th Century, such grand spaces often had large artworks and paintings depicting a place in time. So to illustrate this (quite literally!) the renowned Manchester artist Michael J Browne, was commissioned to develop a giant renaissance or `old masters` style painting, but with Manchester as the subject.
He was working on his masterpiece (which will be ready early January) throughout the party, fascinating onlookers curious about references to the city’s history, landscape, architecture and heritage as well as it’s people; luminaries of literature and invention, as well as more recent characters from popular culture and the arts.
With bold and brassy live music from Manchester sensations, Twisted Tubes, famous faces in the crowd included Mani from the Stone Roses, Noddy Holder, BBC Breakfast Presenters Naga Munchetty, Charlie Stayt, Steph McGovern and Mike Bushell, Ian Puleston-Davies, Sair Kahn, Katie McGlynn, John Thomson, Rowetta, Clare Nasir, celebrated Manchester band the Courteneers, Ren Harvieu, Antony Cotton, James Redmond, Oliver Farnworth, George Bukhari, Kris Mochrie, Cat Simmons amongst others.
