IF awards were handed out for bar/restaurant names then Man Bites Frog is a genuine contender. Not that this Chorlton newcomer’s actual sign screams out rivetingly in neon or anything; it’s a tiny wooden effort. I walked straight past it along that Barlow Moor Road parade of indie outfits that includes the likes of terrific pizza joint Double Zero, hop-centric Strange Brew and lively cafe-bar Spoon at No 364, where Frog prince David Cleall-Hill was previously.
He has moved all of seven doors to set up Man Bites… with Saffron Hulme, once of Waterstone’s Cafe in central Manchester. Their carefully assemble ‘estaminet’ offers oodles of quirky Gallic charm, albeit it’s very much a work in progress. The proposed open air cinema in the yard at the rear is a long way off, though the oddball Tintinesque mural leading out there is a surreal entertainment in its own right.
Other pluses are the free-to-use ‘Babyfoot' table football machine, coffee served in those vintage green Apilco coffee cups and mix and match furniture that manages to feel comfortable.
It’s when we enter food and drink territory, – its raison d’etre as they say in Chorlton Ville –that the Frog starts to flounder and flashbacks of Mish Mash and Palate kick in – Chorlton bar/eateries, both of whose food disappointed during early review visits.
As indie ventures, I hope they have kicked on, but I haven’t been back, a not uncommon occurrence for me in Chorlton, where style often rules over substance.
The menu is a homage to Frenchness. Advance buzz had prepared us for cuisses de grenouille, but (after nibbles of excellent bread and nocellara olives) it was mainly a series of one-pot dishes in beautifully glazed lidded earthenware. Rabbit Bourguignon, Sausage Ragout and Chicken Potage all hovered under the £10 mark – sturdy, rustic stuff under-seasoned and without thrills.
Goat cheese (£1 extra) was plonked on the potage but did nothing for it, while the mushrooms and carrot in my Bourguignon were barely cooked (the ample off-the-bone rabbit pieces were). All odd since it took 40 minutes from ordering for these mains to arrive with a bowl of seasoned fries playing catch-up when we were well on the way to finishing them. It was a quiet lunchtime and we were the first to order.
We had been warned that the baked Camembert (£7 and it came in another charming pot) would take a while. With more bread it was the best thing we ate, going well with a bottle of house red at £14.50, a fruity Grenache Noir from the Languedoc.
Other reds include a Mendoza Malbec and an organic Carmenere-Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile, while the large glass of Picpoul de Pinet (£5.80) one of out party odered was crisp and minerally. Two handpumps were dispensing Track Sonoma and Saltaire Citra at decent prices.
So the Frog looks a fine, friendly spot to chill and when the cinema is up and running (presumably showing Truffaut and Asterix?) we’ll be back. The food offering, which on its own really merits only two stars, hasn’t got the legs yet.
Man Bites Frog, 378 Barlow Moor Road Chorlton, M21 8AZ. 07984 590778.