Two Manchester establishments have been named in the top 100 restaurants in the UK by a prestigious restaurant guide. The city centre spots have been featured in the 32nd edition of Harden's guide - the only UK restaurant guide sold in bookshops based on feedback from diners rather than a group of professional inspectors.
Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at The Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland has been crowned the UK's best restaurant, while the North West was deemed one of the best performing regions outside of London with an impressive 38 'Top Scoring' restaurants, nine of which have made it into the acclaimed Top 100.
A total of 30,000 reports are submitted from a survey of 3,000 diners when compiling the list. Restaurants at all price levels are listed - from street food vendors to Michelin-starred dining rooms, with 2,800 restaurants listed in total.
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Manchester secured a place in the list's coveted top 10 with Adam Reid at The French claiming the number seven spot, while Michelin-starred Mana in Ancoats came in 73rd position. The Midland Hotel's famous restaurant shot up the list, having come in 40th position last year, with the guide stating that "Adam Reid’s tasting menu fully delivers on the hit to the tastebuds".
Recorded in the guide, diners who have visited the restaurant on Peter Street commented: “It’s not all serious plates, with some playful dishes offering something a little different and intriguing”. Though Mana hold's the city's only Michelin-star, diners still hailed the restaurant at The French as “the best culinary experience in Manchester”.
Mana, meanwhile, has been heralded as “undeniably one of the UK’s top tables”, with chef Simon Martins' restaurant hailed a “fabulous airy space within the foodie hotspot that is Ancoats”. The Michelin-Star restaurant was also applauded for its “exemplary cooking” with an emphasis on fire and fermentation and British ingredients, which "comes out of that entirely open kitchen, and the team work methodically alongside each other to produce it”.
While the spot was praised for its "knock-out" flavours and dishes "evocative of place and origin", Mana has fallen from its previous top 10 spot down to number 73 due to price increases. The guide states: "With stardom has come higher prices, and doubts are creeping in about the ultimate level of value it delivers.
"One in six [of polled diners] now consider it notably overpriced. The remainder agreeing that 'it’s not cheap, but you pay for what you get'".
Since winning a star in 20129, Mana has become so in demand that its Friday and Saturday night sittings are sold out until the end of March. For a meal at Mana - Manchester's most expensive restaurant - you are looking at paying £195 for the full main tasting menu.
An additional seven restaurants from the North West region also made it into Harden's Top 100 including Simon Rogan's world famous L'Enclume in eighth and Aulis at L'Enclume in Cartmel in 45th. The Forest Side in Grasmere, Moor Hall in Aughton, The Old Stamp House in Ambleside, The Art School in Liverpool and Fraiche in Oxton all made the cut too.
Commenting on the North West's strong showing, co-founder Peter Harden said: "The North West is home to some of the country's most renowned restaurants and consistently performs well in the Harden's Top 100 due to the high quality, diverse nature and depth of what's on offer.
"Interestingly, it's also an area where, like London, restaurant price increases have caused some guests to question whether they still see the same value in the overall proposition when dining out. What is an enjoyable experience at £100 per head can soon lose its lustre when prices as good as double.
"Restaurants are currently facing increasing costs from every angle so it's no surprise these are being reflected on menus, but some of our polled results and diner comments this year show that customer expectations are struggling to keep pace and it's easy for restaurants to begin to fall out of favour as a result."
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