Elites Start the Spanish Party at Manchester's Sandinista!

Viva Espanchester! Folks might deem it 'grim oop north' at the moment, what with the flooding and all, but Mancunian Elites know how to take a holiday from the woeful weather warnings. Sandinista! Cantina Bar hosted an exclusive new menu launch just for Yelpers (and VIPs – very important press), treating attendees to more tasty tapas than they could shake a pair of maracas at.

Looks like El Rincon de Rafa's got a rival when it comes to City Centre Spanish fodder. Firstly though, whistles were wetted with some delicious cocktails. As well as our Kahlúa check-in competition entitling every avid smartphone Yelper to a delicious shot of the finest coffee liqueur as a nightcap, tasty ice-cold punches were glugged out by the jug with Arette tequila and Wray Overproof rum. Enthused Lee Z, 'The drinks that were on offer were very, very nice. A BIG mention has to go to the drink I lovingly referred to as Redrum; that was addictively nice (as I'm sure Chris M will concur). I lost count of how many of them I had, that's how good it was!'

An enormous range of fresh tapas dishes spoiled guests completely. From salt cod croquettes and calamari with alioli to tender rump steak, pork loin, pulled pork with squid ink rice, patatas bravas, pimientos del padron, feta stuffed peppers, desserts of chilli chocolate tart and Crema Catalana and more, no attendee went home with an empty belly. Chris P said of the choccy pudding, 'It started off sweet and smooth, and a few seconds after you finished your bite you realised that it had a spicy kick!' And that certainly is a good thing.

But the piéce de resistance was the sheer showmanship generated from the presentation of a truly gigantic pan of paella. There was more than enough to go around, and its combination of prawns, mussels and chicken with veggies and saffron rice had everybody salivating.

Huge thanks go to all the Yelpers and Press who attended the menu launch, our awesome booze sponsors Kahlua for our check-in competition and the fab Wray Overproof headed up by Mark Cato and Hazel Glen's Arette (rum and tequila available at Sandinista!), the talented chefs who provided such delicious food and bar staff for making the cocktails, the beautiful Katy Johnson who works tirelessly for both Sandis (Manchester and Leeds) and Leeds' sister-bar Smokestack too, Sandis' awesome manager Adam Binnersley, gorgeous Leeds Yelp Community Manager Rowena H who'll be repeating the event in her own constituency (look out, Leeds Elites!), and the always-exceptional Jody Hartley for the supreme snaps.

Read the Yelper reviews, catch the pictures and chat about the event! Meanwhile, SYOY.

Your Yelp Manchester CM Señorita, Emma-Lou H