A PALACE is the perfect setting for a fairy tale and the sleeping beauty that is the vintage Manchester hotel of that name has found two fairy godfathers in the Unabombers DJ duo.
TOM is going all flowery about the gastro haven being curated by Justin Crawford and Luke Cowdray (pictured above at the bar) inside a revamped 10,000 sq ft space, just part of the £40m overhaul of the Refuge Insurance Building, because it looks so good. Whether the food style they bring from their award-winning West Didsbury bistro makes the transition into a palatial 139-cover restaurant – alongside a huge bar, private dining area and a leafy indoor retreat called the Refuge – is yet to be seen.
The pair promise us a taste of the menu next month before the proposed opening on September 12 of Volta at The Refuge. Expect the Med and oriental-inspired small plates that have made Volta’s reputation – and, of course, their inimitable Sunday roasts.
Justin and Luke, creators of the mind-blowing Electric Chair nights and still going strong on the club scene, are tickled by our description of it as “the last refuge of a scoundrel”. That was Samuel Johnson’s description of patriotism (so apt in these Faragist days of Brexit). But they recognise their hiring was a daring step on behalf of the Palace’s new owners, Starwood Capital.
What is apparent is the plus factor of Electrick in Chorlton and Volta on Burton Road has made the transition into the new space, cannily set apart from the hotel proper. We especially like the high tables in the restaurant section, the 1920s-inspired chandeliers, the cosy den with table footie and the sociable looking Public Bar with a 40ft granite counter boasting 18 keg taps, a substantial number of which will be devotee to the best local craft beer – very Volta and Electrick.
At the heart of the space is the Winter Garden, housed inside a glass atrium cascading with natural sunlight. Afternoon tea will be the big thing in an all-day operation that starts with breakfast. The centrepiece trees are false but we admire the artifice.
In stark contrast is the hireable underground music space, formerly Copperface Jack’s, with a 5am license, which should be up and running early in 2017. Unabomber central.
Throughout the hotel you can’t mss remarkable Victorian features, tiles especially – many of which have been boarded over for half a century – culminating in the Refuge Assurance directors’ private marble staircase (below) from the 1890s that would have cost £30m in today’s money.
Luke says of The Refuge: “We love the fact that you can relax in inclusive hotel hang outs like the Hoxton in London or places in Amsterdam, for a coffee and just stay all day on your computer, have a little bite to eat, then maybe have a cocktail, and meet people in the restaurant later on.
“So when we were asked to get on board, we thought ‘wow, we’d really love to do that. Volta at The Refuge will retain the charm of its birthplace, serving small plates and informal dining, just on a bigger scale and at a new Southern Quarter, Manchester address.”
Volta at The Refuge, Palace Hotel, Oxford Road, Manchester, M60 7HA. 0161 2281111.
