Open Restaurant Group Launches Arcadian in Didsbury 2026

Key Points

• Open Restaurant Group has launched Arcadian in Didsbury and it is the first ever restaurant by the company in Greater Manchester and its eighth UK restaurant.
• The 74-seat restaurant is housed within the old premises of Hispi restaurant at School Lane and employs the same set of staff from before.
• Its main attraction lies in the specially created open fire grill utilizing wood, coal, and flames along with seasonal dishes and a private dining room that accommodates 12 people.
• Andrew Sheridan, one of the founders of the group, focuses on the creation of seasonal menus and engagement with the community in Didsbury.
• Some of the restaurants listed in the Michelin Guide belonging to the company are Restaurant 8 by Andrew Sheridan, Liverpool, Noted, Chester and Dishes, Wales.

Didsbury (Manchester Mirror) September 04, 2026 – Open Restaurant Group has opened Arcadian in Didsbury, marking the independent hospitality group’s first restaurant in Greater Manchester and its eighth site across the UK, according to Hospitality & Catering News. The 74-cover restaurant is located at the former Hispi restaurant on School Lane and is built around a bespoke open-fire grill, with wood, charcoal and flame forming the basis of its cooking, as reported by Hospitality & Catering News.

Arcadian also includes a private dining room accommodating up to 12 guests, per the same outlet. The opening represents the latest stage of expansion for Open Restaurant Group, which is led by chef Andrew Sheridan alongside business partners Sam and Emma Morgan, according to Hospitality & Catering News. Its wider portfolio includes Restaurant 8 by Andrew Sheridan, Restaurant Noted and Restaurant Dishes, all of which are featured in the Michelin Guide, as noted by The Caterer.

How is Arcadian’s menu structured around live-fire cooking?

Arcadian’s menu focuses on produce sourced from farmers, growers and suppliers, combining classical techniques with live-fire cooking, according to Hospitality & Catering News. The menu will change regularly according to seasonality and supplier availability, as reported by the same outlet. Smaller dishes include coal-seared beef tartare with bone marrow toast and cured egg yolk, fire-roasted prawns with grilled lemon, garlic and ’nduja butter, and wood-roasted carrots with whipped goat’s curd, hot honey and pistachio, per Hospitality & Catering News. Larger dishes cooked over fire include Warrendale Wagyu ribeye with chilli miso butter, beef-fat chips and sesame, alongside grilled monkfish tail with shellfish butter and charred fennel, as detailed by the outlet.

Whole piri-piri chicken and wood-fired cauliflower also feature, while whole native lobster and Wagyu T-bone are available as larger sharing dishes, according to Hospitality & Catering News. Desserts include Basque cheesecake with black cherries, wood-roasted peach with honey-roasted cream and almond crumb, and warm chocolate cookie with brown-butter ice cream, as reported by The Caterer. Alongside the à la carte offer, Arcadian will serve a midweek set menu and a Sunday roast featuring aged beef sirloin, slow-roasted lamb shoulder and miso-roasted cauliflower, per Hospitality & Catering News.

What did Andrew Sheridan say about Arcadian’s opening and team?

Andrew Sheridan, Chef and Co-Founder of Open Restaurant Group, said: “We’re really excited to finally open Arcadian and welcome the Didsbury community through the doors,” as quoted by Hospitality & Catering News. He added: “We’ve built the menu around fire and the best produce we can get our hands on, but we don’t want to stand still – the menu will keep changing with the seasons and what our suppliers are doing,” according to the same outlet. Sheridan further stated:

“We’ve got a brilliant team behind us, including many of the people who were here at Hispi, and we’re looking forward to making Arcadian part of the neighbourhood,”

as reported by Hospitality & Catering News. The opening has retained the team from the former Hispi restaurant, with Open Restaurant Group seeking to maintain continuity for employees while introducing the new concept, per the outlet. As reported by Ben Turner of The Caterer, Chef Andrew Sheridan has opened Arcadian in Didsbury in the former site of Gary Usher’s Hispi restaurant, with Open Restaurant Group acquiring the Greater Manchester restaurant in July and retaining all staff.

How does Arcadian fit into Open Restaurant Group’s UK portfolio?

The opening expands Open Restaurant Group’s portfolio to eight UK sites as the business continues to develop its collection of independent restaurants, according to Hospitality & Catering News. Open Restaurant Group, the independent hospitality collective led by Sheridan alongside business partners Sam and Emma Morgan, also operates Restaurant 8 by Andrew Sheridan in Liverpool, Noted in Chester and Dishes in Wales, all of which are featured in the Michelin Guide, as noted by The Caterer. The 74-cover Arcadian restaurant marks the group’s eighth site across the UK and also features a private dining room for up to 12 guests, per The Caterer. As reported by Manchester Confidential, the popular Didsbury restaurant Hispi is to become Arcadian, with the neighbourhood restaurant taken over and transformed by Open Restaurant Group.

Background: How did the Hispi-to-Arcadian transition unfold?

The transition began when Open Restaurant Group acquired the Greater Manchester restaurant in July, retaining all staff, according to The Caterer. Hispi, previously owned by Gary Usher as part of his company Elite Bistros, was sold and taken over by Open Restaurant Group to become ‘Arcadian’, a new concept focused on live-fire cooking, as reported by LinkedIn posts cited in trade updates. The venue, located on School Lane in Didsbury, had operated as Hispi before the acquisition, and the new concept was scheduled to open later in the month, per industry bulletins. Manchester Confidential had earlier flagged the change, noting that the popular Didsbury restaurant Hispi would become Arcadian under Open Restaurant Group’s transformation. The retention of staff was emphasised by the group as part of its approach to maintaining continuity while introducing the new fire-led concept, according to The Caterer.

Prediction: How might Arcadian’s opening affect Didsbury’s dining scene and local audience?

Arcadian’s arrival is likely to reinforce Didsbury’s position as a destination for neighbourhood dining with a chef-led, fire-centric concept, potentially drawing diners from across Greater Manchester who seek seasonal, produce-driven menus. For local residents, the retention of Hispi’s team may ease the transition and preserve service familiarity, while the new menu could broaden midweek and Sunday roast options with aged beef, lamb shoulder and miso-roasted cauliflower, as outlined by Hospitality & Catering News.

The addition of a 12-seat private dining room may attract small gatherings and business lunches, complementing Didsbury’s existing mix of pubs, cafes and independent restaurants, per the outlet’s details on capacity and layout. If the group’s other Michelin Guide-listed venues set a precedent, Arcadian could elevate the area’s profile among guide-following diners, though its neighbourhood positioning suggests a focus on regular custom rather than destination-only traffic, according to The Caterer’s description of the group’s portfolio. Over time, seasonal menu rotations and live-fire speciality may encourage repeat visits from local audiences seeking variety without leaving the suburb, as indicated by Sheridan’s comments on seasonal changes and community integration.