‘It feels like we were drawn here for a reason’
Tapas restaurant Maricarmen, run by Marian Diaz and Jose Nunez, has opened a second venue in the Northern Quarter(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
When the pandemic hit five years ago, Marian Diaz and Jose Nunez were running a tapas restaurant in Madrid. Within months, they went from running a solid empire to being bankrupt.
Having ran the restaurant together for five years, the pair, originally from Venezuela, had lost their regular stream of income and livelihood. Having ‘hit rock bottom’, the pair decided to leave Madrid – with nowhere specific in mind. Marian even applied for jobs in China.
Eventually, the pair ended up moving to Manchester. They now find themselves opening the doors to their second restaurant in the city following an amazing reaction to their Spanish-style tapas in just a short space of time.
Having opened Maricarmen in Ancoats just three years ago, they have now opened a sister venue in Northern Quarter – within the spot once owned by Michelin-starred French bistro 63 Degrees.
Stay connected with our City Life newsletter here
The Northern Quarter venue takes on the vibes of an Alicante beach house(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
“We came here with a lot of post-traumatic stress from within the hospitality industry,” Marian admits to the Manchester Evening News. “But, once an immigrant, always an immigrant, we just tried to find jobs and carry on.
“I was ready to give it all up and move on, but my husband kept suggested we do a small pop-up somewhere. I was just like ‘I can’t go through that again.’
“But my friends kept telling me that we should go for it, they had the faith in what we were doing that we didn’t have ourselves at that time.”
Tapas dishes include a sweet red pepper croquette, chorizo a la sidra and anchovies and potato chips(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
With their friends backing them, Marian and Jose started up with a pop-up in the Cocoa Cabana shop. It wasn’t an immediate hit, they say, but it reignited a passion in them for what they do and made them realise that, maybe, they had found themselves in the right place at the right time after all.
“There was actually a moment when I got on the tram in Manchester for the first time and someone bumped into me and said ‘sorry, my love’,” Marian explains. “It took me by surprise because we say that back in my country. It weirdly made me feel welcome, it made me think that actually I might be able to fit in here.”
Marian Diaz said Maricarmen has been fully embraced by locals in Manchester(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
With their pop-up, the pair began to build up a reputation in the city for their Spanish-style tapas and paella. Their Ancoats restaurant, modelled on the vibrant nightlife of Madrid, was a fully-realised version of their vision – leading with the traditional style of service called El Tableo, which sees customers order straight from waiters circulating the restaurant with a selection of freshly-prepared dishes.
“You can pick and choose what you want to eat,” Marian explains of the concept. “People see something, or smell it, and they just want it. It’s a great way for people to try new things that they might never have thought of ordering before. It opens minds.
Paella, served with Ibérico pork(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
“It’s so lovely when you see someone’s face after they’ve tried something that is completely new to them and they are just like ‘this is so good’. That’s what we love to see.”
The new Northern Quarter spot, on High Street, continues the vision of the Ancoats venue but instead takes its inspiration from the beach houses of Alicante. It’s essentially the day to the flagship’s night. Once the venue has settled into the area, it will be fully managed and run by Andreas, who has worked at the first restaurant for the last year.
The bright entrance entices visitors into a world of Spanish culture and cuisine(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
Alongside a bright yellow door inviting customers to walk inside, there are murals and artwork inside, as well as the original bar lighting from 63 Degrees which remains in tact, although it’s now been given a Spanish makeover with traditional ‘grandma’ embroidered napkins.
“It feels like home, and it looks like home,” Marian says. “It’s like stepping off the beach and being at your grandma’s house, in some ways. It’s cosy, it’s relaxing, it’s super bright.”
Amongst the tapas selection, which start from £3.50 each, are sweet red pepper croquettes, chorizo a la sidra, scallops with a verde sauce, and a popular choice of anchovies, served with vinegar and crisps (basically, a fancy, Spanish version of Fish and Chips).
Tapas dishes, which start from £3.50 each, are served via waiters who will rotate the venue with freshly-made choices ready for the taking(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
As well as tapas, there is also paella – which are priced from £22 and are available in seafood, squid ink, Iberico pork, or vegetarian versions – as well as a range of rotating specials, like Tortilla de Carbonara and Cachopo Astruriano veal fillets, and deserts including churros, an almond cake called Tarta de Santiago and a Chocolate Chorizo served with coffee ice cream.
Asked what the name Maricarmen means, Marian laughs. “It means many different things. We have people who have come in just because of the name. It’s inviting, it’s cosy, it’s fun, it’s feminine, it says a lot and it also says nothing.”
As well as tapas and paella, Maricarmen also serves up its own secret recipe sangria(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
She explains that it also was popularised a few years ago back in Spain through a TV show which saw the phrase ‘Hasta Luego, Maricarmen’ go viral. We agree it’s basically Spain’s answer to ‘Bye, Felicia’.
Ultimately, Marian says she still cannot believe where she and Jugo find themselves today. Not just in Manchester, but as the owners of a successful restaurant which has spurred the need for a second venue. Especially considering the hurdles they were met with not too long ago.
Manager Andreas, with Marian Diaz and Jose Nunez(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
“It feels like a dream,” she says. “I still can’t believe we have got a second restaurant in Manchester now. We tried so, so hard in Madrid and it just didn’t work out. I think you lose a bit of strength with that but we have worked so much on getting it back and I think we are so much better now.
“We’ve been bad, we’ve been good, we’ve been all over the world, but here we are. We have been very fortunate. We feel so lucky and we love being in Manchester. The people are lovely and whilst it’s a big city, it still feels like a collection of a community.
“We’ve been here four years now and never in our minds did we think we would end up in Manchester, but it feels like we were drawn here for a reason.”
Maricarmen is on 104 High Street, Northern Quarter, M4 1HQ. Opens Thursday (September 4), walk-in’s only.
Join our Manc Life WhatsApp group HERE