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The Grill on New York Street is, as most of my friends know, one of my go-to eateries in Manchester city centre. Many are the times my best friend Tyler and I have dined out to celebrate a new job, a birthday or indeed the fact it was lunchtime! At one point, we ate there three times in 24 hours – now that’s what I call dedication!
I no longer live and work in the city centre, so I can’t just pop in for a quick spot of lunch or after-work dinner. I can’t use it as my place of choice for working lunches or entertaining. But I do come here for birthdays and dates. In fact, I took my current boyfriend here on our first date, and it served us well – so it must be lucky for me!
Just a short walk from Manchester’s Gay Village, The Grill on New York Street is a stylish restaurant with a New York loft vibe. It’s especially popular with the local LGBT community due to its location, and draws a discerning crowd of young professionals.
We started with cocktails for a splash of delight before dinner. The Grill on New York Street has a wide range of cocktails, and their mixologists are well equipped to whip up something off-menu too. Keen to try something different (my usual is a spiced pineapple mojito, which is no longer on the menu but easily made by the helpful staff), I selected the new rhubarb and rosehip fizz for a tart and playful start. My colleague chose the sloe gin crush, for syrupy berry and botanical flavours.
With these luxurious but light tipples to kick off, we were suddenly in a decadent mood. Thus I started with oysters – opting for three, rather than the six or twelve portion sizes presumably designed for sharing by couples. Each of these giant-sized oysters came served on a separate plate, which felt a tad excessive, but perhaps the point was to show me that one oyster is probably enough at these portion sizes. Undeterred by such sizeism, I pressed on and wolfed them down, washing them down with the last of my cocktail.
My colleague picked the chicken skewers for contrast. Chicken satay skewers have the potential to go horribly, horribly wrong. I’m thinking of scraggly lumps of meat threaded through a toothpick here–the kind you get from supermarkets or really cheap buffets at parties. Thankfully, my fears were proven to be snobbish twaddle. The chicken itself was juicy and substantial, the satay sauce rich, almost chocolatey – not in sweetness or even bitterness, but purely because of the rich creaminess. The fresh peanuts used really packed in the flavour.
My colleague ordered sirloin steak. Whichever cut you order, the steaks at Grill are always fantastic. Our visit was no different – the steak was fantastic as always, although we both noted that, over the years, the chips have definitely improved.
I ordered the sea trout with Thai green curry sauce and a side of summer greens, to keep things light after my whopping starter. This was a refreshing addition to the usual menu, which I hope to see again. It felt summery and exotic, and would pair well with a heavier side as well (our server recommended either the mash or the sweet potato wedges, which are technically a starter but go well with many dishes).
Stuffed, we thought we were defeated. But our delightful server for the evening encouraged us to go for desserts. We picked the sumptuous cheese board and – the real winner of the evening – a peanut butter, salted toffee and honeycomb mess. This last was amazing. I’m not usually a dessert person, but the unique combination of ingredients took my breath away. It was salty, sweet and creamy all at once, with a delicious crunch from the honeycomb.
The Grill on New York Street offers a solid menu, done very well, paired with Living Ventures’ trademark high standard of service. Members of the Dining Club get up to 40% off food from the a la carte, and up to 20% off at other Living Ventures restaurants.
The Grill on New York Street, New York Street, M1 4BD – 0161 238 9790
