James Martin Manchester

Have dined here several times and never been unhappy with the food or service

Tonight we came with two friends as a thank you for showing us the real Italy last month. It was their first time here.

We all had the taster menu with matching wines and the extra cheese course with port. We couldn't fault any of it. It was amazing. All courses and wines.

My friend's husband is Italian and knows his Italian wines. He was amazed at the choice and pairing of the wine from Sicily. He said it was perfect.

We were all so happy that we are coming back on Wednesday with two more friends for the Al a carte!

All the waiting staff were amazing , as usual but I will be sorry to see Lauren go. She is lovely. So professional and knowledgable.

Well done to every one associated with this wonderful place.

We all want to come back when James is there and my Italian friends want him to come over to the real Italy to sample real Italian food. How about an Italian Adventure?!! X

Being based within the 235 casino accessing the restaurant is always going to be a chore having to submit ID; at least it keeps the kids out and there is free parking for casino members.  Situated on a mezzanine floor at the far end of the upper floor the first thing you notice are the stairs leading to the restaurant and the bright James Martin signs.   Ascending up the stairs a grand piano and the glass fronted meat cold room come into view with all of the different cuts of meat available from the meat market menu hanging in all its glory. It’s a shame that the casino itself appears so lifeless and characterless with mismatched carpets and a dark moody atmosphere.  The dining room appeared silent as we were led to our table with six or seven other tables occupied.  Thank heavens the atmosphere picked up through the meal as the tables were quite close together. I used to religiously watch Saturday Morning Kitchen and have always been a fan of James Martin, but had my doubts whether th

We had a lovely evening at James Martin Manchester235, the food was good, although as I've mentioned after some amazing meals this year, it takes quite a lot to blow us away these days. On the whole, it's a decent solid performance rather than a 'wow' meal for us (apart from the risotto).
James Martin Manchester235 though I think is better for it, unlike some recent openings, it's not searching for stars and failing, it's after that middle market, and for me it's pitched absolutely perfectly. The food is honest, decent, modern British food, dependable and good quality for what it is. Nothing to scare the horses as it were. You could take your parents there - if they were paying that is.
Consequently, I think this restaurant will prove to be a huge success in Manchester.
So, I managed to go through the whole review without making a gambling pun. What were the odds on that?

Tucked away in the corner inside Manchester 235 casino, it can be easily missed if you're not a casino goer. However I did indeed have a negative perception of the place as it was in fact located in a casino and maybe not the right combination for a celebrity restaurant. The interior, not what I expected, I thought it was a bit out dated but the food was telling me a different story...

A sack of bread and butter (free!) - a lovely touch to start the evening and presented so uniquely. The bread was fresh and warm and we even had a combination of brown and white.

Starter
* Thai crab risotto (£7.95) - with a hint of lemon grass and kaffir lime kicking through, it was indeed my favourite dish of the night. It was cooked perfectly and had a tasty creamy texture which made you keep wanting for more but there was definitely no chilli kick. Not a great deal of crab but it was visibly shredded throughout the portion.
* Seared west coast hand dived scallops (£8.95) - accompanied with black pudding and a tamarind, palm sugar and ginger chutney. Just wow! The scallops were big in size and every bite was full of the tamarind flavour but maybe a fewer black pudding portions next time.

Main course
* T-bone steak (14oz) (£30) and Rib eye steak (10z) (£26) - both served with chunky chips, onion rings and flavoured butter. They were both cooked to our liking (medium) but I thought the rib eye was a bit dry but the sun blushed tomato made up for it. The chips were just your standard chunky chips which are my fav but the onion rings just didn't add much to the plate and the fact they look shop bought is not impressive!

Dessert
* Hot sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and condensed milk ice cream (£7) - well well could this be the best sticky toffee pudding I've ever had? Possibly yes! It was certainly hot, sticky and bubbling with toffee goodness. The ice cream didn't melt too quick surprisingly and it went well with the toffee.
* White chocolate and whisky croissant butter pudding with malt ice cream (£7) - the star dessert of the restaurant, I have certainly heard a lot about this and it did live up to my expectations. It's not your ordinary bread and butter pudding, it's your posh bread and butter pudding. The croissant was crisp, layers were visible and the whisky just finished it off.

Overall the desserts were the highlight of the evening followed by the risotto and the restaurant experience was casual so don't be hesitant to visit because of the location. I might sound a little picky but the steaks could of been presented on better plates or boards to pretty it up a little as the white plates made it look cheap. (Just my opinion)

For the full review and photos please visit our blog http://prettyandtasty-ly.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/james-martin-manchester.html

Loved the food. More expensive than your average restaurant (obviously!) but not extortionate. Average cost for 3 courses plus wine was £70 for 3 people. Great menu with mouth watering options - difficult to choose. Our only let down was service from waitress. Perhaps a new member of staff or trainee? Almost everything she said had to be repeated because she mumbled. She didn't really understand the menu. When ordering the Rioja, she responded "Oh, red" and brought back a bottle of Sangiovese. Her training needs improving. But otherwise a very enjoyable evening. Must go again to try other menu options!!

Amazing food every time we've been. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. One of our favorite restaurants.

Went for the bottomless prosecco afternoon tea with my mum today. Staff were amazing attentive friendly and went above and beyond. Food was great such a lovely selection of sandwiches and sweet treats too many to eat but staff provided a box to take what was left home. Very attentive with the Prosecco had 2 bottles in an hour could have easily had more but my mum was drinking tea instead. Brilliant day would highly recommended and will definitely be going back Thanks so much!

We have had an amazing afternoon tea today. All of the staff were so friendly and made sure we had a good experience. Food was fabulous. Thank you to everyone at the restaurant.

Came here on a Sunday evening for the roast dinner set menu which was really good value. The food was amazing and the service equally amazing. All the staff were fab. I had the risotto, beef roast and sticky toffee pudding for dessert. All dishes were really delicious. I scored atmosphere a little lower, as we didn't realise it was inside a casino until we arrived. However, the restaurant area is in a separate space so you don't really notice when you're eating. Also because it wasn't very busy (I think they close earlier on Sundays), so if you want a busy atmosphere on a Sunday, go earlier in the afternoon.