Sat on the banks of the River Irwell, the Lowry hotel has long been a haunt of the stars.
One of the city centre’s only 5-star hotels, it is home to the most exclusive (and expensive) penthouse suite in the city. But today, we’re here to talk about its restaurant offering.
Headed up by chef Dave Ashton, who has worked alongside Aiden Bryne and other prominent chefs in two- and three- rosette restaurants, the 2 AA rosette River restaurant has long held a stellar reputation in the city as a go-to place for special occasion dining.
Following a revamp of its dining space in the autumn of 2019, it’s even more swanky. Gone is the all-white look of days prior, in its place a new design inspired by the hotel’s riverside setting.
Image: The Manc Group
Burnt orange, dusky pink and terracotta tones mix with hues of blue and green, whilst big squishy seats and deep booths provide the ultimate comfort for a long, luxurious lunch or dinner.
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When we visit, it’s a chilly November evening and the daylight is already long gone – meaning that whilst we can’t fully appreciate the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out across the water, we still manage to drink in the twinkling lights of the city as we enter through the bar.
After leaving our heavy coats with the host, we sit down to browse Ashton’s newest offering: The River Restaurant’s autumn menu.
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It’s always a great sign when you look down at a menu and feel overwhelmed by choice – or at least, I think so. And that’s what happens here. There are almost too many tempting-sounding dishes to choose from, leaving me to think that I could quite happily return and polish off the rest of the menu another time.
After deliberating with my dining partner, who agrees we’re spoilt for choice, we settle on starters of miso crab and squab pigeon followed by cured sea trout and an indulgent-sounding ‘surf and turf’ combination.
The agreement we make between us is this: we will share it all, save missing out.
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Image: The Manc Group
Image: The Manc Group
The starters come out swiftly and do not disappoint. My miso crab is served as a terrine, topped with a sort-of red, edible doily. Sandwiched between the two are pieces of pickled lemon, samphire and a lump of slowly-melting lemon sorbet – adding a gorgeous citrus tang that cuts right through the fishiness of the fresh crab.
The squab pigeon, meanwhile, arrives with a hearty helping of truffled foam and screams game season. Rich flavours of pear, hazelnut and artichoke complement the equally-rich pink breast meat and confit leg. A triumph.
Onto the mains, and the star of the show has to be the 6oz fillet steak and Gambaro Rosso prawn dish. Its arrival gives me instant food envy and makes me very glad I’ve already brokered a deal to share.
The steak, cooked as the chef recommends it, comes out pinker-than-pink and soft as butter. Sat on a bed of greens and topped with tiny slivers of crunchy, tangy pickled onion, on the side sits a giant helping of truffle mash and a swirl of red wine garlic puree.
If you’re going for a special occasion, order this. The Sicilian red prawn itself was a bit scrawny, but in every other way, the whole plate is an absolute delight and well worth the £40 price tag.
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My cured sea trout is also a hit. The crab sauce works beautifully with the fillet itself, whilst a healthy dose of sea veg heaped on top adds texture and depth to the plate as a whole.
The only fault I can make here is the crushed squash, which jars texturally – possibly a little undercooked, it is a bit too al dente for me in some places.
Image: The Manc Group
Finishing off with something sweet, I opt for the sticky date cake with caramelised banana, rum and clotted cream ice cream. This proves to be the best part of the meal, the crunchy-sweet topping of the banana together with the soft and sticky fruit sponge proves a heavenly combination.
My partner, meanwhile, chooses the Manjari milk chocolate dessert. Served with malted milk and espresso ice, it comes out in jagged slithers and is equally delightful.
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Our charming server confides that we’ve made an excellent decision – as it turns out, we picked her two favourite desserts.
All in all, there’s very little to fault and much to praise at the new and improved 2 AA Rosette River restaurant.
When I last spoke to chef Ashton he told us that he was gunning for 3 AA Rosettes- and, although he may have missed out on that particular gong this year, it seems like that goal is still very much in sight.
Feature image – The Manc Group.
To view the full autumnal menu, click here.. To make a reservation at the River restaurant at The Lowry, click here.
Food & Drink
Rochdale’s newest restaurant The Martlet receives rave review in The Guardian
Daisy Jackson
The Martlet, the new restaurant that’s recently opened its doors within the magnificent Rochdale Town Hall, has been given a glowing review in The Guardian this weekend.
Restaurant critic Jay Rayner paid a visit to the grand new space and summarised it as ‘Civic pride meets glorious cooking at a remarkably fair price’.
The Marlet opened in the heart of Rochdale town centre a few months ago, led by award-winning chef Darren Parkinson, who grew up locally in Heywood, and Great British Menu star Tristan Welch.
Their menu is packed with classic northern dishes like Jackson’s rag pudding, and bacon chop with Bury Black Pudding and Denshaw egg – and we here at The Manc love it.
But now it’s also caught the eye of the nation’s biggest food critic, who praised The Martlet’s easy but refined all-day approach to feeding its customers, describing it as ‘smart, witty and generous’.
Jay Rayner’s Guardian review said: “[Rochdale Town Hall] could have installed a modish and frankly annoying pan-European small plates bistro that nobody wanted. Or it could have been a bog-standard coffee and cake job…
“But it is so much more. It’s a broad offering drawing on the heritage of Greater Manchester in a smart, witty and generous way, and all at the sort of prices that will make those used to shaking down their bank accounts for a bit of lunch, sigh deeply.”
Jay Rayner praised the Scotch egg at The Martlet in his The Guardian reviewInside The Martlet at Rochdale Town Hall. Credit: The Manc Group
Of the many locally-flavoured items on the menu, he singled out the Bury black pudding Scotch egg (‘a class piece of work’); the traditional rag pudding (with ‘gravy so glossy you could check your hair and make up in the reflection’); and the pork chop (with ‘a seared ribbon of fat at its back, guaranteed to sustain you through a Rochdale winter’).
He also wrote: “You may find portion size challenging. In these parts that’s quite as it should be.”
Rayner also praised the Rochdale Town Hall itself (how could you not set foot in this building and not immediately fall in love?), saying ‘Whatever you do, make time to drift slack-jawed through these chambers’.
The Marlet has said it’s ‘over the moon’ with its review in The Guardian.
What a shining endorsement for this Greater Manchester town.
The best Sunday roasts in Greater Manchester according to the Good Food Guide 2024
Daisy Jackson
The Good Food Guide has named the best Sunday roasts in the UK and there’ve been a few nods for Greater Manchester (naturally).
After 18,000 public nominations, the guide and its team of inspectors have pulled together a list of the very best roasts around the country.
While the overall top spot went to The Abbey Inn in North Yorkshire, there were plenty of shouts for roasts in the North West.
Shrub in Chester took home Best Vegan, with judges saying ‘You miss nothing and gain everything’ with its brilliant trimmings.
And although it’s one of the London branches that was technically listed, Blacklock nabbed the title of having the best Sunday roast for group dining.
Blacklock recently opened its first restaurant here in Manchester, serving traditional chop house food with a modern twist.
The Good Food Guide said: “Unrivalled if you’re with a group of friends, this Canary Wharf chophouse (part of a small London group, with a Manchester outpost), is considered a ‘Sunday wonderland’ by its many fans.
Blacklock has been listed in the Good Food Guide’s Best Sunday Roasts list. Credit: Supplied
“With ‘super-accommodating staff’ and roasts that are ‘almost as good as mum’s’ (their words), it’s a star turn. Order the ‘all in’ sharing feast, which comprises a trio of ‘succulent’ dry-aged beef rump, lamb and pork loin with gigantic yorkies, duck-fat roast potatoes and limitless gravy.”
Another cosy spot in Marple Bridge in Stockport also made the Good Food Guide’s Sunday roast list, hailed for its fire-roasting.
The guide said: “‘Sophisticated yet comforting’ is the verdict on the elevated Sunday deal at this bottle shop and bistro in one of Stockport’s more comely corners.
“Fire-roasting is Fold’s USP, and the flames lick around everything from aged beef bavettes with ‘Yorkie bits’ and smoked salt to porchetta with Manchester ale, fennel and Pink Lady apple. Each plate comes with a wagyu-fat potato slice, but it’s worth ordering some extras (perhaps roast sandy carrots in lamb fat). Great for kids.”
Outside the Pack Horse in HayfieldInside The Pack Horse Hayfield. Credit: The Manc Group
The Pack Horse in Hayfield – which recently caught our eye with its brilliant breakfasts – has rightly been praised for its post-hike atmosphere and its ‘stylishly rustic and warmly welcoming interior’.
The guide said: “All the Sunday roast trimmings come as standard, whether you’re ordering the melting beef sirloin, the braised lamb shoulder, the venison loin or even the veggie option (carrot, tenderstem broccoli and Tunworth tart, say).
“Everything is thoughtfully prepared, full of flavour and of the highest quality, and the kitchen runs proudly with the seasons.”
Hawksmoor has been listed in the Good Food Guide’s Best Sunday Roasts list. Credit: Supplied
And finally, to absolutely no one’s surprise, Hawksmoor also placed comfortably on the top 50 Sunday roasts list.
‘The quality of the meat is unrivalled,’ observed one fan, and there were also rave reviews for the crispy beef-dripping roasties and ‘bottomless’ bone-marrow gravy.
Where’s your favourite roast in Greater Manchester?
Georgina Pellant -
19th November 2021 
