The Northern Quarter Restaurant Manchester

Manchester Northern Quarter Restaurant - reader comments

"I went to the Northern Quarter Restaurant for lunch with my daughter before a show and really enjoyed it. It was excellent food and service and a refreshing change from the usual chain restaurants. Will visit again." - Ann Moyes, Blackpool ~ NEW MEMBER (12/7/09 - visited on a sunday lunch)

"The food at the Northern Quarter Restaurant was as tasty and beautifully presented as ever. The experience was ruined however by the spiky rude waitress who served us. I do admit that one of my dining companions was questioning the size of the chicken livers and he didn't agree with the waitress that Chardonnay was a good choice of wine but there was no need at all for her rudeness/spikyness, in particular when she asked him when I left the table for a cigarette break, 'had I left him because he was nasty?' or words to that effect. I wasn't told what she had said to my companion until I had got home, which is a good thing I think.

I've been to the NQR many times since its opening in 2005, as I live round the corner, and always take our visitors to eat there but I don't think that I will be making any further visits, as I wouldn t want to speak to that waitress again. She totally ruined a nice evening. I admit that one of my dining companions was being rather full on with his questioning of the wine menu and the size of the chicken livers but instead of a professional response he just got sarcastic comments. I have been a waitress myself and I would never have spoken to a customer like that, as I would have been sacked. In fact, if a customer questioned the item on the menu, I would get the Chef to come over and explain about the dish. Possibly she was having a bad day, who knows? Maybe If I knew when she wasn't working, I would go back and I certainly wouldn't spend that amount of money again, only for my guests to be insulted." - Hazel, Manchester ~ NEW MEMBER (16/6/09 - visited on a Saturday evening)

"We enjoyed a really pleasant evening at The Northern Quarter Restaurant. The food was superb and I would definitely go back. The only downside was that the service was a little on the slow side. There was also live jazz, which was a great touch, even if we were sat right next to them. Highly recommended." - sharon wareing, preston 21/2/09 (visited on a friday evening)

"We booked to go to the Northern Quarter for a special Xmas treat as we had guests visting. The restaurant was simple but stylish and I have no complaints in terms of general service. The food was fantastic but some dishes slighty over priced. I think the choice would be problematic for groups of guests with differing budgets as there wasn't anything below £12.95 (apart from a veggie option) for the mains. They didn't have any cheaper options like other restaurants such as a pasta dish etc.

We found the restaurant to be very cold as we were sat right in front of the door which let a huge draft in everything someone came it. This was particularily annoying because people were going in and out to smoke all the time.

When we sat down, before being given the menu, therefore without price reference, we were asked if we would like some bread to nibble on whilst choosing our food. We agreed and they brought a few slices of bread and a small pot of olives which we didn't request. When the bill came they had charged us £5.00 for what we thought was complimentary bread and olives. On complaining they said that it is priced on the menu so we should have known, but we hadn't had chance to see the menu when we agreed. They really need to consider the impact of such inefficiencies, and charging for bread, really, what is that about? Bringing complimentary bread is a simple touch in any good restaurant.

Overall the food was excellent and the atmosphere relaxed. I did enjoy my evening but I don't think I will return as I felt the 'tight' attitude to be very unpleasant!" - claudia, manchester 8/12/08 (visited on a saturday evening)

"My girlfriend and I came to this restaurant for a bit of a celebration. I'd seen it on Restaurants Of Manchester and thought it was worth a punt. I must say, I haven't had a meal like this in Manchester for a very, very long time. Quite dark inside, but not too dark. Two people playing the bass and saxophone, but not too loud or lively to distract. The waiters were friendly and knew a lot about the menu when questioned. The tables are quite close together, which I liked, as it seemed to add a bit more atmosphere.
Then the food, it was amazing. I had the Beef Bourginon which was a fillet steak with a Bourginon sauce and it was out of this world. My girlfriend had risotto, which was equally as impressive. Starters were excellent, and all very well presented. All in all, a standard bottle of wine and 3 courses each came to £90. This is generally a little more expensive than I would normally pay, but worth every penny. For a special occasion it was perfect, and I couldn't recommend this restaurant more. It is definitely worth a visit, and a little gem!" - richard simister, manchester 5/12/08 (visited on a friday evening)

"A group of 7 of us paid a visit to TNQ for Sunday lunch, after a long hard search for somewhere which did a decent Sunday roast, which is sadly, not the easiest thing to find in town. After discovering the £12 (+10% service) for 2 course option, we decided that this would be a good idea.

Upon entry, the manager greeted us, he was very friendly, very likable, and his vibe summed up the restaurant perfectly. For the lunch service, it felt more like an upmarket brasserie than a restaurant, and we all had a great time. We had several mains, varying from roast beef, roast chicken and salmon, all of which were perfectly cooked and very tasty. The beef was local, Cheshire rib eye, flavoured with garlic and rosemary, and it was very good indeed.

The outstanding starter of the bunch was the Poached Egg on Black Pudding, with Hollandaise and a balsamic and olive oil garnish around the edge of the plate. Simple, tasty, and lovely. The waitress mistakedly came with an Eggs Florentine initially, which nobody ordered, but the portion looked huge, so I kind of wished that I'd put a claim to it! Next time, eh?

If I had to be critical, I'd say that the side veg of cauli cheese, brocolli and mashed carrot, shouldnt all come in the same bowl, unless it has partitions to stop then different vegies being mixed in. Also, whilst we asked for our gravy in a gravy boat rather than being readily put on the dishes, I think that this would be a good idea to offer as standard. Also, I found some of the veg and gravy a little underseasoned, and there were no salt and pepper mills on the tables, as is often the case in decent eateries. This is of course, all personal preference, and probably wouldn't bother most people though.

It was great to see an open kitchen, with the chef and his 2 companions. I spent most of my time waiting for the meal gazing into the kitchen, since this is one of my passions, and the chef must have been slightly worried that a big bald lad with a smile on his face, was staring at him quite so much!

All in all, I found this a really nice, relaxed, funky, friendly place to eat, with good quality food, good friendly service. It fits the Nothern Quarter perfectly, and another visit for dinner is definitely on the cards, probably at one of their advertised theme nights, as is another for a Sunday lunch at prices like this. They even have a seating area outside, over the road, which would be a great place to grab a drink. The wine list, whilst we all opted for a beer on the day, looked pretty good aswell, and they had my favourite Cloudy Bay New Zealand Sauvignon. I was gutted that nobody else fancied wine for lunch. Killjoys!

Anyway, really good stuff, and its great to see a small independant place with bags of character and individuality, mixing it with the big, corporate financed boys in town, in terms of food quality. And, as with most independents, I really got the impression that the manager truly cared, since it's presumably his own money that's being won/lost here. And, more importantly, as I said earlier, his personality was reflected in this place.

Very good indeed. 4 stars out of 5" - chris handley, salford 27/8/08 (visited on a sun afternoon)

"As one of Manchester's finest places to dine, the Northern Quarter Restaurant sits happily within its fashionable surroundings. A relaxing, modern restaurant that offers wonderful Modern European and British cuisine. Each dish is so beautifully presented, chef Jason Wass and his team could work in an art gallery. The service is very professional, the staff are very knowledgable and friendly, whilst the decor is simple yet sylish and the view of the stunning 150 year old market gates opposite adds to the ambience. This is one restaurant you certainly should try!"- rob, restaurants of manchester 24/2/08 (visited on a thursday lunch)

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