Restaurant Review: Pier Eight at the Lowry, Manchester

Hey,

An unexpected restaurant on the cards today - Pier Eight at The Lowry theatre!

The Lowry is a well-established theatre and arts venue at Salford Quays. Since its opening, the landscape around it has changed so much with the birth of MediaCity, home to huge multimedia companies like the BBC and ITV. In the past few years, MediaCity has become very much its own destination in Manchester, rather than just somewhere you might head to for work.

Despite all the great bars and restaurants that have sprung up in the area (like CAU, Grindsmith Coffee and The Alchemist), it's not somewhere I really consider even though it's super easy for me to get to on the tram.

I've been to The Lowry before but I didn't realise it had its own restaurant! Invited to check out their latest menu*, I was glad I'd chosen such a beautiful sunny day to visit the idyllic waterside location!

Pier Eight is on the ground floor of The Lowry, open to the rest of the building which gives it a welcoming feel. With huge windows overlooking the water and modern colourful accents through the restaurant, it has a bright and airy feel.

The menu is small and focused around fresh, quality British produce, executed with modern flair.

We hadn't eaten much through the day so were eager to get stuck in! We started things off with the home baked breads, served with tomato butter and ordered a lovely bottle of Portuguese Chianti.

Starter

For the starter, I chose the crispy pork belly, with pickled grapes, pine nuts, carrot vinaigrette, fennel and rye.

The pork belly was lovely and crisp, with really good flavour. There was a lot going on with this dish but it came together really well. I loved the grapes paired with the vinaigrette and puree (though I'm not quite sure what this was!).

Husband went for the seared salmon, with shaved fennel, apple, radish, dill buttermilk sauce - not something he'd usually go for! This dish was really tasty and light - perfect for a hot day!

Main Course

On to the mains!

When we arrived, our waitress told us that there was only one Beef Fillet dish left, so Chris was quick to get this one ordered! The grilled beef fillet was accompanied by braised beef cheek, courgette noodles, spiced aubergine and new potatoes.

I tried some of this dish an can confirm it was great! The beef fillet was quite obviously a quality piece of meat but the real star was the melty, flavoursome beef cheek! The herbed potatoes went perfectly with this too.

Now, my main comes with a bit of a disclaimer. I ordered the gnocchi with pesto, cherry tomato, parmesan and olive oil but had two different versions of it!

I love gnocchi and have it quite a lot. The first image is the first dish I received and I ended up sending it back - something I've never done before! The gnocchi was really hard and the dish in general just tasted bitter and overdone. As I was reviewing our meal, I wanted to let the staff know rather than having to speak negatively about the food.

To their credit, they did quickly get another gnocchi out to me. The chef said that due to it being pan-fried, it was as it should be but they would make the replacement dish without pan-frying it and as more of a 'traditional' gnocchi in their words. The two were honestly worlds apart; my new dish featured soft, fluffy gnocchi and the pesto tasted so much fresher - it was beautifully done! In my honest opinion, the dish is better without being pan-fried. At the least I think they should state this on the menu.

Dessert

Dessert was a difficult choice as there were so many good looking options! I eventually settled on the lemon mille-feuille with pistachio ice cream and raspberry meringue. The pastry was perfectly light and flaky, the custard rich and tasty and the raspberry meringue gave it a sweet and sharp interesting element - I loved it!

Chris chose the caramelised white chocolate parfait with toffee apple, oat biscuit and crème fraîche. The parfait was sweet and creamy and the toffee apple accompaniment took it to another level!


Despite the hiccup with the main, it was a wonderful meal. I never expected such quality food from an in-theatre restaurant! The waiting staff also deserve a mention as they were so attentive and lovely.

As there was a show in progress during our visit, I felt the atmosphere was a little lacking as it was so quiet. I would definitely dine here again however if I was seeing a show; the pre-theatre menu is great value too at just £29 for three courses!

Have you considered dining at The Lowry?

Restaurant Review: Blue Pig, Northern Quarter, Manchester

Hey,

A restaurant review from Manchester city centre today - and not another new venue that's sprung up either...

If you're familiar with Manchester, you'll have undoubtedly come across The Blue Pig before. This pretty blue traditional-looking pub sits in the heart of Manchester's Northern Quarter, close to the market side of the Arndale centre.

Not necessarily known for food previously, other than maybe a quick bowl of chips or a Sunday Lunch, The Blue Pig have relaunched their food and drinks menu with a fresh new take on pub fare! With this NQ stalwart under new management, I was happy to oblige when asked to visit to check out their new offerings*.

The new menu is perfect for grazing (my favourite kind of eating!) with their main 'Deli Menu' centred around charcuterie boards.

With a menu packed with a huge selection of cured meats and cheeses, artisan breads, pate and terrines, seafood and small plates - and all reasonably priced - this was right up my street.

We were treated to a 'tasting' evening to sample the new menu, trying a mix of some of the hero items, expertly paired with complementing drinks too.

To whet our appetite, we started with a cocktail: the Negroni Bramble - a refreshing mix of Tanqueray gin, Lillet and Pampelle grapefruit liqueur.

This was paired with pork crackling with fennel and coriander. This was incredible! I love pork crackling and you could tell some effort had gone into this. We were told that this was made with the Sunday Roasts at the weekend. It was so tasty and crispy - and huge!

Next up was the best bit for me - cured meats, cheeses and crackers!

This board was amazing; piled high with salami, extra mature cheddar, red Leicester, homemade fennel crackers, pickled vegetables and chilli jam.

You could taste the quality in all the components. The fennel crackers and cheeses in particular were really good.

Accompanied by a large glass of Spanish house red, this was definitely my favourite course. You can't beat cheese and red wine!

Continuing our feast was another sharing board! This time stacked with nibbles from the Small Plates and Seafood dishes.

The biggest eye-drawing item on the board has to be the vegetarian scotch egg! Created with a runny duck egg in the centre, sat atop ginger and rhubarb jam and encased in a beetroot falafel shell. As beautiful as this looked, it just wasn't for me - I think I love real scotch eggs too much! I found the beetroot falafel a little bland but the egg in the centre was gorgeous.

The board also featured feta-stuffed crispy olives with romesco sauce. I actually don't like olives but the beautiful sauce, creamy feta and crispy coating made these just about okay which is a big win for me!

My two favourite items were the tempura jerk prawns with citrus mayo and the Asian pork bon bons with pickled mooli and wasabi. The jury's out on which dish I favoured most - both were delicious. Did I know what mooli was? no (it's a type of radish, by the way); did I care? Absolutely not, it complemented the sweet and tender pork bon bons perfectly. The prawns were also awesome; lightly battered with great seasoning and a bit of a kick and juicy inside!

Last but by certainly no means least - dessert!

Our dessert was paired with a superb cocktail - the Lemon Curd Collins. Created with Ketel One Citron, Limoncello, real lemon curd, vanilla syrup, orange bitters and a splash of soda, it was both refreshing and sweet - the perfect palette cleanser. I'll definitely be back to order a round of these!

Then the pudding, oh the pudding. A classic chocolate fondant is one of my firm favourites and this one was wonderfully rich and gooey on the inside as it should be. The perfect size too to top of our tasting evening.


All in all, I was thoroughly impressed with The Blue Pig's new menu - I never expected to find food like this in such a setting. I'm ashamed to admit that I would have happily walked by The Blue Pig previously and would never consider visiting for something to eat but the quality, care and thought that's gone into their new menu is incredible.

There's so much on the menu that I know I'll love so I can't wait to go back, especially as everything is so reasonably priced - like their all-day charcuterie and cheese board offer of any 3 for £7, or 5 for £10. It's the perfect sharing lunch option for a catch-up with friends over a few cocktails!

Have you ever visited The Blue Pig for food and would you go back for this new menu?

Restaurant Review: New Opening - Blanchflower, Altrincham

Hey,

Today I've got a food review - and an exciting one at that! A new Manchester gem, recently opened in my town of Altrincham.

Alty newcomer, Blanchflower opened up by the popular market hall a few weeks back for brunch/lunch and I'd often wandered slowly past the window, making a mental note to check out their Eggs Benedict.

I was delighted to hear that they had just launched into evening service with an exciting and innovative menu, keeping their core 'artisan bakery' status as a key component. With this, I was thrilled to accept their invitation to try out the new menu*.

Let's delve in!

N.B. since my visit, Blanchflower's menu, along with portion sizes, have changed somewhat. The below review is based on the smaller plate sizes, with us choosing five dishes to share.

As touched upon above, the bakery element is Blanchflower's real selling point. Having taken centre stage during the day with freshly baked bread and pastry; baked goods are certainly not forgotten during the evening. 

After settling at our table, we were given the most magnificent bread bowl. Every kind of bread was explained (their signature sourdough bread is the product of a three-day process, don't you know?) and we were encouraged to let the waiting staff know if more was desired. My favourite item was the sea salt 'cracker' which was beautifully crisp and covered in just the right amount of coarse sea salt. Accompanying our bread was a saucer of house-made thyme butter - delicious!

The best bit? Complimentary, of course. No overpriced stale hunks of baguette added to the bill here!

Though only just opened for dinner service, the restaurant was surprisingly busy and so I struggled to get many shots of the interior. 

Blanchflower manages to achieve an almost industrial cool, while still feeling like an intimate dining experience. Modern without being overly slick, the atmosphere pairs perfectly with the food.

First Round

As noted above, we were advised to order five dishes to share (without puddings). The menu is split into sections, 'Bar Snacks', 'Small Plates', 'Larger Plates' and 'Puddings' and the dishes brought out in order of their respective position on the menu.

I was very pleased to hear this as sharing small plates is my favourite kind of eating; there's nothing worse than food envy!

Our first choices were the Fried Buttermilk Chicken with Homemade Sriracha Mayo and the Ox Cheek Croquettes with Truffle Mayo.

The chicken could have possibly had a little more seasoning for my taste but was crisp on the outside and lovely and juicy inside. The sriracha mayo was an excellent accompaniment too.

The ox cheek croquettes were incredible and quite possibly my favourite dish of the meal! They melted in the mouth and were full of flavour. As someone who loves the taste of truffle too, the mayo really took these to the next level!

Second Round

Our third dish hot off the counter was Rainbow Trout with Fermented Pepper Hollandaise, Potatoes and Chives.

This was our 'wild card' dish - not something either of us would usually order but it sounded interesting so we went for it!

It turned out to be one of the highlights. The fish was cooked perfectly with a crispy skin and the hollandaise with the peppers made it really flavoursome. 

Third Round

We were looking forward to these! The larger plates were certainly more substantial and looked impressive!

We chose the Free-Range Herb Feb Chicken with Green Sauce and Roast Jerusalem Artichoke and the Charcoal Grilled Bavette Steak with Potato Gratin and Juniper Carrots.

The chicken was probably my least favourite dish of the evening. Usually a safe bet, I found myself leaning towards the bigger flavours of the other dishes we tried - it was still delicious!

Another highlight of the meal was the bavette steak. Full of flavour and charred on the outside, it was perfectly cooked - and the potato gratin was amazing! 

Puddings

Comfortably satisfied, there was still room for dessert!

Our waiter recommended the Cardamon Spiced Custard Tart with Poached Rhubarb which I didn't hesitate to choose, while my date opted for the Apple & Almond Streusel Tart.

I thoroughly enjoyed the custard tart but have to say that the apple tart (which I stole a mouthful of) topped it!

I think that Blanchflower is a fantastic addition to Altrincham's burgeoning food scene. Style and substance and a focus on quality ingredients make this place a real gem, almost too good to share. I think I've found my favourite local restaurant!

I'll definitely be back to try their brunch soon.

Let me know if you agree that Blanchflower looks like a restaurant worth travelling out of Manchester for!

Restaurant Review: New Menu at Bundobust, Manchester

Hey,

A food review today and not a new restaurant opening, rather a menu relaunch from an old favourite of mine, Bundobust!

The independent Indian street food and craft beer concept, first established in Leeds before opening in Manchester in 2016, has a really laidback vibe and great food - a winning combination that still sees this Piccadilly basement restaurant packed out on a regular basis.

I've resolved to try to eat a little less meat this year, something that isn't going fantastically well. When I heard that Bundobust were relaunching their entirely meat-free menu with new additions and improved recipes, I knew it was something I wanted to check out*!

Having already got firm favourites in mind, I headed into town after work one evening to see if any of the new dishes could top the old classics.

One of the great things about Bundobust is that the drinks line-up is as equally in the limelight as the food. Their ever-changing blackboard of regional and wider-known independent beers is certainly impressive and the staff are more than happy to offer up their knowledge and a little taster if (like me) you find it hard to choose!

My date's Bombay Dazzler, created in collaboration with Bundobust by Yorkshire Brewery Northern Monk, was so good that I had to order one on the next round. With flavours of ginger, cardamom and coriander, it paired perfectly with the Indian spices.

Bundobust have also added an array of new cocktails to their drinks list. I opted for a Desi 75 - a refreshing mix of Sipsmith sloe gin, lemon, cinnamon syrup and prosecco.

On to the food!

As well as reworked dishes, there are five brand new additions to the Bundobust menu that we were presented with. They are (clockwise as pictured below):

GOBI MUSHROOM MANCHURIAN - Mushroom & cauliflower pakoras in an Indo-Chinese sauce

PANEER KADAI - Paneer cheese cooked in a deep cinnamon, fenugreek, red pepper & tomato sauce. Served with bhatura

PAV BHAJI - Mashed up cauliflower, potato & peas. Flavoured with garam massala. Served with a spiced toasted brioche bun

RAGHDA PETHIS - a spicy mushy peas & potato cake, topped with turmeric noodles, tomato, onion & tamarind chutney

CHOLE SAAG - Chickpea & spinach massala. Served with puri

There's some great additions here! I love that most of the more substantial items come with a bread on the side. I wasn't so sure about the toasted brioche bun but the bhatura and puri were excellent - light and tasty and perfect for dipping!

For me, the Paneer Kadai was definitely a highlight. Even though it was full of delicious, big chunks of paneer cheese, it wasn't too rich at all. The sauce was deep, smokey and aromatic - just perfect!

My favourite dish however was the the Chole Saag. This chickpea curry was so unbelievably tasty, with a rich massala sauce and folded fried puri on the side for scooping up every last bit (which I did).

Of course we couldn't resist ordering our favourites from the last visit: the Tarka Dhal, a classic medium cumin-infused lentil curry sat atop basmati rice, and the Vada Pav, a spiced fried potato burger. I don't know what it is about the Vada Pav but I found myself thinking about it regularly - thankfully, it was just as good as I remembered!

With an all-vegetarian, mostly vegan and often gluten-free menu, Bundobust surely is a crowd-pleaser - even for an enthusiastic carnivore like myself!

You can check out the full Bundo menu here.

Are you a street food fan?