Embankment Kitchen

You know when you have lived in Manchester your entire life, and then find a spot that you didn’t know was there? Then you kind of don’t want to share it with others because it’s a calm oasis in the hustle and bustle of the City Centre, and if everyone knows about it, you know you’ll struggle to get a table? Let us introduce you to Embankment Kitchen.

In the ground floor space of City Suites, Embankment Kitchen is a light and bright restaurant and bar space offering modern yet cosy decor for either a glass of wine with friends or an a la carte dining experience.

You can expert large circular booths with velour finishings, or more intimate tables for 2 with sleek clean lines. Their location on Church Street, literally over the walkway from the Cathedral and the AO Arena, is excellent for those going to a gig at the Arena or after a day of hitting the shops hard.

Running the kitchen is Masterchef The Professionals contestant Marika Healey, who uses seasonal local produce to produce a menu that is definitely on the smaller side, but incredibly well executed. When considering sustainable options, we are loving this approach and there is still something to cover all tastes.

From the initial menu titles, the food sounds much more simple than what arrives and that is the beauty of Embankment Kitchen for us. The Crispy House Dusted Squid, for example, is layered with chorizo and crispy kale, served with turmeric and chorizo aioli. See what we mean? The squid is soft and melt in the mouth with a light crunch from the kale and a hit of richness from the chorizo that doesn’t overpower the dish whatsoever. Our group also enjoyed the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Piecesand the Sautéed Mushrooms, which arrived atop a well toasted slice of garlicky focaccia.

Onto mains and we really tried an array of different dishes, with the Diavola Pizza having a generous amount of spicy nduja sausage, salami and a drizzle of honey chilli oil. The Blushed Tomato, Spinach andGarlic Stuffed Chicken Breast was a touch on the dry side, but the chimichurri helped and the sautéed potatoes were a lovely change tofries. The Summer Vegetable Gnocchi is a chef recommended dish and it is clear to see why. A veritable pile of gnocchi with summer squash, chilli courgette and roasted peppers is smothered in a tomato and rocket pesto, finished with a drizzle of lemon olive oil. The vegan dish is so light and makes the most of the delicious vegetables to highlight their flavours.

It would have been sacrilegious not to try the desserts and we found the Chocolate Nemesis incredibly rich, so probably not the best option if you have just eaten 2 massive dishes! It is tasty though and the homemade raspberry ice cream adds a much needed sharpness. The Strawberry and White Chocolate Amaretto Tiramisu is lighter than it sounds with layers of champagne jelly and meringue. It is such an unusual dish but a summery twist on the classic Italian dessert is never going to be a bad thing.

We recommend you try some of their well selected wines and you’ll also find some wine based cocktails on the menu. They offer a ThursdaySocial, where you can choose a platter and bottle of wine for £29.95, or head in after a hard day’s shopping on a Sunday for their Vineyard sessions; a bottomless wine option for £37.50 per person.

Whatever you choose, this is something a bit different amidst such a wide range of restaurants in the city centre, Embankment Kitchen is a solid choice and definitely one you should try before the secret is out.

Menu and details

Keeley for Canal St Media

www.phatcupcake.com - an award winning food and travel blog based in Manchester

Further articles can be found at:

Time Out Manchester

Wow247 Manchester

4ManchesterWomen (Bar Reviewer)

Frost Magazine (Manchester Correspondent)

Tasting Britain

Drinks Enthusiast

Attraction Tickets

Published: 26-Aug-2022 (6794)