62 � squaremeal.co.uk For fuller reviews of 11,500 restaurants throughout the UK, visit squaremeal.co.uk

to this "truly special restaurant" speaks of

high-end French gastronomy. It's all about

the details with this "carefully considered"

cooking, including an "epic" escalope of

foie gras with gingerbread and quince

compote. Prices may sting, but we concur

with those who think it's "magical".

MANC HESTER

HOUSE

Tower 12, 18-22 Bridge Street,

Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3BZ;

0161 835 2557 ££££ [11]

Mancunian hotspot delivers the goods

"One of a kind in Manchester", TV chef

Aiden Byrne's latest venture combines a

"fantastically exciting" restaurant with an

uber-glamorous bar - 10 floors apart in a

reconfigured office block. �ere are great

12

1 Benedicts Norwich 2 The Great House Su¢olk 3 Maison Bleue Su¢olk 4 Pea Porridge Su¢olk

5 Roger Hickman's Restaurant Norwich ● from Squaremeal's 2016 reader survey

5 M ORE RE ADER FAVOU RIT E S / M I DLANDS + E AST

city views from the dining room, where

dishes are as dressed to impress as the

blingy decor. Expect "plenty of theatre"

from "wonderfully creative" dishes ranging

from steamed pigeon with cherry broth

and mustard to braised flank of beef with

Txogitxu tartare and choucroute.

RESTAURANT MARK

GREENAWAY

69 North Castle Street, Old Town,

Edinburgh, EH1 3JT; 0131 226 1155

££££ [13]

Inventive cooking from a local hero

Ambience and staff come in for praise,

while "consistently excellent" food is

"a feast for the eye and the taste buds".

Perhaps 11-hour pork belly with a porkcheek

pie and toffee-apple jus or frozen

13

rhubarb mousse with ginger and hibiscus

jelly, pressed candy floss and amaretti

meringue. Front-of-house partner Nicola

deserves a special mention.

T HE FRENCH BY

SIMON ROGAN

The Midland Hotel, 16 Peter Street,

Manchester, M60 2DS; 0161 236 3333

£££££ [5]

Northern star's head-turning outpost

"Stunning food in an historic setting"

doesn't do justice to this palate-challenging

outpost. �e food balances "heritage and

progressive cuisine" (Rogan's words) on

revelatory tasting menus: broad beans and

peas with egg yolk, nasturtium, truffle and

turnip juice; poached cherries and sweet

cheese with hazelnuts and oxalis. Praise

too for the pared-back lunchtime carte.

NORTHCOTE

Northcote Road, Langho,

Blackburn, Lancashire, BB6 8BE;

01254 240555 £££££ [4]

A luxuriously indulgent

Lancashire institution

Synonymous with genuine

warmth and top-ticket

hospitality, Nigel Haworth's

Michelin-starred flagship offers "luxurious

indulgence", a fastidiously curated wine

list and "consistently inventive" dishes.

�e kitchen polishes Lancashire's culinary

traditions, while sourcing and seasonality

are key - think black pudding and buttered

trout with mustard and watercress.

T HE KITCHIN

78 Commercial Quay, Leith,

Edinburgh, EH6 6LX; 0131 555 1755

£££££ [12]

Seasonal thrills from Scotland's top chef

"Wish we lived nearer", says a fan

of Tom Kitchin's Michelin-starred

restaurant. 'From nature to plate' is the

slogan and Kitchin sources the best

Scottish produce for his clean-flavoured

cooking: roast hake comes with crispy

potato 'scales', mussels, wild garlic and

14

15

16

"CONSISTENCY

PERSONIFIED"

Greg Stephenson

on Northcote

NORTHCOTE

MANCHESTER HOUSE

RESTAURANT MARK

GREENAWAY