Me and my friends managed to secure ourselves a spot on the Tapeo & Wine 50% off soft launch after…read morea few drinks at Veeno, and what a fantastic experience it was. We were seated downstairs in the cosy but quirky basement. We all commented how nicely it had been done up and what a great atmosphere and 'feel' there was to the place. Service was speedy and extremely friendly and personable. My friends were both driving so they asked for their soft drinks to be served in wine glasses so they could feel as though they were partaking in a cheeky booze even though they weren't and this was willingly obliged, with a joke. The waiter even remembered at the end and offered my friends an Expresso Martini without the Martini which made us laugh and was a sweet touch. The food was DELICIOUS. Given that I'd not long been to the much-lauded El Gato de Negro, I was expecting to perhaps be slightly underwhelmed by the dishes, but I have to say - for me personally, Tapeo much overshot El Gato and without all the pomp and circumstance. We shared patatas bravas, albondigas, croquettas and calamari as well as a dish with an egg on top and the food was perfection. The albondigas were the best I'd had outside of Spain (and San Juan, my favourite Spanish restaurant in Manchester) and the croquettas were perfectly cooked. Ambience - 10/10, Staff and Service - 10/10, Food - 9/10... Perhaps the prices of the wine could be reviewed slightly and made a tiny bit cheaper, but otherwise I loved this place and can't wait to go back. Who needs El Gato?! Tapeo is going to take this city by storm!

After hearing my Spanish teacher naming Tapeo as the most authentic Spanish restaurant in…read moreManchester, I couldn't not to check it out! It is not cheap, but the food has beaten all my expectations. Tapas are full of flavour, authentic and well-presented. Portions are of a decent size, so good for sharing. The service is exceptional: waiters are very friendly while food came quickly.

We ate here for the second time in a week. This is a cozy, friendly English pub. The food and…read moreservice are great. The roast beef with Yorkshire pudding on Sunday nights is first rate. Their pies are are also worth ordering. I would definitely recommend this pub if you are in the Hope-Castleton area.

Nice pub. Would like to try the food next time.read more

I'm completely comfortable with my love for The Northern, a cheeky little pub-slash-club. I…read moregenerally go there to dance the night away. It plays plenty of soul, funk and motown type stuff that's perfect for getting you bopping with your boo and buds. And there's a great vibe to this place, from the moment you realise that the entrance is on a separate street from where you actually saw the place, to going down what feels like a secret corridor to get in there. Covert operation, hmm. Intrigue! It's that wonderful, intangible mix of chilled out and lively, and having never been there during the day I'm desperate to try out the food I've been hearing so much about. Expect an update. The decor is sophisticated and retro, with a little dance floor just at the edge of the bar on which to do your thang. I remember heading there on my birthday once, after my evil stilettos had caused me to scrape my poor knee on some Manchester cobbles. I can assure you that my weepy pout was gone within half an hour of entering this bar. Vince Noir of the Mighty Boosh stated that it's impossible to be unhappy in a poncho. It's been proved to me so far that it's impossible to be unhappy in The Northern. Whenever I get the urge to boogie, this is where I take my tush. You should too.

The Northern calls itself a pub but lets be honest its more of a bar - its just too goddamn modern…read moreto be a pub. Very girl-friendly because it is clean and cosy. Lets hear how The Northern describes its clientele: A pub for romancers, dancers, soul boys and beat kids, young go getters & should know betters. Hmm. Bit posey for a pub really isn't it - trendy Northern Quarter bar that charges a leeetle bit more for drinks in exchange for proximity to quirk, yes.

It's very confusing to review restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, and other businesses as an American…read morevisiting for a bit. I did visit the Strawberry Duck with a local. When he told me about the name of the pub (several times), I was enchanted. I had the fish and chips and much were very fish and chips. I am also a long time vegetarian trying to eat some fish. Failing miserably. The draft beer selections were the same as every other pub in London that I had tried. Found out in my next to last evening in England that Heineken controls the draft scene. I was searching for local, traditional British beer. Only one place in Oxford! I'll keep trying!! Delightful and charming brewpub or pub (again, American). Very homey feel to the restaurant/pub. The service was something. Fine but I enjoyed my experience thoroughly!

After walking for 8.5 miles we ended up back here where we had booked a table for dinner…read more Walking in we were led to a table right in front which was in a middle of a 3 way much to our dismay as people kept constantly walking past us. What I did see of the decor was nice. The majority of the waitresses were young and what I felt inexperienced . Asking us immediately what we wanted to drink without providing a menu and us having to enquire what the soup and pie of the day was. Drinks ordered I browsed the menu. It was just a lot of generic pub grub with not a lot of fish dishes. Saying that I did see some fish and chips get served that looked fab. I did find the menu a bit uninspiring but luckily I clocked the special board and saw the Strawberry Duck with bubble and squeak with garlic mash. Himself had the minted lamb pie and we shared chipolatas with mustard mayo. The starter was nice but forgettable...the mains were the star of the show. My duck was cooked to perfection and everything tasted fresh. The sauce was of perfect consistency and not too sweet. The mash could have done with more garlic but it was a fine dish especially while sipping yummy gooseberry gin. The minted lamb pie was rich and full of flavour with thick chips that were a little undercooked in the middle. To finish we had coffee as we were full. Overall I felt the service let it down a little, Asking if we want sauce when the starter was served with it, not asking how are food was in the beginning , not informing us about the specials etc and in the end we had to order Drinks at the bar as felt a bit neglected. It was nice to have a swift recommendation of what to have with the gin though and the bill was reasonable . Yes I would come back if I went for a walk in the area.

I had dinner here with my wife and parents. The food choice was excellent and the service was…read moreattentive and friendly. The overall atmosphere is very lively but not so noisy that we couldn't easily chat over our meal. The actual food tasted fresh with lots of flavor. The portions were generous. The appetizer selection is one of the most varied I have ever been presented with. I chose Cuban Money Parcels. Delicious. I was surprised and delighted with the food and the service. Parking was also easy with wide spaces.

We had a few pints here before the FA Cup match for Cambridge @ Bury. The service was good enough…read moreand the atmosphere welcoming. Didn't try the food so can't comment on that.

Along with The Trafford and Sam Platts, the Bishops Blaize is among the top Manchester United…read morefootball pubs in the city. In fact, my personal preference is this one, though being a huge Manchester United fan, I give all three 5 stars. This is a Wetherspoons pub, though you wouldn't know it on a match-day. Its jam packed with passionate Manchester United fans chanting and singing fantastic and hilarious Manchester United songs for the few hours leading up to kick off. Here they even have a famous guy who leads the chanting, standing on a table bellowing out the tunes to get everyone started. Great cold beers as well, perfect for the pre-match banter! You can have a swift one or two to celebrate the inevitable United win after the game too, but only till 11pm. Its got a history too, as The first Bishop Blaize inn, named after the patron saint of woolcombers, was recorded here in the mid 15th century. Though this was demolished in 1863, it still bears the name today. The only thing is, you have to show your season ticket to get in so you can't come in if you're not a massive fan!

Went here after a tour of the stadium not a game so it…read morewasn't too busy apart from locals. The environment was friendly, ordering through the app service is an awesome idea and super easy. The food (we had pizzas and fries) was so reasonably priced and delicious! Once we had ordered the food arrived so fast! Drinks were also very well priced especially the cocktail pitchers which were super cheap and yummy! We had such a good night here.

Moon Under Water, at the bottom of Deansgate, is one of the many JD Wetherspoon pubs around the…read morecity. Like most Wetherspoons pubs, they've transformed a grand, old building, so it's a massive pub at the end of Deansgate, there's even a set of stairs leading to an upper floor! If you prefer fresh air, there is a small seating area outside, but being on one of the busiest and most polluted roads in the city, and with smokers outside, I'd advise against that! The history of the pub is fairly interesting, it originally opened as a cinema in 1914, and a large one too, before being redesigned and opening in 1930, The Moon Under Water took over the unit which was abandoned for a while and is the pub we see today. Inside, it's pretty much a typical Wetherspoons other than the historic parts of the building dating back to the old cinema, service is pretty bog standard chain pub, but drinks are fairly cheap though with the Wetherspoons app available to order and drinks brought to your table. 3* - No music and TV, but a large pub with cheap enough drinks.

We popped into The Moon Under Water on our final day in Manchester to try out Wetherspoon's famous…read moreCurry Club. We were not disappointed. This pub is large and has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Prices are great of course, and service is quick and efficient. The curry club is a very popular occurrence every Thursday, with a curry and a drink for £8. The choice is varied, with different meats, spices, and also vegetarian options on offer. I took a chicken korma, and Mary had the sweet potato and chickpea curry. Both were excellent, with great portion sizes and superb flavours coming through. I'm clearly not a food critic, and don't know what words to write, but the food really tasted good! Mary also added a samosa and onion bhaji for only £1, another great deal. Both of our curries were washed down with some excellent craft ales. As usual, Wetherspoons does a great job providing a selection of beers from small breweries across the world. Really impressive. In summary, this is a pub offering excellent value and a large menu in an excellent location in Manchester. Service is good, food is good, and the beer choice is great. I'll be back.

Not been in this place for many years, but after seeing it mentioned on a TV programme recently we…read moredecided to give it a try, the main reason being that on the TV they said they were bringing back the love of traditional English dishes such as Tripe!! Now as a kid I was force fed Trip and hated it, and never dared try it since, so was up for the challenge. The three of us arrived at around 1pm the bar was quiet but not empty which was great, we were greeted by a friendly barman, who showed us to a table over looking the river. We ordered drinks and read the menu. I had the Italian Red wine (£4.80 glass) which was fantastic and my friend had a bitter (£2) from a massive choice as they had just had a weekend beer festival. We decide to try the Tripe in Madera sauce, and Ducks liver in Madera (served with an egg on top) to share between the three of us, it was outstanding I would order both again we all really enjoyed the starter. Starters were £5-£6 each. For mains we ordered Fish and Chips x 2 and 1 Toad in the hole, I wanted the wood pigeon but due to a tooth problem decided I better save that for next time, these meals were also outstanding, we all gave it 10/10, the chunky chips, battered fish, mushy peas and tartar sauce were perfect, the Toad in the hole with 2 sausages was also excellent (mains were £8-£9 each) but this came with nothing else so had to order a side portion of chips at £3, we would have loved dessert but simply had no room. The service, staff were all very friendly and efficient (the meals came to a total of £53.50 not inc service) The down side as others have said is the entrance, toilets and outside areas, the bar is very dark, and could be said it is dismal, the cleanliness of the areas is poor but clearly the dated entrance, carpet, rails, windows, lets the whole place down, the location on the side of the river is great and with some imagination with flower boxes, and some refurbishment it would make such a difference, they must lose a lot of customers due to the entrance, we did think twice before entering. All in all I would defiantly return, I felt the service, food and drinks were all so good it was worth risking the stairs, but not sure I would take anyone for a special meal due to the entrance. Well done Mark Addy. Return May 2012 Food still first class and well worth trying, but sadly the place is dirty, service a shambles clearly need a good restaurant manager to match the great food.

Tell me about any bar that you have to cross a bridge then descend into a riverside basement to…read moreaccess (in effect, acting like a spy on a mission) and you've got my attention. The great thing about Mark Addy is that things stay disctinctly up-hill once you arrive. Named after the famous oarsman and publican who was awarded the Albert Medal for the rescue of over 50 people from the then highly-polluted River Irwell in the 19th century this is obviously a bar/restaurant well rooted in British tradition. Both the food and drink are exactly that- traditional, British, nonesense free, good stuff. The bar is also rather famous for its huge selection of cheeses and pate- perfect pint partners as far as I'm concerned. Dodge the lunch time rush and turn up late afternoon to make sure you get a riverside seat and you will find it one hard place to leave.