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
15 places kids can eat for £1 or FREE throughout the summer holidays
Thomas Melia
With the summer holidays just around the corner, we’ve rounded up 15 places kids can eat for £1 or free across the UK.
In case the ongoing heatwave didn’t remind you, summer is in full swing, and that means the inevitable school holidays are nearly here.
If you’re after ways to enjoy some quality family time without having to break the bank, we’ve found lots of places where kids can eat for £1 or free – 15 of them, to be exact.
So, whether you’re in the mood for a hearty Italian, a bit of brekkie, or even a big Greek feast, just because you’re on a budget shouldn’t mean you have to limit your and your family’s taste buds.
Here are 15 places you can take the kids to eat for £1 or even free this summer holidays.
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15 places kids eat for £1 or free throughout the summer holidays
Asda Café
Any child aged 16 or under can eat for £1 when dining at any Asda Café location, and every meal comes with a piece of fruit. There’s no minimum spend required and this deal is running all-day, seven days a week.
Bill’s
Brunch spot Bill’s is offering two free kids’ meals to any child aged 10 or younger when purchasing an adult main meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner). This free meal includes a main, side and dessert, but is only applicable Monday to Friday. They’ve even got a special deal built for teenagers, too.
Turtle Bay
This Caribbean-inspired chain entitles one free kids’ meal per each adult, who spends £15 or more and presents a code via its app. Children paying a visit to Turtle Bay, who are 10 and under, will receive a kids’ meal and small soft drink.
The Real Greek
Every Sunday, The Real Greek is offering one free kids’ meal for each adult that spends £15 or more on any menu items. This deal will be automatically applied to the bill with the child getting to choose between a souvlaki wrap or mezze selection.
Beefeater
Two children under 16 are entitled to a free breakfast with any adult who purhcases an unlimited cooked breakfast for £10.99. There’s no specific end date for this one, and it applies to Premier Inn hotels as well as further Whitbread restaurants: Table Table, Whitbread Inns, Bar + Block, and Brewers Fayre.
There are lots of locations offering kids eat free or for £1 across the UK / Credit: Tesco (Supplied)
Bella Italia
Any adult dining at a Bella Italia location who purchases a main meal can get a free starter, main, dessert and juice for their child. Kids eat free all-year-long between Sunday to Thursday. This offer will be automatically applied to the bill. Subject to venue.
Morrisons Café
At Morrisons Café locations, when an adult spends £5 or more on a main meal, little ones can get a free hot meal including a main, side and veg or pick ‘n’ mix meal which contains a sandwich, snack and drink.
Tesco Café
Running in over 330 participating Tesco Café sites, kids are allowed a free hot meal, breakfast or pick ‘n’ mix meal when purchased alongside a full price adult meal. A valid Tesco Clubcard must be scanned, with this offer working on weekends too. The supermarket is also bringing back free fruit in 800 Tesco stores.
Sizzling Pubs
When visiting with a Sizzling Pub on a Monday after 12pm, children can eat for £1 alongside any adult buying a main meal. This discount will be automatically applied and will work at all their restaurants.
Travelodge
If an adult purchases an unlimited breakfast for £9.99, two kids aged 15 or under can eat for £1. This deal is running for anyone, and you don’t even have to be staying over at one of their hotels – you can simply walk in.
Dunelm Pausa Café
A child can eat free with every £4 spent by an adult at Dunelm Pausa Café. The deal guarantees kids a main, two snacks and a drink. If an adult spends £8, two kids could eat for free and so on.
Brewers Fayre
Just like Beefeater and other Whitbread restaurant brands, two children under 16 can get a free breakfast when an adult purchases an unlimited cooked breakfast for £10.99.
Table Table
As mentioned above, two children aged under 16 are entitled to a free breakfast when dining with a paying adult who buys an unlimited cooked breakfast for £10.99.
Dobbies
When an adult purchases a main meal of £8.75 or more, kids can dine-in for 88p. The offer applies to the children’s breakfast and lunch menu with the option of hot food or a pick and mix box, both including a drink. Only applicable in Dobbies; the offer isn’t valid in ‘Little Dobbies’ stores.
IKEA
Although there isn’t an official offer, Swedish furniture chain IKEA is recognised for its affordable menu serving up delicious dishes like pasta and tomato sauce for children from 85p. The adults’ menu is pretty reasonable too, with a mixed vegetable rice meal for just £2.50. Breakfast rolls are £1.75, and individual breakfast items start from 75p.
Featured Images – Press Shots (Tesco, Bill’s, IKEA via supplied)
Food & Drink
The unsung Manchester pub serving beloved local pints for £3.35 that’s thrived during the World Cup
Danny Jones
Finding a pint for less than £5 in Manchester in 2026 is almost unheard of; combine that with a pub that’s truly levelled up as a go-to for the World Cup this summer, and this increasingly rowdy little corner of Castlefield is well worth writing home about.
We’re talking about The White Lion on Liverpool Road and just around from the city centre’s famous Roman fort, ‘Mamucium’, which has always been among the more reasonable places for a tipple in town and is no stranger to showing the football.
However, after a significant refurb just a few years ago and after gradually growing a refreshed crowd of regulars, the Manc boozer hasn’t just steadily repatronised local punters but rather it seems to have gained a whole new lease of life this summer.
The 2026 World Cup showings, complete with a new outside screen on their sizeable and sunny outdoor terrace, have certainly helped, but when you can get a drink for as little as £3.35 for a pint of Boddies, it’s not hard to see why more and more people are flocking here amid the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Part of us almost thought about trying to still gatekeep this one for ourselves, but the truth is, the place has become so popular over the past few months (at least that’s as long as we’ve noticed a significant increase) that the cat is very much out of the bag and it’s no one’s ‘best-kept secret’ anymore.
Yes, with Boddingtons, a.k.a. the recently reborn ‘Cream of Manchester’, on tap for the same cost as a half-decent coffee these days, not to mention various cheap draught beers and other offers on booze – whether it be shots, the growing Buzzball craze, or just a standard spirit and mixer – it’s a godsend.
We all know how expensive it can be going out for the night at present, but the no-nonsense bar prices and setup overseen by Craft Union, who specialise in community pubs and keeping the beating “heart of high streets and neighbourhoods across the country” alive and well, are nothing short of unsung heroes.
To clarify, we’re not pretending that no one knows about this gaff, far from it, but it does feel like one of those understated and underrated places that doesn’t get anywhere near enough props as it deserves.
Credit: The Manc Group
The private limited company, which operates as a subsidiary of the wider Stonegate Group, may be one of the largest in the UK, but one of the most impressive parts about their work at The White Lion is that it still feels like a local pub made for locals.
Better yet, they’ve also coincidentally filled a whole left by the much-loved Sir Ralph Abercromby: the Manchester United fan favourite and all-round footy pub who sadly lost their bustling beer garden (complete with a hot dog/burger van) amid the major St Michael’s development.
On the upside, what those who used to frequent that venue have somewhat lost as a result of the building works can now be found at the likes of White Lion, as it’s also often filled with Reds throughout the year – they’ve even added a little food hatch of their own in the corner of the shrubbery-lined patio.
And once again, with price points as reasonable as these, they’re not just undercutting most other venues in the vicinity by some distance, but they’re at least trying to do their bit in hopefully redressing the balance when it comes to combatting inflation within the hospitality industry.
Cheap shots, bombs 2-4-£6, and a good pour of Guinness for LESS than a fiver. (Credit: The Manc)
It’s also worth noting that the current landlords are also doing their bit to help minimise spending on gig nights, too.
With Sounds of the City 2026 now wrapped up, they had extra deals on drinks right throughout the duration of the multi-date festival down the road at Castlefield Bowl.
Put simply, they may not be reinventing the wheel here, but if we can’t shout about a place doing its best to keep things affordable while still offering a good time come the weekend or even just to reward yourself after work, we don’t know what is.
England’s World Cup may have come to a heartbreaking end, but at least more Manc residents have come across this place, and we expect The White Lion in Castlefield to have a very fruitful summer.
Georgina Pellant -
19th November 2021 
