Out & About in Manchester

The Modern

Sometimes Itchy likes to take their entertaining up a notch and hit up the classier places in town. When looking to treat our nearest and dearest we look for eateries that impress. Where everything is stunning, from the food to the décor to the location. The Modern certainly took us up a notch. And up a floor. Or five.

Teetering up on the fifth floor of The Urbis Tower, The Modern has what is surely the most spectacular view from any Manchester restaurant, but we're pleased to report that it has far more going for it than just panoramas. Every aspect of the place is well designed and built to please.

Their menu uses the freshest local produce wherever possible and represents the best of British cuisine. By that we mean the sort of ingredients that popped up in your school canteen, except carefully sourced and prepared so that they look and taste incredible.

To start (after scoffing down all the yummy little warm bread rolls they brought us) we decided on a warm salad of duck, watercress, orange and roasted cobnuts, which was a fair bit plainer than it sounds but tasty all the same, and, might we say, very well dressed. In a salad sort of way, not top hat and tails.

We just love spring, with its cheery daffodils, clear days and delicious, fresh little lambs. Naturally we chose Braised High peak lamb breast with crushed garlic potatoes and glazed turnips and carrots for main course, and boy was it a wise decision. We hadn't come across lamb breast before but if it always that tender we'll be trawling butchers looking for it. And there's a basic rule to food, we find. That is that anything involving potatoes and garlic (and cream, for that matter) will taste amazing. Hence the crushed garlic potatoes tasted amazing.

Pudding should never be refused, no matter how full you think you are, especially when it is of this calibre. Do not deny yourself dessert at The Modern, where the dark chocolate and malt whisky tart is to die for. Likewise their homemade ice creams, for those who really can't squeeze in any more solids.

Although not the cheapest meal ticket in Manchester, you pay for what you get in life, and for that little bit more cash you get a whole lot more quality. Plus those feeling a bit poverty-stricken could take advantage of their Taste of Manchester menu, a selection of their dishes which represents the area best and costs a mere £15 for three courses. And did we mention there's an amazing view?

www.themodernmcr.co.uk

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