Restaurant Review: The Alchemist, New York Street, Manchester

Hey,

Another restaurant review today - and not somewhere I'd expect to be visiting with food as the focus.

I've been to both of The Alchemist's Manchester city centre sites plenty of times for drinks but a meal has never been on the agenda.

After a £180,000 investment to rejuvenate the New York Street venue in line with The Alchemist's new openings, I was excited to be invited down to the bar/restaurant* to try the menu and take in the recently revamped surroundings.

Inside, things have gotten decidedly darker and more decadent; with moodier lighting, rich wood, gold accents and tattoo-inspired artwork adorning the walls and menus.

The two-week transformation has seriously succeeding in creating a more indulgent atmosphere.

Drinks

If you know anything at all about The Alchemist, you'll probably be well-aware that the chain is renowned for its drinks - specifically, the innovative and well-executed cocktails.

I'm a self-confessed cocktail snob (through working in a cocktail bar myself during my bar-tending years) so I really do appreciate a good cocktail.

We tried a couple each from the extensive menu. I was a little too busy admiring the room and hurriedly chose a Peaches and Cream from the top left of the massive selection; a tasty concoction of peach liqueur, pink grapefruit and lemon with a side of prosecco. I don't usually like my cocktails too sweet but the lemon and pink grapefruit gave it just enough sharpness.

Chris went for a classic Smokey Old Fashioned - with Woodford Reserve bourbon, maple syrup, bitters and lots of real smoke contained in a conical flask.

Starter

We both ended up choosing fairly similar starters. I opted for the Crab Bon Bons served with Lobster Mayo, while Chris chose a Pulled Pork version with a Chipotle dip.

I had fewer bon bons but a much larger pot of dip with my dish which was a little baffling but both versions tasted amazing and good portion sizes nonetheless. 

It was difficult to choose from the long list of 'Tapatisers' and on my next visit, I'd definitely like to try ordering a number of these rather than a main instead.

Main Course

Even though much of the menu is of an Asian persuasion, I was tempted by a simple steak - a 9oz Rib Eye served with garlic butter and fries - I added peppercorn sauce too.

The steak was cooked beautifully and I felt that it was great value.

Chris went for the Special Fried Chicken in a Basket which was definitely eye-catching in its large chicken-shaped wire basket. Many of the cocktails are presented in theatrical vessels but Chris had to admit that his main was a little difficult to eat in its wire prison! Other than the interesting presentation method, the chicken was juicy and plentiful.

Dessert

We couldn't resist sharing a dessert (being too full to manage one each) and settled on the Belgian Waffles - served with cinnamon sugar, syrup and ice cream. 

A perfect end to a delicious meal!

Have you eaten at The Alchemist before or visited since the refurb?

MyBag's Pre-LFW Party at The Alchemist, New York Street

Hey,

Last week I got to know some beautiful handbags from one of my favourite online retailers a little better.

MyBag invited a few of us Manchester bloggers down to The Alchemist on New York Street in the city centre to see some key pieces from their latest collection.

The Alchemist is renowned in Manchester for its amazing mixology -  I've certainly had some of the best cocktails in town there! 

The drinks on the evening did not disappoint, as we were greeted with the most gorgeous refreshing cocktail on arrival - Peaches and Cream, which came with a side of prosecco. I'm a big fan of the similar but more well-known Pornstar Martini, even though I'm not keen on pineapple, so this peach-based drink was a dream. 

Above: the beautiful Chyaz and Lauren demonstrating the pour

Surprisingly, the food at The Alchemist was just as good as the drinks! We were treated to some exciting and delicious canapés which included pulled pork bon bons, skewered chicken and cheese quesadillas.

I'd never actually think to head to The Alchemist for anything other than cocktails but after checking out their menu, I'll definitely be going back for food - the brunch options sound especially appealing.

The Bags

Oh, the beautiful bags.

The main event of course was getting to check out some of the beautiful pieces on offer from MyBag. 

The spread of brands carried ranges from indulgent heavy hitters like Karl Lagerfeld, Lulu Guinness and Aspinal of London; to more affordable luxury from the likes of Grafea, The Cambridge Satchel Company and Ted Baker.

The bags on display had a decidedly transitional feel, in pretty shades of pale pink and deep burgundy. Rich burgundy is one of my favourite shades and is perfect for Autumn - my favourite season! 

While I could quite happily see myself carrying any of the stunning bags on display throughout the evening, my absolute must-have would have to be the classic Lulu Guinness lips clutch.

I'm a massive Lulu Guinness fan (my last visit to the store resulted in me having to prise myself away with just an umbrella) and while I already have a patent zip top clutch, I'd love to own one of the designer's trademark lips box clutches.

This one is in a beautiful dark red with a matte finish - the perfect pairing for an Autumnal makeup look!

Which piece is your favourite?

  

Vivi in Stile

When the folks at Peroni Nastro Azzurro asked if I'd like to try out their new app, Vivi in Stile (living in style) - a mini city guide with hand-picked, recommended restaurants, bars and fashion, to explore Manchester I was a bit apprehensive.

Then I realised that it would be a great opportunity to explore the city. I only moved to Manchester a year and a half ago and while I like to think that I know my way around, it's fair to say that there are loads of gems I've yet to uncover; I still get lost for god's sake!

I decided to use the app to pick somewhere nice to go out for tea on Friday with Chris- the second free meal he's enjoyed with me this week (I won a free chicken platter from Nando's on the radio a couple of weeks ago!), my generosity knows no bounds. With Christmas coming up, neither of us have a great deal of spare cash to go out on, so it was really lovely getting to go out for an unexpected nice meal.

The app generally has an Italian flavour to it, though as I love a good Italian, I was already familiar with most of the Italian restaurants selected by their expert writers. We decided to try Grill on New York Street as we both love a good steak!

Here's what I wore:

Jacket: charity shop

Dress: c/o Forever 21

Belt: vintage

Chain bag: charity shop

Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell

Ever-predictable, I was running really late, didn't have time to do my nails and couldn't decide what to wear! I don't do dressed up so well; the base of the outfit looked promising with a simple dip hem black dress from Forever 21 but obviously I didn't feel right in it so chucked on my new printed silk bomber jacket and clunky JC Lana's. A slick of red lippy makes it dressed up though, right? (MAC Red FYI)

Earrings: Gogo Phillip @ Topshop

The map function on the app came in handy on the journey there as the taxi driver didn't know where he was going. I don't know why we use them to be honest, just like to give them the trade as their office is down the road!

Upon late arrival at the restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised that even though the place was full of office Christmas parties, it felt quite private as we were on an upper level in mini seating booths.

We had bread, Calamari and Mussels in cider and chorizo to start- all excellent. I had an incred. cocktail called a Mint and Violet Crush- tasted like Parma Violets!

For mains, I had 'Posh Surf & Turf'; a sirloin steak with garlic prawns, baby scallops and crayfish and Chris had a HUGE rib eye. Afterwards, we walked the short distance down the road for cocktails at The Alchemist- very well planned I'd say ;)

The app would be great for couples planning a city break. I couldn't believe how central Grill on New York Street was having never seen it thanks to it's location down a small side street. As well as the bars and restaurants, there's plenty of  cool independent shops to discover too.

You can download the Vivi in Stile app for free on Apple and Android.

Have you uncovered any gems in your town recently?

Love,

Foxy x

Vogue Presents Topshop Autumn/Winter '12 Preview

Hello!

Sorry for being rubbish; I haven't really had much to blog about lately, but last night I had the pleasure of attending a great event held at the Manchester Arndale Topshop, presented by Vogue.

The event was a preview of Topshop's Autumn/Winter collections and was hosted by Ginnie Fraser, British Vogue's Retail Editor. She spoke about Vogue's top AW12 trends and had picked out some key pieces from Topshop's new arrivals.

Some thoughtful soul decided to film it (not me!), so you can watch the Youtube video here.

Ginnie Fraser gives her thoughts on the new season trends

Stylish Ladies

With the addition of yummy canapes, champagne and cocktails courtesy of The Alchemist and a generous 20% off on Topshop's part, it made for a great evening!

I was also happy to catch up with some my old work crew from Flannels Fashion, including Emma who's also posted about the event here- it's worth a look just to see how large my head looks in her photo of me!

I didn't buy much but picked up these goodies:

From my Instagram (@katieafox). Gogo Phillip earrings, Topshop cross earrings, Topshop animal jacquard cigarette trousers, Free Topshop Star Scarf

Did you go to this, or the London Knightsbridge event with Louise Gray?

Love,

Foxy

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