I really enjoy eating at Juan Sanchez in Chorlton. The tapas there is extremely good and very…read moreauthentic. The place is small so it's wise to book as it can get very busy especially at the weekend. The menu is small but the quality of what you receive more than makes up for it. We ordered the calamari which was delicious, the chilli prawns which were incredibly fresh and tasty, the tortilla which was massive, the mussels which were also massive and the stuffed jalapenos. We washed it all down with a lovely glass on sangria. Definitely worth a visit.

Loved the tapas, great selection, especially enjoyed the chorizo and patatas bravas...coffee with…read morecondensed milk for afters was delicious!!

Ambiente is well worth the trip to Worsley. Nominated by the Manchester Food & Drink Festival as…read morethe best newcomer of 2008, it stands head and shoulders above the other Spanish restaurants in the city for its creative modern approach to traditional favourites. However, don't come here thinking you're going to be paying tapas bar prices as this place is very much a special occasion destination. As you'd figure from the name, the owners have spent some time creating a wonderful ambience here with stunning red drapes hanging low over a very rustic scene. The menu choice is outstanding, with tapas classics taken to a new level of sophistication without disrupting the original flavours too much. Mains (or raciones) include my personal favourites Conejo Basco (braised rabbit) and Pollo Tournado (with paprika and Chorizo fondue, melted Manchego cheese and sherry cream, £15.95). Washed down with a Long Island Iced Tea, I felt like I was floating when I left here. Definitely a great restaurant if you're looking for romance or dressing to impress.

I went to Ambiente a few weeks ago and have to say I really struggled to find it. Whatever you do,…read moredon't follow sat nav systems! Even Google maps wasn't having it but when we did find it, it is well worth it. It's a small restaurant that is quite dark inside. There is a simple yet effective tapas menu with all the usual dishes and a few different ones to tempt you. For me, Spanish food done well is something we are lacking in the City Centre. This is a bit of a trek but well worth a visit. My favourite dishes were the calamari (soft and tender with a light batter), chilli bread (toasted with just the right amount of chilli to heat your mouth without blowing your socks off) and meatballs (soft and juicy with a good amount of sauce for dipping when you have nearly finished). I think it might be my favourite Spanish in this country so far...

This is quite a striking large space with very high ceilings and one wall covered with rows and…read morerows of paintings and groups of big colourful light shades. I like that you can order food at the bar so you don't have to wait around for your bill. Although it was busy our food came pretty quickly. The menu is quite eclectic - there are burgers, paninis and salads but some more random stuff like a Mexican bowl my friend said she liked. She advised me to avoid the tapas, apparently they are not that great. I had the smoked salmon fish cake which surprisingly didn't taste of much. I liked the textural combo of the poached egg on top but the whole dish could have done with something to give it a bit more bite. Overall a decent option if you're in Urmston, but I wouldn't travel here especially for it.

One of the bars established within the Eden Square complex. The bar is popular and spacious it also…read morehas a mezzanine area that is quieter if you prefer to have a chat with your drink. Good at busier times. Serving tapas ,burgers and pasta. There is something for all. Reasonably priced and friendly staff. They are also dog friendly offering water and biscuits complementary for your canine friends.

Las Iguanas is Latin American restaurant located on the lower level of Trafford Centre Orient. It's…read morealways nice to try something new, and Latin American (Brazilian in my case) dishes are just that. While the menu is somewhat limited vs some other Las Iguanas restaurants I have been to, it still offers plenty of choice, both standard ones, like burgers, and more exotic, like Ximxim. Amazing food, staff and ambience. The staff is very knowledgeable and polite, and the portions are generous.

There was a high bar to beat during our latest trip to Las Iguanas, having only sampled some…read moreexcellent tapas at a friend's house the day before, but we were willing to give it a try. The style is more Latin-Spanish than Spanish-Spanish, with a combination of 'Tapas Time' and regular dishes - if you're in the mood for sharing (and why wouldn't you be?) you can, or if you're just wanting to keep to yourself, that's OK too. One the regular menu there are a host of pretty difficult to pronounce treats - you could plump for the Brazilian Xinxim, the Bahia Moqueca or the Camãrio a lo Criolla. And the dishes are more than a mouthful as far as portions are concerned too, with plenty on the plate you won't go away hungry... We were in the mood for a little Tapas though, and took them up on the offer of 5 dishes for £24. If you just wanted to pick at one or two, they range between £5 and £7 each. You can also get 3 for £14 - handy if you're on your own. So, what did we go for? - Calamares - a firm favourite, crispy squid (including the tentacles!) with a spiced aioli, - Gambas in a mild garlic and chilli sauce, - Pato Taquito; basically a duck fajita with a really good spiced cranberry sauce - Cha-Cha Chorizo - Chorizo in a spicy tomato sauce - Quesadilla - we went for the chiken We also got a side of 'Patas Bravas in Bits' - the traditional potato dish, but deconstructed with the tomato and aioli in a separate dish. I think this is a brilliant idea; you don't have to deal with soggy spud - crispy all the way! The venue itself is a little on the small side, and seems a bit swamped in the hugeness that is the Great Hall, and some of the tables feel a little cramped. The ambiance is OK, but sat around the back I felt we were missing out somehow (not a feeling I've had when I've been sat out the front). The staff were great, really friendly, and made up for some of the disappointing bits. Overall, an OK, rather than good Tapas place, a bit commercial, and definitely not authentic, but worth a try if you're in the Trafford Centre and want to eat (and quite a bit of a step up over Maccy D's).

Hands down most authentic Spanish tapas I have tried in Manchester. This is a tiny place on Beech…read moreroad, close to a bus stop with authentic tiled walls. Inside they have only a handful of tables but the food is worth the wait! On a Sunday evening We were told the wait is 30 Min but in reality it was less than that. The food was simply awesome, can't praise it highly enough. All the tapas we ordered looked great, tasted even better and were reasonably priced by Manchester standards. If you like Spanish food, don't think twice!

Amazing food, sangria and atmosphere. Staff were friendly and attentive. Will definitely be…read morevisiting again.

The former La Olla restaurant (Spanish and tapas) has now changed to El Boliche (also Spanish and…read moretapas) - so in the interests of, well, satisfying our need for ordering many small plates, we went to check it out. Receiving a warm, smiley welcome was a great start; there were several sets of diners already eating but a few tables available for walk-ins like us. We didn't look through the wine menu, deciding on a beer instead (the likes of San Miguel and Brahma from the Philippines and Brazil respectively) - it would've been great to have seen more Italian beers available, though admittedly they had Peroni (sigh). The food menu was filled with most of what you'd expect: olives, breads, tapas and paella. As we were both ravenous we ordered bread with salsa and then eight tapas dishes between us. It wasn't until after most of them had been brought to our table that the server mentioned they were generous portions! If you're not of abnormal appetite like me I'd say five or six dishes between two would be sufficient. Everything was mostly good - I probably wouldn't bother with the mushrooms or prawn fritter dishes again but the cuts of steak and Albondigas (meatballs) were mighty fine indeed. The bill came to a very reasonable £48 including two beers so you can eat well here for around £20 ish per head.

Salford Quays (or, more specifically, the area shared between the outlet and theatre) has always…read morestruggled. It's packed with chain restaurants and bars, feeding the masses before their theatre trips or after an hour of wandering around the shops. Craftbrew, however, caught our eye. Slightly hidden away, to the left hand side of where Lime bar is situated, we popped in for a drink post-dinner and pre-comedy. It has a very relaxed atmosphere - all light wood, pastel coloured chairs and simplistic menus. Food offerings include sharing/artisan boards, 'bar tapas,' and some very interesting sandwiches. If we'd known about this place, we definitely would have eaten here! Pricing is fair, with most of the sandwiches only being at the £4.50 mark, and served up from a small deli counter at the bar. On the drinks side of things, you can choose from a variety of tea and coffee, but there's also a nice selection of alcohol. Being named Craftbrew, you'd obviously expect plenty of interesting beer available; Hawkshead pale ale, Sam Adams, Hawkshead gold, Punk IPA et al to name but a few. Don't be fooled by the small listing on the back of the menu; because they change their selections quite often, they only list their 'favourites'. Fingers crossed those from the Lowry and MediaCity will help to keep this place going.

CraftBrew is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it independent deli located on Lowry Plaza in between Nando's…read moreand Lime. I agree with other reviewers that its name is a bit of a misnomer - you'd expect a bar full of craft ale perhaps, or maybe a tea specialist. That aside, the light, bright and well-designed space more than satisfied as a lunchtime venue, with their menu being available all day and including options such as bar tapas, salads, deli boards and 'Signature' sandwiches. My workmates and I all opted for their Club Sandwich (chicken breast, crispy bacon, ham, cheddar, pesto mayo, tomato and lettuce on toasted bread). Served with a light salad and a few crisps, it was terrific value at £5.25, not to mention one of the most delicious sandwiches of its type I've ever eaten. In need of something sweet, I chose a Frozen Hot Chocolate (£3) which was a bizarre choice I know for a wintry day but it was very fine indeed. As well as leaf teas and 'illy' coffees they also have some craft ales, bottled beers and ciders and a wine list, so it'd be a logical stop off point if you were going to the theatre of an evening or wanted to avoid the chain restaurants in the Lowry Outlet mall.

Traffic problems on the M60 meant that a trip to the Trafford Centre became an impromptu trip to…read moreMedia City. It was lunchtime and we spent ages wandering round trying to decide where to eat - a factor not helped by the fact that a soon-to-commence match at Old Trafford meant the place was heaving. Everywhere we went was either full of football fans drinking, or a run of mill chain restaurant which we would never normally bother with. So after a complete loop of Media City, the Lowry and the Imperial War Museum, we were content to have a sandwich from Booths when we stumbled upon this little gem. At first we thought it was just a case of "pick a sandwich from the chiller, pay and take a seat" but the staff obviously read us like a book and came straight over and explained there was a more extensive menu if we were interested. And boy, were we glad we gave it a go! The menu covers a variety of delicious sounding sandwiches and salads, plus pizzas and on the day we visited there was a burger special on. So Sparky had a sandwich and salad whilst I went for the burger, and it could probably give Almost Famous a run for it's money! It was cooked to perfection, smothered in harissa, mayonnaise, cheese and roasted peppers, and came in a striking jet black bun which was soft and garlicky. The overall ambience is great. Nice furniture, cost place, gorgeous lighting (most of which appeared to be available to buy!) and prints on the wall. TL;DR - A shining beacon of individualism serving great food in an area otherwise dominated by identikit chains.

Newsflash: MediaCity is growing a soul…read more This lovely deli - another Heaton Moor import - brings some much-needed independent flavour to the quay-side development. They do a mean salad - no limp leaves here, instead expect gleaming roasted veggies and spiced grain affairs the kinds of interesting flavours that make being good feel like a treat. Great coffee too and a good range of cakes. Marked down for the "aspirational" pricing - can only justify my lunch here on payday. Drop a quid off everything please and I'll eat here everyday.

I like others liked the light and comfortable dining room of Lusitano, which is on the first floor,…read moreit's both casually elegant and comfortable. Food wise, bit of a mixed bag: 1) Very good - Codfish (bacalao) patties - Cheese and spinach patties - Fish and shrimp croquettes - Stuffed peppers with minced beef and cheese - Chorizo flamed in red wine (I mean, it's just chorizo but it's hard to mess chorizo up) I would definitely have these if I went back and that would be a great meal. The first two in particular were excellent. 2) Fine - Batatas bravas (not bad at all, just not that memorable either) - Goat cheese wrapped in filo pastry (although others really liked this) - Salada di polvo (this was generally well received although not the best thing we had) - Gambas piri piri (not very spicy) - Tempera battered fried vegetables (these were a bit chewy, although I kind of liked that about them) 3) Not so great - Calamari (again, chewy) - Garlic bread Looking at the above it seems to me that the more Portuguese sounding dishes were generally the best, which is a pretty good sign. We didn't try any mains so can't comment on those, they're not that cheap though. Tapas were buy 3 get a 4th free the night we went, which was excellent value - between four our food was less than £12 a head and as you can see from the above we had a great range. Finally I didn't drink any alcohol but the Portuguese wine and port I understood was a bit rough!

Had a lovely meal at Lusitano. Sampled both the tapas and main food and it was all very good and…read moremost generous. Service was lovely too. And the sangria is great! Taste card offers a hefty 50% discount here - but without it the pricing is on the steep side. They do an early bird offer for those of you lucky folk who finish work early. If this was on Beech Road it'd be packed out every night. I really hope it does well and will certainly be going back.