SPINNINGFIELDS in its early days was all blustery canyons between office blocks, a drab parade of chain eateries along the river the main food and drink offering. Credit to developers Allied London, they turned it around long ago with a little help from Living Ventures and the ambition of rival restaurants rescuing faltering retail spaces along The Avenue.
There’s lots more in the pipeline, this being Manchester 2017. The Ivy on a mass market roll-out from the London original and next door D&D London’s 19 storey high (yet to be named) restaurant planned as the crowning glory of rapidly rising No1. Spinningfields. The feelgood effect is even filtering onto Bridge Street with the recent arrival of Randall & Aubin and the mega transformation happening to the Freemason’s Hall.
So with high summer here ToM felt it was surely time to indulge in a Spinningfield …crawl? Not an elegant word. Better ‘paseo’, a word those folk at Iberica would recognise. Their tapas are perfect fuel for such an adventure. Still, we started with some small plates at Manchester House, very much the grandee eaterie around here.
Aiden Byrne’s team rustled up the fun canapes below – unctuous foie gras on gingerbread; scallop in sushi vinegar hiding discs of kohrabi; and a crisp wonder – a squid ink cracker topped with cured lemon sole and a smoked red pepper jelly that wouldn’t go amiss in one of those Barcelona molecular tapas joints (main image).
Living Ventures stablemate Artisan sits in the shadow of Manchester House, closer to ground level and the food is appropriately more street, so a beer and some of the best falafels around matched the chill-out feel. Sesame seeded with the heat of harissa and the coolness of creme fraiche (a starter in the venue’s excellent two-course Express Lunch with a small glass of wine or a half of beer).
Resisting the temptation to grab a table and a barrel glass of Budvar tank beer in The Oast House’s sun-trap beer garden, we headed for the culinary sunshine of Iberica’s summer small plate menu.
Highlights here was the Trio de Ibéricos (£21) three contrasting regional Jamons, the best in town; a colourful gazpacho with tomato and cucumber and albondigas (beef meatballs). No reinventing the wheel, just simple and superb on a lunch menu starting at £10.95 a selection. That outlay will rise considerably if you discover the joys of Iberica’s regionally focused wine list.
A very different wine list lives just across The Avenue, where Spain’s old rival, Portugal, dominates the offering at Fazenda, Brazilian-style rodizio bar and grill(you know, where the waiters carve a wicked array of meat cuts at table). General manager Chris Milner had said pop by for a tasting, which turned out to be of dessert wines, most notable of which was a Barbeito 2002 Madeira. Ronaldo may think he’s the island greatest ever product (what with his own museum and that freaky statue), but this was far silkier and smooth. Nutty even in its fortified perfection.
Actual desserts arrived at Australasia and were of a piece with its pan-Asian ethos, so you got plums glazed with miso, off-setting the sweetness of mandarin sponge and candied walnuts.
More exotic still coconut cheesecake mousse with palm sugar meringue and yuzu sorbet (below). Almost a cocktail on a plate.
Cocktails? ToM decided beer in The Brink was in order instead. This basement craft beer bar on Bridge Street is a indie gem just like the classy Beastro diner on the Leftbank. Big bucks are being spent on Spinningfields, but there is room for such indie heroes.
