Spanish restaurant, tapas bar and fine wine importer Evuna is to open in Altrincham town centre this week.
The award-winning restaurant group’s fourth site – it already has two branches in Manchester city centre and one in Knutsford – opens on Stamford New Road this Wednesday.
Its fourth branch, the former Yorkshire bank at 84-86 Stamford New Road that was most recently home to Eat Kaizen, will be the first Evuna to house a tapas bar seating 24 diners along with an open kitchen.
“In the true nature of tapas we are excited to introduce more informal dining in the way of Tapas bars in the windows of this beautiful building,” said director Jane Dowler.
The restaurant itself has an additional formal dining area, seating 45 covers, and can cater for groups and corporate events. Private hire is available and group menus and wine tastings.
Founded by mother and daughter team Frances and Jane Dowler, Evuna started as a fine wine house importing Spanish wines from boutique vineyards before opening its first restaurant, on Deansgate, in November 2003.
Jane said they were keen for each branch to remain strongly independent with creativity encouraged from chefs.
Head chef at the new Altrincham Evuna is Pedro Luis Diaz Avila, who trained at the National Kitchen School in Santander. Most recently he was executive chef in Kuala Lumpur at El Meson Group.
He said: “Cooking for me is how we bond, it is the place where all the family come together everyone loves to eat and socialise, and there is always something new to be learnt each day.”
Customers will be able to try a range of Spanish wines from regions such as Catalunya, Galicia, Rioja or Navarra by the glass. February’s focus is Extremadura and Bodegas Habla.
Jane added: “Fifteen years ago, the world of Spanish wines consisted of Rioja and Sherry to us Brits, but today it’s so much more than this. I am continuously overwhelmed with the diversity of its viticulture, with over 120 denominations of origin and over 100 types of indigenous grapes, our mission is to bring you the finest wines in Spain at a great price since we import ourselves direct UNLIKE any other Spanish restaurant in the UK.”
