We had been in Cote Brasserie before in Oxford and were slightly disappointed. Not to worry in…read moreManchester. Great setting, service and atmosphere and excellent food. Having had the French onion soup and steak tartare as starters, the pork belly and beef bourguignon as mains and tarte tatin as dessert we went home extremely happy. Worth returning.

Cote Brasserie is a chain of French restauraunts, this branch is located just off Deansgate, next…read moreto Bella Itallia. After hearing good things about this place for gluten free, I called in and decided to order from their lunch menu. It was around £11 for 2 courses. For my starter, I ordered the Eggs Florentine which is a poached egg on gluten free bread with hollandaise sauce, and sadly it was a giant, bland mess. I didn't really like the sauce, there was too much of it and it got messy really quickly, the dish as a whole was poor, unseasoned and the bread was burnt. The staff didn't seem friendly, service overall seemed slow, they had a sense of arrogance and shock when I sent my food back as well. One thing that shocked me was that the old fashioned decor Cote had only one member of staff working, with the other looking like he was in 'training', running around like a headless chicken with my food before someone else brought it, based on what was to come I'd have wished he would have run off with my food. For my main, I ordered the seabass and again experienced similar problems, the fish its-self was too oily and watery to the point I ended up leaving it, the only thing of decent quality was the chive potatoes which for me isn't right. Sadly, due to issues with the overall feel inside Cote, food quality and service I feel Cote deserves a one-star rating with the main positive being the use of 'Gluten Free' flags in the food to minimise the risk of cross-contamination etc.

Chez Gerrard is situated right next door to the Slug and Lettuce on Albert Square…read more It looks almost like a replica of the Slug and Lettuce, but with a different name on the sign. In fact, though the décor and layout inside is similar, its actually not a mere bar but a fine French brasserie. Its open as early as 8am for breakfast and throughout the day for lunch, dinner, coffee or drinks. Its pretty pricey but the food is of very high quality, making it worth the money if you fancy treating yourself. There's also often an offer on, but this may require you to print out a voucher so its worth checking the website before you go. The best value is probably the prix fixe menu, which is 1, 2 or 3 courses starting from around £7 at lunchtime and £12.50 for dinner. Personally though, if you are going to Chez Gerard you're better off completely splashing out, and going for the demi poulet from the a la carte menu, half a grilled corn-fed chicken with herbs (they don't spoilt it), pommes frites (chips innit) and a gorgeous garlic butter sauce (wehey!). May oui, may oui, un petit mange tout. Bon. Bon. Bon.

I love Brasserie Chez Gerard! This is definitely one of my favourite places to eat in Manchester…read morecity centre. The staff were very friendly towards my party on our last visit, and the menu offers a lovely menu of French/British/Moroccan style cuisine. The restaurant itself is a very attractive place to sit and eat, and the location on Albert Square is very easy to find, and easy to reach by public transport.

Our server was so rude to us just because we want some more water, he then proceeded to grab a…read moreplate of hot food and began to throw it at my elderly grandma's face No hard feelings Xoxox Simon

Nice friendly staff, and very tasty food. They are going or a Michelin star apparently! The soup…read morewas very tasty. You can have snacks in the bar if you prefer but the restaurant is beautiful if a little dark.

Came Into town for the night and stayed at the Malmaison Hotel, so I came downstairs with friends…read moreto eat a mid afternoon snack. Great service was provided while at bar. Our food came out quickly and was very tasty! I felt the prices were reasonable for the quality food that was provided. Highly recommend for a snack or meal!

So. I asked my best friend where he'd like to go for his birthday meal. We eat out a lot. Having…read morehad some questionable meals of late, we settled on giving Mal another go (last time, the Sunday lunch (albeit good value) wasn't as good as previous) and so I booked online and was easily booked in for a 4pm sitting for the three of us. I mentioned on the booking I wanted a booth because it was a birthday and this was honoured. We were handed the a la carte menu as the Sunday lunch option had finished and selected our choices. The soup of sweet potato and red pepper was nice and thick with enough "umph" to make it nice and tasty. It didn't come with any bread and when we asked for some, a small plate of quite dry and semi stale sliced ciabatta was provided. Then the mains. The haddock fish cake and steak arrived but no Mal burger. The waiter explained that it had fallen apart whilst cooking and it wouldn't be long. A second waiter then explained it had been forgotten. With no offer to return our food until the burger was ready, we started to eat and birthday boy was left watching us. The haddock fish cake was nice and tasty. My steak was cooked medium well, when I had asked for it to be done medium rare. When the burger eventually arrived, it came with cheese on and looked tasty, only the birthday boy had asked for it without cheese and so it had to go back and he was left even longer without food. I couldn't eat most of my steak as it was way too overcooked for my liking. Whilst the staff were apologetic, it spoilt the birthday meal and even though they comped the burger, service and knocked 50% off the steak, it was really poor kitchen service and the FOH didn't see fit to come and see us to apologise for the poor experience. I'm really disappointed in the visit and would need to see some dramatic changes to the service to go back any time soon.

Due to my fabulous friends informing me (yes it seems I've been out of the loop recently), that for…read morethis month, and this month only Harvey Nichols are presenting a chocolate afternoon tea created by a chocolatier called Mr Paul A. Young. With my heavy addiction to chocolate it was clear that this was something that I just HAD to have. Turns out that this special is only on offer between 3pm and 5pm Monday - Friday, thankfully though I had two and a half days left of annual leave at work, so I decided to take a Tuesday afternoon off and well and truly treat myself. This chocolate afternoon tea was not served in the usual way, on a tiered plate stand, it was actually served in a wooden case, which had designated slots for each item (I have uploaded an image of the display as I cannot do it justice using just words). The menu was filled with chocolate, which of course you would expect, however I was pleasantly surprised when the finger sandwiches came out and the end one was filled with savoury chocolate and gorgonzola cheese, a sandwich which previous eaters had dubbed as a 'show stopper' according to our server. I cannot disagree with this statement in any way, shape or form, it truly was a flavour sensation and pieced together two things that I never would have even thought to use as sandwich fillings. Two different types of scones were presented, one of which was the standard scone with fruit and the other of which was a brown sugar scone. Within the box there was both fresh strawberry jam and clotted cream as well as a salted caramel sauce. It was suggested that we use the jam and cream for the standard scone and that the salted caramel sauce was used as topping for the brown sugar scone - this was excellent advice as I still got a sense of traditional afternoon tea, as well as trying something totally different (and also to die for, as the salted caramel sauce was pure heaven). The other cakes and treats were heavily influence by chocolate, there was a Moroccan spiced chocolate pot where every spoon full just melted in your mouth, a chocolate and pecan tart, which was a crisp pastry base filled with rich chocolate and topped with crunchy nuts and a carrot and chocolate chip cake (sadly this was not to my taste as I have an aversion to cinnamon, in which was heavily present here). The other cake sample was a rose crunch cake - at first I found it odd that something with no chocolate in it was used in a chocolate afternoon tea, however it worked perfectly as a pallet cleanser with its fresh flavours and soft texture. I absolutely adored the cocoa nib and mint tea - it was so delicious that I actually asked our server if they were selling it. I was informed that it wasn't the standard loose leaf tea or tea bags, it was exactly what is it called, fresh mint leaves mixed with roasted cocoa nibs with hot water poured over the top and left to defuse. I was lucky enough for the server to head back to the kitchen and bring me a small parcel of the ingredients (enough to make around three cups of the tea at home). Bearing this in mind, I would say that the service was exceptional, although with this being Harvey Nics, you would expect that in the first place. I did opt for a glass of champagne with my afternoon tea, which upped the price from £20 per head to £28, this of course is rather steep for one glass of champagne, however when you're treating yourself there's no reason not to push the boat out a little. I booked our table in advance, however I'm not 100% sure it was necessary as with it being midweek and during work hours, the restaurant wasn't especially busy, however as this is a limited offer, it might be worthwhile if you really don't want to miss out. This was one of the best afternoon teas I have ever tasted (and yes, I have tasted a lot). I'm hoping that this chocolate based afternoon tea returns to Harvey Nics in the near future. A massive well done to Mr Paul A. Young for creating such a masterpiece.

This is quite a limited review (by my standards at least) - we popped in here whilst out & about…read moreexploring the markets, on account of Manchester suddenly experiencing a torrential downpour of rain; and the missus fancied a cocktail somewhere warm... We bypassed the main shopping bit - it did look very fancy, if a bit shiny and "look but don't touch" for my liking - and went upstairs to the bar. It's a nice place, clean, shiny - a bit like the shopping bit. It was full of women (I was one of three men in the whole place), and definitely geared more towards them. Cocktail list was extensive - and I'm told the small selection the other half sampled were amazing. I decided to channel my inner-Don Draper, and stuck to Old Fashioneds all evening - admittedly, they were brilliant! Daresay, if I was female/a little less rough round the edges, I'd score the place higher - it just stuck me as a little souless for my tastes.

The Brasserie on Portland is located in the Princess on Portland Hotel (now there's a tongue…read moretwister for you) on you guessed it, Portland Street. It's not ordinarily a restaurant you'd think about going to but I heard that the food was excellent and that on the weekends it's a great spot as it doesn't get overcrowded. I like the grandeur of the old cotton warehouse that this hotel is located at, and despite being part of the Best Western chain it has maintained charm and elegance. The restaurant itself is very understated and stylish and the well trained staff are very amenable and accommodating indeed. The set menu for £14.95 is worthwhile investment in my opinion with simple classics or soups, salads, salmon and even wild boar being made to a very high standard. There could be more atmosphere in here but the service and the relaxing environment certainly make up for it.

Just a couple of miles away from Piccadilly Gardens, this place is a soothingly relaxing place to…read moreeither enjoy a delicious lunch with your friends or a wonderful fancy dinner with someone special. Both ways the soothing modern jazz and soul music makes the experience much more special than it is. Good quality local produce is carefully prepared by Head Chef Dominic Scott to create some memorable dishes that are balanced perfectly by an international wine list of repute. The starters, mains and especially the desserts are just amazing! Mouth-watering and carefully prepared, making your experience worthwhile. They have a set menu which is very reasonable at £14.95 for a 3 course meal. It's a good after work lounge as well and you can be sure to soothe you sense after a dinner here.

This family run business is a little gem in the heart of Lymm village and what sticks in my mind is…read morethat it makes the best chunky chips in the universe. I am not really a "chip" person but these are so hot and fluffy in the middle you just sit there wondering how they make them? I mean, chips aren't rocket science are they? You just cut up potatoes and throw them in the fryer. Oh well, this little mystery keeps drawing me back to The Terrace, again and again. There is a cafe style menu and the burgers are enormous and very well made. The children's platter offers little ones a taste of everything: curly fries, chicken strips, cheese, grapes etc- it kept them quiet for a while, always a bonus. The nicest seats are outside on the fabulous terrace, hence the name. Even on a chilly day it looks so inviting and peaceful. The owner is a very nice lady called Joanne who gave me the best coffee I have had outside Italy or France. Serious coffee. Serious chips....The Terrace has it all.

Wow, what a way to cure a hangover!! Been searching for a good place for Sunday lunch for a while,…read moreand this place really delivered. Booked a table for three at 12.30, and we received a warm welcome on arrival. It wasn't packed but had a nice ambience, and I loved the decor. Really cool Chorlton map on the wall, wild flowers on the table, and moss green and cream colour scheme. The menu is concise and the Sunday lunch options are straightforward - chicken, beef or lamb, with all the trimmings, for £13. Can't fault the dish that came out. Fluffy Yorkshires, pink beef, thick and rich gravy, and chunky roasts. Lots of veg too, and big portions! My boyfriend really enjoyed the lamb too. Would be interested to return for their a la carts menu one day, but very impressed with this meal :)

Oh dear! What a…read moredisappointing experience we had this Sunday when we decided to go to the Chorlton Green Brasserie over our usual choice of the Parlour. After having received a recommendation to check it out and with step-mum and friend to entertain, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try something new... First off the ambience - even though it was busy when we arrived at 1230, the overall feeling was like sitting in a morgue within 30mins with very little going on, the overall feeling of the brasserie feeling very clinical and not the relaxed setting you want for a warm Sunday lunch. Next was the food which was beyond dreadful. We all had roasts, 3 beef and a chicken with veg and Yorkshire pudding. I had my beef rare but to be honest it was closer to mooing than rare, where as my step-mum had hers cooked through but was as dry as anything she says she's ever eaten. The vegetables were so undercooked that it felt like they'd maybe come out of the ground and straight onto the plate, while the potatoes were so hammered that they were hardly edible. Add burnt Yorkshire puddings and it was one of the worst Sunday lunches I can ever remember (and to me it's not Sunday without a roast!) My wife and myself shared the fruit fool for dessert which was ok, but we still had to eat this while the scruffy chef shouted over our table and came through to dump his bag on the floor loudly next to us while going to the loo and looked like he was on a speedy mission to get the hell out of work on a sunny Sunday. If only he'd shown the same dedication to cooking our lunch. So with drinks - that's £80 we'll never see again and I can see why it was so quiet while the Parlour had people bursting out of it... If I could I'd give it 1.5 stars for the 2 saving graces - the waiting staff seemed friendly, while it was nice to see a Thornbridge beer on the menu.

I was so pleased that the service at an adjacent restaurant was so poor…read more that we left and came into this place which I understand has been open about six months. After being greeted with a cheery Bonjour, we sat in some chairs just inside the entrance and had espresso and proper coke from a bottle. We then made the fatal mistake of looking at the menu snack menu, dinner menu, wine list, beer menu, drinks menu etc. Having by now whetted our appetites with a very acceptable house Merlot we spied some comfy sofas in teh bar are and went and slumped on them. Then we orderd food. I had snails, smoked eel and friends had the mixed cheese, goats cheese,shellfish with creamed potato (coquille St. Jacques) and a salad Paysanne. I had ordered the frogs legs but they had sold out. In what was a really nice touch the chef came out to apologise for having run out but promised me the snails and eel would make up for it. The smoked eel was really tasty. The snails wre a bit over garnished for my liking thought. The mixed cheese platter was simply outstanding and for £7.10 was great value. It was a truly fantastic, laid back, refreshing meal. Great drinks, company and surrounds. Next time we go we are going to spend the whole day there. Staff great, decor bright and modern, toilets clean. Highly recommended. With all the wine and food it came to just under £80 for four which was great for the experience we had. ITS IN BUXTON DERBYSHIRE, NOT NORWICH STUPID MACHINE