Neil Sowerby Itâs definitely worth taking the bait. SOLE ought by rights to be set on some sun-kissed quay, taking its pick of the dayâs catch from a salty sea-dogâs creel. âAh, those razor clams weâre sharing in the bar here were, umm, doing what razor clams do... in the estuary only hours ago.â You know the kind of landlubbersâ holiday small talk.
Instead this breath of fresh ozone for Northern Quarter dining is beached in the shadow of that irredeemably ugly 70s car park at the end of Turner Street. From Soleâs ground floor dining space you can catch a glimpse of a First doubledecker trundling past the Unicorn on Church Street. Otherwise, the outlook is concrete, beige tiles and windscreens.
But donât let that put you off. This is potentially one of the best restaurants in Manchester. It just has to settle down. Theyâve now built a glass partition to stop tipplers on the stairs to the basement bar from disturbing diners and they are very close to offering fishy snacks, including oysters and those aforementioned clams at that bar.
Fish is Soleâs passion, though as yet, and sensibly, it doesnât dominate the menu created by the appropriately named Simon Salt, Lancashire young chef of the year not so long ago. His substantial frame dominated the small kitchen on our visit and his flavours loomed equally large.
An intense dish of seared hand-dived scallops with cauliflower puree and chanterelles (£11.95) benefited from the best scallops Iâve had in years, while the mackerel a l plancha also sung of freshness, on a vivid garden palette of compressed cucumber, radish and horseradish (£7.95).
Perhaps my main, at £18.50, a roasted fillet of cod in a dense squid and clam broth spumed with parsley foam ultimately smacked too much of the foreshore, but alongside it the roasted monkfish (£19.50) was an unchallengeable triumph. Savoy cabbage, Parma ham and a sticky chicken jus reduction all suited its sturdy flesh.
Beef and Goosnargh duck dishes on the a la carte were equally satisfying on the night. The wine list is not spectacular but in the just over £20 a bottle range Iâd recommend the Picpoul de Pinet white.
Two narrow upstairs private dining rooms are cosier than the main groundfloor space with its black four-square tables and chairs and slightly awkward feel, while Iâll reserve judgement on the basement bar until Iâve seen it occupied and merry. By then I should be able to tuck into those promised razor clams or maybe some fresh, fresh crab and imagine Iâm in Devon.
Sole, 37 Turner Street, Manchester M4 1DW (0161 839 5600 www.solemanchester.com)