There’s a tea room in Bolton serving up a hearty fish and chips afternoon tea, and it sounds absolutely incredible.
Curley’s Dining Rooms, located in the rural town of Horwich just outside of Bolton, sits down a quiet country lane and offers stunning views across Rivington Reservoir.
With a charming suntrap outdoor terrace and its own ice cream parlour, Frederick’s, even without the hefty afternoon tea offering there’s a lot to draw you in here.
The menu includes an all-day breakfast served until 4pm, but it’s the handsome afternoon tea offering with its generous portion of fish and chunky chips that’s really got the town talking.
The fish and chips afternoon tea at Curley’s includes mini fish goujons and proper chunky chips. / Image: Curley’s
Curley’s also serves a classic portion of fish and chips for the same price. / Image: Curley’s
The restaurant is already famous for its epic portions of fish and chips, which feature jumbo cod, hand-cut chips and tartare with mushy peas, but since launching the afternoon tea it has become just as popular.
Priced at just £19.95 per person, for that diners can dig into a platter loaded with a basket of freshly-fried mini fish goujons and chips, crustless finger sandwiches, huge slabs of quiche, macarons and more.
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Sandwich fillings can be chosen in advance from a choice of ham, cheese, tuna mayonnaise, turkey, beef and egg mayo, with three fillings available per afternoon tea.
Also included in the price is a small cup of homemade soup each, a pot of tea, ramekins of coleslaw, tartare and salad, plus traditional fruit scones with clotted cream and jam and a selection of mini patisseries.
Coffee is available to enjoy instead of tea, and for those who fancy a few bubbles there is also the option to upgrade to prosecco.
If you fancy booking into Curley’s to try the fish and chips afternoon tea, make sure to book in advance. The afternoon tea must be reserved with at least 24 hours in notice, and diners are required to pay a £10 deposit per person that will then be deducated from their bill.
Inside Chinatown’s enormous new three-storey restaurant, with futuristic karaoke booths
Daisy Jackson
A gigantic three-storey restaurant and karaoke bar has just opened its doors in Chinatown in Manchester.
Sovereign Clouds is the newest addition to one of the city’s most beloved and ever-evolving neighbourhoods, taking over a sizeable building on Faulkner Street that’s been vacant for 10 years.
Inside the 1,000 sq metre space, you’ll find a glittering restaurant adorned with marble and gold, where you can tuck into a massive menu of dim sum and traditional dishes.
One floor up and you’ll find yourself surrounded by live lobster tanks and the massive kitchen, alongside several flexible private dining spaces.
And up on the top floor are the most futuristic karaoke rooms in town, where you can customise lights, LED ceilings, and even sing through an autotune microphone.
Three roast meats from Sovereign CloudsDelicious dim sumAuthentic Chinese cooking from Sovereign CloudsBlack Gold Lava Buns with salted custard fillingThe massive Sovereign Clouds restaurant
On the menu you’ll find tonnes of steamed dim sum, stir fries, traditional claypot stews, roast meats, and loads more.
There’s seafood like stir-fried lobster with salted egg yolk, and traditional Cantonese steamed grouper; a whole section for abalone (advance orders only) including braised goose feet and fish maw; and a good selection of spicy Sichuan dishes.
The chefs here also have an impressive array of Chinese roast meats, like Peking crispy duck, pork belly, and char siu, as well as three roast meats with rice.
Futuristic karaoke roomsThe main restaurant at Sovereign CloudsFuturistic karaoke rooms
And that’s alongside ingredients you don’t find on a lot of menus in Manchester, like jellyfish, tripe, and century eggs.
It’s all led by Terry Ni, who has been behind the popular Dynasty Chinese and Thai takeaway in Timperley for more than a decade, and has spent years transforming this empty old building into one of Chinatown’s most glittering restaurants.
Come for dinner, stay for a turn on the karaoke upstairs, and tell everyone – Sovereign Clouds is a fantastic addition to Manchester.
‘Surreal’ moment Stevie Wonder dines at Stalybridge restaurant after enormous Manchester gig
Daisy Jackson
Stevie Wonder has stunned a local restaurant in Stalybridge after he popped in for dinner after his massive Manchester show.
The soul icon had performed a huge gig at Co-op Live on Sunday night, performing hits from his illustrious, decades-long career.
And while you might expect someone of Stevie’s fame and stature to dine at one of the city centre’s many Michelin-recommended restaurants, the star instead headed straight for the suburbs.
He was spotted dining at Cafe Continental, an independent restaurant that’s become one of the Greater Manchester’s most-hyped neighbourhood haunts since it launched two years ago.
The stylish spot is famed for its European-style restaurant and cafe culture, aiming to recreate the atmosphere of the sort of place you’d stumble upon down a back street in Rome or Paris.
On the menu they’ve got a rotation of small plates, open-fire dishes, pastas and burgers, along with their divine Parisian hot chocolate, served with a bowl of whipped cream on the side.
Cafe Continental has had a good track record for pulling in local famous faces, but arguably nothing comes close to Stevie Wonder himself.
Inside Cafe Continental in Stalybridge. Credit: The Manc GroupSoup and focaccia at Cafe Continental. Credit: The Manc Group
The night before Stevie’s visit, they’d served his band and daughter – and clearly word got back to Stevie fast, because he returned the next night to test it out for himself.
Cafe Continental posted: “Surreal things happen now and again. This is one of them! Pleasure to welcome Mr Stevie Wonder to the restaurant to close off his tour!”
And according to the MEN, Stevie left a whopping £1,000 tip for the staff.
Not only did Stevie Wonder support a local hospitality business, but he also arrived dressed in Drama Call, a Manchester-based sportswear brand.
Georgina Pellant -
15th May 2023 
