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Brunch, Saturday, River Restaurant, review
Jonathan Schofield, a great weekend start and the wonders of the absurd question
I love it when people – they are minor geniuses I think – utterly get the wrong end of the stick. Or maybe they just see a different truth. Live in a parallel universe.“So,” said my eighteen year old son, Jacob at the River Restaurant, “I was working in the conference suites at United and this lad called Ravi who’s really funny, but keeps getting into trouble, dropped a whole massive soup pot, one of those cauldrons, like they’ve got here, right at the entrance to the suite just as half time was finishing. It flowed everywhere. All these feet walked the soup through the stadium, it was chaos. We were pretending not to laugh but we couldn’t help ourselves.”
A combination of raspberry, rhubarb, and the world’s most popular soil hugging food at the moment, beetroot. This seemingly odd combination was one of the best non-alcoholic drinks I’ve had in years, never cloyingly sweet, yet with substance and flavour.
The family formed slow motion pictures in our heads of the soup dispenser falling, the moment as it hit the floor, the crowds desperate to get back to their seats. It was a Mr Bean scene or something from Laurel and Hardy. We laughed, even the ten-year-old.
But our thirteen year old artist of the oblique, Oliver, looked thoughtful and said, “What flavour was the soup?”
That’s not the point we said.
“It is to me, so what flavour was it?” he said.
The cauldron of soup at the Lowry Hotel brunch didn’t crash to the floor at any time during our visit. And we were there a while.
Lovely board of food
The reason for our hosted visit was to sample brunch, the new Saturday approach for late risers and long diners in the River Restaurant at the hotel. Served from 11am to 2pm it provides a ridiculously easy going start to the weekend, albeit post-football training for us, but for others in the place, couples and good friends, a fineintroduction to the day after a long night.
Cereal pleasures
For £25 per person you get a glass of fresh fruit juice, an energiser fruit cocktail, a glass of wine or a bottle of beer.
There’s a buffet of fresh breads, a selection of local cheeses, roast and cured meats and smoked salmon, freshly made soup of the day, a selection of salads including pasta salad, coleslaw, potato salad, tomato and mozzarella with olives and rocket and watercress. Also sun blush tomatoes, avocado puree and hummus all served with oils, vinegars, relishes and pickles.
For the main courses there are club sandwiches, chicken or vegetarian; a traditional BLT, the Lowry cheese burger or steak sandwich all served with French fries. Then again you can order Eggs Benedict with Parma ham or smoked salmon or a Chicken Caesar salad.
The buffet’s a beaut, and can be visited again and again. We did just that. It was cute to get a potato salad, not had a good one of those in years, since my gran’s chopped chive special, but the mozzarella and olives were excellent too, fresh as can be, along with a cracking slice-yourself roast ham and a delicate avocado puree.
The breads were so fresh, their dough so light, you could have just eaten them with salty butter applied and forgotten the rest. Of the cheeses a spectacular Sharrock’s Lancashire bomb was the pick, unpasteurised, mature cheese from – of course - Goosnargh.
Mains of steak sandwiches, cheese burgers and a Caesar salad maintained the standard with the steak sandwich the winner here, a perfectly timed belly buster.
The River Restaurant brunch is a lovely way to start the weekend foodwise and also comes with top service, good views and the joy of vast tables resplendent in crisp linen.
On the way down the Lowry Hotel stairs and out I said, “Shall we go up to Dale Street and look at the Captain America film set (click here)?”
I explained what was going on there.
There was an enthusiastic choir of yea, let’s go.
“Why’s it called Dale Street?” Oliver asked. And then "What?”
View from the table
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45 comments so far, continue the conversation, write a comment.
Latest Rants
Sounds good, but why no score?
£25
I thought there was a recession on?
Bless you Sharxno1. You win the most predicatable rant of the week award. And it's only Monday.
There seems to be rather a lot of blessing going on around here?
Looks good
What an utterly pointless start to the review (again), added nothing to piece what so ever. Sharxno1 - valid point, £25 for 'brunch' are you kidding me?
*the piece
wow!! this should have "ADVERTORIAL" printed at the top, its quite clearly a advert for the river rooms brunch, as nice as it may be its an ad simple as, hence why its advertised in the side bar too...shameful man con, shameful!!
We all have to make a buck, and business is tough but if its and advertorial please label it as such in future or your credibility is sunk...
Whitsuntide it's called narrative. As for £25, this is a full meal in a five star hotel. It's not a £3.50 bacon sandwich. Had the brunch myself and you can spend hours over it. You are paying for pleasure, leisure, relaxation and comfort. Wonder if you always have your face screwed up saying 'pah', wonder if you describe yourself as a 'realist'. I can't stand realists.
Jeremy Terribly - it's called self indulgent waffle.
Oh lord, the reason why the review is here is because it was bloody good. If it had been crap I would have said so. I didn't put a score up because it was hosted. And if it had been hosted and rubbish I would have written it as rubbish. As it happens Gordo went in last Saturday and paid in full, and loved it too. I, personally, will never put my name to something I don't endorse. Still I will take on board the fact that I should have flagged up more clearly the hosting of the meal and I apologise for that - and will address it. All stylistic failings are my own in the copy, Whitesideonside.
I thought the opening and close to the piece was sweet. The world needs people who are random.
I still wouldn't pay £25 for brunch though.
Don't care if it's a five-star hotel or not, £25 for brunch is still way over the top. A long time ago, I paid nearly £20 for afternoon tea here and got dried-up sandwiches and a Lipton's tea bag. Love the word 'hosted' BTW
I fancy this, I really do. £25 might seem a little steep at first instance but when you consider the cost of a glass of red, steak sandwich and cheeseboard at say Restaurant Bar and Grill adds up to that princely sum already, this doesn't seem bad value given that you've also got the charcuterie, salads and cereals thrown in as well as the all you can eat element. I'm going to try this very soon.
'Sweet'? 'Random'? It's called hot air/meaningless drivel/filler. The only reviews on here with any anecdotes worth reading are those of Gordo which i would guess is down to his life experience/personality.
whitesideoffside are you still here?
Errrr, yes. Why?
I think the Lowry doesn't get the recognition it deserves so its nice to see something like this flagged up. Oh and I have been going for afternoon tea on a regular basis for years and had never been served Lipton tea or dried up sandwiches.
"Hosted" that means "paid for" yes? so if they paid for it its not a review, and lets be honest they are advertising with you, spending god knows how much every month... with this taken into account how can you have the balls to say that you never take money for editorials, you obviously do as this piece is in effect editorial for money, maybe not directly, but they advertise with you, they paid for your £25 brunch & if it was a review it should be scored like everyone elses... just be honest about it or change the title of the piece to ADVERTORIAL cos thats what it is
oh for god's Sake, i thought Man Con had done this to death ages ago. If it has a score, it is a review. if it doesn't, it isn't. If JS or Gordo or whomever wants to say something about a good deal, let them. Advertiser or not, let them write on their (or they're if you're stupid) website and tell us about good deals to be had. I reckon 25 quid is a good deal. I care not a f;;k if it comes by one of their advertisers. jeez. Grow up and go rant about something important.
Fancy it sometime then Mark? Or you could take me to Earle instead of the wife to be???
@markm I understand where you are coming from, and usually i wouldn't give a toss, BUT manCon is so high & mighty with the old "we don't take money for editorial" and they have been caught out, THEY DO!!! this just shows that they are full of shit and how many other advertisers have "hosted" them a dinner or lunch etc that has been passed off as a "review" but is nothing more than an advertorial.. in print you have to mark everything like this as ADVERTORIAL, but manCon slap REVIEW on it. ManCon want to be trusted, they want to be the rulers of food and drink in this city, their word is last etc etc but they have slipped up on this one and we shouldn't let it drop until they slap the words PAID FOR ADVERTORIAL on it and apologise for misleading their readers...afterall if we didn't read it and rant the Lowry wouldn't advertise with them, or do ManCon think we are bloody stupid??
USER8056 we're so high and mighty and precious we've let your comments stay on here and I think I've explained what happened. But if you can prove that on a scored and rated review we've ever been 'hosted' by the venue then we'll put £200 on a meal for you and your friends....at the Lowry perhaps. I will not be putting Paid for Advertorial on this so maybe you should let it drop. By the way just an editorial aside but quit with the childish capital letters will you? Please communicate directly with me on jonathans@manchesterconfidential.com if you wish to continue with this.
Hey ed, do you reckon USER8056 works for Cheshire Life or some such permanently positive rag?
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to distinguish between a scored review and a review about a restaurant "hosted" by them. Mancon have always been very honest about the difference between the two. Doesn't bother me in the slightest and I am with Avo about the price. Will probably give it a go myself. Thanks for the heads up Jonathan.
@ JS & Gordo:- I "hosted" a dinner here a couple of weeks ago which I will say was marvelous, but I am sure your moaning section of ranters would think potty as it cost me over £500. for 4.
I was told about this brunch and it looks extremely good value. WELL DONE !
Right lets put this in to perspective. £25 for some cold meats and cheeses salads and soup followed by sandwiches. Rip off!!
I think the first picture on the left column puts it into perspective
SHARXNO1,I hear you can get three curries and rice for £3.49 in those little asian cafes in the northern quarter. Is that up your economically sound street?
£25 sounds pretty reasonable to me for the experience gained. I have very much enjoyed the £15 lunches and dinners at the Lowry recently, the buffet looks enticing. Paying £500 for 4 to dine is not necessarily daft, but I acknowledge that some may think so. The wine can easily push the bill up. To avoid pushback from the ranters, I enjoy a £4 fish supper as much (in its own way) as a £200/head meal. Each has its place in my dining experiences.
Four quid for a fish supper.........HAS THE WORLD GONE MAD!!!!
Where can you get a decent £4 fish supper from???
@JONATHAN SCHOFIELD - the issue is that in the email you sent out you quite clearly marked it as "Top Story: Brunch, Saturday, River Restaurant, review" you see the word review there?? yeah me too..so if its not scored how is it a review, and if its not a review then what is it..and no i don't think it is for me to prove you take money for editorials, only you know if you do that, and if you do then you know it's wrong and you will get caught out one day..
and if i want to write in CAPITALS get a point across, thats my business and please don't ever presume you know me or my personality by calling me childish, and thank you for keeping my comments on, wow, didn't realise that the Nazi Germany way of thinking was making a comeback, or are we still allowed freedom of speech???
'Nazi Germany'??? Oh puhleeze. Now that is childish.
One can accuse ManCon of many things, but being similar to Nazi Germany is never one of them.
To Northern Geezer; the world may indeed have gone mad; otherwise Subway and Mcdonalds chains might not otherwise exist, but £4 for a good (emphasise good) fish and chips is not bad at all - certainly miles better than a big mac (other plastic fast food chains are available). What do you normally pay?
I couldnt agree more Ray, trouble is finding a good fish 'n chips in sunny Manc at ANY price!.
Editorial comment: rant removed.
Agree with USER8056 at 7/10 13:34:37 above. It was really, REALLY mean of you to criticise the poster. You should have maintained a dignified silence and let the rest of us make up our own minds about the poster, you nasty Nazis, you!
again, can we not have the mancon/nazi comparison. I don't care how f*cking clever or funny you think you are, it is a hideous thing to say. Just vile.
Rosie, some people have no understanding of history and scattergun analogies around which show their ignorance. I also shudder when I see people wearing Soviet red stars seemingly careless or ignorant of how many people Stalin massacred.
What a bloody patronising post KJ. The previous ranter was referring to freedom of speech - something that was clearly denied in 1930s/1940s Germany, as it was throughout other places in Europe. Lighten up both. I'm Jewish and take no offence so please don't be offended on my behalf - 'cos that really does wind me up
FFS...............its a food review, not a manifesto for political dogma!!!!
Quite right Northern Geezer - we have nothing to lose but our chains after all. (Restaurant chains that is)
Sincerest apologies if you thought I agreed with USER8056, Rosie. Thought you may have noticed the sarcasm in my post before you started your knicker twisting.