My favourite place to eat out in Manchester is…
Hawksmoor, always Hawksmoor. It’s a grown-up place to eat and drink, but it still feels indulgent, and they absolutely ace it across the board – The bar is great with fantastic cocktails; it’s a comfortable room to relax in (I’m not telling you my favourite table, but it’s a wonderful spot to lounge); the wine list is smart and repays a bit of attention; the seafood is as good as anywhere in Manchester; they have a great pastry chef knocking out the dessert; and the service is industry-leading. Oh, and they do decent steak and chips too! If I take food geeks there they thrill at the attention to detail and clever contemporary nods, but if I take people there who just like a good plate of food they’re blown away by the hearty, honest and unaffected cooking. Getting a place that spans high culture and low culture is a rare talent; Pixar do it with films, and Hawksmoor do it with restaurants. There is a reason why on any given day, particularly a Monday, you’ll see a number of the North’s leading operators, chefs and food writers in there; it just hits the spot, every time.
The best dish I’ve eaten in Manchester recently…
The organic Rhug Estate chicken, turnip, barley and corn (along with a ton of ethereally crispy chicken skin) by Adam Reid at The French. We all know chicken is the cliched safe choice on any given menu, but this the single best chicken dish I’ve ever eaten and one of the best dishes that I’ve eaten all year. It’s no wonder that the Good Food Guide rate The French as the 13th best restaurant in the country, and the AA give it four rosettes (only 17 restaurants nationally get a higher rating). Adam is a serious talent at the top of his game.
My favourite dining room in Manchester is…
The Refuge (above); it’s grand and glorious and I always get a kick out of walking visitors to the city through the door and seeing their jaws hit the floor. Surely it must be one of the grandest dining rooms in the UK, which is all the more impressive when you remember it wasn’t purpose built but was actually office space for Victorian assurance clerks and underwriters. Impressively for such a huge space, it never feels less than intimate and relaxing. Of course, it looks easy when you have such incredible period to deal with – the glowing tiles in green and cream, the columns and the panelling – but I think (Unabomber DJ duo) Justin and Luke have done a tremendous job of bringing it up to date while preserving its inherent soul. I also like the fact they have great art on the walls, from the original “Glamour of Manchester” mural to the latest work, “Hell is a City”, by Ben Eine. Their clear commitment to the arts makes them the perfect Hotel Partner for Manchester Art Fair this year.
My favourite lunch spot in Manchester is…
Without doubt it’s the Mackie Mayor (above) in the Northern Quarter. Whether lunching with business colleagues, mates or family, or best of all on your own, it is one of the buzziest and most beautiful places to eat in the country. Just sitting there, albeit on hard seats at trestle tables, gladdens the soul. My choice is usually something from Fin, their seafood is absolutely stupendous. Get the griddled mackerel or sardines with the mixed salad or their incredible smoked trout. Some people complain that all the dishes from Mackie Mayor are a couple of quid too expensive, but I don’t think any of those indie operators are profiteering, and indeed I see a couple of quid as an acceptable ‘loveliness tax’ to sit somewhere quite so wonderful and I gladly pay it on a regular basis.
If I had to eat only one thing for the rest of my days it would be…
Bread, all of it. Artisan sourdough from Grains in Glossop or Pollen, toasted; fresh naans from Café Marhaba, dripping with ghee; oily focaccia at Hispi, spongey Kurdish flatbreads from Yadda Yadda or simply Warbies Toastie, eaten straight from the orange greaseproof paper. I’m an unapologetic carb fiend, and as such I thought Dr Atkins was a dangerous heretic who should be pushed away with a pointy stick. Or maybe a baguette.
Manchester Art Fair, the largest art fair in the North takes place from Friday October 12 to Sunday 14 at Manchester Central. Tickets are available here.