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
First Look: Fitzpatrick’s – Stockport’s new Irish Bar gets off to a stunning start
Danny Jones
Stockport has a brand new Irish bar as the growing Greater Manchester trend continues, with Fitzpatrick’s officially debuting to the public on Thursday, 19 June.
Taking over the former Bask site just outside the train station, Fitzpatrick’s is the borough’s answer to American sports bar meets an Irish pub and grill, with live music, a wide array of food and more.
We had the privilege of walking in on opening day, and the place was absolutely packed to the rafters from the off, and we didn’t even stay until the end. More fool us…
We had a grand auld time seeing @fitzstockport open their doors yesterday evening. ☘️
As you can see, it hasn’t taken them any time at all to get an atmosphere going; good weather on their inaugural day, but the free-flowing beer, classic pub food flying out of the kitchen, and musicians reeling off classic Irish folk music did most of the heavy lifting.
Plus, that beer garden and covered outdoor terrace area are pretty perfect in any weather, to be fair.
The scran on their maiden evening mainly consisted of pizza, chips and other easy-to-serve-up plates as they gradually ease into the first week or so of service, but with a full menu of burgers, pies, breakfasts and even Sunday roasts to come, we’re very excited to try the full gamut.
Regardless, the staff were pulling pints like pros, John himself had plenty of involvement greeting people and getting behind the bar, and the atmosphere was buzzing from minute one.
ln fact, that was arguably the best part about it all: there was that genuine feeling of a new community cornerstone being born, with the well-known Stopfordian reeling off names and recognising what seemed like almost every face that walked through the door.
You don’t get that everywhere.
A lay of the land at Fitzpatrick’s Stockport. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
Although this was their first proper day of trading, they had already gauged the kind of crowds they could expect by soft launching with friends and family last week.
That being said, as mentioned, there was a real tight-knit, community feel to the place, full of County kits, young families and older couples alike, all of whom seemed to be dovetailing together as if the pub had always been around.
SK is often dubbed one of those places where everyone kind of knows everyone, even despite how big the town is as a whole, and this definitely felt like proof of that perception.
Of course, there is some familiarity with the space having previously been Bask, but the location of the stage, a newly decked out bar and the large jumbo-tron style TV set-up for live sport in the centre of the room (providing prime viewing from virtually all angles) have made a big difference.
Based solely on the hordes of people that piled into the place the second the doors opened, we can’t wait to see what the gaff is like once it’s in so-called ‘full swing’. John and his team might just be on to something big here.
Speaking to The Manc, he said: “As a local lad, I wanted to put something into the space that reflects a lot of my history and culture. Music, food, sport and a great atmosphere are all things I love, so I wanted to reflect that in this gorgeous space.”
Open 4-11 from Tuesday to Thursday, 2pm until late on Fridays, and the same only from 1pm at weekends, we can imagine Stockport punters are about to be spending a lot of time in Fitzpatrick’s.
The Thirsty Korean is thriving in its new location – and now serves brunch
Daisy Jackson
The Thirsty Korean’s closure early last year hit Chorlton (and beyond) pretty hard.
This was a much-loved independent that was popular for its authentic, value-for-money Korean food and found a new level of fame when Sacha Lord offered to pay for everyone’s dinner for a day.
But fret not – The Thirsty Korean is back, it’s bigger, and it’s brunchier, already thriving in a new location in Chorlton.
From this sunny new spot on Wilbraham Road, they’re doing the sort of spicy brunch dishes that’ll kick-start not just your morning, but your entire week.
We’re talking their now-famous Korean fried chicken, either as full battered wings or sticky and spicy bites.
We’re also talking traditional tteokbokki with lashings of melted cheese on top, silky sweet potato noodles, Korean pancakes stuffed with spring onion or kimchi or chicken, kimchi fried rice with runny eggs on top, and egg-coated cod.
The Thirsty Korean’s brunch spreadCheesy Ttekbokki noodlesThe new-look Thirsty Korean
Behind this local gem is Eunji Noh, and with the extra space she can stretch her ambition and her menu further.
You’ll still find all the usual popular Korean dishes but she’s reached out to other parts of Korea to bring lesser-seen plates to her menu too, including seafood and now brunch items.
Whether you order as many small plates as you can to share, or commit to one of their big dishes, you’ll be leaving here very full and very happy.
The Thirsty Korean, Manchester has missed you so much.
The Thirsty Korean is now open at 520 Wilbraham Road in Chorlton – you can make a booking HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
19th November 2021 
