Restaurant Review
Anyone who’s seen Tommi Miers on Channel 4’s ‘A Cook’s Tour Of Spain’ can’t help but view Spanish food in a new and very different light. The former w ...more
The Gastrotourist
Some meals are worth a special journey. In The Gastrotourist we profile select destination restaurants from across the UK and beyond. This month:
The Elephant, Torquay
Neighbourhood Watch
Rusholme's ‘Curry Mile’ is justly famous. It now has dozens of restaurants and many have been around for nigh on 30 years. Some, it must be said, rest ...more
The Rant
More or less every town in the UK now boasts a restaurant professing to offer ‘Modern British’ food. But very few are actually worth eating in ...more
Signature Dish
The Lass O’Gowrie is one of Manchester’s most atmospheric pubs and freshly made pies are a speciality. This is one of the favourites. ...more
Sugarvine Wine Offer
The Explorer Case brings together a choice of interesting wines from around the globe, specially selected with variety in mind. There’s two bottles ea ...more
Book Shop
Jay Rayner chronicles the revolution in high-end gastronomy that has been sweeping the world since the late eighties. Not simply an account of endless ...more
Quick Bites
MFDF launch brand new event for summer! Summer in the park 12th-13th July 2008, Platt Fields Park. . .Gourmet evening May 22 at Isis in Swinton. 6 courses, 6 wines and live pianist, £45. . .In the run up to the Beijing Olympics, Sweet Mandarin is offering umlimited dim sum for a tenner at weekends. The book Sweet Mandarin, a family chronicle by the sisters who own the restaurant, is launching in the US and the girls will be appearing on the Oprah Winfrey show. . .The Thai Lounge at Whitefield finished second in the 2008 Pride of Manchester awards, Best Restaurant category. . .Micheal Caines @ Abode Manchester is now open ahead of the official May 1 launch. . .In the 2008 Taste of Manchester awards, Isinglass was recognised for its local and seasonal menus delivered with 'consistent panache'. . .Winners of the 2008 Northern Hospitality Awards -- Reg Johnson (Special Achievement); The London Carriage Works, Liverpool (Best Restaurant); The Pipe & Glass Inn, East Yorkshire (Best Newcomer); Lisa Allen at Northcote Manor, Langho (Best Chef); The Shoulder of Mutton, Kirkby Overblow (Best Pub); Lowry Hotel, Manchester (Best Hotel); Eyck Zimmer at the Lowry Hotel, Manchester (Best Chef Mentor); Barlounge, Chester (Best Bar); Northcote Manor, Langho (Best Wine Offering). . .Live Spanish music every Sunday from 5pm-9pm at Grado with a jug of sangria for £4. Sherry and tapas evening Apr 10. £40pp with live music all night. . .Wine dinners on the first Tuesday of every month at the London Road Restaurant & Wine Bar in Alderley Edge. £55 for five courses with a matched glass of wine with each course -- Spain with Abel Gonzalez from Bodegas Riojanas (Apr 8); Waterklook Estate, South Africa with Paul Boutinot (May 6); Boutique Australia with Ian Bird from Endeavour Wines (Jun 3). . .Fancy being one of the diners for the fourth series of Gordon Ramsay’s F Word on Channel 4? If so, just fill in a diner application form. . .Charity night in aid of the NSPCC at Indian Ocean in Ashton-under-Lyne Apr 10. Champagne reception, full meal and live entertainment, £25. . .Upcoming events at Raineys Bar & Restaurant in Denshaw -- Spanish tapas and wine tasting (Mar 27), Weekend dinner dance (Apr 10), St Georges Day menu (Apr 25). . .Next Spanish wine tasting evening at Evuna Apr 30. £25 for wines and tapas. . .Macclesfield-based pie makers Crumbs are set to open their first dedicated Crumbs Eatery in the heart of Manchester’s Piccadilly Plaza in April. . .Party mights two Fridays every month at The Cedar Tree in Newhey, near Rochdale. Dinner and live entertainment for £34.95. . .The Modern Bar & Restaurant has replaced Le Mont on top of the Urbis Centre. . .Mississippi soul man Malcolm McBride gtom the Four Tops plays once a month at The White Horse at Eccles. . .Gourmet evening at Luso in the second week of March -- 5 courses plus wine for £55. . .Dilli is launching Altrincham's first festival of Indian food, running for a month from Mar 22. . .Malmaison and Hotel Du Vin have chosen Malmaison Manchester as their Hotel of the Year. . .Spicy Hut is the first Rusholme restaurant to receive the Gold Award for Manchester’s Environmental Business Pledge. . .Ambiente in Worsley has reopened after a refurb. . .Ego have launched their fifth Mediterranean restaurant in Bramhall. . .Asian Fusion restaurant Karims has opened at what was formerly Establishment in Spring Gardens serving Indian, Chinese and Asian Fusion food. . .New Loch Fyne restaurant opening soon in Didsbury. . .Bouzouki By Night is 20 years young -- watch this space for upcoming events. . .New winter menu at Leo's Italian Restaurant in Chorlton. Now opening Mondays too and with a new early bird menu. . .Tampopo has opened a new branch -- its fifth -- on the Triangle Shopping Centre. . .EastzEast has a new sister restaurant, EastzEast Riverside, in November on Blackfriars Street, off Deansgate. . .Dukes 92 in Castlefield is launching Dukes 92 Grill on Nov 17. For information & reservations contact Alberts Shed. . .New menu and Sunday recovery service at Bluu 10am - 6pm - try the traditional Sunday Roast or all day brunch menu. . .Check out the schedule of live music acts with late bar every weekend at Dimitri's on Deansgate. . .The major winners at the 10th anniversary Manchester Food & Drink Festival 2007 are -- Gaucho Grill (Best Restaurant); Chaophraya (Newcomer of the Year); Alison Seagrave, Harvey Nichols (Chef of the Year); Dilli (Best Provision for Vegetarians); Giraffe (Best Family Friendly Venue); Chris Johnson and Ros Hunter of Ramsons of Ramsbottom (Outstanding Contribution of the Decade Award). . .Bouzouki By Night is celebrating its 20th anniversary. . .Altrincham's La Rioja has opened a new ground floor cafe bar. . .39 Steps have won the prestigious Cheshire Life restaurant of the year award for 2007/2008. . .Manchester's first Russian restaurant St Petersburg opening late October on Sackville Street. . .Didsbury Village Restaurant is having a refurb at the end of summer - grand re-opening near the end of the year. . .New sushi chef at Umami has cooked for the Emperor of Japan. . .The Old Bore at Rishworth is northern regional winner of Les Routiers Dining Pub of the Year 2007. . .New organic deli cafe Hullabaloo has opened in Altrincham. . .Sunday Jazz Lunch from 12-5 with live jazz and swing music at Obsidian. . .Try the new tapas menu and sangria at El Rancho in Heywood. . .New addition to the menu at La Tasca Deansgate -- Tapas Tasters, a selection of the most popular dishes to introduce you to the unique tapas experience. . .New early dinner menu launched at Heddys in Wilmslow. . .Live music every Wednesday night from 5pm - late at Chaophraya. . . .Althasian is offering tutored wine tasting events for the office or home. . .Live Latino music at Leonis Latin Cellar every Friday. . .