A new resident has moved in on Beech Road on Chorlton and it's fair to say there's a lot of excitement. The Jane Eyre - a much-loved Ancoats bar and restaurant - has taken over the site formerly occupied by The Parlour and is raising the game for cocktails and seasonal menus in the leafy suburb.
Opening in the heart of the south Manchester neigbourhood, the team are bringing their popular cocktail menu and wine list to Chorlton along with an extended menu of small plates and roasts dinners. Whilst keeping produce seasonal and local, the team are exploring a different menu to that of their existing site in Ancoats as a way to differentiate the two venues.
Based on Cutting Room Square, the original neighbourhood bar and eatery opened in 2018 and is named in honour of owners' Joe and Jonny’s late mother, Jane. After making a name for itself with its innovative cocktails, it then opened up a bar at Escape To Freight Island, which it will continue to run alongside its two other bars.
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The new spot is owned by a passionate team made up of Ancoats General Manager Frank Burke and previous Head Chef Jack Mullen and existing owners Joe and Jonny Eyre. The bar operated as The Parlour for many years, owned by former Coronation Street actor Rupert Hill and Jonny Booth, who also owned the likes of The Castle Hotel on Oldham Street and Northern Quarter live venue Gullivers.
"We've always fancied Chorlton as an area we'd like to open, so when we heard something was coming available, we were super keen to get in," explained co-owner Joe Eyre back in October. "It's kind of similar to Ancoats in that it has a neighbourhood feel. We thought we'd fit nicely, and it's a good next step.
“We’re changing the location of the bar, and the décor will change, so we’ll be putting our own stamp on the place. We hope to offer the people of Chorlton a home from home. Somewhere they feel truly relaxed and can enjoy all we have to offer.
"The cocktail list, small plates and Sunday roasts will lead the way but not to be missed will be an eclectic beer and wine selection, delicious brunch and everything in between.”
Walk inside this spacious, multi-levelled bar and you're greeted by teak-style, wood-panelled walls, leather-clad booths and mid-century lamps offset by navy blue walls and a peppering of plant life. Visitors can perch by the bar, sit tucked away in one of the many nooks or head to the back of the space lit by candles and pendant lights, and tuck into their seasonal small plates menu.
The day-to-day menu is split into snacks, whole cuts and small plates and the team advise two to three plates per person. For those grabbing a drink by the bar, there's snacks such as Goat's cheese bon bons, house pickles and cheese on toast with beef dripping to nibble on.
In terms of small plates, there's a wide selection of dishes catering for meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans - from salt n pepper chicken and tempura monkfish with smoked chilli mayonnaise to miso roasted cauliflower and Cavolo Nero with black garlic, seaweed and hazelnuts. For something sweet, the kitchen team have whipped up puddings such as ginger sponge and vanilla custard, chocolate biscuit cake and Tonka bean tiramisu.
The hugely popular roasts from their Ancoats site have also made the cut at the new spot in Chorlton and span roast sirloin of beef, confit pork belly, chicken supreme and a vegan nut roast. Served with roast potatoes, herb-roasted Chantenay carrots, root vegetable mash, pork stuffing, Cavolo Nero, a Yorkshire pudding and Sunday gravy - or vegan stuffing and a vegan Yorkshire pudding - there's a reason their roasts are so popular.
As well as sides of pigs in blankets and cauliflower cheese, diners can double up with starters like spiced butternut squash soup, beef tomato and miso roasted cauliflower.
Wash it back with one of Jane Eyre's signature cocktails like the Sweet Jane - a mix of Rabbit Hole Bourbon, Averna, cherry and bitters - or Sherwood Pines - a blend of milk washed rye, clarified pear juice, pine and soda. There's also a list of classic cocktails as well as beers and IPAs on draft, plus a carefully curated selection of wines.
The Jane Eyre in Chorlton on Beech Road is open now, Tuesday through Sunday.
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