Tag Archives: Simon Rogan

Unless you’re planning on eating at Mr Cooper’s House & Garden in the next few days this review is kind of pointless. Simon Rogan has packed his bags and will be leaving Manchester before the end of October. Both The French and Mr Cooper’s are being left in the capable hands of their current head chefs, Adam Reid and Robert Taylor. …

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 …

Arriving back from Spain a couple of weeks ago to a cold and grey Manchester with a touch of the holiday blues, sorting through piles of junk mail and bills only increased the depressing feeling. Until I came across a splash of colour that brightened my day and gave me something to look forward to, an invite to the exclusive …

Last week Manchester was transformed into a garden city with tress, flowers and even a forrest transported to the city centre streets. It was all in aid of ‘Dig The City’ festival, an event aimed at encouraging us to ‘grow our own’. With such an interest in food I’m probably their target audience but as somebody who’s barely managed to …

Last month, The French restaurant in Manchester’s Midland Hotel reopened with superchef Simon Rogan in the kitchen. I had the pleasure of being the first customer on the very first lunch service which went amazingly well as you can read here (I won’t go into detail about dishes that were exactly the same as this visit). I’ve been desperate to return ever …

Last Tuesday I had the honour of being the first guest through the door to eat at the newly opened Simon Rogan @ The French restaurant in the Midland Hotel. When I first heard that Simon Rogan was to open a Manchester restaurant I was ecstatic, my trip to L’Enclume a couple of years ago reamins one of my most …

I don’t often have much luck when it comes to weather but choosing to visit L’Enclume in the pretty Lake District village of Cartmel on by far the best weekend of the entire year was certainly very lucky indeed. It’s a beautiful place anyway but with clear blue skies and 30degrees heat it was absolutely stunning. It was still hot …