Butter Bird describes itself as a modern ‘neighBIRDhood rotisserie’, with rotisserie chicken the core element of the menu.
Birds are cooked over open flames in what the restaurant says is Ancoats’ first traditional rotisserie oven, capable of cooking up to 48 chickens every 90 minutes.
Chickens are finished to order, carved fresh and served with a choice of signature butters, including tarragon, Dijon mustard and wildflower honey; preserved lemon; thyme and cracked pepper; and chermoula butter.
The menu offers chicken by the quarter, half or whole, paired with a concise selection of sides including rotisserie potatoes, tallow fries and salt-baked sweet potato, alongside lighter salads and vegetable-led dishes.
Drinks play a central role in the concept, with a dedicated crémant bar positioned as a focal point of the space.
The wine list also includes prosecco, alongside a short cocktail menu featuring spritzes and martinis.
“Rotisserie chicken is one of those foods people never stop craving,” says Joe Akka, owner of Butter Bird.
“It is familiar, it is comforting, and when it is cooked properly, it is unbeatable.
“We wanted to bring a proper rotisserie to Ancoats and create a place that does one thing brilliantly every day.
“The oven is the heart of Butter Bird, and the butters are where we bring personality and flavour.
“Most importantly, we want it to feel like part of the neighbourhood, somewhere people can drop in, bring friends, or take a whole chicken home.”
Rotisserie chicken is having a moment in the UK, with numerous new restaurants opening that specialise in it over the past few years. They include Tom Sellers’ Story Cellar in Covent Garden, Shoreditch pub Knave of Clubs, Norbert’s in East Dulwich, and Harley’s in Hampstead, which serves large spit-roasted Galician chickens.
Outside of the capital is Empire Café in Leeds, while Manchester chicken restaurants include The Trading Route and Tartuffe.
To mark the launch, Butter Bird is offering friends and family a 50 per cent discount on food for its first two weeks.