Lunya

I love tapas a crazy amount, so have been waiting to visit Lunya since it first opened. My husband and I visited early Sunday evening after an afternoon of sale shopping had left us hungry and too lazy to cook our own dinner!
We were seated upstairs, which at 6.30pm on a Sunday was pretty quiet. I’m sure when it’s busier it has a much better atmosphere, but it’s tricky for a place to feel cosy when it’s pretty much empty.
We asked the waitress for some advice on how many dishes to order and she suggested 3 — 4 per person. We decided we’d order 3 each plus some bread. The highlights were interestingly the vegetarian dishes we ordered. In particular the broccoli and cauliflower buñuelos were crunchy and delicious, the deep fried goats cheese with honey was super-​tangy (as it should be) and you can’t go wrong with some padron peppers. There was plenty of food. In fact, we could probably have survived quite happily with one less dish, as we were pretty stuffed by the time we left.
The bill came to £60, which as we’d not had any alcohol felt a little pricey. I’d certainly go back, but next time I’d either order less food or take more people to share it with!

Okay so I did say I’d revisit my review after I’d revisited Lunya and seen as I’ve revisited Lunya it’s only right I revisit my review.
They upped their game, pretty successfully. Not that anything was particularly bad last time, just this time everything was better! First time it was a date (fail) and second time it was with my lovely colleagues (win) so perhaps that had a subconscious effect, yet either way, I was in love with Lunya again.
We had SO much food, I mean literally it couldn’t fit on the table. Everything from a fantastic Seaford Paella to a much improved Iberica meat board! The Calamari was spot on and the Iberica Pork was sublime (as you can tell I liked it).
Tapas in Manchester has been set a new benchmark, next up to the plate?

Oh yeh! I love tapas and this place was the perfect spot for our first dinner. I should have had a look around the deli downstairs but due to a hellish trip from Glasgow, I went straight to bar and had a glass of house rosé which was exceptional.
We were seated upstairs and probably seated a little too close to the adjoining table which must’ve been annoying for them (we’re a rowdy bunch). We ordered a bunch of food to share and the paella was definitely a stand out, it’s worth the wait.
Another weird point is that the loos aren’t inside the restaurant, you need to go into a communal area downstairs and were a bit confusing with the signage. All up though, this place was a load of fun with delicious food.

My BFF and I were starving after braving the crowds that exist during the near end of the Christmas shopping season so we wanted something hearty and flavourful so what did we crave and want?! PAELLA!
This place is cool cause it’s a restaurant with loads of different tapas and other Spanish dishes like paella, but it has a store next to it so you can buy some more Spanish food and wine to take home.
We ordered cold cuts that included three types of jamon and two types of cheese (one hard and one soft), corn nuts, And olives (£13.50).
Our main course was of course mixed paella (£15.25 per person). The paella was huge for two people and it came with chicken, shrimp, calamari, and mussels. The flavour was spot on! The chicken was cooked well, tender but not chewy like rubber which can easily happen with this type of dish. The calamari was also perfectly cooked well with a tender bite. The shrimp however was a bit over cooked, and it should have been added last cause it had a chewy texture rather than that prized bite tenderness you get when you cook it perfectly. The seasoning was on point as well. I can taste the sea from this dish and every bite I had was rich in flavour. They aren’t skimpy with their seafood and chicken medley so I managed to have some protein with every bite. The downside with this paella is the lack of the crunchy bit on the bottom and the rice was a bit over cooked making it mushy.
The wine list is awesome. They offer a handful of Cava and have a long list of red and white wine. We were actually surprised on finding one of our fave red wine called Bobal!
They also offer a lunch menu. For around £14.50, you can get three different tapas on a list. The staff were friendly and followed true Spanish service which basically is… They left you the hell alone and you can take as long as you like to enjoy your meal and chat… Hahahah.

After hearing such rave review of Lunya in Liverpool but not managing to get past the deli counter during any visits, it was my idea to take my mum on her last visit to Manchester — let’s see what all the fuss is about!
We entered through the deli area and, after a short browse, went through to the restaurant. I had no idea this was a split level deal and was happy to find a much larger dining space upstairs. We were seated and left with our menus to make our decision. Service was friendly, but it did feel like a wait for our drinks to arrive. However, as with tapas style eating, when the food starting coming it really started coming!
The bread and oil, although it seems like a standard and potentially boring option, presented the most excitement in the form of being able to choose your different oils and vinegar. The poor waiter could hardly control the box they were kept in though and proved difficult for him to serve! The meal was good, with padron peppers, vegetables on a hunk of break, creamy goat’s cheese and some chorizo, but the only dish that stood out was the lamb.
We left content in terms of food, but the £60 price tag for a 2 person lunch felt steep. I will happily try again — and perhaps visit the Liverpool branch for comparison — but I have a few other places on my list first…

This was a fine lunchtime catch up venue. Tapas was good and there was plenty of choice BUT £60 for lunch felt steep. There are plenty of other lunch venues in Manchester offering a better deal.
Mind you, our waiter was attentive and lovely!

Wines, cheese, meats, ambiance, Lunya strikes it big where it counts.
It’s not going to be a cheap experience, but certainly worth it for a delicious Spanish treat. Their wine selection is impressively broad with grape and regional variations throughout Spain. My friend and I had a glass each — a Vallemayor Reserva red that was smooth (but in her opinion not full-​bodied) while I tried the Honoro Vera, a delightfully sharp and dry red. Their wine list gives a good explanation of each wine, so feel free to take your time to read it thoroughly, if that’s your cup of tea… er…wine, I suppose.
Going with with a group of friends is always best with tapas, so you can get a chance to try a bit of everything. We started off with a few cheeses (who doesn’t love a good Manchego?) that came with selected accompaniments. The fig and almond wheel is delicious, as is the red onion chutney.
High points included the estofado (ox cheek cooked as a stew, so tender it falls apart with a fork and served with some veggies) and the 24 hour slow cooked lamb shoulder.
The patatas bravas were quite forgettable… while it’s a traditional tapas go-​to, there were just too many other delicious things that could be selected. Don’t get me wrong, the potatoes were cooked perfectly and the sauce topping it was tasty, but it just didn’t wow me as much as many of the other selections.
Dessert was the Chocolate Y Churros, and with that you get four medium-​sized churros with a relatively large liquid chocolate drink. Once you’ve finished dipping the churros, you’ll have plenty of yummy chocolate left over to sip on. Accompany that with a double espresso or cortado and you’re set for the evening.
Make a reservation in advance, because when word gets out about this place it’s going to get jammed packed fast!

A wonderful spanish experience at Lunya!
I’m always a big fan of Spanish tapas. I have heard lots of good words about Lunya since they announce their launch. So I do have a very high expectation for Lunya before I go. And it still surprised me!
I entered the Restaurant from the deli, which has a big range of cheese, ham and other products you can get from here and bring back to home. The staff was very friendly and funny (I was taking photos and they were doing funny faces) We took a table upstairs and chose the lunch menu (3 for £15) with aditional dish from main menu.
Gambas pil pil – king prawn with garlic and chilli oil. I like the strong flavor of garlic and not much spicy chilli flavor. A bit oily but the prawn was very fresh.
Croquetas – I used to think the croquette from iberica is the best in Manchester until I had this one here. Its cheesy, but u can still taste the ham, which gives more definition to the flavour. I just loved it!
Ox cheeks – it looks very good when it arrived. And it tastes even better! The meat was been slow roasted so I dont even have to cut it. Simply use fork to pull the meat and it just go off. The gravy was spot on, particularly go well with the sweetness of the Parsnip purée.
Polo – chargrilled octopus with potato. this is my favorite above all here, I can say its my favorite spanish dish in Manchester as well. The giant octopus is just AMAZING. Good mouthfeel with sea salt finish. Potato cooked well through and seasoned with sweet paparika. Highly recommended!
The services is very friendly and nice here, havn’t tried their Wine menu will definitely come back to try more tapas and get myself a glass of sangria!

This was a pretty fantastic experience — it’s great to see Lunya set up in our fair city!
A really great setting in the Barton Arcade, a lovely building that really shouldn’t have been left dead for so long. There’s a restaurant upstairs, a massive authentic deli downstairs and a lovely little bar that truly captures the feeling of being in Spain — perfect for a beer or coffee at any time of the day.
Tapas, Spanish, Catalunyan food — loads of options including lovely garlic prawns, crab croquettes and a nod to fusion food in Catalunya Hotpot — really very very good!
They also had a pretty impressive beer and craft beer selection, plus you can get a flight of beers so as you can try a load.
It’s not cheap but then it wasn’t super expensive. We walked out stuffed and had a few drinks each for £50 each.
The only thing stopping it getting a 5 star review is the dodgy mens loos in the centre you have to use. Smelly, grim and not a nice experience to go with this place. Please sort it out or pay the centre to do them up biz’s in this centre.

Yes, that’s right, 5 stars! Tapas is one of my favourite foods and this places truly encompasses everything that traditional tapas should be and so much more…
For starters it isn’t just a restaurant. It’s restaurant meets bar meets deli so whether your looking for a snack and a beverage, to pick up some spanish cuisine for your Fallas dinner party OR you’re looking for an epic meal with all the Spanish delights your mind can conjure up, this place has it all.
So, Dan, Jonny and myself opted for option C this evening and we ate A LOT of food. The stand outs and things are insist that you try are:
1. The Catalan Hotpot — hands down, one of the best hot pots I’ve ever had (and I’m northern!) The spices and small meat balls within were just delightful and I genuinely couldn’t get enough.
2. Prawns aka Gambas pil pil — just little fishy delights. The chilli really added a much needed kick and for me the shards of garlic just made me weak. Brilliant, just brilliant!
3. Goats cheese on the mixed platter — so rich and creamy and complimented the chorizo perfectly.
I honestly haven’t had tapas of such good quality in years and a great night was had by all.
Quick shout out to the staff who were wonderful too and truly accomodating in every way!

This is a really interesting deli, bar and restaurant right in the centre of Manchester that really celebrates everything Spanish. The downstairs area of the building has been split up into a small bar area and a well stocked deli, the upstairs is a small and intimate restaurant area overlooking the high street below.
Upon arrival we went upstairs and were seated quickly, our waitress welcomed us and gave us the information that the food could come to the table at different times. She went on to explain that this was because some of the dishes take longer to prepare but will all be given to us as soon as they are finished rather than all together. I think with tapas you expect service like this but its nice to be warned what to expect. We had our dink orders taken and waited for our many plates to arrive.
We ordered quite a few dishes but the highlights for me had to be the Gambas píl píl (prawns cooked with chili) and the Catalan Hotpot. All of the food was fantastically fresh and delicious. I actually cant fault it. The only slight negative about the visit was the quest for the toilets which took me out of the restaurant and up into the neighboring arcade… slightly unusual!
On leaving the restaurant we were given some chorizo in a small cone from the guy working in the deli downstairs… as if we had not eaten enough! This is the kind of place where the staff cant do enough for you, and the food is just as good as the service. I would definitely visit again!

I was massively impressed with my first visit to Lunya. Having heard amazing things about their Liverpool venue, and having tried some of their pinchos at an outdoor foodie fest earlier this year, I had very high expectations.
They’ve opened their Manchester restaurant on Deansagte with entrances both at the front and also at the back, assessable from the beautiful Barton arcade.
We waited for our table and had drinks in the bar downstairs. Their wine list is impressive and Neil C. was in his element when choosing a nice Spanish sweet wine to kick off the day.
After being led upstairs we were seated at a cosy table for 2 and started to peruse the menu. We ordered a huge amount of food; Spanish meats and cheeses deli platter, Croquettas, padron peppers, risotto, chorizo, calamari, octopus, iberica pork, pork cheeks and of course Spanish tortilla. It was outstanding. Washing it down with a crisp bottle of Rioja it was just a lovely day. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable about all of the dishes on the menu.
I popped back just yesterday for a visit to their Catalan Deli downstairs. I left with some Chorizo sausage rolls, Spanish tortilla, goats cheese and a huge tub of different olives! Incredible value and so tasty as a snack at home!