Where the Light Gets In

A wonderful experience dining at Where the Light Gets In, we had the taster menu. The staff were great, service was prompt and they were very knowledgeable about the food which was all seasonal and presented in ways I hadn’t tried before which made for a great experience. It was really relaxed but professional, and you can tell how much thought went into each part of the experience. Would highly recommend a visit.

A relaxed yet elevated dining experience, the team here are definitely focused on delivering not only a fine dining tasting platter but also engaging the customer in the journey of the food and wine. It was such a relaxed experience even though you are literally in the kitchen and watching how they prepare and deliver your food. The food may seem small but the flavour certainly packs a punch and if you really want yo elevate your experience then get the wine pairing and enjoy the delicate and robust flavours that it brings to the dining.

Terrible. After booking in November, we thought we were going for the tasting menu in Stockport. After arriving and realising they had relocated, and a £25 Uber later - we were bitterly disappointed. Apparently, between January and March, it’s a burger menu. Not only did we put down an £80 deposit we were then served the greasiest food I think I’ve ever had. My arteries are going to take a while to clear. The burger was swimming in oil along with translucent chips, flabby oysters, And onion rings, which would give the healthiest human a heart attack. The wine we wanted was no longer an option and we were served an olive-brine style wine. To be honest, I would have rathered a McDonald’s - it would have tasted nicer and been less greasy. Terrible, disappointing, overpriced, experience.

A memorable experience We had a dining experience for four and honestly, it was incredible from start to finish. Everything about the evening felt special, from the warm welcome and spot on cocktails to the perfectly paired wines that complemented each dish beautifully. The food itself was a real highlight. Each dish felt carefully crafted and was presented with thoughtful explanations that added to the appreciation. You could tell a lot of intention went into every plate. What really set it apart, though, was the layout and atmosphere. The location is stunning, full of natural light that genuinely lives up to the restaurant’s name. It felt like sitting in sunshine. Being able to see the chefs working just steps away added so much to the experience, it felt intimate, like dinner with a performance element. We thoroughly enjoyed every part of the evening. Highly recommend and would definitely return.

We went to WTLGI for our anniversary and it was fantastic. The food was excellent. Good variety of flavours to try. The staff were delightful - they explained every dish to us and were friendly and welcoming throughout. They all felt relatively equal too, which improved the experience. For example, the chefs would occasionally bring meals to us and do exactly the same explainer as the waiting on staff. No one felt like they were “beneath” any particular task.

Easily one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in the UK thanks to the menu of course, but also the emphasis on readily available seasonal produce which is beautifully and thoughtfully featured by a very skilled team. The setting is charmingly authentic yet unexpectedly whimsical. The theatre of the centrally located open kitchen adds (a great deal) to the electric atmosphere and the evening unfolds at a leisurely and luxurious pace. The wine pairing was just another thing that delightfully punctuated the evening and the sommelier was both knowledgeable and approachable, not to mention a generous pourer! Highly recommend! All-in-all an incredibly indulgent night of understated romance and fantastic British fare.

Really fantastic experience. Wonderful ambience, wonderful food and really lovely service. What a gem this place is. My wife and I absolutely loved it.

Feeling short changed We really wanted to enjoy WTLGI more - but unfortunatley due to overall food quality and quantity, were left feeling dissapointed. The venue itself is wonderful and unique with lofted ceilings and a wonderful ambiance in the evening. Service was attentive albeit it with some mixed experiences depending on which staff members served us throughout. The food unfortunatley is where this restaurant falls short of expectation. We've eaten in many other acclaimed restaurants around the world, and therefore this review comes with a foreword that we are not judgemental around portion size and actually welcome the ethos of quality over quantity - however - where the light gets in pushes this to a place where as a diner you feel incredibly short changed. Snack and amuse bouche courses for sure can be very petite and dainty, but when it comes to the main events of the fish and meat courses, there needs to be more substance than a tiny (and I mean TINY) peice of mullet with a teaspoon of salsa / gremolata... We genuinely thought it was a 'pre' fish course. And the same happened for the main meat course. We arrived at the desert section having had out knives and forks swept away thinking we'd missed the actual mains. The food was tasty as a whole, but not elaborate nor massively immmaginative. Some pretty average mutton with a sprig of broccoli is not the wow factor you'd expect for the main dish. (and no sauce at all is incredibly underwhelming) Pre desert and desert was very nice and infact some of the most accomplished cooking. Clearly a great pastry chef. Wines were interesting but nothing left a wow factor and at 13 a glass, it really should deliver. All in all - we wanted to like this place more - but WTLGI need to address the volume of food on their menu and make the star dishes truly memorable with slightly bigger pieces of protein and more elaborate accompaniments. Currently it falls short of many other more enticing options in Manchester which are a fraction of the price. Our bill at the end of the night was over £370 which is frightening considering what we ultimately ate. We probably won't be back, which is such a shame as a Stockport local.

Came here for my birthday and really enjoyed it. The restaurant is at the top of Rostron Brow, opposite the church and up some stairs (I assume wheelchair access here may be an issue as toilets also up stairs so you may need to check first). To start we had some hot gin with rosemary (hot gin! so great!) some kind of delicious chargrilled cabbage leaf (finished on the woodburner next to the nice sofas you chill out on initially) topped with a really good scallop and apple mix. The vibe is basic romantic industrial with eclectic music and an open plan kitchen so you can watch the chefs at work (very quietly). Also quiet are the announcements of each dish - would be great if they could provide a crib sheet for the hearing challenged among us! I think broadly the dishes we had next were: Trout tartare - I really liked this Beetroot, hazelnut, sprouts - I felt this could have done with something sharp to contrast the more rounded flavours of the beetroot/hazelnuts although as ate more realised the sprouts were kind of doing this job, at least in texture Plaice, cod roe - same as above re maybe needing a lift but I still liked it Sourdough bread Broth Wild mallard - this was my fave, I thought it was fantastic although bf not so keen and preferred the plaice - each to their own! Blood orange and tarragon granita - bf went mental for this Quince and custard - bf v excited to discover quince is a real thing outside White Men Can't Jump Meanwhile the wine pairings also went well - I think they need to give you a heads up on when 1 wine is matched with two courses so you can pace yourself (although you do get a top up). We went nuts for the smoky white Italian wine we started with and also found the cloudy Austrian white interesting although might not go for that again. The red and sweet dessert wine were also excellent. There were some negative comments on tripadvisor which I think have been addressed/I disagree with because: - [Re not being much wine poured out] - There was lots of wine, I thought the glasses were actually pretty full for a wine flight (more than L'Enclume, for example) - [Re people leaving hungry] - Portion sizes were more than ample - we were feeling full before we even got to the duck and I am incredibly greedy as anyone will tell you. Really good because you got more than just a taste of each depth and could really appreciate all the flavours in multiple bites. Perhaps this has been changed following feedback? - [Re being cold] - I think the woodburner has fixed this, I was wearing short sleeves in February There were also some slight quibbles that I think are fair but would require only the most minor correction - The chairs are not that comfortable - cushions would be good - Bread came with only 1 pat of butter - as both are delicious, 2 would be good! Overall would really recommend this for a special occasion and especially if you want something fancy but not super traditional. Too bad I cannot justify going back immediately owing to price tag but I would come here regularly if I could afford it.

Could I really give this place less than 5 stars? I think I have to. It doesn't necessarily deserve a less than perfect review given its competition, but this place isn't trying to compete, it's trying to redefine. Where the Light Gets In is far and away the best restaurant in Stockport, probably in Greater Manchester, and certainly one of the best within the North West. But I feel like it could be the best and isn't quite there, hence the 4 stars rather than 5. This place has a lot of hype to live up to right now, which makes things difficult for anyone. Head chef/owner Sam seems to take it all in his stride with a totally zen kitchen open to the dining room. There's no shouting, no sense of stress, everyone is in the zone doing their thing, although perhaps things are a little too zen (more on that later). The place is pitched as a menu free experience which is right up my street. I hate making decisions so just bring me one of everything. It was (in my opinion) slow out of the blocks though with the first 3 courses leaving me a little underwhelmed. 'Flavour your own crisps', radish with nettle puree and a crab and mushroom taco all had good intentions but lacked much of a flavour punch. Thankfully things picked up pretty quickly from there with some amazing dishes including smoked trout, a pork broth, and a cod and zest carrot combo to die for. The main pork loin was literally unbelievable and whilst the deserts lacked a little creativity, they were certainly good enough. What disappointed for me was the ambience. Seeing how in control the kitchen was when we entered was impressive, but as the meal progressed that confidence started to feel like a little like nonchalance. The servers energy seemed to fade half way through service, the kitchen (which is put centre stage as if a theatre production) went from 6 busy chefs to 1 by the end of our meal, and the announcing of the dishes felt a little like the chefs would rather be back in front of the hob than talking to guests. The other minor niggle for me came half way through the meal. We had opted for the tasting menu with wine flight assuming everything would be included for that price. It was a little unexpected then when offered a cheese board supplement. If you have it, we want to try it, but why not include this in the menu?? Not only was the cheese extra, but we were then asked if we wanted a drink to go with it. Given I'd ordered a wine flight to complement the meal, of course I want a drink. But what are the options? Will it cost me more? If I say no are there any more drinks coming or is that my night over? Like I said above I feel like everything should be included when paying for a tasting menu, but if there are upsells then at least make it clear what the options are. These are minor complaints in an otherwise exceptional experience though. If you're looking for the best of the best then Sam still has some creases to iron out, but for the North West he's made a bold statement that's highly worthy of the praise it's received.