Reviewing lunch time food and evening dining in Manchester's city centre
Cafe
Take Five, 55 Spring Gardens
03 months ago
by Mister Tum
in Cafe
Jacket Potato with cheese and beans £2.75
Been inspired to write about this lovely place after no less than TWO successful visits.
Really helpful, friendly staff. Good prices for quality food and decent portion sizes. Both times my jacket potato has been nice and hot (chilli and cheese last time – tomatoey and tasty) and barely fit in the box they give you.
All the food is given to take away but you can sit in if you want to, so none of that needless faffing you get at fast food joints about ‘tray or bag’ when you don’t even know if there’s room to sit in yet.
Filling, tasty, well-priced, friendly staff, and they’ve got a carvery too – look forward to trying it next time. Strongly recommended.
Cafe Lloyd, Lloyd Street, Manchester
05 months ago
by The Hobbit
in Cafe
After getting fed up of weeks of meal deals, pasta salads, packed lunches and all round healthy eating I decided to meet a friend for lunch. We both agreed as it was Friday the only way forward was Fish and Chips and met at Cafe Lloyd, a nice little cafe that doubles up as a fish and chip shop.
A sign caught my eye for the “meal deal”, Fish, Chips, Peas, two slices of bread and a drink all for £6.50. A tad expensive I hear you cry, not when you see the size of the portions Cafe Lloyd serves up. Admittedly I do have a large appetite and I am overly greedy but when the plate arrived the size of the fish was incredible and it wasn’t a portion of chips, more like a mound, for the first time in ages I knew I would be full afterwards. The whole meal was amazing, the fish was freshly cooked, I like my chips soggy and peas mushy, Cafe Lloyd has got this down to a fine art.
If you like your fish & chips and would like to eat in pleasant surroundings, then you can’t beat Cafe Lloyd for a lunchtime grease fill.
Detox Retox, Mosley Street, Manchester
1Many thanks to Sissy Rooney for her MANCMUNCH review that she submitted here. Congratulations Sissy, you are the first person (other than our own reviewers) to submit a MANCMUNCH review.
Without further ado here is Sissy’s dining experience.
The first thing I would like to say is OMG at last us vegetarians now have a cool veggie Bistro in the town centre and about time too. Myself and my partner went on valentines weekend and we where both taken back by the simple yet classy decor of the place it’s not over designed which is a refreshing change these days. The place feels very intimate and welcoming due to its size if you need the attention of the staff then it is very easy to get as you’re not looking miles across a room in the hope of catching a glimpse of a member of staff plus they are very attentive to your needs. So the owner Damien welcomed us and made us feel relaxed and talked us through the menu and drinks deals which were 2 for one on sprits before 7pm I think. As for the menu it was jaw droopingly tasty and appetising, it’s so refreshing being a vegetarian and having a whole menu to choose from it never really happens. So after a while perusing the menu I decide on homemade lemon and sundried tomato pate with homemade, warmed rosemary flatbread and olive oil for starters and Lancashire cheese double baked soufflé with purple sprouting broccoli, lyonnaise potatoes and homemade relish for mains while my boyfriend goes for Spinach and feta parcel with little herb salad & halloumi ‘fish’, chips & mushy peas . The food was just PERFECT after every bite came a smile, my boyfriend who is a meat eater absolutely loved his meal and said he felt really full after it and that it was a refreshing change to savour the flavours of vegetable based foods other than meaty flavours. After our meal we relaxed on the comfortable chesterfield sofa and finished our drinks we even had a chat with the owner about how he managed to take the step from being employed to becoming self employed and why a veggie bistro. He said that he felt he needed to take the risk of setting up on his own as it’s something he always wanted to do and am I GLAD he did take the risk as this is one type of place that Manchester town centre has been crying out for, so please do pop in and sample the delights and show your support for a risk taking entrepreneur.
THE EATERY – 3 Stevenson Square, Northern Quarter
01 year ago
by Mister Tum
in Cafe
Salmon and cream cheese wholemeal baguette with tomato, black pepper and side salad with peppers £4.05 (eating in).
An innocuous looking sandwichery from the outside nuzzling in the bosom of the Northern Quarter The Eatery is a sandwich shop with a difference: their food is fresh. After gnawing my way around countless stale baguette dispensing cafes, sandwich shops and delis in the city centre here’s one where the staff take pride in their work, and where the food genuinely feels and tastes as fresh as you’d hope.
I don’t often go for salmon and cream cheese – not because I dislike it, just because there’s usually more manly meat further up the menu to grab my attention first. In this case the tasty-looking beef was already bagsied by a certain bagginsy fellow ‘muncher. Still, I quite fancied something slightly different and that wasn’t a jacket potato.
The staff were all smiles as though they were actually happy to see us, another rare occurrence in the food industry. Opting to eat in seems to net you a bonus side salad that I’m not sure you get if you take your food away. In any case it was most welcome and consisted of lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers and, would you believe it, onions. In my experience onions are something city centre salads seem to shy away from, yet which deliver most of the flavour of the salad (you’d never find an onionless salad at Mr Tum’s house). I was ever so slightly miffed that I didn’t get offered a nice Caesar sauce like the rest of the customers, but this kind of thing tends to happen to me so I put it down to my requesting extra peppers and made up for it with salad cream instead.
Recall that sinking feeling as you look through the glass at the cold meat in, say, a certain cafe on York Street, wondering to yourself how many days it’s been out under those lamps? Well, here you can sit back, relax and enjoy the dimly lit, slightly bland but spotlessly clean environs. The salmon was moist and succulent, the cream cheese spread generously but not overwhelming, the salad unsullied and clean tasting, and the bread was fresh and wholesome. Name one supermarket which can say that about their offerings!
Usually I’d balk at that price for a sandwich, but you know what? After all those crappalata sarnies I’ve eaten in Manchester it was finally worth it to invest a little extra and just calm down and actually enjoy the meal. Great stuff, good recommendation, I’d go back in a jiffy.
Eat, The Arndale Centre
01 year ago
For the second day running I’ve been to Eat in The Arndale Centre.
I’ve had the same thing both times so there’s just one review. The first thing to say is that the food in there does generally look really fresh and tasty. The second thing to say is that it doesn’t really cater for your budget is not generous.
Anyway, I’ve had the crayfish noodle salad both days and its pretty tasty to be honest. Its tossed lightly in a satay sauce and has a freshness added by the inclusion of half a lime to squeeze over the top. Its not a spectacular meal but its tasty and healthy which fits the bill at the moment.
As usual I was with Stevo for both visits and he loves the place which is why I went. I wont be going if I’m not with Stevo as its pricey and further than I normally go at lunch; but then again, I wont protest if he wants to go again next week.
At £7.65 its one of the most expensive lunches I’ve had.
PS There sould be a follow up to this review later this afternoon when I tuck into the Wasabi Peas I treated myself to 
Save Our Sandwich, Fountain Street, Manchester
01 year ago
by i_am_big_g
in Cafe
To be honest, I only went in because Stevo had suggested it a couple of times and I couldnt say no for a 3rd time…
I had a quick browse through the sandwich menu and opted for a chicken, bacon & spinach mayo ciabata. The price was ok, but the sandwich was pretty uninspiring - not especially tasty and nothing to get excited about.
The only redeeming factor was the excellent selection of snacks they sell to accompany the sandwiches. I had a bag of onion rings which I can never resist and they were delicious. I think it sums up my enjoyment of the place - crisps ought to be the also ran, the inconsequential part of lunch to top off the carb level, but my onion rings are the only reason I’d go back…
Incidentally, why does everywhere charge so much for upgrading to a ciabata. Lucky that I’m so greedy, or I wouldn’t go for it!
Franklins Deli, York Street, Manchester
01 year ago
by i_am_big_g
in Cafe
I drive past this spot just before I reach the office every morning and when at a loose end yesterday lunchtime, I decided to pop in.
A good selection of is available from Franklins including carvery style hot meats, jacket potatoes, as well as the more standard hot and cold sandwiches.
Looking at the boards behind the counter, I immediately spotted the club sandwich special – described as being triple decked and overfilled with bacon, chicken, tomatoes and egg mayonnaise.
It certainly was over stuffed! It was one of the most delicious sandwiches I have had in a long time. I was barely able to take bites out of it because of how plentifully it was filled. The amount of egg mayonnaise was staggering, and I was not disappointed by the amount of bacon and chicken either.
What can I say other than go and try one!
As for the place itself, it was a little quiet and you got the feeling that you were taking the staff for a test drive; but, seeing as it has only been open for a few days, that’s no surprise.
As I had enjoyed it so much, I immediately recommended it to a colleague who popped in for a jacket potato with veggie chilli – which she enjoyed thoroughly.
I will be going back soon.
Giovannis, New York Street, Manchester
21 year ago
by i_am_big_g
in Cafe
£4.90 for sandwich and can of pop
Well, Giovanni’s has done it again. In I walked with Stevo having no idea what I fancied. One quick look at the specials board provided the answer – a toasted steak, onion, mushroom and worcester sauce panini.
Y-U-M-M-Y
Seriously tasty, and I mean seriously. I would highly recommend this sandwich and Giovanni’s generally. I popped in again today on the off chance that this special was still going. It was. Yet again, it was lovely.
Rustica, Hilton Street, Manchester
11 year ago
by Mister Tum
in Cafe
Bacon, sausage and egg on brown Frisbee with red sauce (or Tomato Ketchup as some of us are wont to call it) £2.60
Time to settle the score on where the Friday breakfast of choice is at in city centre en ce moment. “Fives” some people say, “Don Giovannis” others mutter, “that place on High Street” others whisper. Well, they’re all wrong. In terms of sheer overwhelming enthusiasm – admittedly not always matched by order-accuracy – you simply cannot beat Rustica on Hilton Street. Free delivery for orders over a tenner if you manage to guilt your work-mates into sharing a greasy hangover-sponge breakie with you and you just can’t be arsed walking.
And it comes, not in a barm, a bap, a baguette or a bloomer, but in a giant fricking Frisbee. Yes, it will make you suspect dubious cardiac activity as you work your way through it. Yes, they do sometimes get the sauce wrong, or put so little on that you have to stock up on your own bottle of TK to restore balance to the Sauce-Force. Yes, they are sometimes a bit cheeky about having to walk all this way on a Friday whilst they’re so busy. But hey, this is all part of the friendly banter and great customer service that you come to expect from your friendly neighbourhood Rustica.
The food is plentiful, cooked, hot, comes in a foil wrap to keep it fresh, it’s also cheap for what it is when compared to the rest of the city centre market, and it is satisfying to the extreme. If you don’t enjoy getting the meat-sweats from this giant Frisbee and having to gulp down a cup of steaming hot tea to aid you in soaking up the 6 or 7 kilos of raw salt that this dish brings as standard, then you might as well just go and eat corn flakes for the rest of your boring life.
Baguette Express, Mosley Street
21 year ago
Meal: Jacket Potato with tuna mayo, Walkers Crisps and a can of Irn-Bru
There has been a lot of fuss in the office the last couple of days over this new found eatery, A big step up from the likes of Subway in terms of quality of food and customer service, with the bonus of a huge menu (not just baguettes!).
In the interests of comparison, I decided to go for the baked potato with tuna, as this is what I ordered recently at a similar style of eatery down the road. I wanted to see how it compared to another local dish as well as how it favoured my own palate.
So the fight is on…. Baguette Express, Mosley Street Vs Giovannis Deli, New York Street
The potato was cooked to perfection, crispy skin… fluffy potato innards with lashings of tuna and mayonnaise. the crisps and drink were from popular well known brands so not much to say on that front. The only problem I can think of was that the tuna mayo tasted like it was missing something… At Giovannis this was mixed with some chopped peppers and onion to add a little extra crunch but this was just plain tuna and mayo.
In terms of price, Baguette Express wins hands down, while I took advantage of a “2 dine for £4.99″ meal deal, the normal deal is a main, snack and drink for £3, so it fits in nicely with the standard £3 meal deal floating around town at the minute. At Giovannis it was £2.50, just for the meal but as I said it did add that little extra which I think is worth the extra price.
I didn’t eat in, but there is ample room if I did, there is the standard stool/table combination by the front window, with a comfortable looking sofa area between that and the counter area, and then a magical spiral stairway up to a mezzanine level which wonders I did not get to see, but the murmur of happy patrons above suggests it was a reasonable place to munch your manc lunch (see what I did there….).
All in all… I really enjoyed this meal and at a very reasonable price, I shall definitely be going again, will I buy the potato again? hmmm not sure, probably not with tuna as it didn’t do it for me, but with a wide range of other toppings available I will probably be getting it at least once more.
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