Tag Archives: Manchester

I love good food but that doesn’t mean i’m obsessed with fine-dining and Michelin stars. I’m just as excited by simple food cooked properly using high quality ingredients. When looking for a place to stop at for lunch somewhere on the route back from Etrop Grange I somehow came across Chorlton Green Brasserie. It only opened in October 2012 but …

I first heard about chef Ernst van Zyl late last summer, the more I read about him and saw his stunning looking food the more I was desperate to go and try it. However, as I had a pretty fully booked end to 2012 I decided to test my willpower and wait until January before paying him a visit. Mrs …

I last visited Italia back in November whilst it was still in it’s ‘soft launch’ period after being rebranded under new management. I had a fantastic time that night with the only disappointment being a lack of interesting desserts, this was understandable as the restaurant had only been open a couple of weeks and the menu was still under development. …

I must confess that despite being a foodie and a bit of a burger snob I am still quite partial to a McDonalds Big Mac. I think the reason is that it’s quite unique thanks to it’s middle layer of bread and particularly Big Mac Sauce, there isn’t really a direct equivalent available from the better burger places. Or at …

It’s no secret that i’m a huge fan of SoLita in Manchesters’ still growing Northern Quarter. As I love trying new places I often don’t get back to a restaurant very often, even if i’ve had a great time there but SoLita is the one place that I just can’t resist returning to again and again despite having already eaten …

As I admitted in the review of my last visit to Jamie’s Italian i’m a huge Jamie Oliver fan. I buy all his books, watch all of his shows and have had some great times in his various restaurants including Jamie’s Italian Manchester shortly after it opened. Unfortunately, this Christmas Eve I was reminded that Jamie’s Italian isn’t really a …

The third of my 4 planned festive dining trips this year (after Solita & Miracle On High Street) was at one of my favourite local restaurants Aumbry. This was my 4th time eating at Aumbry (although admittedly the last was a charity Gruffalo lunch) and it’s fair to say that I love the place. The food is seriously high end, head …

Miracle On High Street is a popup restaurant & bar from the people behind Almost Famous Burgers. On their website they say “We’re unashamedly celebrating all things festive – join us for eats, drinks, and being merry.” and they’re not joking! The magical feeling begins before you even even arrive as you first have to find a Narnia like stair …

I love Christmas but for some reason so far this year I’m not feeling very festive yet. It will definitely come but to help hurry that festive feeling along I decided to sample the new Christmas menu items at one of my favourite Manchester restaurants, Solita. Solita are well known for their burgers, they taste great thanks to being cooked …

A restaurant that only serves pancakes? I love pancakes (who doesn’t?) so I was obviously excited by this prospect. Pancake Corner is a bit out of the way down a back street in Urmston but there is a popup coming to Manchester’s Spinningfields soon. It was completely empty when we arrived and it actually looked closed, luckily it wasn’t. Inside …

Most of my early dining out experiences were in Italian restaurants, whilst I love having access to so many other cuisines these days there will always be a little piece of me in love with Italian restaurants. There are already countless Italians in Manchester, though most of them seem to be soulless chains serving the same old mediocre food. With …

I wouldn’t normally write another review of a restaurant when revisiting so soon after the original review. However Solita is no normal restaurant so exceptions must be made! (Don’t worry, i’ll explain what I mean by this at the end.) Last week my young son was sent home from school with an ear infection, he’s as mad about food as …

I’ve never been hugely impressed with most of the Chinese restaurants in Manchester’s Chinatown but thankfully ‘Yuzu’, the solitary Japanese restaurant on offer is fantastic. It’s a tiny little place which completely adds to the charm, it feels really authentic with it’s Japanese artwork, various bottles and ornaments and wooden benches although i’ve yet to visit Japan so I can’t confirm that it is. …

Solita is one of the coolest new places in the ever growing Northern Quarter of Manchester. It’s slightly out of the way on Turner street where ‘Sole‘ used to be. Perhaps slightly confusingly, Solita isn’t an Italian restaurant. The name means ‘South Of Little Italy’ in reference to the location of the restaurant near the Ancoats Little Italy area of Manchester. I’ve …

As much as I love the interesting and modern cuisine that our top restaurants are serving these days there will always be a place in my heart for classic, French fine-dining. It’s where it all began for me at Gordon Ramsay’s flagship 3 Michelin star Royal Hospital Road restaurant in 2006. So I was fairly excited to hear about 63 …