Brasserie Blanc - Manchester

One of the greatest pleasures in life for celebrity chef Raymond Blanc is sharing a good meal with family and friends. He achieves this through Brasserie Blanc, where his team take great joy in serving authentic French cuisine in a modern, brasserie atmosphere. All their dishes use the finest ingredients, sustainable freedom foods, free range and natural or wild produce.

With six outlets, the brasserie retains the individuality of each of the locations, while maintaining a uniform standard of food and service. The menu has several signature dishes like Maman Blanc's miscellany of salads, pumpkin and kirsch risotto and Burgundy snails in garlic herb butter.

Some interesting mains are Toulouse sausages, smooth mash and onion gravy, Aberdeenshire rump steak and chips, Dutch calves liver served with smoked bacon and of course, Raymond's crab and salmon fishcake with butter sauce. There is a healthy selection of vegetables and salads - cauliflower gratin, as well as rocket and parmesan salad.

The wine list is French in concept, but includes new world wines and offers over forty-five varieties, including the house wine, ensuring there is something for everyone. In addition to a range of French cheeses selected by the Premier Cheese Company and homemade ice creams, one could also settle on chocolate and hazelnut delice or Blanc's blackberry and apple crumble to end the meal on a sweet note.