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hand picked restaurants

The Malmaison group of hotels has established throughout Britain a collection of centres of excellence where nothing but the best will do. As a concept alone this is exciting, but the reality is brilliant, so that at last there is a hotel group where uniformity of standards is of the same high calibre.

Malmaison Liverpool is located in the trendy Princes Dock area and follows a New York Gothic inspired theme with an impressive Manhattan type building - something that relates well to the exciting architecture that results from a mingling of modern with more traditional in this European City of Culture.

The rooms are all that one would expect from a hotel that has genuine regard for its guests and is concerned with every aspect of their wellbeing. In the hometown of the Beatles expect to find close attention paid to the musical background in your room, whilst all the customary luxuries that associate with Malmaison are there to hand, the naughty nibbles, the serious wine, drench showers and that oh so completely embracing bed.

Amidst elegant surroundings, with spotless gleaming glassware and shining cutlery, an essentially brasserie menu is offered. At the brasserie lovers of seafood will be delighted to note at once that their particular needs are well heeded, starting with a delightful pan-fried mackerel or new season British asparagus, poached duck egg and shaved Parmesan.

Other starters that seldom fail to please include Cumbrian white chicken roulade with sautéed red kale and lardons with pea puree, and spinach and baked ricotta filo.

Head Chef Adam Townsley and his team brings to the table  inspired choices for the main course such as Brixham crab ravioli with lemon hollandaise and char-grilled asparagus,  or the pan-fried duck breast with petit pois 'la mode francoise' for those seeking by this time a slightly more carnivorous approach. Salads, sausages and vegetarian dishes like duck egg cocotte are other lovely creations. Which leads us neatly to the - wait for it - Mal burger, a 250 gram burger made from ground beef tucked into a floured bap to join bacon and gruyere, served with homemade relish and some fries.

Over the years the number of outriders surrounding a good honest steak has grown to unacceptable dimensions. At Malmaison the thought and care is centred on the dry-aged on the bone rump and that's it - except for the chips. If you want all the rest go for the side dishes such as cumin carrots, buttered Savoy cabbage and tomato and onion salad.

Heading the puddings is the House crème brûlée, a triumph of timing and co-ordination, supported by other choices amongst which expect to find fondant au chocolate, chilled rice pudding or a splendid gateau a la crème fraîche. Their homemade ice creams and sorbets are dreamy.

The wine list is a symphony of its kind, clearly compiled by an enthusiast who knows his wines well enough not to disappear into a world of hyperbole when describing them.

Their Website is a wealth of information that will, I predict, only serve to increase your resolve to make Malmaison your next stop in Liverpool. It is worth noting that you can also make reservations Online on their Website.

The unusual name of 'The Frozen Mop' is reputed to come from a local legend involving a cleaner and a cold winter's night, but apparently there are several versions of the story and the real attribution seems elusive. This does not matter a fig to the local diners who love the warm hospitality of this English pub which has undergone several changes and facelifts since the eighteenth century. The leather tub chairs with teak tables and trendy lighting are part of the improvements.

During the summer the large decking area is a great place for dining and relaxing outdoors. Their wine list contains well known favourites alongside more unusual numbers from around the world. The menu is simple but up-to-the-minute with lots of comfort appeal and offers homely dishes like steaks and pasta as well as ones with more contemporary, global touches, all served by friendly and cheerful staff.

To catch the right note of contemporary sociability there are sharing plates, warm Mediterranean breads served with infused olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or baked Cornish brie with onion marmalade and roasted garlic served with celery and toast.

Amongst the appetisers there is always freshly made soup; sautéed tiger prawns in roasted garlic, tomato and parsley butter, or chicken liver, pork and mushroom pâté served with toast and Cumberland chutney. Look, too, for scallops of the day. The other dishes on offer are sesame tempura chicken fillets served with plum, chilli and coriander dipping sauce and warm flatbread; for the seafood fiends fish cobb salad of peppered mackerel, smoked Scottish salmon, Atlantic prawns, whole tail scampi and fried dusted calamari, served with horseradish crème fraiche, Marie Rose sauce and dressed mixed salad are a real treat.

The rotisserie dishes for hearty eaters are worth trying and choices include chargrilled gammon and eggs gammon steak served with eggs, pineapple, seasoned chips and garden peas. These dishes are all served with a choice from amongst frites, tartare sauce, tomato, lettuce and mayonnaise among others. For the big event there is always summer lamb shank, slow cooked and served with rosemary roasted summer vegetables and dauphinoise potatoes that measures up well to any occasion.

The Scottish salmon with noodles, Asian greens, coriander, pineapple and chilli salsa is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in eating. Wild Scottish venison steak, garni of two 4oz venison steaks served with roasted flat mushroom, plum tomato, caramelised onion gravy and steak cut chips is worth trying too.

A wide range of supporting dishes includes roasted Mediterranean vegetables, and baby potatoes. From a list of attractive desserts choose between an apple and apricot crumble with vanilla ice cream and custard, and Sicilian lemon sponge served with crème fraiche. There is also a selection of cheeses to please the gourmets.

More information, including full menus, is available on their Website. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings. 

The Merlin is probably the most impressive building in the area, inside the décor has been varied in each room to create an interest and individuality that is both stylish and welcoming; it also has a ten bedroom hotel upstairs. It is one of those pubs that have surfaced on the mainstream of casual eating in the UK and are taking an increasing share of the market, evidenced by their growth in numbers and the popularity of what they have to offer. If this results in a 'type' there is certainly no harm in that.

Contemporary pubs such as these usually share a number of characteristics. An important feature is space, preferably a restaurant where you are comfortable, not over-awed, and not sharing elbow space with the next table, however sociable they may be. Good, too, to have an external tiered terrace with upper patio and lawns, providing 100 seats as an optional al fresco eating out space, and by no means least a roomy and well-stocked bar where you can actually get served without undue delay. After all, drinking should be taken seriously.

If a pub offers all of these, and is in a good location, there is little reason in today's economic climate why it should not flourish. The Merlin provides ample evidence that this is true. Looking out over the Cheshire Plain, between Wilmslow and Alderley Edge, the pub has an illustrious history dating from when it was built as a private house for Sir Thomas de Trafford in the 1880s.

But of course there are other factors, not least of which is the food and drink. The term 'gastropub' covers a multitude of blessings, and it is possible to see influences of brasserie, bistro, restaurant and even café at work within the great gastro umbrella. So expect to find no one single cuisine, but a blend designed to provide something for everybody, no matter what their treat may be.

To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, antipasti of Italian meats, dolcelatte, marinated vegetables and warm stone-baked flatbreads, or Mediterranean mezze of hummus, roasted vegetables, fregola, tzatziki, feta, spinach and ricotta pâté with flatbreads.

Amongst the starters, expect to find freshly made soup, smoked salmon with pomegranate molasses, fennel and micro herb salad, or gambas with rocket, garlic aioli and rustic bread. Look, too, for scallops of the day. The salads offer chargrilled chicken, courgette, fennel, apple, asparagus, hazelnut and balsamic dressing, and for the seafood enthusiasts some prawn and avocado with bacon, mango, pecans, orange and pomegranate vinaigrette receive a rapturous welcome.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; look for a classic margherita of cherry tomatoes, pomodoro, mozzarella and basil, the rustica with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, goats' cheese and cherry tomatoes, or a piccante with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato and jalapeños.

Pastas include tagliatelle with slow cooked Bolognaise and parmesan, or linguini with tiger prawns, crab, chorizo, chilli, tomato and white wine. For the big event there is always roast rump of lamb with sauce soubise, asparagus, pancetta, button onions and baby potatoes. Spit chicken, lemon, garlic, thyme and frites is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in eating. Battered haddock with frites, tartare sauce and minted mushy peas is worth trying too. For hearty eaters there are good fillet and rib-eye steaks or salmon with crab, chorizo fishcakes, roasted sweet corn and cherry tomato salsa.

A wide range of supporting dishes includes tomato and red onions, and cabbage, leeks and peas. Desserts are some of the best you'll encounter with apple, blackcurrant crumble and vanilla custard, and sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream, and there is also a selection of cheeses to set the buffs alight.

The Merlin stocks a wide range of beers, both well-loved draught ales and bottled from Europe. The wine list covers plenty of territory from traditional clarets to Pinot Grigio, and champagne by the glass or bottle is always available. Service is cheerful, brisk and totally in keeping with the friendly nature of a good English gastropub.

Keep in regular touch and get further details by means of their informative Website. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

Blackpool is enjoying something of a renaissance more recently, and whilst the reputation for bright and breezy is never too far away - and why should it not be - there is now a wider spread of expectations from those who come to enjoy this icon of British seaside entertainment.

ToasT Cafe Bar and Grill Restaurant sets out to meet these head on, offering something for everybody, with a Taste Lancashire Quality Assured award to demonstrate their success in so doing. Located in Corporation Street Toast is not far from the Grand Theatre, Blackpool's famous Tower and the Winter Gardens, and close enough to the city centre nightlife if it's the clubs and bars you are after later in the evening.

As with most things in Blackpool, there's nothing particularly formal about ToasT. Most people are there to enjoy and relax, and escaping from formality is high on the list. So too is the freshly cooked food, the ingredients for which are sourced locally wherever possible.

One of the delights of being away from home on holiday is the relaxed breakfast prepared for you by somebody else and at ToasT it's on offer all day, so no risk of feeling deprived if you're a late riser. A Lancashire rarebit to start the day is made from Bowland Cheddar cheese and bacon, and baked beans are the product of Mr Heinz, so have that extra zing factor.

Later in the day the speciality sandwiches such as chicken Club triple decker do more than just fill a gap, and different types of more conventional sandwich keep all tastes happy. Toast is a place where imagination is positively encouraged amongst both customers and staff. More substantial dishes might include the highly popular beer battered haddock and chips, with fresh fish from nearby Fleetwood, chilli con carne and a delightful steak and ale pie, the meat slow-cooked for full flavour and tenderness.

Amongst the burgers look out for the Blue and Black version, a 6oz steak seasoned with Cajun spices and topped with blue cheese. Plenty of pasta dishes have salmon and prawn, tomato and basil or tuna and sweetcorn amongst their constituents, and light bites of loaded potato skins, prawn cocktail and lamb koftas are also popular.

Every day from 5pm ToasT shifts mode, with the emphasis on an à la carte menu that offers more elaborate dishes such as blackened salmon, apricot pork, Bowland lamb shoulder and a nice range of tapas, fast becoming one of Britain's established must-haves.

A well annotated wine list offers a good range by the glass and a French house selection that gives full value for money. The net is well cast with Argentina, South Africa, Italy and California all included. Service is of the sort given by staff who are clearly valued and trained, and as a result enjoy their work, hence well-pleased customers.

Do check on their Website for special events, menu changes and other details.

San Carlo in Liverpool demonstrates exemplary commitment to fine Italian food, good service, luxurious and comfortable surroundings, and value for money.

San Carlo Liverpool is appropriately enough located in Castle Street, a sophisticated setting in the heart of the city's business district, where the unique experience offered is appreciated to the full. A wide, open and airy dining room provides the hub, with all-white space and red and black furnishings, whilst the impressive bar and lounge area is open plan with stools strategically scattered.

A menu that follows the traditional Italian format exhibits some of the best in Italian cooking. Whoever it was said that San Carlo was the best restaurant Liverpool had ever seen made a good point which few would contradict. The deeply satisfying antipasti, that wonderful prelude to an Italian meal, contributes hugely to setting the scene for what is to come.

Mixed Italian salami and Parma ham served with artichoke and fried pecorino cheese establishes some traditional flavours of the country. For simplicity the smoked salmon with thinly chopped white shallots and capers is devastatingly effective, and by contrast the avocado diverso, avocado served with crabmeat, Marie Rose sauce, smoked trout, horseradish and sunblushed tomatoes provides a more complicated alternative.

Whatever the origin of pasta, Italy seems to have the contemporary ownership of this attractive food form and its appearance of any self-respecting Italian menu marks the transition from introduction to getting down to business. From a menu of seven options pay serious heed to the pasta alla Norma which involves aubergines, tomatoes, basil, garlic and the ever present pecorino cheese.

It's arguable whether Italian cuisine favours meat or fish; those who prefer the former point to such wonderful dishes as vitello Signor Sassi, escalopes of veal cooked in mustard seeds, cream, brandy and mushrooms, closely followed by fillet of beef medallions wrapped in Parma ham in a creamy truffle sauce, or lamb cutlets in Madeira sauce with rosemary and sun dried potatoes, all of course on the menu at San Carlo.

With a coastline of 4,712 miles, and that doesn't include Sicily it's hardly surprising that Italy also has a love affair with seafood and fish. Try the mixed shellfish Royale for sheer indulgence, or the mixed grill of fish formed from 5 different fish and shellfish. A tagliolini lobster is a special pasta dish with lobster, brandy, tomato, cream and peas and it is superb.

When you consider that we English reckon on 3 courses to a meal it is refreshing to find a cuisine where you can get away with 6 without being considered over indulgent, which brings us to the pizza, an Italian achievement which some people go through life thinking is about the only food Italians eat. It would be more accurate to say that this is probably more true of the English. A choice of 7 at San Carlo leaves plenty of room for experiment.

With a truly Italian flourish of desserts this is the setting for a memorable meal that surprisingly will not leave deep dents in your wallet. Do click on their Website for further information on this admirable pathway to authentic Italian food.

The Malmaison group of hotels has established throughout Britain a collection of centres of excellence where nothing but the best will do. As a concept alone this is exciting, but the reality is brilliant, so that at last there is a hotel group where uniformity of standards is of the same high calibre. In its time, it's been a dolls' hospital, a cotton spinners' warehouse and the Imperial Hotel.

The rooms are all that one would expect from a hotel that has genuine regard for its guests and is concerned with every aspect of their wellbeing. Stylishly decorated in red and black, there's an element of sexy sophistication with comfort levels consistently on the mark.

The brasserie is an elegant oasis, with crisp linen, spotless gleaming glassware and shining cutlery, while rich dark colours, flickering candles and intimate booth style seating accentuate the atmosphere. Lovers of seafood will be delighted to note at once that their particular needs are well heeded, starting with Port of Lancaster smoked salmon.

Head Chef Kevin Whiteford and his team use great local and seasonal produce that has been grown, harvested and reared to the finest ethical and traditional farming methods in their preparations. Tempting starters may include Goosnargh chicken liver parfait with red onion marmalade and toasted brioche; smoked ham hock with a potato and shallot salad or a refreshing salad of grilled winter vegetables.

An inspired choice is the corn-fed Goosnargh duck breast or a braised lamb shank for those seeking by this time a slightly more carnivorous approach. Which leads us neatly to the - wait for it - Mal burger, a 250 gram burger made from ground beef tucked into a floured bap to join bacon and gruyere, served with homemade relish and some fries.

Over the years the number of outriders surrounding a good honest steak has grown to unacceptable dimensions. At Malmaison the thought and care is centred on the dry-aged on the bone sirloin except for the chips. If you want all the rest go for the side dishes, but steak and chips on its own takes some beating. Vegetarians are well looked after - the pumpkin and gorgonzola filled gnocchi sounds appealing.

Heading the puddings is the sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce, a triumph of timing and co-ordination, supported by other choices amongst which expect to find a raspberry crème brûlée. Their homemade ice creams and sorbets are dreamy while the renowned cheese trolley has a selection of British and French farmhouse cheeses served with an assortment of biscuits and chutney.

A well travelled wine list is a symphony of its kind, clearly compiled by an enthusiast who knows his wines well enough not to disappear into a world of hyperbole when describing them.

Their Website is a wealth of information that will, I predict, only serve to increase your resolve to make Malmaison your next stop in Manchester. It is worth noting that you can also make reservations Online on their Website.

In the surging city of Liverpool The London Carriage Works restaurant, part of the boutique Hope Street Hotel, is pleasantly near the top of the pile, witness the Remy Restaurant Award for the Region in 2004. Amongst its other accolades have been inclusion in the top ten restaurants outside London in the 2005 Hardens Guide, top scorer for Liverpool's cooking in The Good Food Guide 2006, Best Restaurant in the Northern Hospitality Awards 2008 and 2AA Rosettes for 2010.

The doors open at 7am on weekdays, and breakfast makes a welcome appearance, with Continental breakfast, Spanish Iberico ham and home cured meats with cheeses, cereal, fresh fruit, multigrain toast, pastries and preserves, served with tea or coffee and fresh juice. A different Liverpool breakfast is a sort of healthy take on their more lethal type, with two eggs cooked as you like, served with dry bacon, and lots of other commendable things.

At noon the day menu kicks in, the seasonal restaurant menu demonstrates its leaning but discretionary approach towards local sourcing and starters on show could be king scallop with braised pork cheek and morcilla, char-grilled breast of chicken with lemon and rosemary, served with chestnut mushrooms, courgettes, salad leaves and shoots, croutons, wholegrain mustard and honey dressing, or a fresh and smoked fillet of Loch Duart salmon and avruga caviar. A pair of vegetarian friends could share a platter that includes artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, Kidderton Ash goats' cheese, Cropwell Bishop Blue stilton, vine tomato salad and seasonal crudities.

On then to a prime sirloin or 'pave' carved rump of dry aged fell bred beef, or fresh linguine of 'Perl Las' blue cheese, or breast of Gressingham duck served with caramelised chicory tarte tatin, peas, lettuce, Southport bacon and pommes mousseline.

For many, however, the highlight could be loin of English Rose veal "blanquette" with chestnut mushrooms, pearl onions, new season carrots, tarragon cream with ratte potatoes. Recommended accompaniment is a glass of Macon Charnay. Amongst seafood, natural smoked haddock risotto combines with leeks, spring cabbage, parsley, mascarpone, lemon and parmesan. Truly this is the menu of somebody who has a feeling for food that is precise and sensitive.

Popular wines by the glass do not exactly dim the prospects of a good evening either, with a Chilean sauvignon from Central Valley well on the way towards the same quality as some of the better New Zealand whites.

Make sure some space is reserved for a helping of the Cheshire duck egg custard tart with summer pudding sorbet, or glazed chocolate bread and butter terrine served with marmalade ice cream. However, for sheer magnificence in such matters, let me commend to you the hot chocolate fondant with salted caramel ice-cream.

The London Carriage Works restaurant has, after a long time, realised its dream of being included in the Michelin Guide for 2011. If you want to know about the restaurant - and the Hope Street Hotel - then have a look at their Website.

The perfect getaway for locals and tourists alike, the River Bar and Restaurant at The Lowry Hotel boasts stunning contemporary interiors and views of the River Irwell. Located on Dearmans Place, it can accommodate up to 126 diners, offering them a wide selection of imaginative modern British dishes in an atmospheric setting close to landmarks such as the Arndale and Crown Square Shopping Centres, The Royal Exchange Theatre and the People's History Museum.

The seasonally changing menu uses the very best of locally sourced British produce allowing the natural flavours to shine through. Impeccable service and 5-star flair do the spectacular setting justice, more than living up to the reputed Rocco Forte name.

Dinner could begin with starters of smoked salmon with buttered soda bread, bresaola with parmesan and lemon dressing or quiche Lorraine with spinach and bacon. For a luxurious touch, the meal could be preceded by your choice of Sevruga Caviar or Beluga Caviar.
 
The main course selection could include beef stew with root vegetables, roasted rack of venison with blueberry and venison sausage served with juniper sauce and wiener schnitzel with sautéed potatoes. If you would like pasta or risotto there's choice of spaghetti with lobster, linguini in white clam sauce, spinach and ricotta ravioli and risotto of wild mushrooms.

The grill offers succulent fare of tuna steak, chicken breast, ribeye steak and côte de boeuf with choice of sauce - au poivre, bearnaisse, bordelaise, chasuer, Café De Paris butter or citrus-pepper butter, petit salad and pommes frites.

Chef's choice for the month could include starters of moules and frites with garlic butter sauce or vegetable minestrone soup with courgettes, aubergine and pasta followed by mains of classic beef bourguignon with Alsace bacon, root vegetables and red wine-Dijon mustard sauce or pan seared haddock with judion bean cassoulet and sauce vierge. A traditional Sunday lunch is also available at the River Restaurant.

Dessert of pear tarte tatin, chocolate fondant, rhum baba or New York cheesecake caps a delicious meal perfectly.

Breakfast is also served here and customers can start their day with the hearty Lowry breakfast which includes two farm eggs cooked to your liking and served with black pudding, back bacon, Lowry sausage, grilled field mushroom, grilled tomato, hash browns and baked beans as well as freshly squeezed fruit juice, cereal, pastry, tea or coffee.

The wine list offer a superb selection of bottles from around the world, carefully compiled to complement the food perfectly with such examples as Pinot Grigio Castle Ringberg, Riesling Trocken Balthasar, Fleurie Domaine Prion and Malbec Alamos Mendoza. At the River Bar enjoy a variety of exciting cocktails and other drinks as well as snacks and an afternoon tea menu.

The River Restaurant pulls out all the stops for special occasions with a separate dining room, which can comfortably seat up to 22 people, the ideal venue for your big day where elegance and good taste can indeed make all the difference. The restaurant is also happy to host larger occasions for up to 360 people, and you can expect the same well-tuned attention to detail.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

Located in the heart of Manchester, Smoak Bar and Grill on Piccadilly offers an indulgent experience with superb grilled fare, skilled mixologists at the bar and chic interiors with cosy booths and banquettes. Housed in the Malmaison Manchester Hotel, Smoak Bar and Grill is minutes away from Manchester Piccadilly Rail Station and just a stone's throw from attractions such as the Royal Exchange and the Arndale Shopping Centre.

The à la carte menu begins with starters such as steamed gnocchi with spring onions, chestnut mushroom and parmesan shavings; chicken liver and foie gras parfait with toasted brioche and grape chutney or potted Whitby crab with deep fried oyster and sorrel potatoes also whet the appetite. There's also a raw and cured selection which includes Cornish oysters served with shallot vinegar, lemon and Tabasco; steak tartare with egg yolk and salmon gravlax with Bourbon and sour cherry.

From the Josper grill there's a choice of popular cuts including a 12 ½ oz flat iron steak; rib steak with belted galloway; whole baked lobster with glazed butter sauce and the house signature dish, a 225g burger handmade with naturally reared ground beef and served with gruyère, bacon and skinny chips. Favourites of Kansas City hot BBQ ribs with paprika frites and fried buttermilk chicken with sweetcorn pancake and romanesco sauce are equally tempting.

Other main course options could include a poached loin of lamb with a fine onion tart served with broad beans, peas and morels. Seafood lovers will rejoices in dishes such as collops of fried monkfish with smoked garlic mash potato and tarragon tomatoes or pan fried hake and chorizo risotto with clams, mussels and fennel pollen. Vegetarians are also catered for with choices that could include a vegetarian meatloaf with roasted root vegetables or spicy aubergine and goats' cheese curry.

The bar menu offers light bites of salt and pepper squid with oriental dressing; mussel and bacon chowder; Vietnamese duck salad and kung fu Josper chicken wings as well as sandwiches of pulled pork butt with coleslaw. Alternatively you could opt for the Smoak burger or hot dog served with relish, mustard and fries. There are also a number of substantial mains including traditional fish pie; Tuscan brick chicken served with sweet potatoes and Bourbon mayonnaise or the ever-popular mac and cheese. A Sunday brunch menu is also available.

To finish, consider a cheerfully decadent jam roly poly with jam syrup and custard, peach Melba with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sponge with chocolate custard or pineapple pannacotta.

The extensive drinks list offers cocktails ranging from classic martinis to contemporary favourites such as a White Cosmopolitan of lemon infused vodka with triple sec, lime juice and white cranberry juice; Vanilla Daiquiri and Pernelle which blends premium vodka, St-Germain elderflower liqueur and Poire William with fresh lemon juice topped with soda. The wine list offers a tempting selection of whites and reds including a Chenin Blanc from South Africa, a Gruner Veltliner from Austria, a Shiraz from Argentina and a Chateau Lugagnac from France.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

It can't be every restaurant that can claim to have had an elephant as one of the star attractions at its opening, but Zouk Manchester did. Alright, so it was a baby elephant and it was on the stage not the menu, just in case anyone gets carried away in reporting this unusual event.

Zouk specialises in the traditional Asian eating experience. Located opposite the BBC building in Chester Street, off Oxford Road, Manchester it could hardly be in a better position to bring its up to date approach to an ancient and respected cuisine to a wider clientele. And as the saying is - it's BIG! 4.5 thousand square feet big to be precise, which means that some 200 covers can be accommodated using the mezzanine and al fresco options.

Manchester is a boom city with plenty of heart and a reputation for enjoyment. Zouk's contribution is going to be another cog in the wheel of pleasure in a city where they work and play hard.

A menu of extensive proportions provides opportunities for even the most exacting customer to find what they want. Add to this the use of the sigri charcoal grill, look for the S logo against menu items, and you have healthy eating with flavours fully retained and fats burned off. Many of the main ingredients will not be unfamiliar to diners, but given the distinctive Zouk touch they take on new dimensions.

Starters could include tandoori haddock, or king prawns marinated with olive oil, crushed cumin and coriander seeds. The tandoori mixed grill involves chicken imlee, seekh kebab, lamb chops and chicken drumsticks. Chicken livers are cooked on a tawa Asian griddle after being marinated with crushed chillies and lemon juice.

Asian food has always been well orientated towards vegetables, long before vegetarianism became an issue, and the paneer tikka, spicy Indian cottage cheese with herbs cooked in tandoor is one of the most attractive starters on the menu.

Cooked in a karahi bowl from the tandoori foundries of the Khyber Pass, this is Indian cooking in one of its most traditional phases, using lamb, chicken and king prawn with plenty of ginger and garlic, crushed peppercorn and cumin seeds. Zouk's steaks are marinated with special herbs, spices, served with handcut Maris potato chips and selection of garden vegetables.

Seafood features strongly, and amongst the real delicacies is sea bass, marinated with special herbs and spices and served after gently grilled over the pani sigri. Lobster thermidor is prepared out of the shell, then the whole delicious mix of succulent meat, panfried with mustard, onions, mushrooms, garlic goes back into the shell to be covered with cheese and grilled, before serving with a selection of rice and sautéed vegetables - indeed a dish fit for a king.

People of good taste are turning increasingly to a wider interpretation of what drinks complement fine Indian cooking, so whilst King Cobra, Red Storm, freshly squeezed juices and smoothies or lassis, not to mention our own much loved Black Sheep all appear, there is a sensible selection of distinctive wines that are able to blend well with the widely spread flavours of Asian cuisine.

Zouk does not stop at food and drink, so check on their Website for such events as Bollywood Nights or an Asian comedy night. And the elephant? Made it safely back home after a thoroughly enjoyable night out. Magic!