Manchester House

I must have walked Manchester House at least a dozen times and not realised it was there! On recommendation I eventually found the front door (almost like an apartment lobby) and took the lift up to the bar.
On the top floor the bar here has an amazing view over Manchester and with the swanky surroundings is a great place to relax with a few drinks. With table service it wasn’t too crowded here and we took a little table seat away from some of the larger groups in at the time.
Although more on the pricey side its a good place to get away from the hustle and bustle in Manchester below! I haven’t eaten here but I will be back soon to give it a go when I’ve got some money burning a hole in my pocket!

What can I say about Manchester House? Other than that it is excellent. In fact, excellent doesn’t even cut it.
I was lucky enough to have Neil C. take me to Manchester House last Friday as a treat for starting my new job. I have visited the bar on 12^th floor numerous times and have always been impressed, but this was the first time for dinner.
Upon arrival, the hostess on the ground floor congratulated me on my new job! Excellent customer service and such an amazing, personal feel. She knew this from when the table was booked, but she didn’t have to say anything. She did and it was amazing.
Heading out of the lift into the restaurant we were greeted by a few more lovely hostesses. They welcomed us, took our coats and we were shown to our table.
Walking through the restaurant, it has been very cleverly designed so that you walk past the kitchen first, giving you chance to see some of the dishes being prepared and sent out to their tables. I was SO excited.
We ordered 2 full tasting menus. I ordered the drinks flight in addition and Neil C. went for the wine flight.
The tables were neatly laid out and the seating was comfy — good job too, as we were sat there almost 3 hours.
Our waiter arrived, carrying 2 glasses of Champagne. ‘A gift from us. To congratulate you on your new job!’ he said.
:D *Laura beams* These guys are good.
Throughout the evening our waiter was charming, knowledgeable, friendly and explained each dish in such minute detail that I can barely remember what I ate.
All I have to say is that every one of the twelve courses I consumed was exquisite.
Overall, it’s obviously very expensive, but more than worth it. I’m already pushing for my next promotion so that Neil C. can take me back!!! ;)

If you’re a cocktail kinda’ guy or gal then the Manchester House cocktail bar is well worth frequenting.
I’d heard about all the hype, but hadn’t had the opportunity to try out the place until a few weeks ago.
It was a Tuesday evening early doors, so the place was not as busy as I imagine it is come the weekend, but there was still a nice vibe and I was taken aback by the modern and clean décor and the most beautiful views of my fair city of Manchester.
I played it safe and ordered my favourite cocktail a Cosmopolitan (Sex in City influence still reigns strong) and it tasted spot on.
My cocktail was about £8, which I suppose is about average for a cocktail these days.
I sadly didn’t stay long enough to sample anything else off the extensive menu, but will definitely be back soon to make my way through the list and soak up more of the views.

As I’ve only just started to contribute on Unilocal,I decided to only review places I’ve been too since joining, I will make a exception for Manchester House though as not sure when I’ll be back there.
Came here for lunch a few weeks ago for my girlfriends birthday. It’s £27.50 for three courses and the both of us were impressed, not had this type of dining experience before in Manchester.
After the tv show everyone knows they are craving a michelin star, and I’m certainly no expert on michelin star restaurants having only eaten in 4. Out of the 4, the one I’d compare Manchester House to is Pollen St Social, by using that comparison I can easily see why they don’t have a michelin star as the food there was on another level and I think at the time was also £28.50 but they have since increased their prices slightly. This isn’t a criticism though as we had a beautiful lunch at Manchester House and I look forward to going again in the future, it’s purely a comparison.
As much as I enjoyed the cod main in the chargriilled cabbage, the star of the show was the cheese board in the end, absolutely phenomenal. I had the Marble Arch as one of the finest places for cheese, but definitely Manchester House now (much better than Pollen St Social for cheese).

normally i come here for drink, but for dinner sometimes, one time for afternoon tea. Good service. some dishes here is nice like the steak for two people share, that is nice whatever the taste or the design. but taste menu i should say it is too creamy for me…

Went back to see if there was any improvement. No is the answer.
Drinks are priced way to high for the quality of the taste and the length of time you wait to be served because the bar staff are too busy flirting with girls to get tips (trick of the trade don’t you know!)
No atmosphere, just boring and not worth the money you pay to sit in a fancy room which lacks any kind of life, long waiting times and a lot of people checking each other out.
The cocktails are not anything special, there’s far better to be had in Manchester. Don’t be fooled by the price. It doesn’t always mean you’re getting quality… it can just mean you’re being ripped off!

I’d taken a random Tuesday off work and decided to pop into town and treat myself to a nice lunch — Manchester House was the obvious choice having enjoyed my previous 3 visits. This, however, was the best meal I’ve had there; in fact I’d go as far to say it was the best meal I’ve had in Manchester.
The lunch menu at Manchester House is a relatively bargainous £27.50 for 3 courses or £50.00 for all 6 courses — I believe the lunch menu changes on a daily basis. This time I decided to go for the 3 courses only but after the first 2 courses (Frogs Legs and Lamb) it was so good I upgraded to the 6 courses (so went starter, main, starter, main, dessert, dessert). Sadly I had to leave early before the macarons though as my car parking was 10 minutes overdue — the inspector was 3 or 4 cars down from me ticketing me so I got very lucky. Now to the food…
Parmesan and Onion Brioche served with Caramelised Onion Butter and Onion Consommé topped with Parmesan Foam — this is the complimentary bread course and the design (ie brioche, butter, consommé) is always the same but the flavourings change. From reading the description you may think it’d be heavy on the onion but it’s really not — it’s a mild onion flavor which is complemented well by the parmesan
Butter poached Jersey Royals with frogs legs, parsley crisps and black garlic — this was an interesting looking plate of food and the description on the menu would imply that the Jersey Royals were the star of the show (as they appear first). The frogs legs were complemented brilliant by the black garlic and the potatoes (both mash and new for different textures) ⁹⁄₁₀
Ryeland Lamb with roasted onion purée, pickled onions, mini battered onion rings and anchovies — the lamb was some of the most flavoursome I’ve had and was cooked perfectly pink. The different styles of onion went well with the lamb and offered different textures. I’m not totally sure the anchovies were needed but then I’m not a huge fan of really salty food ⁹⁄₁₀
Lobster boudin with asparagus and broad bean — a boudin is a sausage of sorts, although this was more a nugget of lobster. This was a very light and fresh starter where the lobster was the star and fortunately not overpowered by the greens ⁹⁄₁₀
Cod Loin with cockles, fennel and stuffed pigs trotter — the previous 2 times I’d had a fish course at Manchester House it’d been the weakest savoury course. It definitely wasn’t this time! The cod was cooked perfectly (almost translucent when flaked) and the cockles and clams added extra fish flavours to ensure the stickiness and unctuousness of the sauce and pigs trotter didn’t overpower ⁹⁄₁₀
Strawberries and cream with Champagne mousse — this dish (or at least the design of it given the globe) was inspired by Aiden Byrne’s prawn cocktail from Great British Menu with a strawberry ice shell. Inside the shell was a champagne mousse and underneath it was a crème brulee with shortbread for additional texture. Just like the lobster this was fresh and light and just like many of the other courses the design had really been thought through — nearly all of the 6 courses had little additional flourishes to offer a texture contrast ⁸⁄₁₀
Dark chocolate delice, mixed berries and avocado ice cream — sadly I didn’t get to enjoy this as much as I should have done as I was conscious I was over my parking time. However the acidity of the fresh berries went so well with the chocolate delice and the ice cream added coldness to the meal — I didn’t really get a huge avocado flavour through though ⁸⁄₁₀
The following is from a previous lunch in Dec
Poached cod, dill sauce and salt cod beignet — a relatively week course as the cod had minimal flavour although I did like the pastry around the beignet — the dill sauce worked well though ⁶⁄₁₀
Steamed breast of quail, savoy cabbage, smoked foie grad, quail consommé and quail egg — this was a theatrical dish as the ballotine of quail came out in a «smoking garden» (picture forgotten I’m afraid). Everything about this worked, even the egg and was as good as any of the courses I had the first time round — they should put this on the night time tasting menu ¹⁰⁄₁₀
Roasted wild sea bass, basil, broccoli and brown shrimps — this was a lot richer than it sounds with a great piece of sea bass; the brown shrimps needed to be there as they added an extra dimension to the dish ⁸⁄₁₀
Pan seared hare, roasted cauliflower risotto, cocoa and sherry jelly — a perfectly cooked loin of hare but I found the cocoa (sprinkled over at the table) was just a bit too bitter. The cauliflower risotto, which the sherry jelly melted into, was a perfect texture but very rich. ⁷⁄₁₀
Sour cherries, homemade curd, spiced cake, lemon, basil and black pepper — lots of different flavours, textures and combinations but just a bit too much going on and I don’t think the basil was necessary ⁷⁄₁₀
Warm date sponge, parsnip panna cotta, carrot distillation — an interesting combination of ingredients 8.5÷10

The bar at Manchester House certainly lived up to all the hype for me. The setting was amazing and we were able to look right across Manchester from our comfy booth. With over 90 cocktails to choose from we were spoilt for choice. But after a tough decision I chose the amerreto sour and the metropolitan both were delicious and beautifully presented. The service was friendly and attentive. I would definitely recommend Manchester House for a special occasion.

Visited the 12^th floor bar for some relaxed cocktails with the girls on a Thursday evening. You will be choosing for a while as the have 94 cocktails to select from! I started the night with an Aviator which is an old Skool gin based cocktail with violette and freshly squeezed lemon juice nice and sharp! Next on my cocktail list was a sidecar cocktail called a champs élysées a brandy based cocktail infused with some herby liquor that i can’t remember the name of but tasted great.
We met on a clear night and got a great seat with views out over towards the town hall (I didn’t realise it was so imposing on Manchester skyline its taller that i thought it was!) you can also book private booths with their own balconies.
Staff were helpful and attentive offering us table service all night. Bit lethal if you are working your way through 94 cocktail choices! Great selection of spirits and wines. You may have to book on a weekend if there is a group of you, however if its just a couple of you you should be fine to get in. It is a smart place so dress accordingly.

I have only been to the Lounge for drinks so this is just a review of the bar. I have been on several occasions and my next visit is due tomorrow!
The prices are slightly more expensive than average for city centre, but not prohibitively so.
I’ve had a few cocktails there. The Cosmpolitan is good. That sounds like a really weird thing to say when every does them, but it is easy to make a bad cosmo and I have had many bad ones around town. At Manchester House, it was just right. I also really like the Mango Grande. One time I went, I wasn’t sure what cocktail I wanted and the barman asked me what sort of flavours I like and made a cocktail up off the cuff, which impressed me.
I’ve also had the merlot and the prosecco, both of which are really good.
The real selling point of this bar are the views. On Good Friday, we were sat outside in one of the corner booths and had a view of the sunset over the River Irwell/​Chapel Street and it was really pretty. I’m scared of heights and tall buildings and tend not to venture above the 5^th floor of buildings if I can help it. However, this place is really worth getting over my phobia.

Manchester House was recommended to me as a less busy place to go for a drink in spinningfields on a Saturday night. It lived up to that recommendation as the 6 of us got seated with a view looking out from the 12^th floor.
It’s quite pricey, perhaps no surprise there. We had a cocktail, prosecco, two vodkas, glass of wine and a coke which came in at £40. For me the price is well balanced by the table service and by the space and by the lively but not defeaning music. This will go on my list as a nice place to go which is still nice on a Saturday night!

This is just a review for the Lounge, because as my dad has not yet visited I haven’t been to the restaurant (HA! what a cash surprise awaits him). Anyway, the Lounge is beautiful and a great place if you want to impress someone — it’s on the 12^th floor with excellent views over the city and there’s a cosy outdoor area as well. The cocktail range is extensive and, unsurprisingly, a little pricier than elsewhere in town. One French 75 had a pretty major impact on my sobriety, however, so I’d say it’s value for money as well as delicious. I’m also a fan of their cut glass crystal. The staff are very nice although can be a little slow to take your order/​clear tables. Also beware the lift! It has a mind of its own.

I’m hard-​pressed to say anything bad about this place.
I must admit I was skeptical — all the hoo-​hah about the opening, «celebrity» chef, talk about wanting a Michelin star, etc. Too many places in Manchester fail to live up to the brief.
We’d booked before the place opened, and they had to ring us up to apologise as the opening date was put back — twice. As they gave us a bottle of champagne to apologise, I can’t say we minded too much.
The entrance to the building is uninspiring — being an office block reception, but the bar up top is a cool place, and surprisingly large. The cocktails we had were all pretty decent: I’ve had better margaritas, but I had many, many worse.
Downstairs for dinner — and the place is instantly likable. A large, glitzy, room, without being showy, and a decent noise level — easy to talk, but not the kind of austere pin-​drop silence you can get in some places. They haven’t tried too hard — a trap most of the trashy places like Panacea nearby fall into. Yes, there were «celebrities» there, but you never feel like it’s their focus.
I must especially call out the tables — it’s such a luxury to have tables so big — they immediately make you feel relaxed. I know a lot of restaurants have a space premium but you can still sometimes feel like a battery customer.
The food: well, it’s just great. For our first visit we had to go all out, and went for the tasting menu. Yes, it’s not at all cheap — not at all — but on a par with other meals I’ve had at this price point. It easily outclasses every other Manchester restaurant on this front in my opinion (though the French is close). The snail dish being especially memorable.
At this level you’re unlikely to like everything you eat, as every dish is whacked up so many levels, and the prawn cocktail with passion fruit was definitely a challenging one, with only me on our table deciding they liked it. Everything else was universally liked.
The staff worked together very efficiently — none of the chaos so familiar from some other restaurants — and were warm and friendly.
They were clearly well-​trained and out to make your night as good as possible. Case in point — that bottle of champagne was spilt a little on opening. They immediately replaced it with a new, better, bottle, and someone in FOH came over to apologise. AND they managed to do this without coming across as stiff and awkward. We weren’t even bothered in the first place, but hey.
This place is exactly what a Michelin star place in Manchester should be like. If they don’t get their star next year, we’ll know for sure something is up.