It seems television personality and former Michelin chef, Marco Pierre White has got his fingers in a whole host of pies at the minute - figuratively, not literally. He hung his whites up way back in ’99 to build up an empire of restaurants and in the process, has become a staple on television, from cookery shows to ad campaigns. His latest cause for celebration though is the opening of Mr White’s English Chophouse in both London and Manchester; I went to scope out the latter.
Venue and Atmosphere
Before I go any further, let me first provide a bit of historical context… Traditional chophouses strictly came to be in 1690s' London as a place for the affluent elite to go and enjoy prime cuts of meat that mere peasants could all but dream of. Pierre White is paying homage to the authentic concept in what those au fait with Manchester's food and drink scene are seeing as a challenge to the three long-established Victorian chophouses already residing in the city.
Mr White’s English Chophouse’s USP? Glamour - and plenty of it, darling! Chophouses were always designed with the fabulous in mind which is why the basement of Canal Street’s decadent Velvet Hotel is such a perfect location. Plush upholstered furniture, copper accents and extravagantly tiled flooring keeps the modern essence of Velvet alive while still providing the perfect platform for Pierre White’s campaign to combine opulence and gastronomic history.
Adding to Manchester's already booming chophouse scene, this spot is all about decadence and glamour.
Food and drink
In terms of the food and drink offering, it was a bit of a mixed bag really. I have eaten at the Velvet hotel restaurant many a time so I was pleased to learn that the Chophouse had retained its head chef, Tom Parkin and his kitchen cohorts. I was also impressed by a menu which delivered on the promise of “English classics with a French flair” in true MPW style. The food itself, however, left me feeling a little on the fence; neither particularly enamoured nor disappointed.
For starters it was Crispy Calamari (£9.50) and Baked Camembert with warm sourdough and roast vine tomatoes (£9.95). At mains we went for the Roast Rump of Lamb a la Dijonnaise (£23.95) with gratin dauphinoise and rosemary roasting juices and ‘The French’ (£14.95) from the Chophouse Burgers list which came embellished with melted cheese, onion rings and Dijon Mayonnaise. The camembert was glorious - accompanied by freshly baked bread to scoop up that gooey cheese; the squid went down a treat and the lamb was pink and juicy - just as it should be. The burger, on the other hand, wouldn’t have tasted too far out of place on a Wetherspoons menu - there was nothing wrong with it but there was none of the flair found in the other dishes.
Drinks and desserts were a roller coaster of reactions too. The large glass of chilled sauvignon that was recommended by our lovely waiter was a delight and the Manchester raspberry gin and tonic I ordered was borderline orgasmic. The limited dessert menu, however, was pretty uninspiring. We had an Affogatto (£6.50) without any Amaretto liqueur which I found odd - especially given the price tag - and a Vanilla Cheesecake with Blueberry Compote (£6.50) that didn’t warrant much more than ‘yeah, it’s nice’. Sure, I ate it all but would I rush back with an insatiable craving for more? Probably not.
The Manchester raspberry gin and tonic had us crying out for more of the same.
Summary
All in all - and carrying on the pretty neutral theme of this entire review - I wouldn’t put Mr White’s English Chophouse at the top of my recommendation list but it wouldn’t be rock bottom either. The venue is impressive, the staff are fantastic and there are certain aspects of the menu which were knockout. So if you want a nice glass of wine in gorgeous surroundings with some decent grub, go for it. If you’re looking for fine-dining without fault or flaw, I’d think twice.
