MANCHESTER HOUSE: MANCHESTER

30/08/17

By Beth

WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT:

For the incredible food that looks too good to eat, almost
Enjoy a cocktail with a view
For stylish and relaxed surroundings
Be wined and dined with excellent service

DECOR:

Manchester House is situated just off Deansgate in the city centre and features a restaurant and a lounge on the 12th floor with views across Manchester. The lounge has a polished modern interior with leather seats and feature pendants and the restaurant has a zen-like relaxed feel with a red and grey colour scheme, a dark parquet floor, wooden tables and chairs and a mixture of lighting. There are large windows bringing in lots of light and for such an upmarket restaurant, there was a really informal and laid back atmosphere, which I liked.

The kitchen was completely open and I liked walking past it on arrival and then watching the chefs whilst dining, seeing all of their incredible cooking techniques executed with such ease.

DINING:

I was expecting great things from Manchester House and head chef Aiden Byrne they more than delivered. My husband Steve and I were dining off the set lunch menu of three courses for £27.50, which I thought was fantastic value for the food we ate. There is something really indulgent about going out for a three-course lunch and this is definitely a spot to fulfil that pleasure.

We ate the following for lunch:

Starters: Chef's Snacks - Crisp Chicken Skin, Smoked Foie Gras and aged Parmesan, Tapioca and Squid Ink Cracker, Cured Lemon Sole and Smoked Red Pepper Jelly and Scallop in Sushi Vinegar, Green Peppercorn and Kohlrabi. Followed by Texel Lamb Fillet, Sweetbread and Hazelnut Crumb and Grilled Cured Halibut, Borlotti Beans, Smoked Eel and Cauliflower

Mains: Poached Cod with Olive Oil Mashed Potato, Jabugo Ham and Cèpe Mushroom and Suckling Belly Pork, Boudin Noir Puree, roast Butternut Squash and Puffed Potato

Desserts: Duck Egg Custard, Toasted Oats, Sea Buckthorn and Sour Cream Sorbet and Blonde Chocolate Ganache, Ginger Sponge, Passionfruit and Banana

The chef's snacks were brought to our table in addition to the three course menu and they made a great start to our meal. All three were completely unique but my favourite had to be the squid ink cracker cured lemon sole that melted in the mouth and smoked red pepper jelly which added a great flavour.

I ordered the halibut to start and it was delicate in presentation and flavour and the combination of the cauliflower and borlotti beans added a subtle richness. The lamb fillet worked well with the hazelnut crumb and was perfectly cooked.

For main course, I chose fish again with the cod and Steve chose the belly pork. The cod was cooked to perfection and the salty ham was an ideal partner. The mushroom was rich and earthy and the mash was some of the smoothest and creamiest I've ever eaten. The pork belly was succulent and balanced well by the sweet butternut squash.

Both desserts sounded amazing but I was immediately drawn to the flavours of ginger, chocolate, passion fruit and banana and I have to say, it was one of the best desserts I've ever eaten. Just one complaint - I wanted to eat it all over again it was that good. The duck egg custard had the flavours and texture of a crumble and it had just the right amount of sharp fruit, creamy custard and crunchy oats and even a cooling sorbet on the side. The edible gold leaf most definitely took it up a notch from a de-constructed crumble.

Manchester House Oats, Berries & Custard

Drinks: After starting with a cocktail each - a Whiskey Sour and an Aperol Spritz (both £10 each) - we ordered a glass of Gavi and a glass of Malbec (£10.80 each for a 250ml glass). We ended the meal with a cappuccino and some petit fours.

DEBRIEF:

Lunch at Manchester House was a wonderful treat and it's somewhere I would most definitely recommend. The food is unique, delicious and uniquely presented and the service and atmosphere are just right. A Michelin star is surely on the cards soon.