Long, lazy lunch in Machester

[fisherman]

Taking a friend out for lunch in Manchester and they've requested 'A long lazy lunch, with decent cheese at the end'

I can't think of anywhere central that fits the bill.

Anyone got any thoughts?

[camdan]

Longest and nicest lunch I've had in Manchester was probably Jem&I in Didsbury (not central I'm afraid, and not much in the way of cheese either).

[BertieWooster]

<puts on broken record>

Market Restaurant in the Northern QUarter. NOt sure about the cheese, but you'll get the rest, wed-fri only though I think

</lifts stylus>

[Gary Marshall]

had a similar problem myself a while ago with thom and bapi.

thom bless him seemed to think that poncy asian-y 'we have a new concept in dining' bar was the appropriate venue (panacea?) , i thought not.

we ended up in one of the chop houses can't remember which one, which seemed to get most of the way there, but manchester does seem to lack an old stalwart like la grillade in leeds where one can mariande oneself in reasonably priced red, scoff half decent food, eat some cheese, progress to calvados and ultimately big trouble with her indoors.

thom was trying to get us to go to the lowry for a long lunch, i've not been for years.....

[fisherman]

I'm fully aware of the different requests for Manchester recommendations, but as I had a specific request, thought it worth asking again. Your sarcasm Bertie would also be more tolerable if your recommendation actually fitted what I asked for.

[RDB]

Nothing much in Manchester central for your request, infact for a major city like it is a shame there are no 'higher end' decent restaurants. If I were you I would jump on the tram and go to Juniper, were you will definitely be able to fulfill the other parts of your criteria.

[fisherman]

I had thought about Juniper, might be worth the extra hassle to get there.

Cheers

[thom]

Fisherman,

To be fair to Bertie I think his 'broken record' schtick was actually self-deprecating on his part as he is a staunch fan of The Market Restaurant (as I am actually) and tends to bring it up, repetitively, at any given opportunity. It's almost Pavlovian. We all have our little repetitive tics, just try asking me about butchers and I'll chew your ear off about Mettricks for hours on end.*

Gary, it was Panacea, and to be fair the food there is not bad at all (most of the clientele have loafers, pinstripe suits and red braces, I thought you'd love it!). Panacea itself was a late replacement for the Lowry (kitchen problems at the time?) which I still think it doing great food (with a very decent wine list) if you can cope with the slick anonymity of hotel dining.

The Chophouses (Sams or Mr Thomas') are both great so take your pick. It's British stodge not high cuisine but saying that it is generally done very well. As well as being snug places to get settled in for the afternoon (especially the booths at Sam's) they also have excellent wine lists and a decent local cheeseboard.

The other place which I keep going back to is Harvey Nichols, particularly the Restaurant (as opposed to the Brasserie). The chef, Alison Seagrave, is a real talent and, if I remember rightly, they also have a decent cheeseboard. I think the wine list is also rather fine, particularly as I have a feeling they might prop up the top end with gems from their great wine shop in the store's adjacent food hall.

Downsides are that the restaurant isn't cheap (though the brasserie delivers value) and the hard surfaces and canteen style dining in the Brasserie area aren't to everyone's taste. But get a nice seat by the window in the 'prow' of the Restaurant and you should have a great afternoon with good food and a lovely 'watch the city go past ' view. Oh, puddings tend to be good too as Alison cut her teeth as the pastry chef.

Cheers

Thom

*As we find ourselves on that subject... Mettricks are the subject of a fairly major Beeb programme (3, or possibly 4?) where they take the whole 'field to fork' cliche to new levels.

They assembled a varied panel of public/industry bods (including shop customers, journalists, commited veggies etc) and took them from the local Peak District farms, to Mettricks own abbotoir (sp) - where they had built a rather slick temporary studio, so people could see the slaughter process - through to a local restaurant where they ate the end result.

I know John Mettrick had been courted by a couple of TV channels (including the production company who did Big Brother) about doing programmes but he was worried about being stitched up in some controversy-stirring hatchet job (pardon the pun) but it seems these guys took the subject seriously and the end result challenged or changed the opinions of virtually everyone present and put local, passionate, small-scale food producers in a very good light.

More relevent than ever in these 'Bootiful' days...

Cheers again

Thom

[BertieWooster]

uhhr, yes, my comment was aimed at myself, not at you Fisherman. Surely I don't have to stick a damn smilie after everything?

be assured, if I'm aiming barbs at you, you'd know. Its like being attacked with a wet lamb.

And the market meets long and lazy lunch as well as anywhere.

Harr-umph.

[Mrs Woman]

I've noticed Lounge 10 rarely gets a mention these days. Has it gone off the boil? I thought the surroundings would be perfect for a long, lazy lunch? Does the food not match up?

[fisherman]

uhhr, yes, my comment was aimed at myself, not at you Fisherman. Surely I don't have to stick a damn smilie after everything?

be assured, if I'm aiming barbs at you, you'd know. Its like being attacked with a wet lamb.

And the market meets long and lazy lunch as well as anywhere.

Harr-umph.

←

You can stick your recommendations up your arse then (Do I need to put a smilie here?)

Problem is, we're going on Saturday, and the Market isn't open. But thanks anyway There you see, I did it!

Which chop house is best?

Anyone been to the Gaucho?

Ta

[RDB]

Internal surroundings I think Sam's is much better. I think the food at Thomas's is a lot better, mainly because they serve the best corned beef hash (starter) and HP, ever. Limited table space in both so can get busy on a Saturday, and the bar space is tiny.

[thom]

Lounge Ten - Some people still swear by it but I find the food good but not memorable. Also, it just feels a bit dark and 'glam' for a lunchtime meal (I like naked murals as much as the next man but maybe not on a Saturday lunchtime. Actually now that I write that...) albeit one which may plough on till the early evening.

Both Chophouses are good and both do the corned beef hash which is very good indeed. Steak and Kidney pudding (suet not pastry) is also worth seeking out, as is the 'trolleyed' (word?) roast at the weekends. I prefer the slightly foxed oldey-worldness of Thomas' but Sam's although interior, although not all original is slicker and more confortable. They do both get rammed at prime times but they are generally a haunt for workers as opposed to shoppers so you should be ok at the weekend.

Gaucho is actually pretty good, and plenty of people in the know (Eyck Zimmer, chef at the Lowry for example) go there on a regular basis for the excellent Argentinian steaks. That said the room decor can be overbearing and is not to all tastes, the non-steak element of the menu can be weak and service can be fitful. Not sure the wine list is as good as it should be and I'm guessing they probably won't have a cheeseboard.

Cheers

Thom

[fisherman]

Gaucho claim to have cheese from some swanky supplier (lafromagerie?)

I fancy Thomas's, but the Gaucho has already had a vote from my dining (lunching?) companion so I'm still no further on!

Thanks everyone (even Bertie, and yes I am gong to resist the temptation to use a smilie)

[ajnicholls]

Gaucho's ok but I don't remember them having a cheeseboard.

Have to second the Harvey Nichols option. Really is the only half decent place in the city post Establishment and Le Mont closures

Juniper really is a viable option as the tram only takes 20 mins and takes you right into Altringham. Just don't do what I did there and experiment by seeing if blue cheese is nice on a fig roll. It's not!

Adam

[Infrasonic]

Gaucho cheeseboard appears to be part of their "bespoke menu", which I presume is their version of a tasting menu?

http://www.gaucho-grill.com/menus/

Juniper open from 12-2pm on Sat. Never done lunch there, just eve. ALC/tasting.

http://www.juniper-restaurant.co.uk/

Lounge Ten not open for Sat lunch according to the website, but having eaten there a few times I wouldn't rely on the WS being accurate, just inconsistent!

http://www.lounge10manchester.co.uk/index.htm

Harvey Nichs.

http://www.harveynichols.com/output/Page127.asp

Lowry. Again never done lunch, might be a bit souless unless busy. Foods good though.

http://www.thelowryhotel.com/restaurant1.html

I

[Gary Marshall]

the lowry sells pies for £18.00

the worlds gone mad!

[Infrasonic]

the lowry sells pies for £18.00

the worlds gone mad!

←

Obviously oblivious to the competition that is the great Greggs cheese and onion pastie for far less moolah. (The best hangover cure ever)

Pah, Lowry, are you mad!

I

[thom]

Greggs chese and onion pastie is indeed a thing of wonder (I scorn you latterday converts to the "steakbake") but for the real deal fellow Mancunians should get themselves along to Linda's Pantry on Ducie St on a Friday for home-made cheese and onion pie chips and gravy.

Proper hand-cut double-fried chips, a gorgeous slice of low-fi cheese and onion pie with short pastry freshly cut from an oven-hot enamel plate and lashings of chip shop style gravy. Souse it with vinegar, pile salt upon salt and you have an artery-busting hangover-averting lunch which would feed a rugby team for £2:95.

See this is another of my broken record things, but really you should all try it.

So back on topic, where are you going for lunch Fisherman?

Cheers

Thom

[Bapi]

had a similar problem myself a while ago with thom and bapi.

thom bless him seemed to think that poncy asian-y 'we have a new concept in dining' bar was the appropriate venue (panacea?) , i thought not.

we ended up in one of the chop houses can't remember which one, which seemed to get most of the way there, but manchester does seem to lack an old stalwart like la grillade in leeds where one can mariande oneself in reasonably priced red, scoff half decent food, eat some cheese, progress to calvados and ultimately big trouble with her indoors.

←

Actually- this was a rather funny incident. We walked down the stairs of Panacea and had a cursory glance over the ridiculosly eclectic menu. This instantaneously set Gary off into a state of near apoplexy- such that his puce face matched the colour of his shirt. (Not pretty to behold- trust me). Hence we left immediately and our state visit to Panacea lasted in all, about three minutes. His fractious mood only abated when a pint of lager was thrust into his hand in Mr Thomas' Chop House. In fact, the Grumpy git had a similar "Panacea moment" this week, when discussing a forthcoming lunch venue. I take it that's all sorted now Thom?

Back on topic- I too hear good things about Harvey Nichols in Manchester from someone in the trade whose opinion I trust.

Edited February 14, 2007 by Bapi (log)

[BertieWooster]

What made me go purple at panacea was charging 200 quids for a bottle of grey goose. I know its nice, but not that nice.

Oh and chocolate mint martinis. There are two drinks made with mint, both of them classics, why make more?

[thom]

What made me go purple at panacea was charging 200 quids for a bottle of grey goose. I know its nice, but not that nice.

←

You got to actually look at the drinks menu before going purple? Get you! It's normally the insanely random/poncey door policy that makes my blood boil before I've even reached the bar. Obviously I am not their target market (or at least not on a saturday night) but as they recently had a spate of wannabe gangstas and, seperately, footballers brawling in the bar I actually take a great deal of solace from that fact.

Lord know's it's a successful concept though. They're just about to open a second site in Alderly Edge and the group as a whole (including the Bars and Grills and Piccolinos) has, from a standing start around eight years ago, recently done a reverse buy-out of Bank restaurants to get AIM-listed which valued the whole lot at around £40 million.

Stephen Walker et al must be rubbing their hands with glee. I guess they quickly realised there was no money to be made appealing to chaps like Gary who have a terrible habit of forgetting their wallet whenever a long lunch is in the offing.

Cheers

Thom

Edit to add: I believe a large chunk of the group's success is down to Iain Donald. He is currently the Ops Director and run's the tightest of ships and is recognised as one of the shrewdest operators in the business. Prior to that he cut his teeth as an outstanding chef in his own right working all over the world (he won the Salon Culinaire Gold Medal four times and has worked with Anton Mossimann).

Puff piece over. I don't do his PR, I just think he's a top bloke who does a fantastic job (door policy of Panacea excepted). Credit where it's due.

Edited February 14, 2007 by thom (log)

[Bapi]

I guess they quickly realised there was no money to be made appealing to chaps like Gary who have a terrible habit of forgetting their wallet whenever a long lunch is in the offing.

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Are you reading this Marshall? I am not paying again next month.

Now that you mention brawling footballers Thom. I seem to recall a local news report last year that mentioned Wayne Rooney being arrested at Panacea; which says all you need to know.

[Gary Marshall]

recently done a reverse buy-out of Bank restaurants to get AIM-listed which valued the whole lot at around £40 million.

Stephen Walker et al must be rubbing their hands with glee.

←

panacea wasn't part of the recently reverse take-over, steve bought it as a personal project, a man needs his own bar after all

[Gary Marshall]

I guess they quickly realised there was no money to be made appealing to chaps like Gary who have a terrible habit of forgetting their wallet whenever a long lunch is in the offing.

←

Are you reading this Marshall? I am not paying again next month.

←

oddly enough i had no cash for prets today either so don't feel singled out!