Northern Quarter

Modern light restaurant, great spot for sophisticated food. Very enjoyable experience, it was the first time I tried famous French onion soup, couldn't be happier with a choice of starter. The main dish, ox cheeks was equally delicious. The portions were quite filling, so was too full to try desserts, but hopefully one day I'll be back. The restaurant is quite expensive, however, they took part in 50% off January promotions, hope they will continue this tradition next year;)

Came here for a nice Sunday roast. Cozy spot to settle into for a bit. Very very good! Nice variety of options but my beef was tasty. Great service too!

Visiting from the States, I was told I must experience "a proper Sunday roast". So I came to TNQ to do just that and am so glad I did! The food was fantastic and flavorful. Along with the Sunday roast, I ordered the mango panna cotta. I almost got up and danced right there on the spot, it was so delicious!

We enjoyed a lovely evening at The Northern Quarter (TNQ) on their Thirsty Thursday offer, where you can get 3 courses & unlimited wine for £29.50. Very, very reasonable - especially when you can drink a lot of wine! It's relatively small inside, with no 'front desk', so you have to catch someone's attention very quickly if you don't want to feel out of place lurking by the front door. Luckily for us, our waiter was totally on the ball and had us seated quickly, and the level of service and attention remained high throughout the meal; something that doesn't always happen when you're trying to take advantage of a special offer... The Thirsty Thursday menu is small but certainly provides plenty of different options in terms of taste - after doing some light lunchtime reading i.e. deliberating over the menu for a good half an hour earlier that day, I quickly decided on the asparagus with ham croquettes, the smoked mozzarella & aubergine pithivier, and then the crème brûlée. We shared some bread and olives between the table and these simply set us up for an excellent meal. Everything was presented with care and there's a real eye for detail coming from the kitchen. The asparagus was a lovely light start, though the ham croquettes could easily be the lead item from this dish! The pithivier was something a little bit different and, although it took a few bites to get used to the smoked mozzarella, was really well put together for a purely vegetarian main. I wasn't a huge fan of the biscotti which came with dessert, but everything else - from the crack of the hard caramel to the rich berry coulis - was delicious. You're restricted to a two hour window with the unlimited wine, but the bottles kept coming! They could easily be stingy with the deal but at no point did I feel that they were keeping much of an eye on us or preventing us from ordering more. Glasses were kept topped up and changing colour at the end was no issue. I'm so glad I've had the opportunity to try TNQ and experience some finer dining amongst outlets providing predominantly indulgent feasts; I enjoyed most things deep fried, but sometimes you just need a meal with white linen tablecloths, attentive service and glass after glass of wine.

I really enjoyed everything about my meal at TNQ. Food, wine, service and company were all excellent. We ate from the Thirsty Thursday set menu offering three courses and unlimited wine for just under £30. As set menus go this was brilliant value and pleasingly the main courses came with veg and carbs - quite often these need ordering separately which ramps up the price. Less of my miserly chat and onto the food. I went for asparagus with ham croquettes and hollandaise; sea bass with Jersey Royal galette; and creme brulee. I enjoyed all aspects of this meal and wouldn't really fault or change anything. The hollandaise was really delicious and I tried to eat every last bit of it though, which prompted some gentle ribbing from the waiter. Everyone else was drinking white wine during the meal so I went along with this and really enjoyed it. It was very flavourful and had none of the acidic taste I associate with white wine. (My wine education has been largely in red so white is still a bit of a mystery!) However I opted for a glass of red to go with my dessert which was also delicious, very rich. There really aren't any catches to the unlimited wine deal other than the ones that are advertised - there's a two hour window; and unless anyone is not drinking you all need to eat from the set menu. Overall I had a really lovely time here. Very different to my usual dining options but definitely one I'll keep up my sleeve for next time I fancy something a little classier!

One of the best lunches I've had in Manchester. If you're looking for a NICE place to go for lunch then TNQ is it.! Every dish we ordered was exceptional in taste and in presentation. The soup was creamy and light and the salt and pepper squid was cooked to perfection. For mains, the TNQ pot pie that I ordered was one of the best pies I've had in a while and the chunky cut chips only added to the dish when I dipped them in my leftover chicken and mushroom inside of the pie. Neil's risotto was also cooked spot on.! Their lunch (express) menu is available Monday - Saturday 12pm - 6.30pm and is an excellent 2 courses for £13.95 or 3 courses for £16.95! For the value for money, food and atmosphere this could possibly be my favourite place for lunch in the city! Do try it!

So for a little while I'd wanted to go here but never really found the occasion. However, the other night I had planned to go to Grill on The Alley with a couple of the girls when I realised none of us had booked. It being a Saturday close to Christmas, the place was of course completely full. We tried Modern as I was going out with some proper food snobs and I wanted to make sure we were going to somewhere good. However, having just won 'Best Restaurant' at the Food and Drink awards, it was also full. So TNQ was a bit of an after thought really. They had tables, we needed one. I'd heard it was good but I was a bit disappointed so not too excited. I'm glad to say I was completely and utterly taken aback with the outstanding service we received! It was fantastic, the food was perfect. Real British food, beautifully cooked, I had the lamb for my main course and it was honestly the best I've ever had in a restaurant. The scallops I had for starter were perfectly cooked too, gorgeous. Absolutely everyone on our table enjoyed their meal, we were really impressed. The staff were fantastic, incredibly attentive and a really good laugh actually. The prices weren't too expensive, certainly not as pricey as the places we were thinking of heading too and the atmosphere was more relaxed. The location is fantastic too as it's right in the heart of the Northern Quarter. Very very good, will be back.

The Northern Quarter has been here at least since I moved to the NQ. I'm pretty sure I ate here before I moved to the NQ. What I'm trying to say is, that this is a bit of an institution. I'm pretty sure the seating over the other side of the street is relatively recent, maybe in the last 5 years or so, they definitely didn't have that the first time I came. I wouldn't say I'm a regular, but I should be considering how close it is to home and how nice the food is. It's a really safe deal - the food is always going to be nice and it's always going to be well presented. The Sunday lunch is really good, I'd definitely recommend trying it out. My most recent visit was this evening. A text from a friend led to an impromptu Monday evening eating and drinking out. We sat outside to make the most of the un-Manchester-like weather. It was so pleasant and such a nice atmosphere. The service was friendly. We ordered from the express menu, which is two courses for £13.95. Great value. I had the salt and pepper squid, was so tasty and a very pretty looking plate. I then had the crab linguine, and that was really nice. If I hadn't spent the afternoon eating cake I would have finished it. My friend was a veggie and had the eggs benedict and pea & asparagus risotto. On the menu, the eggs had bacon but they were more than happy to substitute for spinach, which was really nice. We had one large glass and one small glass of rose. Including tip, we paid £25 each, which is pretty good value. Highly recommend.

I had my heart set on a Sunday roast, unusually, and thought it an opportune moment to try out TNQ. First impressions: the place is quite small, though on pleasant days their outdoor seating across the street might appeal. The huge windows make for a bright dining room, though the echo from the high ceiling and bare walls can make it quite loud even if it's quiet. I started with salt and pepper squid on rice noodles, with a peanut, lime and chilli dressing. It was light, fresh, and piquant, with good flavours to match meaty chunks of squid. For the main, I got the roast beef I was after. Tender, juicy, lightly pink, in a flavourful gravy (which I was offered more of halfway through, thoughtfully). It shared the plate with a slightly meagre handful of garlic and rosemary potatoes, tender and rich with beefy notes from the dripping, but needing to be a bit crisper on the outside; the Yorkshire pudding was pleasant pillowy (read huge and hollow). The carrot and swede mash and buttered cabbage were good; the surprisingly light cauliflower cheese with truffle oil was moreish and memorable. It's on the general side menu too and well worth trying if you go! The ginger in my chocolate cheesecake came through impressively, a very skilfully balanced flavouring (even if it was served on a wooden board). Suggesting tea pairings with the desserts was a nice touch, and the mint and caramel tea certainly went well. The highlight of the whole meal? The price of their Sunday menu. Less than £17 for three courses, or less than £14 for two, makes for a very pleasant Sunday afternoon indeed. I very much enjoyed TNQ, and I'll be back.

I enjoyed my chilled lunch in this place, The place has a funny smell to it, like a pub, I expected it to not smell as damp as it should. The lack of air ventilation as seen could be the reason why seeing it as an old building. The food on the other hand was superior. Love the tartar sauce and mushy peas of my fish and chips. Moreover, the tea provided to this restaurant is amazing!! One of the best teas I've had in a long time. Wouldn't hesitate to come back here again in the foreseeable future. Do come on lunch time and a 2 dish courses for 12.95 or 3 dish courses for 16.95. Very decent price for the quality of food they provide.

This review is based on my visit in Autumn 2015. I've been interested in this place for a while due to their seasonal menus and rich foods including game and uncommon vegetables. I went there for early dinner accompanied by my friend. The inside has a rustic charm with it's soft lighting, olive green walls and wooden furniture. The windows are large giving an airy feel during the day but the atmosphere really picks up late in the evening as the restaurant fills up. Each menu had a varied selection so there is bound to be something for everyone. It was quite hard to pick something as I'm an avid everything eater, especially when it comes to things I haven't yet tried to cook myself, such as game. I ordered the honey and sage rosado but unfortunately I was later informed that they had ran out of sage and asked if I minded if rosemary was used instead. I did not mind this but I thought it a shame that they didn't have any sage, especially since it wasn't a weekend evening. To start, we ordered the crispy courgette flower stuff with lemon, cream cheese & basil, pepper compote) and the pan-fried wood pigeon confit leg, figs & port reduction. I was surprised at how light the courgette flower was. It was a really nice starter and I only wish there was more of it. The vegetables still had a bite to them, the batter was crispy and the compote delicious. The pigeon was cooked well and went excellently with the sweetness of the figs. This was also a nice contrast to the courgette flower as it was rich and sweet whereas the courgette flower was lighter in taste. For mains we ordered the Barry Pugh's suckling pig, apple & celeriac mash, chantenay carrots & cider jus and the Goosnargh duck breast, confit leg, mousseline potato, charred spring onion & blackberry jus. The suckling pig was absolutely delicious but there was a lot of it, too much in fact for me. There wasn't a strong apple taste in the mash either which I felt slightly disappointed by as everyone knows that apple and pork go well together. The duck breast was also very tasty but again I felt there was too much meat on the plate. In hindsight I should have ordered a side or two of veggies to accompany these dishes as I did not realise just how little veg there would be. For dessert we shared a vanilla infused panna cotta, marsala poached peaches & dried raspberries. This was actually very disappointing. I felt like the panna cotta had very little flavour and the dried raspberries added nothing but an annoyance to the dessert. The peaches were nice and helped to add some flavour to the dish. I think I would give this place another go given the right conditions. It is a fairly expensive restaurant to go to without a discount voucher so that would put me off going in casually.

A bit of early bank holiday celebrations around the thrust of the Northern Quarter, a few hours into the relax came the onset of hunger and the pondering of where to go to fill the hole and fuel us up for a lengthier outing. With the desire of more than just the usual bar food mix, the question of where for real cuisine, around the vicinity, became quite a struggle. With pizza being off the cards, there only was two other suggestions and The Northern Quarter restaurant became the recommendation of choice. Tucked away and easily missed, this establishment is a little gem for the date to impress or the group of friends who know quality food. I must admit not quite for the typical student, with the a la carte menu being quite pricy and the choice of intricately described fancy foods. Being seated with the only option by the kitchen wasn't massively impressive, while a large group were being accommodated for in the cosy sized place. The service was say average, sitting by the kitchen watching everyone get served their food whilst wasting away was not my idea of a great time, although the bottle of white to accompany was going down nicely. When the food was finally served though, it did not disappoint. The hake, potato cake and brown shrimp (£13.95) was well worth the semi-torturous wait. It's presentation and flavour perfection. My friend too was far from disappointed, the meal delivered and what then justified paying the final price for. Missing the £9.99 deal for two courses by twenty minutes was a bit upsetting but I will definitely pencil in another visit to sample another dish on the gorgeously cooked menu for a second time.

The Northern Quarter, on first impression, feels achingly hip. The kind of place that churns out idiots with iPads and a penchant for ultra-obscure Peruvian beers. Those Kind Of People only make up 1% of Manchester's coolest quarter. Fact is, the NQ is a really varied and brilliant place to hang out. Sure enough, there's bars that may make people feel uneasy amongst the designer labels, but for every Bluu or Walrus there's The Crown Hotel and TrofNQ which are more scruffy cord jacket haunts, rather than hipsters in thick rimmed specs. The variety of things on offer in this section of town is incredibly impressive. Good pubs, good bars, great little cafes, record shops, clothes shops, loads of vintage/thrift shops and restaurants too. Then you've got the stuff that really makes this area stand out such as Affleck's Palace, Magma, Matt & Phreds and the comic book stores. To be honest with you, people who don't like the Northern Quarter have something wrong with them. These people, one can only assume, are tired of being alive. This pocket of Manchester has everything you need and probably a few surprises too if you're new to the area. Essentially the Northern Quarter is what makes Manchester feel so great. Once you crack the veneer of 'cool', it's a really down-to-Earth network of shops, bars and eateries that match anything in any other city in the world. And to think some of us take it for granted.

I'd have loved to have been a fly on the wall when they were naming this one. 'So what do we have here?' 'It's a restaurant in the Northern Quarter.' 'Right. So how do we want to say that This is a Northern Quarter Restaurant. What name would encompass that succinctly and simply.' Well, you can't argue that it does what it says on the tin. And the Northern Quarter Restaurant is situated aptly in one of the Northern Quarter hubs of activity, that being the end of Thomas Street. This is without doubt a place that is fit for foodies, and if you want to impress a gourmand bring them here. It's simple, sure, but isn't that what Gordon Ramsay enforces whenever he sorts out one of his Kitchen Nightmares? 'Strip it doooown,' he yells, adding a characteristic 'for f**k's sake.' Here be the Best of British. The food is pretty much faultless, from melt in the mouth beef and lamb to the vegetarian heaven of the mushroom and chestnut wellington, which I did, I'll admit, go Ga-Ga over. Sides such as 'fat chips', I mean that just screams traditional grub. I can't think of anything more satisfying than a fat chip. It's a seasonal menu so it changes regularly, but you can be sure that there'll be plenty of fish, several kinds of roast meat and some veggie options on offer. The small plates are great value too, as starters or sharers, and the confit sage and onion tart with Cheshire golden brie and roast beets is a particular favourite of mine. The space is light and airy and the accompanying drinks and wine are plentiful and fab. While there can sometimes be issues with waiting times I couldn't recommend TNQ (as it's often colloquially referred to) more.

I am always trying to find a great Sunday roast in Manchester, and found this place when I was wandering around Northern Quarter one day. It was pretty busy so I made a reservation for that Sunday... Normally the roast portions are quite big so we only did the 2 courses for £13.95 or if you are really hungry there are 3 courses available for £16.95... My reservation was a bit late and it was a busy day, so they had sold out the lamb! GUTTED. That is usually my first choice. i had a beef and my friend had duck. Both are really good, quality of the meat are nice, the Yorkshire Puddings are baked and really toasty but not hard (I've had the type when you bite into it and your gums started bleeding...) the sides were all very nice, especially the cauliflower with cheese which was really cheesy and creamy. All the veggies weren't overcooked like the "traditional English way" I've had at most restaurants (my opinion, you can tell me if I'm wrong ) where they're usually just cooked until practically melted....gravy was nice and not overly-strong that it would overpower the flavor of meat.. It was not particularly busy at the time that we went, but the staff were a bit slow and aloof. Also they weren't really helpful when we asked about the menu ... That was the biggest disappointment. Food was great but not so much with the service.

Let me tell you about our visit to the Northern Quarter Restaurant, I visited in March 2010. Before my visit I knew little about this place apart from the fact that it was in a good location to stumble upon if you are walking around the NQ. I actually decided to try this place after buying one of the Groupon vouchers which gives you a certain amount more towards your meal, e.g you buy a voucher for £15 and you get £25 worth of food. Anyway I booked the restaurant for 2pm on a Saturday, thinking it would be nice for a spot of lunch after some shopping and to use the voucher you do need to book in advance. We entered the place just before 2pm, it was very quiet unlike every other establishment in the vicinity - which should have set alarm bells ringing for us. No one came over to us when we walked in and we were unsure whether to take a seat or wait to be seated, I approached the young girl behind the bar who I assumed heard us come in, however she did not turn around and was tapping buttons on the till tentatively, I had to say 'excuse me' twice, quite loudly before she turned around. I mentioned we had a table booked and we were using a voucher, 'Should we sit anywhere?' I asked to which she nodded. It was then about another seven minutes or so before she brought our menus and then wandered off before she could offer us a drink or we could ask. Then another ten minutes later a young waiter came over to see if we wanted a drink, by this time we were gasping and had already read the menu three times, which is a limited set lunch time menu. He was friendly enough and we gave our order, our drinks arrived shortly after although by this point we had been sat down for over 15 minutes. A short while later our meals appeared, which did taste as though they had been cooked fresh, but I personally felt was nothing memorable but not terrible either, but I did think to myself based on the whole experience so far I'm glad we were not paying full price for these dishes. After finishing our meal we ordered one more round of drinks, it's important to note at this stage that my other half ordered a mineral water for both of her drinks. When the first drink arrived, like they are supposed to they left the (small) bottle of mineral water on the table with the glass. On the second round it was the young waitress who brought a glass of water and when placing the glass on the table said "here's your tap water". It wasn't a big issue so she didn't say anything and we had our final drinks and thought we'd take note to make sure it does not show on the bill as a mineral water. I caught the waiter's eye and whilst passing him our voucher asked for bill, at this point he scrunched his face and our saga began, "oh, did you book? You can only use these if you book", "Yes" I replied he then asked "well did you tell the waitress when you seated" again I said "yes" (as I'm quite voucher savvy these days). There was a pause, he walked off and then told me it was her first day but he'll speak to the manager - like they were doing us a favour. A few moments later he came back and told me that I shouldn't have ordered of the lunch menu, that I should have used the (more expensive) a' la carte. I showed him the voucher again and pointed out the fact that it does not say anywhere you have to order from a certain menu, but rather the discount was just on 'food'. He disappeared again, came back and told me that this one time the manager our honour it, as if we should now be grateful that they're not going to rip us off! The final insult came when our bill arrived and it showed the last drink as being mineral water and not tap. Again we called the waiter over the query this, informing him the other waitress told us it was tap water and didn't leave any mineral water bottle. At this point he categorically assured us it was mineral water and proceeded to show us a random empty bottle in a bin, stating he poured it himself. We didn't want to linger her any longer so we said that we won't be paying the 10% service charge which they automatically stuck on the bill, we paid what we owed and left feeling quite disgruntled. We shall never be going back after our experience and strolling passed the other café's, bistros and restaurants in the area which were all full of people, we could see that we were obviously not alone in thinking this.

Had a great meal in TNQ with my bro Joe and we both agreed it was excellent and I nearly went back to have the exact same thing again the following night on my own, kind of in secret. But decided against in the end. We both had Spinach and Watercress soup, which rocked, and then I had chicken which also rocked.

Ok my review is solely on the food. The location was nice and the staff was also very nice. The food however was absolutely horrible. I ordered the bass. Which came on a bed of chorizo, mashed potatoes and green beans. All of which lacked flavor. It was simply just a mesh of things put together without any flavors...too complicated of a dish and bland. And the fish was bland..not only did it not have taste but the skin was soggy. I'm sorry but if it were done right the skin should've been nice and crispy and full of flavor. There was no star in that dish...just a bunch of halfly put together ingredients. So dissapponted as this was my first night in Manchester and was expecting better quality. Also ordered a hummus dish, which was ok. There were no chips or bread that came with it. Finally asked the waiter to bring us something and he brought some carrots...the carrots were definitely old and cut the day before. Overall dissapponted here. But only because of the food. The wait staff was nice and the restaurant itself was also nice and clean.

As others have noted/experienced there's potential for awkwardness on arrival here as there is no host stand but the maitre'd immediately sprang to attention when I walked in and stashed my suitcase and coat. He was friendly and attentive throughout the meal, the other servers were rather non-descript but overall we were well catered for and there was no shortage of the unlimited wine the others were drinking. Despite booking for the awesome Thirsty Thursday deal (3 course and unlimited house wine for 2 hours for £30), I wasn't feeling too good so decided to spend £30 on food instead. I had a nice cheese souffle to start and a well cooked sirloin for my main, accompanied by truffle cauliflower cheese. The menu overall has a really nice, appealing range and every dish is well-executed if not mind-blowing. I would definitely come back here as somewhere that seems both reliable and interesting. The atmosphere is relaxed and convivial and it's not too loud so it's great if you want to chat with partner/friends/family (examples of all these types of groups, and ages, were present). It's also fun to watch the chefs prepare food through the kitchen hatch! Finally keep an eye out for their deals - the £16.50 Sunday lunch sounds particularly good.

I really want to like TNQ, however I don't get a good vibe from the layout of the restaurant. To start there is no host stand at the front, so if there is nobody around to meet you, you have to walk across the restaurant to get somebodies attention...or hover in the doorway and feel like everybody is staring at you like a scene from the league of gentlemen haha We were pretty hungry so ordered some olives (thumbs up!) and then dove straight in to mains. I went for the hake with mussels, spinach. It was a delicious big piece of fish, however the sauce was extremely salty (and I like my salt!) My friend went for the lamb shoulder....again, it was a huge piece of meat, and was succulent and fell straight off the bone. The squash purée it came with was definitely a big thumbs up on this dish! The service was pleasant and I saw there is 2 courses for £13.95, 3 for £16.95 on Sunday dinners, so I will have to go again and report back :)

Really enjoyed my visit to the Northern Quarter restaurant and have to say the food is definitely more imaginative than its name. Went for lunch and was impressed right away by the warm welcome we received. Lunch was a bargain too with 2 courses costing £13.95 especially when you take into account the quality of the food. Both being very hungry we went for the gourmet burger and fish and chips. Each dish was presented in an interesting way, making them look a bit more special than when served in most places. My fish and chips were delicious and worth every calorie. Definitely a place to try in the NO.

For British classics cooked with twist, The Northern Quarter Restaurant ticks all the boxes. It might have been cold and damp outside when we visited for lunch recently, but we were met with a warm and friendly welcome. I chose the burger and fries, cooked just to my liking with a tasty homemade tomato relish and Cheddar, while my dining companion, the wife, tucked into fish, chips and Manchester caviar, i.e mushy peas. We washed it all down with a glass of Prosecco each ( hey we're not Champagne Charlies, it was included in the deal) and was a great way to spend a Tuesday afternoon when you're off work. Recommended.

I really owe this place a review, so here it is. This is the quintessial neighbourhood restaurant. It doesn't get much attention, it's not fashionable or glitzy. It just serves very good food and drink at a reasonable price. A few years ago they seemed to have a bit of a wobble, but my more recent visits have been very good. As a local kind of place it's not necessarily somewhere you'd plan an entire weekend around, or somewhere for the "shock of the new", but if you want a decent tasty meal, this is really a great choice, and easily the best modern British place to eat in the NQ. The staff here are always very friendly too.

On a cold October evening The Northern Quarter made for a very warm, inviting dining location. It looks great from both inside and our. The staff are friendly and attentive and it sports a fairly impressive wine list. The menu would probably best be described as modern british and I was glad they didn't rush us to order as there were quite a few choices I could have made. Our starters of carpaccio of beef and soup both hit the spot. The beef simply melting in the mouth. I could have eaten more. My main of plaice with brown shrimps and capers was tasty enough but perhaps not as spectacular as I was hoping for. Perhaps I should have had the steak? Or the suckling pig? Or the chicken? Too many choices. My partner wasn't blown away by the cheese and onion pie but I reckon that's what you get for choosing vegetarian. What she was impressed by was the Creme Brulee though. I'm not en expert so I'll need to accept that it was as good as I was told. So all in all, slightly disappointing on the main courses but for all other courses, wine, service and ambience the Norther Quarter scores top marks. I'd certainly give it another go the next time I'm in Manchester.

The Northern Quarter in Manchester is where you will find all the city's alternative and original shops, bars and cafes. Affleks Palace offers good alternative shoppinwith many outlets spread over 4 floors including vintage clothes, fetish gear, jewellery and accessories, shoes, a body piercing studio, and a cafe. There are many more alternative and vintage shops in the area including Pop Boutique which sells vintage clothes, retro home accessories and has a vegetarian cafe in the basement. Another vegetarian cafe in the area is the Earth cafe which is part of Manchester's Bhuddist Centre and sells healthy vegetarian and vegan food for reasonable prices. The portions are very big too!

I went here with my partner using a voucher which I bought on Groupon recently for £40 (I think). It included a two course of meal and a glass of champagne. The food was delicious. We had a couple of bottles of wine which were priced around average and we had puddings each. My partner had sweetbreads to start which he said were delicious (I didnt taste) and I had crrab and avocado mille feuille which was lovely too. We then had organic salmon which was loevly & moist and steak, which I am told was beautifully cooked. The veg was all very al dente. Puddings were creme caramel and a chocolate mousse and no complaints there either. The only observations that I would make in criticism are that (1) Although very ameniable, the service was very slow. In our case that didnt matter as we were chatting and happy to sit, but others might not have been quite so accommodating and (2) The ambience could perhaps be improved a little. Id definitely recommend it though on the quality of the food and would be happy to return for an evening.

The first time I went here, I was pretty impressed, but wondered why on earth they felt the need to put a chocolate brownie with strawberry ice cream (everyone knows it's meant to be vanilla, right?) The second time I went, my main dish of fillet steak was beautifully cooked, but again, the dessert was a confusing mix of flavours. The third time I visited, I shared a delightfully cooked chateaubriand, which was accompanied by three bland tasting sauces and a root vegetable dauphinoise that really didn't belong. Anyone spot a running theme? Basically, this place would be great if it didn't try too hard. I always feel a little let down, like 'everything would have been great if only they hadn't bothered with x or y'. Plus, it's mightily expensive, and I'm not entirely sure that the cost is entirely warranted. I have to say that I've given this place the benefit of the doubt a number of times, and there are a fair few reasons why. The staff are always very friendly and helpful, the restaurant location is relatively handy and the décor is simple and classy. Plus, a massive bonus is that you can use a Hi Life card on a Friday night (cashback!) However the fact that I always come away feeling a tad disappointed is starting to wear my patience down. My advice? Try it but don't expect too much. You never know, you might just love it. I am a fussy cow after all.

We walked in off the street on a Saturday night and had to wait a bit. Yet once we were seated the serve was actually quick. Drinks were good ...I had the fish stew,my boyfriend the sea bream and we had bread. All was delicious ..only complaint the was the noise level...other than that it's a great meal for under 60£

The Northern Quarter is still great but not as magical and original as it was 5 years ago. Still Manchester's best place, especially if you're new to Manchester.. Pity it is becoming a bit gentrified with Southerners.. Check out the best cafe - avoid Love Saves the Day and Cup and go to the Art Cafe where the food and drink is good, unpretentious and cheap. 9/10

This was one of my favourite areas of Manchester.Easily seen as the most bohemian area the place is really good if you want to find unique clothes-no run of the mill fashion here!!!At night there is a really good music scene and the bars are great.This area includes a buddhist centre.If you are in this area Marble arch is well worth a visit.

The Northern Quarter is currently the real place to visit in Manchester. It is home to some of the trendiest and most exclusive shops, bars, clubs and restaurants. There is something for everyone and many of the places here are really laid back and friendly. Drinks can be quite expensive in some of the bars in the area, but entry to most is free. As it is currently 'the place to be' alot of places can be quite busy as well even midweek! It is in a great location in Manchester close to bus routes and nicely sandwiched inbetween Piccadilly and Victoria train stations. There is a few car parks nearby which can be a bit expensive, but if you're lucky you can sometimes find a parking space on one of the streets around the area.

The northern quarter is a good place to meet like minded people in some great bars. The shops are excellent places to buy unusual vintage clothes. I like the shops but there are soooooooo many vintage clothes shops that I think are overpriced, it would be nice to have a bit more variety. Also a lot of shops in the orthern quarter have a very short shelf life due to the fact that in the week it is so quiet, especially around Tib Street. The bars are great with great music but get very busy at the weekend and it can be difficult to even get in let alone sit down. The northern quarter is a good place to hang out.

The Northern Quarter represents everything good about Manchester. The area has some of the trendiest pubs, clubs and restaurants in the city. Many would describe this place as the unoffical cool spot of the city. Afflex Palace is a centre piece of the Northern Quarter, and offers some of the coolest indie clothes and music available in the city. Furthermore, bars like Matt & Fred's jazz bar, lime bar and sublime bar represent some of the best in the city. A lot of indie type people like to hang out here and their is a lot of really good clothes shops and record shops on Oldham street which is central to the Northern Quarter.

I love the northern quarter! The shops, bars, restaurants & cafes here are mainly independent & such a nice change from all the chain stores in the rest of the city.

Everything was really good but if I had to be critical I thought they were at our table TOO much. We were talking and three different people stopped by 7 times to take our order. We kept saying we hadn't looked at the menu yet. Then he tried to take my plate three times when I clearly was not done (knife and fork not in the finished position). It was a little annoying.

Let me tell you about our visit to the Northern Quarter Bar and Restaurant which was in March 2010. Before my visit I knew little about this place apart from the fact that it was in a good location to stumble upon if you are walking around the NQ. I actually decided to try this place after buying one of the Groupon vouchers which gives you a certain amount more towards your meal, e.g you buy a voucher for £15 and you get £25 worth of food. Anyway I booked the restaurant for 2pm on a Saturday, thinking it would be nice for a spot of lunch after some shopping and to use the voucher you do need to book in advance. We entered the place just before 2pm, it was very quiet unlike every other establishment in the vicinity which should have set alarm bells ringing for us. No one came over to us when we walked in and we were unsure whether to take a seat or wait to be seated, I approached the young girl behind the bar who I assumed heard us come in, however she did not turn around and was tapping buttons on the till tentatively, I had to say 'excuse me' twice, quite loudly before she turned around. I mentioned we had a table booked and we were using a voucher, 'Should we sit anywhere?' I asked to which she nodded. It was then about another seven minutes or so before she brought our menus and then wandered off before she could offer us a drink or we could ask. Then another ten minutes later a young waiter came over to see if we wanted a drink, by this time we were gasping and had already read the menu three times, which is a limited set lunch time menu. He was friendly enough and we gave our order, our drinks arrived shortly after although by this point we had been sat down for over 15 minutes. A short while later our meals appeared, which did taste as though they had been cooked fresh, but I personally felt was nothing memorable but not terrible either, but I did think to myself based on the whole experience so far I'm glad we were not paying full price for these dishes. After finishing our meal we ordered one more round of drinks, it's important to note at this stage that my other half ordered a mineral water for both of her drinks. When the first drink arrived, like they are supposed to they left the (small) bottle of mineral water on the table with the glass. On the second round it was the young waitress who brought a glass of water and when placing the glass on the table said here's your tap water. It wasn't a big issue so she didn't say anything and we had our final drinks and thought we'd take note to make sure it does not show on the bill as a mineral water. I caught the waiter's eye and whilst passing him our voucher asked for bill, at this point he scrunched his face and our saga began, oh, did you book? You can only use these if you book, Yes I replied he then asked well did you tell the waitress when you seated again I said yes (as I'm quite voucher savvy these days). There was a pause, he walked off and then told me it was her first day but he'll speak to the manager like they were doing us a favour. A few moments later he came back and told me that I shouldn't have ordered of the lunch menu, that I should have used the (more expensive) a' la carte. I showed him the voucher again and pointed out the fact that it does not say anywhere you have to order from a certain menu, but rather the discount was just on 'food'. He disappeared again, came back and told me that this one time the manager our honour it, as if we should now be grateful that they're not going to rip us off! The final insult came when our bill arrived and it showed the last drink as being mineral water and not tap. Again we called the waiter over the query this, informing him the other waitress told us it was tap water and didn't leave any mineral water bottle. At this point he categorically assured us it was mineral water and proceeded to show us a random empty bottle in a bin, stating he poured it himself. We didn't want to linger her any longer so we said that we won't be paying the 10% service charge which they automatically stuck on the bill, we paid what we owed and left feeling quite disgruntled. We shall never be going back after our experience and strolling passed the other café's, bistros and restaurants in the area which were all full of people, we could see that we were obviously not alone in thinking this.

The Northern Quarter is the place to be; fashionably trendy to go out for a drink and to show off your wealth. Suits/uppies mixed in with chino-clad guys and dolled-up girls galore with many swanky bars to enjoy an expensive cocktail. Don't let that put you off, there are the classic pubs aswell in the district which serve up classic pub atmosphere and a great place to meet up with friends.

I love the Northern Quarter. I drink at the Bay Horse, eat at the Sweet Mandarin, go for walks around the Richard Goodhall Gallery, Chinese Art Centre and the Arts and Crafts Centre (behind Sweet Mandarin). I love the red brick wall called the Smithfield Fish Market Wall which is dominating and creates a great atmosphere down this cobbled corner of Manchester. During the 'summer' months, there is outdoor seating and its great to just sit outside, have a beer and watch the world go by. Go, there and you'll realise there is something for everyone.

Took my wife here back on our third date....centre of Manchester, but has a nice quiet feel to it. Highly recommend it for a good lunch, as they do some great deals.....though in the evening, it doesn't feel as though you get the best value for money then.

the northern quarter is still going through its regeneration process but it has long been known as the 'creative quarter'. it is home to many fashion designers, creative agencies , quirky retailers & more. theres something new everytime you visit & it's still pretty much a hidden gem, make the effort to seek it out, you wont be disappointed .