Manchester Bars and Restaurant reviews

Hotel Gotham Manchester a stylish venue

August 8, 2020

Hotel Gotham Manchester is a stylish venue for any stay in Manchester or celebration.

As you may have read in my previous post I have just celebrated my 60th birthday. My plans of a big family garden party at home was foiled by Covid19 restrictions. Mr Fitz and myself also usually have a holiday or a weekend away when we have a big occasion to celebrate and this too was affected. I then had to think of Plan B.

Mr Fitz suggested he booked us a nights stay at Hotel Gotham Manchester. It was a venue on the shortlist for his 60th birthday celebrations but I chose to surprise him with a night and a Michelin starred dining experience at Northcote Manor in Lancashire. We both had read great things about Hotel Gotham plus I ventured in for a coffee soon after it first opened and really loved the building.

We love old buildings as pubs and hotels and much prefer them to modern contemporary ones. Hotel Gotham is situated at 100 King Street and has been created from an old bank and many of the original features remain. It is an Art Deco building by Edwin Lutyens and was designated a Grade 2 Listed building in 1974.

It is a very striking building and did used to house Jamie Oliver’s restaurant underneath until it closed. The Hotel has many feature in keeping with the Art Deco period, including its Entrance Doors. There is always a Concierge to meet and greet you in fabulous livery.

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Covid19 Closure

Hotel Gotham had been closed during the UK Lockdown and had reopened just a few days before our stay. My menopause has caused me to suffer from anxiety at times and Covid 19 so soon after suffering the loss of my brother to Cancer did not help me at all. However Hotel Gotham offered reassurances about the measures they had taken. Guests had their temperatures taken before entering the hotel and there were other hygiene measures within the hotel.

Accomodation

We were booked into a Standard Room and although not huge it was so luxurious. There is a small seating area when you enter the room with a wardrobe and built in bar. The large cupboard come wardrobe was so well stocked with not just the usual water, tea and coffee making equipment but other little treats to be purchased including tins that contained many remedies, such as hangovers, emergency phone chargers, antibacterial protection and a Couples pack (use your imagination here!)

Seating area

Inside Bar

Tea and Coffee making facilities

Guest extras for purchase

We stayed in Room 506 which had enormous floor to ceiling windows to 2 sides of the bed. The hotel is surrounded by offices so we were not too concerned about being overlooked. They had voile coverings to provide privacy. The bed was so comfortable. The bathroom was huge with a fabulous rain shower and toiletries from The White Company. Again this had huge windows but there were Plantation blinds in here for extra privacy. As an extra treat and as a reopening gift from the hotel we were given a complimentary bottle of house Prosecco and chocolate dipped strawberries – a lovely gesture that we truly appreciated.

Hotel Gotham bed

White Company Travel Toiletries

Gotham Prosecco and strawberries

Honey Restaurant

Hotel Gotham has its own Restaurant – Honey which is situated o the 6th floor – which is fact where the Hotel Reception is too – as I said its a fabulous quirky building. Also there is a bar area above on the 7th Floor named Club Brass which is swanky and has access to 3 outside Terraces. More about Club Brass later in the post.

As it was quiet and a Wednesday night we actually dined in Club Brass from the Honey Restaurant menu. The Restaurant was quiet as it was only open to residents due to Covid 19 but we were not the only residents. Service was exceptional and friendly. One big shout out to the staff and The Hotel is that all staff wore masks at all times. These were custom designed and made with the hotel colours and logo on. A fabulous touch and we thanked them all personally for this.

Restaurant are Club Brass

The food was delicious

Starters

Mr Fitz chose Artisan Sourdough and beetroot hummus,

Sourdough bread and beetroot hummus

my choice was Terrine -Ham hock, pickles, ham crisp, wasabi – this was the most delicious starter I have ever eaten – so many flavours on the plate

Terrine Ham Hock

Mains

It as an 8 oz fillet steak for Mr Fitz – we like our steaks well done and this seems to send many kitchens into meltdown and is rarely achieved – this steak was well done but still succulent – a big thumbs up! In our opinion best well done steak in Manchester and we have tried many!

Fillet Steak Honey Restaurant

I chose Cod – Confit fennel, samphire, caviar, vermouth, again totally delicious and tasty. In retrospect I can’t say I saw any caviar but it didn’t detract from the dish.

Cod Honey Restaurant Hotel Gotham

Desserts – Mr Fitz abstained but I decided it would be rude not I chose Chocolate fondant
Popcorn, caramel ice cream. I chose this as despite being a huge foodie I am not a chocolate fan and have never eaten a Chocolate Fondant. This one was a little disappointing – the texture of the chocolate sponge was a bit doughy! The waiter came over to see how I was finding it and when I told him what I thought he then informed me it was Gluten free, which could explain a lot. To be honest if I’d known before hand I would have chosen the Organised mess, as I love meringue.

Chocolate Fondant

But overall we loved our meal and to accompany it Mr Fitz enjoyed their bottled cider and I enjoyed the House red wine – I’m embarrassed to say I can’t remember what it was!

Bottled Cider Hotel Gotham

Following our lovely meal we then spent some time in Club Brass drinking area. We had enjoyed a pre dinner drink on one of the Terraces in daylight and now ventured out to enjoy a drink when it was darker.

Pre dinner drinks Terrace Hotel Gotham – own photo

Enjoying a post dinner drink Terrace Hotel Gotham

Club Brass

Inside Club Brass

Moolah. Lucre. Dinero. Bread. Cash. Call it what you like. Round these parts, we call it Brass, with a short, sharp ‘a’. With a nod to this building’s history as a bank and an acknowledgment of what makes the world go round, welcome to Club Brass.

Open to members and Gotham guests only, Club Brass is a VIP lounge on the 7th floor. You’ll pass through two vault-like doors on your way into a Prohibition-style speakeasy that will make you feel like a million bucks. There is a tempting bar menu and cocktails such as The King of King Street, Bellboy Barry’s Bramble and Lady Crumpsall’s Champagne Cocktail.

If Hotel Gotham is the King of King Street then Brass is the jewel in the crown. It is not a huge area but has a luxurious feel again in keeping with the Art Deco era. I enjoyed another red wine and then a nightcap of an Old Fashioned cocktail, which was well served. There are many fabulous decor features. such as mannequins dressed up.

Dressed Mannequin Club Brass Hotel Gotham

Inside Club Brass

Decor Hotel Gotham

I must also mention the toilets – I have a thing about toilets and love a nice bit of toilet decor, this one did not disappoint.

Ladies Toilets Club Brass

Textured glittery peacock wallpaper ladies toilets

We retired to bed and managed to catch a bit of Match of the Day on our well situated TV – a perfect end to the evening for a big football fan like me, especially as highlights of my beloved Manchester City’s game from the previous evening was shown. We both then settled down to a great nights sleep in the super comfy bed. Waking up on my birthday to find myself a 60 year old woman!

We had a complimentary breakfast in our room rate and this was in the actual Honey Restaurant which has magnificent low level arched windows affording great views of surrounding rooftops which have some fabulous architectural features. The continental breakfast is usually buffet style but due to Covid 19 measures we chose from the menu and it was served by our waiter. Toast was served in a novel way in a linen money sack! A great touch but the bread could have been a bit crisper. The choice of food was again excellent and service was attentive.

Swag bag toast Hotel Gotham

Summary

A fabulous break in sumptuous surroundings. Despite all the restrictions around the Pandemic I had a really enjoyable and relaxing overnight stay for my milestone birthday. We would highly recommend Hotel Gotham and its restaurant and bar. We would stay and dine again.

Our night away was so enjoyable even though it was in our home town – a novel Staycation we think it could be the future while times are difficult. We celebrate our 35th Wedding Anniversary at the end of September and we are planning another hotel stay in Manchester – we are researching our options.

Thanks for popping in today – have you done something similar and if so do you have any recommendations? et me know in the comments below.

Turning 60 – celebrating with Covid 19 Restrictions

July 31, 2020

Turning 60 makes me sound really old and I cannot believe I am this age. Last week I reached this milestone and celebrated turning 60. How I celebrated was very different to how I had planned.

After I retired from nursing and we moved into this house we inherited a fabulous large garden. It has a big lawn space and a large patio space, perfect for entertaining. My initial plan was to hold an afternoon garden party for my immediate family, my husbands and few close friends. The guest list would have been around 35 and would fit comfortably in the area with room for the little ones to run around and play. However these plans were obviously curtailed by the Governments Guidelines to help control and contain the spread of Covid19.

I may earn money from the companies mentioned in this post as I am an affiliate. This does not incur any cost to you and I only recommend companies and products that I use and trust

Turning 60

My plans for celebrating then meant I could just have my immediate family around in the garden. This then posed it’s own problem as the weather in Manchester has been dreadful for most of the month – grey skies and so much rain, in fact leading up to my birthday it rained every day.

Mr Fitz and myself usually have a holiday or trip away to celebrate a BIG birthday. I have wanted to visit Oxford for ages and we had booked a stay in a Hotel for this month much earlier in the year. However we had cancelled this due to the uncertainty and because we planned to travel by Rail and this was not something we were ready to do yet.

Therefore we decided to have a mini break much closer to home and Mr Fitz treated us to a night’s stay at Hotel Gotham Manchester and a meal in the hotel’s Honey Restaurant. I’ll write a full review of this in my next post. All I will say here is that we had a wonderful time and is something we are considering doing again for our 35th Wedding Anniversary at the end of September.

Hotel Gotham

British Weather

As you may know I live in Manchester UK and I love living here. However this summer we seem to be getting more rainy days then other area’s. Despite me posting that it’s a myth about it always raining in Manchester, conditions are making me doubt this! I see social media photographs from friends and fellow bloggers around the country and they look to be enjoying being outside in sunshine. I have been looking forward to turning 60 and enjoying muted celebrations but have been so anxious that the rain would stay away.

The weather was dry when we travelled to Manchester and I didn’t take a coat but the minute we had checked in Hotel Gotham then ventured outside for a bit of shopping it started raining. My freshly styled hair started to flop. My fine menopausal hair does not tolerate any moisture well at all.

For my garden celebration I had my poor family on standby as to whether my little gathering would go ahead. I had to hold it outside for Social Distancing reasons and for enjoyment. I have 5 boisterous great nieces and nephews who love to run around and play. More so at the moment as they have been apart during lockdown. Anyway thankfully the forecast was dry and I decided to proceed.

We had a gazebo on standby and is probably an essential for any UK garden

I bought a selection of inexpensive garden games to lay out on the lawn for the little ones to play with and keep them entertained

Garden Games Snakes and Ladders

Flamingo Ringo Garden Games

Snakes and Ladders

Flamingo Ringo

A Twister style game

We also had a few other games that we all enjoyed

Rory’s Story Cubes by Asmodee Games

Rory’s Story Cubes Asmodee Gamesj

Dobble Card Game

And no get together would be complete without a Pinata – as adults we love watching them squeal with delight trying to release the sweeties

The rain stayed away and we had a lovely afternoon, a much needed get together as we had suffered the loss of my brother only about 6 weeks before lockdown and we had been apart since then.

Even though it was to celebrate me turning 60 I made the emphasis for my great niece and nephews as we are all happy to watch them play and be happy.

I put on a simple spread to meet everyone’s needs, my Sister in Law follows a Gluten Free diet and some of the little ones can be a bit picky but also love nothing more than cucumber and tomatoes! So there was finger food and hot food selection of chilli or chicken curry, in case it was a bit chilly and something warm was required.

I made an activity out of serving ice cream – I made an ice cream station and everyone got to have a vanilla ice cream in a dish or a cone and could decorate it themselves. I provided an assortment of sprinkles and toppings including fabulous sauce, including unicorn shimmer and bubblegum flavour and other fantastic flavours from the Skinny Sauce Company. This was a big it with the little ones and the adults!

Ice cream fun

So here I am at 60 , and all my working life I expected on turning 60 to collect my Pension and bus pass at this age, but sadly due to changes in legislation and local authority guidelines that was bot to be. I can however receive free prescriptions, which thankfully I don’t need regularly and I look forward to a Bowel Cancer screening kit in the post! Happy Days!

Have you had a celebration or milestone occasion during lockdown, what did you do to celebrate? Did you still manage to have a great time?

Anyway thanks for popping by today and come back to see my full review of our night in Hotel Gotham Manchester.

Northern Quarter Manchester 10 of the best pubs

July 5, 2020

The Northern Quarter in Manchester has been compared to Shoreditch in London. It is an area on the Northern area of the City Centre and is ever expanding. The Northern Quarter is a trendy neighborhood, with vibrant street art, bohemian bars and independent record shops. It’s home to buzzy restaurants and some of the city’s liveliest music venues, which host up-and-coming indie bands and established acts. Cultural attractions include the artists’ studios at Manchester Craft and Design Centre, and rotating exhibits at the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art. Mr Fitz and myself love an afternoon in Manchester, as we are mature and have free time during the week we tend to visit in the afternoon or early evening. We love Pubs with atmosphere and a great vibe and especially those with quirkiness and history.

Here are my top 10 pubs in Manchester’s Northern Quarter:

The Marble Arch – this bar is on the very edge of the area on Rochdale Road, one of the main roads leading into the north side of the City. The pub is over 130 years old. The impressive frontage is not in fact Marble but Shap granite. Inside there is an array of mosaic tiles. It is a real ale stronghold and was voted City Life Pub of the year in 2018. It once brewed its own Marble beer on the premises but this has now been moved off site. It is not a cheap option and beware of it’s famous sloping floor. As you enter and walk in the direction of the bar or toilets it makes you swerve a little and feel as if your previous drink was stronger than you thought

The Micro Bar This is a true hidden gem, inside the food hall of the Arndale shopping centre. It is tiny with a small seating area, other seats are shared with customers from the various food stalls. I know I’m not selling this am I? But the owner and bar man is a great bloke – there are around 6-7 beers on draught, with a rotating guest beer. There is also a great selection of craft beers from around the world. Another great selling point is that there are usually quirky characters sat around the bar for conversation, it’s easy to get involved and subjects discussed are wide ranging. A proper thinkers bar.

Micro Bar – own photo

own photo

Abel Heywood This is a pub and boutique Hotel. It is named after a Victorian Mayor and reformist of the city. It has a vintage look – 19th-century boozer (faux, nicotine-stained Anaglypta ceiling, Victoriana, leather booths, expanses of dark wood), although it was only recently created from an old shop in December 2014.

Pen and Pencil – The official description of this venue is

An added touch of New York glamour has arrived in Manchester with the The Pen & Pencil bar and eatery on the corner of Hilton and Tariff Street.

Taking its name and inspiration from the infamous mid-20th Century bar on East 45th Street in New York, which was popular with newspaper journalists and ad men – the original ‘Mad Men’, The Pen & Pencil offers the perfect place for the NQ’s creative locals to chill, think, meet and enjoy great food and drink.

It has a rustic loft feel about it but it’s best feature is the music – we have been in early on a Friday evening – around 5pm and there is a DJ who plays retro disco music of the 80’s . I’m sure this set could change at times, but it has a great vibe that really sets you up for the night and even the whole weekend.

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Seven Brothers As its name suggests this is a bar from the Brewing Company seven brothers run and owned by yes you guessed it 7 brothers! The Seven Bro7hers Brewery is a brewery born in Manchester through seven brothers’ love of craft beer, and their Dad’s commitment to home brewing. Since launching in 2014, the brewery have experienced fantastic growth with their product now stocked nationally, as well as being a firm favourite in their home city of Manchester. They have several locations but the one in Bloom Street Ancoats is in the Northern Quarter area. It is a no frills venue and interior but serves great beer, staff are friendly and knowledgeable and the music is great.

Interior Seven Brothers

Seven Brothers Beer own photo

Crown and Kettle is a grade II listed historic building and is one of the great comeback stories. In 1989 the Grade II listed hostelry on the corner of Oldham Road and Great Ancoats Street was abandoned after an arson attack, its stunning interior seemingly doomed never to be seen by the public again. It remained boarded up for 16 years until it was restored and reopened in 2005. The Crown & Kettle dates back to the 19th Century although there are records of other pubs on the site as far back as 1734. The interior is surprisingly ornate, especially the ceiling and it is speculated that the building was intended to be a law court. The former Daily Express printing building was 2 doors away. This intricate and beautiful listed building has kept all its original features and has opened as a traditional real ale pub serving great drink and good food. A real gem.

Ceiling Crown and Kettle own photo

The Castle – Located on Oldham Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, The Castle Hotel is a prestigious, lively and popular bar with a long history dating all the way back to 1776. This pub is a bit like Jekyll and Hyde. During the day time it is a quiet pub with an older clientele. When you walk in it looks a very tiny bar, however it’s a bit like a tardis as it extends backwards into several more rooms. It’s really dark and atmospheric. At night though it comes alive as a top Manchester music venue. This rare combination of heritage, location and ethos sees The Castle boast a packed calendar of live music, spoken word, comedy, theatre, film screenings, exhibitions and much more on almost every night of the week.

10 best pubs Manchester Northern Quarter

Interior The Castle Manchester – own photo

Edinburgh Castle This is only a few strides away from Seven Brothers. The 200-year-old public house on the corner of Blossom Street and Henry Street has long stood empty but has been saved and restored. It was reopened very recently in 2019 and outside it would not look amiss on the set of a Peaky Blinders episode. Inside it has the same look. It is very dark and can become very crowded. There is also a dining room and restaurant. It has a fantastic selection of whiskeys. I love an Old Fashioned cocktail – in here I enjoyed a Bonfire Old Fashioned – full of smokey richness – the best Old Fashioned I have ever had. It is really well worth a visit. Prices are expensive so probably only pop in for one.

The Edinburgh Castle before its refurbishment

The refurbished Edinburgh Castle a new addition to Northern Quarter Manchester

The refurbished Edinburgh Castle (own photo)

Atmospheric Interior Edinburgh Castle pub Manchester – own photo

Bonfire Old Fashioned – own photo

Lower Turks Head – this is sited on Shudehill close to Manchester Arndale, and Victoria Station. This is another restored old pub. It gets very busy and does have screen to show Sport and football. It has some fabulous architectural feature inside, lots of dark wood and plush furnishings. Service is good and friendly. There was an old book shop next door and this has been knocked through and a wine bar created called Scuttlers – the name of teenage Manchester gangs from the past. There is a great selection of beers and wines from the 2 venues.

Interior Lower Turks Head (own photo)

The Bar of the Lower Turks Head (own photo)

The Corner Boy No review is complete without an Irish Bar. This one is on the corner of Oldham Street and Hilton Street not far from The Castle. It is a relaxed friendly bar serving, beer, whisky, cocktails, coffee, Guinness and casual eats. It has an old drying rack hanging from the ceiling reminiscent of my grandma’s home. It has good music and a friendly welcome. The Guinness is well served. I love the closed off room I call The Snug.

The Corner Boy Northern Quarter – own photo

Clothes Rack Corner Boy Manchester – own photo

Well that’s it then. A round up of 10 best pubs in Manchester Northern Quarter. If you enjoyed reading this please take a look at some of my other reviews of Manchester venues including, Hawksmoor Restaurant and The Ivy

Thanks for dropping by today I really appreciate it.

Busy and Bright The Ivy Manchester

February 16, 2019

Busy and Bright are the words I would definitely say were the first impressions I got for my first visit to The Ivy Manchester. Read my review for further thoughts. If it’s your first visit to my blog – Welcome! I use the same template for all my reviews to provide consistency. You may want to read what my criteria is.

Name of Restaurant

The Ivy Spinningfields Manchester

A warm welcome awaits

Time of Visit

7pm on a Thursday evening – we were walk ins and were lucky enough to get in without a booking on this occasion. But we wouldn’t recommend doing it again.

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Reason

for Visit

As we are big foodies my lovely niece and her husband gave us a £50 voucher for the restaurant at Christmas. Our visit was to take up this lovely treat.

First Impression

Busy and Bright!

Busy and Bright! What a busy vibrant place! Wowee! The decor is Art Deco with a modern twist in bold bright colours with lots of gold and brass look trimmings. There were few empty tables, if any, we may have been fortunate enough to have got the only free one. The volume of conversation was loud, but that to us was a negative thing. It added to the fabulous vibe. Even though I have described it as busy and bright that is more an observation of the decor. There was secluded lighting and the tables were far enough a part to maintain privacy if you are having an intimate date.

Art Deco interior – bold and bright

The interior of the Ivy Manchester

The bar of The Ivy Manchester

Time To Get Served/Attention

We were taken to our table swiftly and efficiently. The drinks and food orders were also taken swiftly but not hurriedly.

Food

Mr Fitz and I chose from the A La Carte Menu. There is an extensive choice. For starters I chose Zucchini Fritters and Mr Fitz went for the roasted scallops. My fritters were unusual – I expected 2 fritters on a plate but instead I got a dish of battered shreds of zucchini accompanied with a spicy mayonnaise dip. It was lovely but too much for one person. I would suggest this is adequate for 2-3 people to share. Mr Fitz said his Scallops were delicious – and I can agree as he gave me a taste! They were cooked to perfection in a fabulous oil.

Our main dish choices were Crab Linguine Pasta and courgette linguine with Devon crab, chilli,
smoked garlic, lemon and rocket for Mr Fitz – this is one of his favourite choices in any restaurant. He said that this one at the Ivy was probably the tastiest he has ever had! High praise indeed from him! I decided to try the Blackened cod fillet Baked in a banana leaf with a soy and sesame marinade, citrus-pickled fennel, grilled broccoli, chilli and yuzu mayonnaise . I rarely cook fish at home and like to choose a fish dish when dining out. Again this was delicious – so many flavours on a plate without being overpowering.

Blackened cod

Service

Our server was excellent, attentive and helpful without being cloying. He was obviously watching discreetly as he leaned over and whispered in my ear that I didn’t have to eat all the Zucchini, not many people finished it! I appreciated that reassurance as I was struggling but didn’t want to leave a large amount of the dish and give the impression that I didn’t enjoy it!

Drinks service was swift and advice given about our choices.

Bold decor in the ladies toilet

Evaluation

Busy and bright , buzzing atmosphere. We absolutely loved it. There is a mix of ages in the clientele. There was retro background music, it was from our disco era and we found this so enjoyable, an example was Backstabbers by The O’Jays. A very varied menu with delicious choices.

The decor is so different from the sparce Industrial Urban look that is popular today. I totally approve of the Ivy decor and vibe. You really felt you were somewhere special. Our final bill was around £97 – with a 12.5% service charge included. The food was probably covered by our voucher, the extra was probably for drinks, Mr Fitz had 3 small bottles of beer, I had a glass of house red and a Baileys in place of a dessert.

Would I Visit Again

Oh Yes! It will be our go to restaurant for special occasions. You may have read my review of Hawksmoor Manchester, that is fabulous too but a different type of restaurant experience.

As I write this I have in fact made a further booking for lunch with one of my oldest friends. We’re both retired nurses and think we deserve a nice treat now and again!

If you’ve enjoyed reading this please subscribe and read more. Do you have any restaurant recommendations for me. I love to try new places.

I also have a sister blog EarlyRetirementRocks about loving life after taking Retirement from the NHS at the age of 55. You may wish to pop over and have a nosey to see what a 58 year old gets up to!

Hawksmoor Manchester Restaurant Review

February 5, 2019

Hawksmoor Manchester

Hawksmoor Manchester was the choice of Mr Fitz and myself for our annual Christmas meal. I will explain more about what I mean by this in the next section. If it’s your first visit here I review all restaurants by the same set of parameters – you can read what they are in an earlier post.

Reason for Visit

What I mean by this is that we have been married for 33 years and have most things that we need. Therefore Christmas gifts to each other are not really needed. As er are both foodies for the past couple of Christmases we have chosen to treat ourselves to either a meal at a restaurant of each others choice or one restaurant and a few cocktails too!

Interior Hawksmoor Manchester

This Christmas we chose Hawksmoor Manchester. The exterior is inviting and from it’s own website the description is: Located in a late Victorian courthouse on Deansgate, next door to Spinningfields, our aim is to serve the best steaks in Manchester. The interior is true to the building and features lots of reclaimed materials from the era, including parquet flooring from a (different) courthouse, panelling from Birmingham’s Sandwell College and (well-cleaned) glazed bricks from a public lavatory in Liverpool.

First Impression

As I mentioned earlier we think Hawksmoor Manchester looks inviting from outside. When you enter it is like walking into a vintage office. There is a reception desk in a dark lobby. This is not a criticism – being a fan of all things vintage I immediately liked the vibe of Hawksmoor Manchester. The welcome was warm and friendly. The inside of the restaurant itself was again classic elegance with dark wood and reclaimed materials.

Time of Visit

We had a reservation for 3pm on the Friday between Christmas and New Year. We rarely dine out in Manchester in the evening after 7pm.

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Time To Get Served/Attention

Following the warm welcome at Hawksmoor we were then shown to our table in the restaurant. There appears to be 2 dining areas, we were seated in the rear area, the first area was closer to the bar if I remember correctly. Once seated the service was swift and again very friendly.

Food

We had anticipated choosing from the A La Carte menu but there was an Express menu which seemed to have choices that we wanted.

Coincidentally we both chose the same 2 courses Potted beef with Yorkshires, which were so delicious – the ultimate in comfort food. The Yorkshires were big and light.

For our main we ordered 35 Day dry-aged rump & chips. Mr Fitz added a peppercorn sauce.

Potted beef with Yorkshires and onion gravy

Steak and Chips

A simple classic. Our order is for well done steak – neither of us follow the trend for pink meat. Johns was perfect but mine still had some pinkness in the middle. I didn’t raise this with our server I decided to put my big girl pants on and enjoy. They weren’t the tenderest steaks ever but they were nowhere near the worst. 2 of our worst steaks were from 2 other big name steakhouses in Manchester. These were consumed before this blog was started. There is no draft beer or cider available so Mr Fitz had 2 bottles of Cotswold Cider Co. No Brainer . I had 2 glasses of house red – the 1st was a French red which wasn’t t0 my taste, the second glass was a Chilean red and was really drinkable.

We both really enjoyed our food.

Service

Service was swift and slick. No concerns at all.

Evaluation

A really good dining experience. Despite the timing of our reservation the restaurant was busy with a great vibe and ambience. We are happy to recommend Hawksmoor Manchester to anyone living in or visiting Manchester.

Would I Visit Again

Yes – most definitely! Hawksmoor could become one of our favourite restaurants in this great city.

After leaving here we visited Tast Catala on Kings Street for a couple of drinks. As it was our Christmas party we did try a variety of drinks – not something we do as a habit.

I enjoyed a Pera i Mora Tastinni from the cocktail menu which was delicious followed by the restaurants equivalent of a sherry, it appeared popular with other visitors so I tried one too! Mr Fitz had El Gaitero Cider.

Pera i Mora Tastinni JJ Whitley Vodka, Crème de Cassis, Pear, Cava, Lemon, Berry & Pear Nitro Pearls

Thanks for popping by and reading if you like this you may wish to read my review of Northcote Manor on my sister blog Early Retirement Rocks

I love to hear your comments and restaurant recommendations email me or comment. I’d also love you to come back again

Birthday Celebration Slug and Lettuce Deansgate Manchester

September 24, 2018

If you have not read any of my previous reviews I review all my venues against the same criteria please click here for details to see what they are and why. This review is from a visit for a friends Birthday Celebration in September 2018

Name of Restaurant

Slug and Lettuce Deansgate Manchester

Reason for Visit – Birthday Celebration

I visited as a celebration for my friends birthday celebration. She had booked a table from 3pm to 7pm on a Saturday afternoon for 10 people.

First Impression

Although this is not my first visit I have only visited midweek lunch time. My first impression was of a busy vibrant venue. Nice atmosphere that looked inviting. Some fabulous original features from the original occupancy of the building. More of this later. Nice original mahogany columns and glass panels. It appeared a nice venue for a birthday celebration for our age group, the majority of the party were in our 50’s. But also included some younger relatives.

Time To Get Served/Attention

Later in the afternoon/evening we had a designated table waiter, but initially when there were only 3 of us present we had to go to the bar for service. 2 of the party had already got drinks. It took around 7 minutes stood at the bar to be served, no acknowledgement from bar staff before this. They were very intent on making and pouring cocktails or serving elaborately served gin and tonics. I ordered a Manchester Palma Violet gin and tonic. If you are a gin drinker please read my post about my love of gin on my sister blog. The drink was served in one of the fashionable fish bowl goblets and almost filled with ice before the drinks contents were added. The bartender removed half of it at my request. He then erroneously started to add lemonade instead of tonic. He made an attempt to start again but I was happy to continue with lemonade as the mixer, luckily I think this particular gin tastes lovely with lemonade instead of tonic.

Food

After a few drinks we ordered a variety of food from the menu. I chose from the side plate menu of chicken skewers in Peri Peri sauce and sweet potato fries with mayonnaise. I received 3 small skewers and a huge bowl of fries. I’m ashamed to say due to enjoying myself so much I forgot to take photographs of the food. One friend ordered The Camembert sharer for himself and it looked a great platter of appetising food. The skewers had a great spicy taste and the fries were delicious too.

Service

Later on we received table service which was very much appreciated as the venue became very busy and we were sat at a high table on high seats and being a shorty the effort of getting on and off was becoming harder as the drinks flowed. It must be said that cocktails were 2 for 1, a great deal 2 for around £7. Most of us settled on Pink Gin Fizz. The waiter was very attentive and we were never without drinks. He also took our food orders, that cannot have been easy for him as we were ordering a variety of different dishes at different times. Probably quite chaotic for him. Apart from a little issue of a spilled drink onto one of the party the service was excellent, made for an enjoyable evening and birthday celebration. Also ta add there were balloons on the table which was a nice touch.

The only issue I would raise about service is about the preparation of my initial gin and tonic. Fresh raspberries were added to the glass and the server used his fingers to pick them up and drop them in the glass. I almost protested but I refrained as I had already requested some ice to be removed and I didn’t want to appear like a Hyacinth Bouquet type of character! I would have preferred them to have been added using small serving tongs or a cocktail stick.

Evaluation

All in all this was an enjoyable evening in a bar that is part of a large chain. There was a great vibe and atmosphere in traditional looking surroundings. A good night was had by all.

Would I Visit Again

I have to say Yes to this. It was my friends choice and not somewhere I would have chosen but it was very enjoyable. I know the great company went a long way to making the night great. However for a City Centre venue at a very reasonable price that catered for groups celebrating an occasion I think it did a great job.

History of the venue

I touched on the appearance of the venue retaining some of the original features. Being over 50 I can remember what it was before. It was a classy china and Gift store T. Hayward and Co. that had been established over 100 years. If you look closely the original name remains in the bricks above the windows. This is why it has such large windows. I think it is a great touch when the history and features of any building or venue are retained. I think it is these features which enhance the presentation and appearance of this particular branch of The Slug and Lettuce, in fact a few of the birthday celebration party commented on how different this particular branch was compared to others they have visited in the chain. It’s a big thumbs up from me.

Thank you for reading – do you have a favourite Manchester venue for celebrating or a chain you would recommend for similar. I love to hear from you. Either comment or email me

Bird at Birtle The Perfect Cheese Souffle

September 6, 2018

Name of Restaurant

The Bird at Birtle Pub and Restaurant on the border of Rochdale and Bury in a semi rural setting. It is owned by TV chef Andrew Nutter, who is the Executive Chef and Proprieter.

Reason for Visit

It was a lunch date in August 2018 with one of my oldest girlfriends. Our reservation was for 12.45. We are both retired now after long nursing careers, but still don’t find the time to meet up as often as we like. We are both foodies and like to introduce each other to new places to eat. This was my choice and my second visit. Last visit to The Bird at Birtle was with my husband and we both really liked the venue and food.

First Impression of The Bird at Birtle

It was once an old country pub and the original name The Bird in Hand can be seen still. It is a stone building that looks like it has been around forever but now has been stonewashed and given a modern face lift with etched glass doors and windows. The overall look is very inviting. We parked at the back and here there is a real modern twist. Roof to floor windows with graphite frames, that look over open fields. Throughout the restaurant and pub there are strong connections to Lancashire, popular Lancashire quotes are hung in frames around the place. Plus a large, colourful mural is in Pride of Place above the stairs.

Front Aspect

Mural above stairs

Rear aspect

Time To Get Served/Attention

I had telephoned a couple of days before to make a booking for 12.45 lunchtime. The restaurant serves from 12MD to 14.30 and then the kitchen closes and reopens again at 18.30. We were met and greeted immediately and led to our table, which was right next to the window.

Food

The menu is fabulous, with so many delicious choices, a wide mix of choices plus there was also a specials menu to accompany it. We both decided to have a main and a dessert, but took a while to choose and changed our minds a couple of times. Finally we both chose the Twice baked cheese souffle, mediterranean vegetables and pesto salad. This was absolutely delicious, all elements of it were cooked to perfection.

Twice Baked Cheese Souffle

For dessert I chose Treacle Sponge and Custard, this was the favourite dessert my late mother used to make on a Sunday. She is a hard act to follow and I have yet to find one close to hers. This one from The Bird at Birtle though is IT! Light, fluffy sponge with a rich layer of dark treacle on top with the perfect portion size serving of custard. My friend chose the Sticky Toffee pudding, again she thought this was cooked to perfection. Both have a side garnish of piped cream and a fresh strawberry. As my friend was driving she drank water, while I enjoyed 2 nice glasses of Medium Dry house wine, which was very palatable. One little touch that I really liked was when bringing our water and wine the waitress also brought another glass filled with ice and a pair of serving tongs. A simple but thoughtful touch, the number of times I’ve been out with friends when one of the party requests ice for either wine or other drinks. Top marks The Bird at Birtle Let me add here – I personally think ice in wine is a No – No!

Sticky Toffee Pudding and Custard

Wine, Water and Ice

Service

Efficient and friendly, no complaints or concerns on this front

Evaluation

This is a lovely venue in a fabulous location with good views. The food is excellent, especially the desserts! The clientele is a little upmarket. Overall I think this is a fabulous restaurant for both special occasions, family get together’s or informal lunches.

Would I Visit Again

In the words of Simon Cowell – quite simply – it’s a YES from me! The Bird at Birtle is a top class restaurant.

I aim to use a consistent approach to how I review restaurants click here to see how I do it. You may also wish to look at my review of too

Have you visited here? Let me know your thoughts comment or email me, also I love to receive restaurant recommendations in the Manchester area

Restaurant Reviews – what do I look for?

September 6, 2018

One of the functions of this blog is to write reviews of Restaurants, eateries and Bars in Manchester. I have already written some reviews on my sister blog EarlyRetirementRocks.com

However, when I moved that blog to self hosting I lost some of my older posts – very frustrating!

My aim is to use a consistent method and approach to all my reviews. I have a set of values I like to assess against. Here I explain what they are and why:

Name of Restaurant/Bar – this is self explanatory
Reason for Visit – was it a girlie lunch, a meal with my husband, a celebration or sometimes it can be from a competition prize win. When I visit a venue is part of a prize win, it is not a condition of the prize that I write a review, the venues do not know that I will write a review. This is one reason why I use a consistent approach to reviews so that there should be no bias involved.
Time of Visit – this is important as venue’s can have different vibes and prices at different times of the day. As I;m more mature i.e. over 50, I mostly visit places in the afternoon or early evening
First Impressions – This can cover many aspects from decor, vibe, friendliness of staff to other diners
Time to get served/get attention – this is a very important value for myself and Mr Fitz. When you approach a bar or a host we appreciate that venue can be very busy, however eye contact costs nothing. Great bartenders and Hosts have fabulous people skills and are great at multi tasking, often serving 1 or 2 customers as well as taking an order from another. A glance and an acknowledgement goes a long way. Mr Fitz’s has a 3 minute rule – if he hasn’t been acknowledged in that time – we leave! Can be even shorter if prices are very expensive! This may seem harsh but it must be considered that the cost of drinks, especially in the City Centre are more than the average workers hourly rate. Possibly even more than the hourly rate of the bartender themselves.
Food – quality, appearance etc.
Service – Politeness of serving staff, speed of service, other details
Evaluation – I provide an overall evaluation of the experience and
Would I Visit Again? – this again is self explanatory. Even if something was not quite right, it does not mean I would not return as long as I could see that something out of the usual had affected this, it was not just a case of general poor service, sloppiness or poor food.

So now that I’ve explained my approach why not look at my review of Abode in Manchester Piccadilly

Fress Didsbury – Restaurant Review in Manchester

September 6, 2018

My review is of Fress Didsbury, I visited Didsbury on a Wednesday afternoon in Summer to catch up with 3 friends. 2 of them live locally and they chose the venues. We chose to eat in Fress Didsbury, I will devote most of this review to Fress Restaurant where we dined but will also give a shout out to the other venues we visited, I review all restaurants against the same parameters – read what they are

Name of Restaurant

Fress Didsbury on Wilmslow Road.

Reason for Visit

This was a catch up with girl friends, a very informal get together.

Time of Visit

We ate around 4pm on a Wednesday afternoon in Summer. Despite the recent heatwave it was a bit showery and we sat inside even though there is outside seating available.

First Impression of Fress Didsbury

Fress Didsbury, small but smart! Great decor, look and feel to the place. There are leather upholstered booths on the left and tables on the right. All the booths were occupied so we chose a table.

Time To Get Served/Attention

We were approached and greeted immediately. Warm, friendly attention and greeting.

Food at Fress Didsbury

We chose from the Fress Didsbury evening menu that commences at 3pm. All 4 of us selected a different dish from the mains, no starters. I personally chose the Korean Chicken, which was marinated chicken pieces with smoked cheddar mac and cheese and house slaw. I liked most of my dish, the chicken was well cooked and tender with lots of spice and heat from the marinade and fresh chilli’s. The mac and cheese was palatable, the only thing I didn’t really enjoy was the slaw which was finely grated cabbage and onions but to me there was no dressing of any kind, making it bland and tasteless. I washed it down with water. I was driving so didn’t try any of the drinks menu.

Korean chicken

My choice was possibly the best on the day as my friends all found aspects of their meals that they did not enjoy, I have to say, the triple cooked chips served up with The Harissa Rump Steak looked totally unappetising.

Fress Burger

Harissa Rump Steak with triple cooked chips

Nicoise Salad with Puffed Chilli Tofu

Service

Service was attentive and efficient. Our waitress was dismayed to hear that we were not over thrilled with our food. She said she was going to provide feedback to the chef on our behalf.

Evaluation

Nice decor in a location that has a trendy vibe. Attentive staff but unfortunately the food ws disappointing.

Would I Visit Again

I would have to honestly say no due to there being a lot of other choices in Didsbury still to try and the food did not have us begging for more.

Footnote

I mentioned at the start that we visited a couple of other venues on this visit. Just a quick shout out and comment on each!

Expo Lounge – This was our meeting point and my first visit. Easy to find, Shabby Chic, vintage upcycled decor. Very busy lots of yummy mummy’s present. We just had a quick drink – mine was a pot of tea. Was a little loud and echoey – one of my friends had a slight hearing problem and found it very dificult to hear our conversation because of this. I have normal hearing and have to say it was quite noisy.

Casa Italia – stopped here for a final drink before home. Good vibe and decor with quite a large choice of drinks. If I wasn’t driving I would have enjoyed a Limoncello. I enjoyed an ice cream cornet from their dedicated fridge. Would like to visit and try some food.

Abode Brasserie Manchester – Restaurant review

September 6, 2018

Review

Before reading my review of Abode Brasserie Manchester, please read my post on how I review venues – I have a template and appraise all restaurants against the same parameters, my post outlines my reasons for this.

Reviews Abode

Reason for Visit

Mr Fitz and I visited Abode Brasserie Manchester in July 2018 for my birthday celebration. One of my main hobbies is entering Competitions. I won a prize for a meal for 2 and wine in a Twitter Competition at Abode Brasserie in Manchester City Centre. The competition was run by the restaurant during the World Cup on Facebook. To enter you had to predict the correct score in the Croatia V England game at 90 minutes. I predicted 1-1 and was correct. I was thrilled to be announced the winner as it was soon to be my Birthday and this would be a great way to celebrate. Free meals are one of my favourite prizes and helps maintain my pre retirement lifestyle. Mr Fitz and I are great foodies and love to eat out in Restaurants.

It was not part of the prize to post a review and the staff had no knowledge that I was going to do this.

Time of Visit

We were booked in for 6pm on a Friday evening – our choice as we prefer not to be out late unless its a special function or we are closer to home.

Time taken to be seated

Abode Brasserie Manchester restaurant is also the bar area. We were a little early and just walked up to the bar. There were occupied tables but no other customers at the bar so we were served swiftly. Our order was a Draught Cider and a single Gin and slimline tonic. They did not sell Cider on draught so John chose a 500 ml bottle of Aspalls Cider

This was around £11 for the 2 drinks and we were advised that we could sit at any table. Nice glasses!

Reviews Abode drinks

Surroundings and First Impression of Abode Brasserie Manchester

If I’m being totally honest it was not what I was expecting! It was my first visit and had been intending to visit Michael Caine’s Restaurant for ages. Because the exterior of the Abode Manchester hotel is red brick and traditional, I think I expected the restaurant to look more opulent and plush. Instead it was very modern with an urbany, warehouse feel. Now at this point I must say that I’m a little embarrassed that I hadn’t done my usual online research. If I had I would have known beforehand what the interior looked like.

I would also say that it didn’t have a restaurant feel, it was more like a casual cafe/dining experience.

Time to get served/Attention

As we had first got a drink from the bar and sat anywhere we had not formally checked ourselves in with the front of house host, however once seated we were approached quite swiftly to see if we were OK and if we were dining. My husband explained we had a reservation and were prize winners. Menus were already on the table but we were brought the Prix Fixe menu to choose from. The A La Carte menu of Abode Brasserie Manchester was not included in the prize.

Food

We both chose the Ham Hock Pressing – Braised ham hock pressed and served with piccalilli for starters. This was delicious and possibly one of the nicest starters we have ever eaten.

Abode review Ham Hock Starter

For mains John chose the Asparagus & Pesto Penne, which he enjoyed and I chose the 7oz Bavette Steak-Frites which were average but enjoyable.

Asparagus Pesto Penne Abode review Steak Frite Abode Review

For dessert John chose the Chocolat Liegois and the Creme Brulee for me – again delicious.

Chocolat Liegois Abode review Abode review chocolate suace Creme Brulee Abode review

To accompany our food we enjoyed a bottle of Gavi DI Gavi ‘Fossili’, San Silvestr, Italy. A wine we are both familiar with and closest to our favourite Puilly Fume from France, which was not on the menu.

Service

There was a delay of over 30 minutes between the starter and main course, however once the main had arrived a senior member of the restaurant team approached us and apologised and said that the cost of the main course would be deducted from our bill because of this. We pointed out that we were prize winners which he was unaware of. It was, however, a nice gesture. Excluding this though Service was good and staff were friendly. One waitress was a fairly new starter and was a delight, we wish her well in her career at Abode Brasserie Manchester.

Evaluation

Overall it was an enjoyable experience, decor and ambience was not the best or maybe I should clarify not what we thought suited the Hotel. There was a piano player in the restaurant which was pleasant. Food was excellent and service was good. We did encounter a problem with the cleanliness of the ladies toilet – caused by other users. The Hotel staff dealt with this swiftly one I pointed it out to them.

Would I Visit Again

With the fact that Manchester had so many restaurants and eateries to choose from the answer is probably not. We have a list of favourites and even though we were extremely grateful to receive the prize and sample to venue Abode Brasserie Manchester would not be added to our list.

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