Inside Counter, Manchester city centre’s newest restaurant with beef croissants and Vimto trifle

Manchester has a brand-new restaurant right in the city centre, where modern British cooking shines.

Counter comes from acclaimed chef Andrew Sheridan, who just weeks ago launched Arcadian over in Didsbury – and now he’s continuing to put his stamp on Manchester with this newest launch.

Taking a spot in a new building off South King Street, the space itself is dominated by huge elm trees that line the restaurant as a centrepiece, as well as a looming metal face sculpture.

And at the top of it all is an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs at work, creating meat- and fish-forward plates.

Expect stand-out dishes like a flattened croissant topped with beef tartare, loaded flatbreads, and huge sharing dishes like a roasted duck sharing platter, and wagyu ribeye.

There are also not-so-subtle nods to Manchester on the dessert menu, with a Vimto 1908 trifle that’s bringing together Vimto jelly, baked yoghurt, vanilla sponge, blackcurrant, raspberry and custard; plus The Manchester Glory that layers vanilla custard, raspberry, coconut ice cream, banana, toasted coconut, whipped mascarpone and cherry.

The new restaurant, which comes from Open Restaurant Group, will officially open its doors on Monday 9 November, with 60 covers.

The best seat in the house is at the chef’s counter, where diners can look directly out onto the pass at the kitchen in action.

And the best section on the menu has to be the grill, with plates like the satay spatchcock chicken, turbot steak, and sides such as gravy fries with beef dripping, and mac and cheese brulee.

Andrew Sheridan, chef and co-founder at Open Restaurant Group, said: “For us, great cooking isn’t about sticking to rules or defining food by where it comes from. It’s about taking the best flavours, textures and ingredients from around the world and bringing them together in ways that surprise people.

“We start with great produce, take inspiration from different food cultures and have fun with it, creating dishes that are bold, playful and full of flavour.

“Manchester is creative, loud and full of character, and we wanted Counter to reflect exactly that. It’s a place where great food meets a sense of occasion, without ever taking itself too seriously.

“Whether you’re joining us for lunch or dinner, we want Counter to feel like a natural part of the city, somewhere you come back to time and time again.”

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Featured image: The Manc Group