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