"Spacious walnut-wood tables, sleek, pendant lights suspended from high ceilings, and the occasional chorus of “yes, chef” from the open kitchen set the tone for the ultimate tasting menu in the city. Located in the post-industrial cool of Ancoats, everything here feels considered: from the stylish-but-comfortable chairs and ceramic plates, to the far-from-trad wine list showcasing small, low-intervention producers. The modern European cooking is also nothing short of majestic. Technique is a vessel for vivid flavours, like a plump Carlingford oyster in a swirling, Yayoi Kusama-looking concoction of horseradish-infused buttermilk split with dill oil. You could play it safe with a shorter menu, but then you’d miss the two-stage serving of langoustine, which is as euphoric as a night out at the Hacienda in the ‘80s. Food from the heavens, no question." - joel hart