Zinc Bar and Grill on Exchange Square is a great place to go to with your parents as the prices are…read morea little extreme for a student budget. I'd say it is overpriced but the food is really good so possibly worth it. When the sun's out, sit outside and enjoy people watching. Equally pleasant to sit inside - the lower level is better because it feels more luxurious than the standard restaurant seating upstairs that looks out onto the Triangle shopping centre. Mains include Mushroom Risotto (£10), Tandoori Seabass (£16.25) and Flash Grilled British Steak (£16) so a good range of British dishes with a twist. Everything I've had is delicious - in particular the chips and buttered spinach on the side. Desserts are equally yummy - the Creme Brulee with a lemon biscuit (£6) is fab and really refreshing. It's also quite pleasant to sit near the bar and have a few glasses of wine, the Pinot Grigio's really good. The only negative thing is that it's about a 15 minute walk to get to the bathrooms (slight exaggeration...).

Zinc is owned by the restaurant company that also has under its umbrella Piccolino's, Restaurant…read morebar & grill and Bank. Now I know what you thinking here we go another review on a chain. Hold your horses though, Zinc ain't that bad. It actually adds bit of character and cosmopolitan to Exchange square. It is perfect for pre-concert dinner and drinks, MEN arena is a short walking distance away. You can eat inside with an open plan kitchen enjoying the hustle, bustle and nice foodie aromas, or in the summer sit outside watching the world go by. It is very stylish but fairly informal, the menu is creative. Last time I was there which was a while back I had chicken breast with Malayan spices and me mate was happy with his creme Catalana. We stuck around for a few cocktails afterwards as the bar was buzzing with atmosphere and we were in the right place at the right time to get on the sofa. Definately worth a try, but I don't go that often because I just think there are better restaurants out there which give you a lot more for your money. Just goes to show that Manchester has heck of a lot to offer diners.

Went here right after coming to Manchester from New York and we were blown away. The service was…read morefast and really polite, the food was cooked perfect and delicious, I really enjoyed this palace of a palate. I got the amazing Miso Mushroom Steak Ramen it was great and I really enjoyed the eggs and steak especially, warm and cozy making me feel home away from home. My dad also got one but with tofu he says he wishes he got the steak ramen I got which was probably better so I'd chose that unless you're vegan or allergic of course! My brother had a delicious margarita pizza which was amazing I had a slice and I loved it very saucy and doughy, not hard crust, if you don't like soft crust you may not like that much. I also got a custom drink which was a Fanta they made for me which was fine. Overall great atmosphere, experience, and eats. If you're in the area in Manchester you must stop by there! Whether you sit in or outside the restaurant there's beautiful views along the bay, great time for all, cheers!

Went early on Friday night for dinner. Nice walk along the canal even in the rain. Seated right…read moreaway as walk-in at 1830. Advised we could have a table for 2 until 2000. DJ played a great variety of music. Music was not too loud to hold a conversation at the table. Beautiful decorations through out the place. Service was great and fast. Very attentive waitress. Food was hot and flavorful. Good selection on menu, something for everyone. Seating outside looked comfortable. The deck is covered. There were heaters outside. Overall a great experience in a chilly, rainy night.

I visited Neighborhood with a small group of friends and enjoyed a very nice lunch there…read more The friendly and helpful staff seated us promptly, brought us water without us having to ask, and kept our glasses filled throughout the meal. The four of us shared flat bread with a bottle of wine to start. The flat bread was served with a selection of very tasty spreads. Later on we ordered a number of small pates, including the rib taco, a selection of different types of fries, and a salad. All the food was quite good, though none of the dishes was particularly memorable. The ambiance was warm and welcoming - perfect for a leisurely lunch. The sound system was good without being too loud or blaring, and we enjoyed the music as well. I look forward to returning to try several more of their food selections the next time I'm in Manchester.

So yesterday evening I went to neighbourhood for the first time, having been invited to the…read moreChristmas menu launch. I didn't really know what to expect because I've purposefully stayed away from this place as it gives off a certain vibe that doesn't appeal to me. I remember sitting outside Artisan which is right in front of Neighbourhood last summer, I was out for a few drinks with a friend and we were sat outside chatting and drinking for a couple of hours. During this time we saw people entering and leaving neighbourhood, a lot of wannabe WAG types and the general consensus seemed to be less is more in the way of clothing. Throw in the pervs in suits and the Mr Muscle 'look at me' types and you've got yourself a party. I got a Panacea vibe from it *shudders* That might appeal to some, but not me. BUT having said that, I was pleasantly surprised yesterday which just goes to show that events like this give those that wouldn't normally give your business a look in an opportunity to give it a try. We were greeted with smiles and the staff were welcoming, we got a Christmas cocktail upon arrival. Not exactly sure what was in it but I think it might have been vodka and some sort of mulled cheery liquor. It was yummy but it would have been nice to know what it was, it wasn't on the menu yet. They've lost a star because of two reasons. 1 - because some of the staff were too busy giving their friends preferential treatment so overlooked other guests 2 - we weren't offered any canapés despite being passed by about 5 times, eventually we just asked and were given a whole platter between 2, situation wholly redeemed :) We got to try the neighbourhood smoked salmon which was fresh and full of flavour. The celeriac soup with chestnut cream and truffle oil was sooooo yummy, the crunchy texture of the crisp chestnut garnish complimented the savoury, creamy flavour/texture well and you could really taste the truffle oil. The tempura prawns were huge, juicy with a thin, crispy coating. They came with two dips, one was rather like mayo and the other more spicy. Needless to say I preferred spicy. The pulled chicken croquettes were over seasoned and too salty, my least favourite. The prawns were my favourite. NOW - let me talk about the mulled wine! I had two glasses of the good stuff, given how hot it was outside yesterday it felt a bit weird but it was sublime. Smelt and tasted delicious, if nothing else I'll be back for this alone. The dessert options were Christmas pudding which was A-OK and the chocolate pot (mousse) with passion fruit, which was pretty thick and rich. Both tasty and well executed. You can book your Christmas dinner here for £32.50, 3 courses with a glass of mulled wine or Prosecco added in for an extra fiver. The lunch option is £24.50 plus fiver for drink. I say it's worth it given the quality. They offer 4 options for the main, we didn't get to try these but they are the usual turkey et al, sirloin of beef, woodland mushroom risotto and hake. A nice variety. They offer 2 for 1 on all drinks from 5-7pm on weekdays which is pretty good, we bought two glasses of Prosecco for £8.50. The crowd was mixed for this event but I wasn't wrong about the 'types' that frequent this establishment.. however, having been here once, I would give it another go. Overall it was a fun event with good food and drinks. The live band playing Christmas classics was a nice touch, as were the garlands etc. 10.2.17 I ate here again a couple of weeks ago and the food was DIVINE! I would never go on a Friday or Saturday but mid week is perfect :)

It's a nice quiet upscale restaurant. It may look pretentious but the staffs are very friendly and…read morehelpful. Atmosphere: since it is part of Harvey Nichols, it has a simplistic artistic modern approach to its interior design. Food: the food is British with a little southern Asian touch. It is not as pricey as one might think. I had the buttermilk pancakes and it was delicious. All in all I would recommend this restaurant just because the interior decor is nice. The curtains do shut itself electronically when it's sunny ;)

Someone greeted us from across the room as we stepped in the Patron and then we hovered for a sec…read moreunsure whether it's self-seating (it seems it is, and we got a nice booth, decor overall is v nice). It was also not clear if it's table service but it looks like it isn't and eventually (there was a dearth of menus it took a while to share around the one we had) we ordered at the bar and got some decent cocktails, mine was an intriguing combination of bourbon, sweet vermouth and white sherry. The sherry was a shade too dominant but overall I liked the somewhat unusual mix and I also thought the menu is pretty well written - it gives both the flavour and name of the ingredients of each cocktail which makes it much more accessible than menus which just proclaim the obscure liquors and give you no idea what it might taste like! It's also a good price point: £7 - £7.50 on average. Overall I was a little turned off but the lack of any interest by the staff in serving us - they could clearly see us sit down from the bar and the place was really quiet so they should have come over either to take an order or ask us to come up to the bar when ready. I wouldn't rush back for that reason but it seems like a decent addition to the NQ rotation and its large size may be an advantage on busy nights.

A quirky establishment with an upstairs dining area and downstairs bar. The food is 90% vegan,…read morewhich was nice because they had creative options for everyone! We had the BBQ Jackfruit dog, which was a vegan sausage topped with BBQ pulled jackfruit, vegan chipotle mayo, and jalapeno's. It was absolutely delicious! The sausage was not dry, as sometimes happens with vegan sausages, and the combinations of flavors was great. We also got the vegan Mac n Cheese; it was listed under bigs, but the portion size was disappointingly very small. It also tasted a bit grainy, not the best potato cheese I've had. They are allergen friendly, but make sure you make all your allergens known! The mac n cheese does have coconut milk in it. They also have Ice Shack Vegan ice creams, which is a bonus!

It doesn't have the same history as The Roadhouse, Night & Day or Manchester Academy but The Deaf…read moreInstitute is probably my favourite venue in Manchester these days. They have great club nights and a truly eclectic range of gigs from emerging punk-funk and disco groups like Yacht and The XX to established underground pop bands like Broadcast. Even better, most of the gigs take place in an intimate room with high ceilings, cleverly stacked seating and standing room for about 300 people. I went to see Detroit protest singer Rodriguez on Monday evening and had a fantastic night. The atmosphere was great, the acoustics were fab and the drinks were mighty fine. Being a long-term country and Americana gal, I also fell in love with the Good Dolly and Bad Dolly wallpaper in the ladies toilets! The only disadvantage is, I'm still a little hungover!

KIKI bar is the latest addition to Manchester's Canal Street after several weeks of preparation…read moresince Queer shut down and moved to the bigger venue of what used to be Essential. This place is very cool and a vast improvement from Queer, giving it a more club-like feel, though other seating areas are still present. The indoor decor is simple yet chic, with sparkling chandeliers dangling down from the ceiling, while the large studded sign at the front entrance lights up in rotating neon colours. While music isn't that different from other venues in the village, you can't go wrong with commercial chart tunes and remixes. KIKI is where the hot boys are!

This is a lovely bar on camel street, the staff are very friendly…read more They offer a small menu ranging from starters, all day breakfast, steak and burgers a nice atmosphere with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and flowers on the table. On a Monday they offer 50% discount on all main meals as well as other food and drink offers during the week.

Gin&Steak... what a splendid combination! We especially loved the bar downstairs: great music of…read morethe 30's and very friendly staff. The restaurant was nice too, but the music was too pumped up, way too loud and not really supporting conversation during diner. The food was ok, but a bit pricy. Overall a good experience.

I found the establishment agreeable. Nice decor and feel to the place being underground. With…read moreregards to food we only ate a main, because there was nothing on the desert menu which appealed / rather limited so this is the only down side to the food. The steak I had for main was the rump, well done which was done nicely for the style. Chips were really good and the onion rings, although not rings - were beautiful and we could have gone through several portions. Some friends came to join us just as we finished eating so we then went to the bar area and had some drinks which is also as nice a place to be as the main dining area. Totally different style and vibe which is a nice contrast. All in all I found it a very unique place which I would recommend, I just wish the desert menu was elaborated a little. Price wise was £115 for two, which included two steak mains, 2 cocktails, 2 desert cocktails, a Hibiki Whisky and double G & T so a little more pricey than say, grill on the Alley but not extortionate either.