When it comes to Sunday roasts, everyone likes theirs done in a particular way – normally however their mum cooks it.
Sometimes this leads to weird and wonderful combos. Sweetcorn, baby corn, mashed potatoes AND roasties (served together) all count as crimes against the roast in our book, as does adding ketchup and mayo.
Thankfully, there’s none of that to be found at Manchester restaurant Hawksmoor – one of the only London brands to launch in Manchester during the 2010s and successfully stay the test of time.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Housed in the former Victorian Courthouse on Deansgate, the steakhouse manages to be chic, glamorous and entirely unpretentious all at once, which is – we assume – how it’s become such a hit with Mancs where other London openings have, sometimes brutally, failed.
Whilst it’s pretty hard to beat the way your mum does it, I think it’s fair to say that Hawksmoor’s roast is a pretty strong contender for the best in the city. Even better, they won’t ask you to help with the washing up.
Designed to share, roasts here can be split between two or three people – with starters, mains, sides and puddings all included and priced from just £50.
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Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Mains choices include perfectly-pink cuts of bone-in prime rib, chateaubriand and sirloin, as well as Dartmouth lobster with garlic butter, whilst sides span the likes of creamed spinach, macaroni cheese, grilled bone marrow, carrots, roasties, cabbage and – or course — giant Yorkshire puddings.
We’re talking Yorkshire puddings bigger than your face, crispy beef fat roasties, unlimited jugs of bone marrow gravy, and an oozing skillet of cauliflower cheese made with a four-cheese blend of Ogleshield, mozzarella, Stichelton and ‘good Cheddar’.
When we visit, we’re also treated to some gorgeous new sides including mouthwatering celeriac mash and sausage gravy, rainbow chard with anchovies and green sauce, shallots sweetened with Madiera, and giant hunks of roasted bone marrow with onions.
Hawksmoor’s chefs have also recently created their own house stuffing, comprised of decadent bone marrow, onions, high-grade sausage and lots of fresh herbs, introducing an extra savoury bite to the party.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Washed down with cocktails from the bar including a Green Snapper made with Pod Pea vodka, green tomato, jalapeno and lime, followed by a glass of Pinot Noir and a box of Hawksmoor’s own salted caramel chocolate tributes, this makes for the perfect Sunday lunchtime outing.
Frankly, you really can’t go wrong here. From the food, to the friendly service, to the bar offering, it’s not hard to see why this Manchester restaurant is the undisputed king of the Sunday roast – and then some.
Featured image – The Manc Eats
Eats
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 -
27th April 2023 
