Machine House

Visited the Machine House restaurant recently for the first time. Was a little unsure of what to expect as I had never tried a tasting menu before,and didn't know exactly what to expect. However from the moment we arrived, everything was done to ensure we had the most amazing evening. When having the tasting menu you are given the option to have an in flight wine experience where, for each course, a wine is carefully selected that will complement the dish perfectly. As we are not big fans of white wines and dessert wines we decided not to go for that (although in hindsight we probably should have), however we were still offered advice on what red wine for us to select from the superb options available, that would best compliment the dishes that the chef was preparing that evening. Thankfully we heeded the advice given and the wine was absolutely perfect, especially for the pork and beef courses later in the menu. After a quick drink in the bar, we were shown to our table, and over the course of a couple of hours we were treated to some of the most amazing dishes I've ever tried. Each course was beautifully presented, and the combination of flavours that each dish combined was just superb. There seems to be a definite pacing to the whole evening which means you never feel rushed, and you are given time to savour what you have just eaten before the next amazing course arrived. For me, it just added to the whole experience as it made you feel very welcome. Each course was described to us as it arrived and we were always asked for our opinion afterwards too, and it seems that the whole front of house team are genuinely enthusiastic about the food too. I was also very fortunate that the final course was the most amazing sticky toffee pudding I have every had (this is my "go-to" dessert most of the time, although now I have tasted the best I fear that other sticky toffee puddings will always disappoint in the future!). Everything about the evening was great, the restaurant looks amazing, with the old original stone walls and exposed beams being mixed with modern homages to the Madchester music scene (look out for nods to Oasis, the Hacienda, The Stone Roses, etc). Everyone on the front of house team was brilliant, we were made to feel really welcome, they were all knowledgeable about the food and drink, and all seemed to be very enthusiastic about the Machine House. And, of course, the food was just amazing. It's definitely a "special occasion" restaurant, but we hope we can go back in the future and would really recommend it.