Luella’s is opening on Deansgate with cocktails, DJs and a late-night Parisian vibe

Manchester’s Deansgate is getting another new late-night destination this October, with Luella’s preparing to open its doors in the former Côte Brasserie site.

Launching on 9 October 2026, Luella’s is promising a rather different sort of night out, combining cocktails, music and a Parisian-inspired interior with DJs playing through the weekend.

The new venue will have space for around 70 seated guests and up to 250 people standing, so the idea seems to be that you can start with a drink early in the evening and, rather than having to move on elsewhere, stay until late.

And with Deansgate already being one of Manchester’s busiest nightlife stretches, I’m always interested when somewhere new tries to carve out a slightly different identity rather than simply becoming another generic late-night bar.

Luella’s Manchester: what to expect

Luella’s will open on Fridays from 5pm until late, with Saturdays starting earlier at 3pm.

Music will be a major part of the experience, with local, London and international DJs taking over the decks across the weekend. The programme is set to include house music with Afro and techno influences, alongside R&B.

There will also be guest DJs on selected dates, giving Luella’s more of a changing weekend programme rather than simply having background music accompanying the drinks.

For me, that makes the concept particularly interesting because it sits somewhere between a cocktail bar and a late-night venue. It should be possible to head in for a couple of drinks without necessarily committing to a full night out from the moment you arrive.

Paris comes to Deansgate

The interior is probably going to be one of the things that catches people’s attention when Luella’s opens.

The design comes from Caroll Designs, the studio behind interiors for venues including San Carlo, Neighbourhood and Victors.

Designer Ken Caroll has taken inspiration from Parisian architecture and nightlife, bringing that influence into the former Côte site on Deansgate.

The look is deliberately bold, with a deep red colour palette, patterned wallpapers and chandeliers creating a much darker and more intimate atmosphere than the bright, daytime restaurant that occupied the space previously.

There’s plenty of detail too, including Rosso Lavante marble facias and softly illuminated Ralph Lauren Payson Sconce wall lamps.

I’m particularly intrigued by the use of artwork from local designers. It sounds like the team has tried to avoid simply creating a generic ‘Paris in Manchester’ concept and is bringing some Mancunian influence into the room as well.

Cocktails are at the heart of Luella’s

The drinks menu is going to be a big part of the Luella’s experience, with the cocktail list built around signature serves inspired by people connected to the venue.

Rather than simply naming cocktails after ingredients, each drink is intended to represent a friendship, story, personality or shared moment.

One of the cocktails is Margot, made with Agave Blanco, burned lime, red chilli, blue agave and Tajín.

There’s also the Luella, which combines Japanese yuzu, white strawberry, wild woodland fraise, watermelon essence and Madagascar vanilla.

That gives you a pretty good idea of where the cocktail menu is heading: fruit-forward, aromatic and slightly theatrical rather than a list dominated by the usual Espresso Martinis and Pornstar Martinis.

There will also be a selection of bar snacks for anyone who needs something to eat alongside the drinks.

From early evening drinks to late-night

One of the things I find interesting about the new Manchester openings is how increasingly blurred the line is between restaurant, bar and nightlife venue.

Luella’s seems to be leaning into that.

You could arrive on Saturday afternoon from 3pm, have a cocktail, order some food and settle into the atmosphere before the evening really gets going. As the DJs take over and the room gets busier, the venue is designed to transition into a late-night space.

With a standing capacity of up to 250, it will certainly be a different proposition once the room fills up.

The Deansgate location also makes sense for this kind of concept, putting Luella’s right in the middle of one of Manchester’s best-known nightlife areas and within easy reach of the city centre.

Who is behind Luella’s?

Luella’s is owned by hospitality veterans Sam Gough and Amar Ali, who say the aim was to create somewhere that combines a strong Parisian influence with music, cocktails and a social atmosphere.

The pair say they wanted the venue to feel special from the moment guests walk through the door, whether they’re visiting for an early evening drink or staying until late.

That idea of a venue changing character as the evening progresses seems to be central to the concept.

And that will ultimately be the interesting thing to see when Luella’s opens: whether it works equally well as a cocktail bar early in the evening and a late-night destination once the DJs and crowds take over.

When does Luella’s Manchester open?

Luella’s opens on Deansgate on Friday 9 October 2026.

Opening hours are currently:

Friday: 5pm until late
Saturday: 3pm until late

The venue is located in the former Côte Brasserie site on Deansgate, Manchester.

With its combination of cocktails, DJs, late-night opening and a much darker, more theatrical interior, Luella’s looks set to add another option to Manchester’s increasingly busy cocktail and nightlife scene.

I’ll be interested to see how the finished space looks once the doors open — particularly that deep red interior — and, more importantly, whether those cocktails live up to the rather intriguing descriptions.

For now, 9 October is the date for the diary.

Tables can be booked here.