Tag Archives: Manchester

Since ‘retiring’ last year Ryan Giggs seems to have seriously upped his workload. Assistant manager of one of the biggest football clubs in the world is a full time job to most, but he’s also pursuing a number of personal business ventures including co-owning Salford City football club, a restaurant, George’s in Worsley and now Hotel Football. Located right outside …

I like to think I know Manchester pretty well, especially when it comes to eating to and drinking. But I’d never heard of Sandinista when I was invited to preview their winter menu. I assumed it must be new, but it turns out the Latin-inspired tapas bar/restaurant has been tucked away on Old Bank Street, next to the Royal Exchange Theatre for four years. Who …

There are a few places I go to eat that are guaranteed to cheer me up. Splendid Kitchen is one of them. Since opening as Splendid Sausage Co around 18 months ago, their menu has evolved from gourmet hot dogs to fantastic American style comfort food and probably the best fried chicken in town. Choosing what to order is always …

There’s no shortage of places to eat Mexican food in Manchester but most are either market stalls, fast food/takeaway orientated or fused with other cuisines. Lucha Libre were the first to really bring the traditional dishes I love to a proper restaurant setting in 2013, before their closure earlier this year. That huge taco sized hole has now been filled by Wahaca, a chain …

This is my first and quite possibly last post here on FoodGeek. You see even though I contribute greatly to the eating out, I am also responsible for supplying Mr Geek with valuable information such as the state of the loos, overuse of unnecessary ingredients, whether the plates are stupid and where the waitress got her shoes from (all vital …

With so many new restaurants opening in Manchester these days it’s hard even for somebody as obsessed as me to keep up with them all, never mind be excited by most of them. One that I had been looking forward to for a long time though is ‘Burger & Lobster’. I really enjoyed visiting their first London restaurant three years ago …

It’s not everyday you get the chance to eat dishes from several of the world’s best chefs in the same place at the same time. But a few weeks ago I did exactly that after being invited to the press launch of ‘Great Chefs, Great Causes’ at Ibérica in Spinningfields. Of course, Albert Adrià and Joan Roca of El Celler de …

I’ve eaten loads of great pizzas in Manchester over the last few years but unfortunately none have been in restaurants. All the best ones seem to be coming from street food vendors like Rudy’s and particularly Honest Crust. I just couldn’t understand why small traders can get it right whilst restaurants were continuously getting it wrong. So when I was invited to PLY – …

There are some places that epitomise their location; Common in the Northern Quarter used to be a prime example. The NQ institution was one of my favourite places in Manchester to drink. Its quirky and artistic – if a little scruffy – decor was all part of the charm. To celebrate their 10-year anniversary they closed their doors for several …

Slightly stale Cinnamon Swirl aside; I really enjoyed my visit to Wood. Wine & Deli in Manchester’s Northern Quarter last year. Back then it felt very much like a wine bar and deli that served food rather than a restaurant. But head chef Gary contacted me recently to see if I’d be interested in sampling some of their new small plates after shifting …

As we approached Tattu – a swanky new ‘Modern Chinese’ restaurant – I couldn’t help wondering if I was going to feel as out of place as I often do in Spinningfields. This feeling intensified when I spotted the bouncers on the door who then looked at me in a ‘You know this is Spinningfields not the Northern Quarter’ sort …

There are plenty of Thai restaurants in Manchester but until last year none that I really wanted to eat at. Most are either way too expensive or serving up average, westernised food. Or both. Then Siam Smiles came along. There was so much buzz about Siam right from the start, including a hugely positive review from Marina O’Loughlin in The Guardian. I’m ashamed …

It’s all change at Splendid since my visit last year. Firstly, they’ve changed their name from Splendid Sausage Co to Splendid Kitchen, presumably because they ended up selling a whole lot more than just sausages. More recently they’ve begun a series of ‘Kitchen Takeovers’ on Monday nights, which have seen prominent Manchester street food vendors serve their own food for one night only. …

It’s no coincidence that the standard of dining in Manchester improved the moment Simon Rogan arrived. His restaurant The French in the Midland Hotel is producing the best food in the city, which has forced others to up their game too. I was blown away on my first visit in March 2013, returning twice more that year. With the last almost 18 months ago I was overdue a …

I was surprised to receive an invite to the ‘reopening’ of The Alchemist in Spinningfields recently. I didn’t even know it had closed, much less that it was to reopen double its size and with a full food menu. Probably because Spinningfields isn’t an area I spend much time. I’d never eaten in The Alchemist before either, though I had been for cocktails …