Manchester for a week

[Bapi]

I will be up in the North of England on business in November, but staying in central Manchester. (Malmaison Hotel - is the chain any good by the way?)

Hence, I would appreciate some suggestions as to where to eat whilst up there.

I used to live not so far away from Manchester in my distant youth, and used to get taken to the Yang Sing and an Indian called the Rajdoot. Are they still any good?

Thanks

[Andy Lynes]

I usually stay at the Malmaison and I think it's very good for the price. It's dorectly opposite Piccadilly station on a very busy road, so I would ask foir a quiet room if I were you (unless noise doesn't bother you). The brasserie in the hotel is not bad at all. Heathcotes (www.simplyheathcotes.com) is pretty good, The Restaurant Bar and Grill is lively with good food (perhaps Thom would like to say more as he works for the organisation that owns it) and I would certainly take a tram out to Altringham to try Juniper.

[bourdain]

I second the Malmaison and Heathcotes suggestions.

[AdamLawrence]

Yang Sing remains utterly brilliant. For Indian, I've always liked Shere Khan.

Adam

[Gary Marshall]

when i lived there a personal favourite was the lime tree on lapwing lane in didsbury, it's a taxi from the centre but only about 15 mins out of town in the suburbs.

modern english food consistently in the aa & gfg from memory not sure if michelin rated it (but its not 'star' type of cooking) v popular so you'd need to book but certainly v convivial, decent wine bar the nose next door and i think a renovated pub the metropolitan on the corner so a decent little cluster of places.

yang sing still good, curry mile of rusholme must also be experienced! Was never a big heathcotes fan but its been a while since i dined there. wasn't overly impressed with MPW at the lowry hotel either, but if you like his london offerings it's v similar in style and execution.

cheers

gary

[Mrs Woman]

Tsk, Andy, don't spell Altrincham like it's said! Juniper is indeed excellent, although it is a little bit stuffy for my liking.

Despite working in Manc, I haven't yet tried many of its restaurants. But here goes.

I visisted the MPW River Room at the Lowry hotel a few weeks after it opened last year and once the food had been sent back to achieve an edible temperature it was quite pleasant. The £15(ish) Sunday lunch menu looks quite good value if you're here over a weekend.

For good pub grub, head to the The Ox, which is on a road off the end of Deansgate and across from the Museum of Science and Industry. (www.theox.co.uk)

Choice in Castlefields is better than the other offerings in the area (Barca, Quay Bar) (www.choicemcr.co.uk), even with the cheesey piano bar. Lots of Scottish influences on the menu done well.

Palmiro in Whalley Range is said to be very good. For good pizza, go to Croma rather than PizExp. There's a Conran Zinc Bar & Grill in the Triangle Centre, and a Petit Blanc somewhere. And yes, the Rajdoot is still with us!

[thom]

Ohhh.... Now you've got me started.

Here's a rundown on some of the places I like to take visitors to in gods own country (and some that people always ask about). It's a bit quickfire, so let me know if any interest you, and I'll elaborate:

Regarding your place to stay:

Yep, Malmaison is fine, though not as cheap as it should be, and the brasserie is only 'ok'. It has had the 'boutique/small chain' hotel market to itself in Manchester for some time, but Hotel Rossetti has recently opened opposite (run by the award willing Alias Hotels, who also do the Hotels Barcelona, Kadinsky etc etc). The 5 star Lowry is very sleek, and sometimes cheaper than you think on Lastminute.com or at weekends.

CHEAP EATS:

Do not on any account miss out of the back-street curry houses around Piccadilly. They are only open during the day, but can feed you well for £3-£5 (The famous 'This and That' cafe can even do three curries and rice for around £2:50). My own favourites are the Mahabra for nans, and the Kebabish for the quality of the curries (I particularly recommend the chops on the Monday). Others include the Yagdar, Al Failsal, Balti Basement etc etc.

Also, you must pop into 'Love Saves The Day', a NY style deli and coffee bar on Tib street in the creative hub of the Northern Quarter (Manchester's slightly grottier version of Soho). It serves decent sandwiches, bagels and hot food, made simply but with quality ingredients.

If you're in the Northern Quarter, you could also try the spiritual surroundings of the 'Earth Cafe' in the Buddist Centre. It's vegetarian, organic, and probably helps old ladies across the road, but the food is cheap, wholesome and not bad at all.

Moving into the 'cheapish' bracket, rather than 'absolute steal', you could try Rafas El Ricon (just off Deansgate), and Dimitris (Campfield Market, Deansgate). As the names may suggest, Rafas does a fair selection of relatively authentic tapas (though with patchy service), and Dimitris does extremly generous portions of Greek stodge.

Chinatown is worth exploring, and has some outstanding restaurants. At the budget end the 'Woo Sang' is always worth a go, and 'Ho's Chinese Bakery' has to be sampled for the honey buns if nothing else.

Rusholme is Manchester's Brick Lane (Is it patronising to keep translating things into London equivalents?), and is about a five minute taxi journey South of the city centre through the University campus. It houses about fifty Asian restaurants, sweet cafes, shops and takeaways, and is known locally as 'Curry Mile'. It includes cuisines such as Pakistani, Indian, Punjabi, Persian, Nepalese and more. Everybody has a favourite, but hey what do they know, the Persian owned 'Tandoori Kitchen' is the best, with some interesting Iranian dishes and sweet yellow nans.

I take it you are on business and may be abusing expenses? So enough of the student food...

MID RANGE EATING:

Heathcoates

It's ok, though it has been up and down on my last few visits. Room is big and airy, but windowless; cooking is modern British, with an emphasis on local products.

Restaurant Bar and Grill

Ok, this is owned by my company, so I'm biased, but's it's still a favourite. It's a big, bustling city centre brasserie, with a menu of steak, fish, modern med classics and a couple of Asian inspired dished. Service is normally excellent, and the simple cooking allows the quality of the ingredients to come through.

Samsi Yakitori

The first city centre Japanese to ignore the crowd pleasing teppanyaki antics. A cavernous atmosphere houses excellent chefs, outstanding food as well as attentive service. Extensive sushi, sashimi and grill menus and some of the best Japanese cooking outside the capital. A recent visit to Nobu NY only reinforced its quality.

Mr Thomas's Chop House ('Sam's Chop House' is owned by the same company)

If you want traditional, quality English cooking in a Dickensian style tiled city boozer then this is the place. Open for lunches only, but their liver and onions, and braised beef with mustard mash are very good indeed, and complimented by an extensive wine list.

Croma

If you fancy playing it safe with a Pizza Express type place, then this restaurant was set up by the two most successful PE francisees (how do you spell that?) who ran the King St outlet. It looks and feels similar, but is slightly cheaper, slightly better, and has some more adventurous pizzas.

The Market Restaurant

Eccentric place that looks like your gran's (well my gran's) front room. Great food, fantastic wine and Belgian beer list, and home of the pudding club - spotted dick for all!

Gaia

If you make it to the Eastern edge of the city centre (actually, near Malmaison), you'll find the gay village based around Canal Street (or 'anal treet' as somebody with a sense of humour and a bottle of tippex has amended the street sign to). It's mainly a 'bar' area, but the much improved 'Olive' deli is ok for basics, and 'Gaia' is actually shaping up to be a not bad restaurant, with a nice relaxed ambience.

If you are in the area then Velvet and Taurus (also on Canal St) are good for contemporary cafe-bar standards.

Kro2

This is a sleek Scandinavian style place on Oxford Rd, serving tasty, filling Danish food. The veal meatballs with boiled potatos and red cabbage keeps the chill out on those cold Autumnal days. Good beer too.

There are plenty of other decent mid range places about, so if you fancy exploring then try Armenian Taverna (as it sounds), the Koreana (again as it sounds), Pacific (minimalist place in Chinatown, Thai on one floor, Chinese on the other), Choice (like Restaurant Bar and Grill, but on the waterfront and with a quirkier menu), and others too numerous to mention

UPPER RANGE EATING

Nico Central (at the Midland Hotel), Petit Blanc, MPW River Rooms (at the Lowry Hotel), Rhodes and Co (at the Quality Hotel, Old Trafford - don't even step into the 'Rhodes-lite' diffusion brasserie in the Portland Hotel), The Lincoln: They all aspire to the middle-upper end of the market, and what can I say... I have had a couple of good meals, more patchy ones, and several notable stinkers. Whilst in all these venues some or all of the elements may be at the top of their games on any particular night, they just can't pull it together on a consistent basis.

I would hate to send an experienced restaurant goer to any one of these places without preparing them for a general feeling of being underwhelmed, and possibly mild disappointment.

The Three high end places in manchester which are absolutely worth a go are as follows:

Yang Sing

Without doubt one of the finest Chinese Restaurants in Europe. It's been an institution for over twenty years in Manchester, and has never let its standards slip. Ranging from the tradtional to the inventive, the cooking is never less than excellent, and the ingredients are top notch. Dim Sum are legendary, and don't hesitate to ask your waiter or waitress to take you on an off-menu tour.

Juniper

Not everyone I know thinks as highly of Paul Kitching's Altricham (about 20 minutes South of the City Centre, tram or car) outpost as I do, but at its best it is outstanding. The only Michelin starred restaurant in Greater Manchester, and he's angling for a second. There has been a slight overhaul since my last visit, with a redesigned dining space and a few staff changes, but I would recommend you make the trek out.

Le Mont

Picked up a couple of good reviews (though not without reservations) from the nationals in its early days. This restaurant is really out on its own in terms of the Manchester eating and drinking landscape. It is a airy white space, housed in the tip of the 'Urbis' centre.

The Urbis itself is an architectural tour de force, a huge shard of glass rising out of a park in the recently blossoming 'Millenium Quarter' of the city centre. The restaurant itself has an incredible view, being over 80ft about the streets - ask for a table in the 'prow' if you can.

The exec chef is Robert Kisby, and the food is modern French, though with real attention paid to local produce. The traceability of the meats (lamb bred on the Cumbrian salt marshes) is exemplary. I didn't find a weak dish, though a couple could lose at least one of their elements. Desserts were top drawer, and the wine list is good too.

SUBURBS

If you can tear yourself away from the city, then try West Didsbury (kind of like Islington?) with Greens, the Great Katmandu and the Lime Tree outstanding, or Chorlton with Palmiro (a great modern Italian), and the Barbakan (a wonderful Deli, and supplies German and Polish breads to Selfridges amongst others).

DRINKS

I'm sure you can find yourself a trendy bar or two (Restaurant Bar and Grill, Living Room, Tribeca, One Central St, Loaf, Zinc etc), but if you want something with more character its back to The Northern Quarter to Cord, Centro or Matt and Phreds Jazz club.

If you want untarnished jewels of English pubbery, with 'proper' beer, then do not miss the following:

Marble Arch

5 mins walk out of the City Centre on Rochdale Road. An untouched Victorian boozer, with tiled walls and a barrel tiled roof. It has its own micro brewery in the back, and produces fantastic, award winning, organic beers. My local! Pot of Beer and The Beer House are also both very good, and within a couple of hundred metres of the front door.

Britons Protection

OK beer (Tetleys I think), but go here for the whiskies. There are nearly 200 to sample, and they specialise in Irish. Very popular with musicians from the Bridgewater Hall (home of the Halle orchestra) opposite, and the Irish tourists in the Jurys Inn next door (when they are in town for the football).

Hare and Hounds

This pub used to serve the Smithfield produce market behind, and still retains an earthy though always interesting clientele. Invariably nights here end up with a lock in and someone playing the piano, Les Dawson style.

Ole Wellington Inn/Sinclairs Oyster Bar

Decent beer, ok food, fabulous surroundings. This pair of pubs dates from over 450 years ago, and have actually been moved brick by brick twice (due to redevelopment).

The Circus

Another Tetley pub, and one of the smallest ever. Room for one behind the bar, and not many more in front of it. It'll give you agrophobia if you ever end up in a Wetherspoons again...

The Castle

This is one of the most terrifyingly authentic old style Manchester pubs. Always an experience, and the beer ain't bad either.

Peveril of the Peak

Old multi-roomed tiled coaching house. Decent beers, and it's got a pool table too. What more could you want...

Dukes 92

Down on the canals in Castlefield, it has great outdoor seating, and the biggest Ploughmans lunch you have ever seen. A modern pub done right.

Looking back, I may have gone a trifle over the top with this extensive listing... But hey, it makes me happy, and hopefully it will improve your visit to the North.

Come on, I don't get much opportunity to flex my local knowedge on here, you bunch of metropolitan snobs and Southern jessies...

Cheers

Thom

[Tonyfinch]

Come on, I don't get much opportunity to flex my local knowedge on here, you bunch of metropolitan snobs and Southern jessies...

What did we say? What did we say? Brilliant post. Now where the fuck is Manchester?

[Vanessa]

Wow - now if you could just get the trains between London & Manchester to work properly....

v

[thom]

Vanessa,

The torturous West Coast line is probably the sole reason Manchester isn't a heaving world-class supercity a la London, New York, Paris, Tokyo. Or maybe it's the drizzle...

Tony,

You remember Manchester, it's far, far in the cold and distant North. I think Father Christmas lives here.

Regarding Manchester food, I hate to be a passionate 'local person' here, but the city has always had a thriving restaurant scene, and has had more entries in the Good Food Guide, Hardens etc. (if you rate such guides) than any other place outside London for as long as I can remember. Manchester does't have the long established mid range restaurants of other cities, but our ethnic eateries are second to none, and the middle-upper end has started to blossom over the last ten years.

Still so much to tell any wet behind the ears Manchester converts out there; the crushed velvet and cramped finery of Lounge 10; the delights of That Cafe, the epicurian oasis in Levenshulme, the strange smells of Titanic, the Kosher deli set up by a Titanic survivor no less; the quite stupendous fish and produce stalls at Bolton, Bury and even the Arndale markets; the teeming gastropubs of Didsbury such as the Metropolian and the Woodstock, the list just goes on...

Have you had enough yet?! Have you?!!

Cheers

Thom

[Andy Lynes]

Thom, you should apply for a job at that new "Restaurant" magazine, they could do with someone like you on the staff!

[Bapi]

Apologies for not responding sooner, I have been on an all day training course on Financial Statements - YAWN. I must have been a very bad boy in a previous life to have to endure this now.

Thom- what can I say? The Mother of all posts or even a veritable Tome eh, Thom?- sorry, woeful pun, blame the course I am on. Many thanks for the excellent and informative post, I fear a week may not be enough time to do all your suggestions justice.

The Yang Sing is a definite and I like the sound of both Juniper as well as Samsi Yakitori amongst many others. I do know Rusholme- I spent many a long afternoon was spent there in my youth waiting for my mother to buy every sari imported into the country. I spent the time stuffing my face with Samosas whilst she shopped. But it was half the size it is now and there were far fewer restaurants back then.

Thom - can you tell me abit more about The Urbis and where is the Millenium Quarter??

Feeling slightly wary now as I should have realised Malmaison could be a bit on the nosy side from its location, especially as The Lowry was the other option, and I chose the Hotel! Even more so now that I hear that Alias have opened Rossetti, (we are thinking of going to Hotel Barcelona with friends next year).

Many thanks again to all who replied.

[Andy Lynes]

Bapi, they do have quiet rooms, but you may have to be insistant. When I checked in last time, I asked for a quiet room and they gave me one directly above the entrance to the brasserie with a fantastic view of the station and the busy road junction just in front of it! They changed me no problem and I had one down the sire of the building overlooking the canal.

[thom]

Bapi,

Well, seeing as you asked...

The Millenium Quarter is a marketing buzzword, in much the same way that the 'Northern Quarter' seemed more palatable to developers than Smithfield or Piccadilly.

Millenium Quarter refers to the North Eastern area of the City centre, which was heavily affected by the IRA bomb. At the time it consisted of a fairly messy open area with a rubbish strewn fountain which was surrounded by a 60's M&S, the arse end of the Arndale centre, the near derelict and bomb damaged Victorian Corn exchange (home to anyone who bought strange second hand records, read tarot cards or smelt of patchouli oil - Andy?), the hideous 60's Shambles shopping centre (never a truer word said), a few open air carparks, Cheethams Music College, Victoria station, the old Mirror newspaper offices, Manchester Cathedral and the huge CIS office complex (Co-op Insurance Society).

Basically, it was empty at night, quiet during the day, and very run down. Eating or drinking meant a couple of greasy spoons or an M&S sandwich.

After the bomb, the area was identified as ripe for reivitalising by taking the opportunity to open up the orginal street plans which had been cut in half by 60's developments. Obviously, being the late 90's, eating, drinking, shopping and all round entertainment were seen as key to the sites new identity.

So, welcome to 2002, progress report as follows. If you haven't been to Manchester for a couple of years the change is pretty impressive:

M&S built a fairly impressive building on the old site to create their largest store in the world. Immediately after their stock took a down turn and they panicked and flogged the back half of the building (facing into the millenium quarter). Luckily they flogged it to Selfridges, who were looking to add to their out of town shop in the Trafford Centre. So, whether you need a whole shark, a bottle of Petrus, or some Prada undies this is the place for you. The food hall is tremendous, with much of the food available to eat at the counter. They also have a basic third floor cafe and a Yo Sushi.

Harvey Nichols are due to open opposite early next year, so that will add even more to the 'department store eating' genre.

The old corn exchange was reopened as a designer shopping centre (rebranded the Triangle), and houses Calvin Klein, Space NK et al. More importantly it has food and drink. Jigsaw (as in the shop) have a good cafe (if you want things with goats cheese or sun blushed tomatos) and a nice view. There is also a fine deli selling French patisserie, wines and champagne called 'Delice de Champagne', a Cafe Nero, Pizza Express and a patchy Zinc.

The Cathedral and environs have been redeveloped and there is now a decent-ish little visitor centre with a cafe. The food is a bit 'Mrs Miggins cake shop', but its nice enough. The 16th Century pubs I refered to in the previous post were removed from the Shambles and dropped next door. They (Old Wellington and Sinclairs Oyster Bar) are both pleasant places to while away an afternoon, and serve decent pub stodge.

The Old Daily Mirror Offices are now called the 'Printworks', which is an 'all day - late night' entertainment complex. Basically, it's a mini-Hades for food and drink with loud music, a Filmworks and a Holmes Place gym. Waggamama and Nandos are passable, but after that you have Hard Rock (cafe or casino), Tiger-Tiger, Riki Tiki Tavi, Lloyds Bar, Old Orleans, Henry J Beans. Help me please...

The Urbis has sprung up out of the derelict car park behond the catherdral, and is sited in a pretty fantastic little park. It's kind of like the Tele-tubbies garden, but with nicer benches and a water feature. Urbis as mentioned is a very impressive building (I think Ian Simpson was the architect), and has a cafe on the ground floor overlooking the park which has slow service but fantastic rare beef sandwiches.

Up top is Le Mont, desciptions as per the previous post. I have had two excellent meals there, the service is the best I have had in Manchester, and they refuse to do sittings so my party had a very leisurely (maybe a little too much so between starter and main) 3 1/2 hour meal with a couple of bottles of Brouilly. Book now if you want to go, and avoid the weekends, as they are booked up to three weeks in advance.

The idea of the Urbis is for it to be a 'Museum looking at city living'. Right... The best way to describe it is that it feels as if it was designed by commitee, like the Millenium Dome. Lots of buzzwords, and stuff which is physically interactive ('push this button!') without being mentally stimulating. It may bed in, but it left me cold; a pity as there are some great stories to be told. £5 in too, ouch. The new Imperial War Museum suffers the same fate (to a lesser degree), and is another great building (Daniel Libeskind). If you really want to blow your cultural socks off then try the recently reopened City Art Gallery with its world beating pre-Raphaelites (and excellent cafe).

Anyway, back to the Milenium Quarter: The whole area is pretty busy now, and although the printworks can attract a few beermonsters they tend to be of a higher calibre than those you would find snuffling around Piccadilly Gardens or Peter St.

See, I got all over-excited and overran again. Damn. Sorry.

Cheers

Thom

[Bapi]

Juniper in Altrincham, which a few of you recommended to me, has I notice in the press, been voted the Good Food Guide's - Best Restaurant for 2003.

[Vanessa]

Juniper in Altrincham, which a few of you recommended to me, has I notice in the press, been voted the Good Food Guide's - Best Restaurant for 2003.

Hmmmm.... 'roast saddle of Cumbrian hare with foie gras, watercress, yoghurt, Horlicks powder, sugared cashew nuts & melon syrup' anyone?

v

[Andy Lynes]

Ummm.........yum?

He used to do a savoury dish of some sort which featured a sauce (I think) made with Weetabix, which I thought was hilarious.

[Mrs Woman]

Off topic slightly, but if you are at all nervous of dodgy earth tremors Bapi then I would stay away from here at the moment! Think there's been about 30 quakes now, and no one knows when they're going to stop.

[JackieL]

Now I finally feel as though I have something to contribute. I live just south of Manchester and would whole heartedly agree with some of the recommendations. I moved up from London 8 years ago and now LOVE Manchester becuse the food is so good now!

Comments on previous recommendations:-

Restaurant Bar and Grill - Better for a drink than food I think.

Croma - Excellent Pizzas - good atmosphere whenever u go.

Love Saves The Day - Great for lunch or just a coffee. Good selection of wines (and a great deli too)

Yang Sing - Always a favourite

Heathcotes - Can be good, can not be

Petit Blanc - Gone off a bit

Urbis - Wow

ALSO:

Sam's Chop House and Mr Thomas's. I prefer Sam's. Manchester institutions - Original Victorian pubs with great beer and food. (just round the corner from Croma)

Stock - Fantastic Italian (Enzo just won chef of the year at Manchester Food & Drink Festival). Situated in the old Manchester Stock Exchange.

Brittas Protection - 18th Century pub in odd spot next to the Bridgewater Hall - but worth a visist if you're in that direction.

p.s. - If anyone from Manchester fancies meeting up for a drink let me know!

[JackieL]

Now I finally feel as though I have something to contribute. I live just south of Manchester and would whole heartedly agree with some of the recommendations. I moved up from London 8 years ago and now LOVE Manchester becuse the food is so good now!

Comments on previous recommendations:-

Restaurant Bar and Grill - Better for a drink than food I think, but the best place for a drink at 5.30!

Croma - Excellent Pizzas - good atmosphere whenever u go.

Love Saves The Day - Great for lunch or just a coffee. Good selection of wines (and a great deli too)

Yang Sing - Always a favourite

Heathcotes - Can be good, can not be

Petit Blanc - Gone off a bit

Urbis - Wow

ALSO:

Sam's Chop House and Mr Thomas's. I prefer Sam's. Manchester institutions - Original Victorian pubs with great beer and food. (just round the corner from Croma)

Stock - Fantastic Italian (Enzo just won chef of the year at Manchester Food & Drink Festival). Situated in the old Manchester Stock Exchange.

Brittas Protection - 18th Century pub in odd spot next to the Bridgewater Hall - but worth a visist if you're in that direction.

p.s. - If anyone from Manchester fancies meeting up for a drink let me know!

[thom]

Jackie,

Waited ages to makes a post and then two come along at once! Nice to meet another fellow Manc (adopted) foodie.

Wise words on the tips, I concur with most of your recommendations.

That said, I think the Restaurant Bar and Grill is worth checking out for the food alone, though I admit the bar and people watching are equally good reasons to drop in.

Petit Blanc and Heathcoates are probably too of the worst culprits for inconsistency, a pity as on their day they can be great.

Sams Chop House is good, but although it has been a Manchester institution for a century, it did close before being reopened by the team behind Mr Thomas's Chop House. personally I prefer Mr T's patina of age and character (ie grime) as Sams has had an interior refit, albeit a sympathetic one.

Couple of new things happening up here:

Simple, a very night unpretentious bar-restaurant in the Northern Quarter, has recently taken the old Murillos site (Chapel Walks) and plans to open in the next couple of weeks. They should provide a cosy contrast to the city centre trend in stark bars, and decent food too.

The recently opened Chine Rouge, is (as I understand it) a fusion of French and Chinese cuisine, though the dishes I have seen mentioned seemed Vietnamese. It's based in an old Chinatown restaurant (Jade Gardens possibly?), though the French influence comes from one of the famous Caroll brothers (Bernard?), who were responsible for the defunct Brasserie St Pierre and Reform and the ongoing Lounge Ten. Their restaurants are seldom less than excellent, and always unusual, so it could be worth a go.

Finally, the owners of Restaurant Bar and Grill, Individual Restaurants (see their shiny new website at www.individualrestaurants.co.uk), are also due to open a new venture on the old Fish site (opposite Croma). It should be open in January, and will be based on Piccolino, their successful modern-rustic Med restaurant in Knutsford, Cheshire. Expect a comfortable relaxed feel, and modern italian dishes with a nod towards River Cafe.

Two other old favourites I forgot to mention:

Grinch is the original quirky trendy (as opposed to minimalist trendy) Manchester cafe bar. The drinks are good, it has a great ambience with live music at the weekend, and the pizzas, pasta and salads are always tasty and filling.

Abergeldie is a Scottish named English style greasy spoon run by a Greek family on Shude Hill. The food is so-so cafe standards, with a couple of Greek dishes thrown in, but the interior is fantastic. It has the authentic formica tables and snug boothes that were ripped out of most cafes in the eighties, and the heath robinson style steel contraption that makes the tea has to be seen to be believed - all rivets, burnished brass and hissing steam.

Happy Mancunian eating people.

Cheers

Thom

[JackieL]

Thom,

Perhaps a festive drink soon? WOuld be good to meet.

Cheers

jackie

[sandra]

I understand the ex-Rhodes and Co. has continued on as the Water's Reach, apparently same chef, etc... anyone been?

We'll be in the immediate area Saturday night, is it worth a try?

Thanks

[thom]

Sandra,

A good question...

Not sure how much you know about the restaurant. It was meant to be pretty good (on a Mancunian rather than a London scale) before the change-around, and I had heard standards (which were as expected in a celeb chef's diffusion restaurant) have been maintained.

The problem was the room (which some found a bit dull/cheap/uninspiring), as the restaurant was in a fairly bland 'Quality Hotel' (Trades Descriptions would have a field day), which I think has latterly become a Tulip.

The fact that the hotel is right in the middle of a pretty grim industrial park only adds to the feeling that this is not a 'special' eating experience. That said, you are walking distance from Old Trafford (don't mention Real Madrid), The Lancs cricket Ground, the impressive Lowry arts centre and Daniel Liebskind's Imperial War Museum North.

If you are not tied to the location, I would consider making the trip to the city centre (5 mins away). As previously noted elsewhere Manchester is not famed for it's formal, quality dining, but you may have more fun (and nicer surroundings) at MPW The River Rooms at The Lowry Hotel, or possibly Le Mont (though recent reports have been patchy).

If you have a specific set of conditions (cuisine, level of formality, price, location) and would like any more suggestions. I'd be happy to oblige.

Cheers

Thom

[badger0412]

Hi Thom

There was a review of the very same ex-Rhodes place in Metro today and in the main was generally complimentary. On another topic were you in the Circle Club on Friday night - if not it would appear someone has taken your name??

Since I brought it up, have you managed to eat there yet? We ate there when it first opened and weren't overly impressed. Finally, the restaurant plan is progressing slowly but I have located one venue [large at a total of 7500 sq ft] and have rejected a couple of unsuitable locations. Any ideas on how to track down something in the Northern Quarter [my preferred location] - the agents etc I have spoken with have a somewhat limited scope / portfolio. At this rate I''ll just have to put a new kitchen and frontage onto Matt & Phred's and devise a spiffing new menu!!

Regards

Dean