Frankie heads up River

Ladies and gentlemen, I have a confession. Until recently, I have never dined in the “fine” persuasion. Limited to a life favouring all-you-can-eat buffets and casual dining where additional gravy is always encouraged, I was unsure as how I would take to entering the world of washable napkins and infused flavours. Little did I know this journey of self-discovery would give me one of the most taste-bud thrilling encounters to date.

But enough rambling, lets dim the lights and allow me to take you along to an evening at the decadently elegant River Restaurant of The Lowry Hotel.

A seemingly popular Wednesday dinner destination, we were seated in the comfort of our very own plush booth, angled so we overlooked the stunning evening view of the River Irwell as well as a giving us a good overview of the restaurant.

The ambiance was both serene and buoyant; tinkling music, relaxed lighting and sumptuous decor created the perfect backdrop for an evening of culinary delights. Our maître d' Sherman was incredibly attentive to each table at the restaurant. We watched as he table hopped fluently ensuring everyone was satisfied with their meals, batting jokes back and forth with regulars and quite simply being the cherry on top of a service-excellence sundae.

The service ran with effortless and charismatic precision, easing each diner into a comfortable state of composing bliss.

Agonising over the mouth-watering plates offered by the menu, we munched on rolls from the basket of fresh artisan bread, spreading the melting salted butter into the dough as we made our choices. We finally decided on contrasting options to each other so we could sample an array of the varying courses too tempting not to try.

The starters arrived and were presented with flourish. The Home Gin Cured Salmon tasted lusciously fresh, with thick cuts of salmon lying elegantly amongst the light, cool flavours of cucumber and dill. Shards of delicate rye toast added crisp textures to the starter bringing a rich, oaky taste to the fresh, high quality flavour of the salmon.



Slicing as softly as butter, the scallops were silky plump pillows of magnificence, their sweetness perfectly balanced by the surprising soft flavours from the creamy cauliflower puree. Alongside the scallops were circular portions of black pudding, capturing the same unique and delicious taste I haven’t had since first sampling it on the markets of Bury; imagine my excitement to discover that the very black pudding used by The River Restaurant was sourced locally from Bury!



Living up to its recently knighted “Super Food” status, the black pudding melted in the mouth and was a fantastically savoury contrast against the soft sweetness of the scallops. Wrapped in strips of liver this highlighted the sharp flavours of the pudding which married effortlessly with the other elements of the dish.

Our mains arrived along with potted sides of fresh buttered greens; I was completed charmed by the appearance of my High Peak Rack of Lamb. Opting for the lamb to be cooked medium under the recommendation of our server Diego, I was enveloped by a tremendous rich meaty taste, succulently tender and full of flavour as the meat soaked in the generous pool of rosemary jus it sat in; accompanied by crunchy, sweet roasted carrots and a seemingly ordinary side of cabbage. I cut into the side and was amazed to discover an incredible portion of juicy hogget deliciously stuffed into the leaves. Soft, shreds of meat unravelled out from the cabbage and was a welcoming contrast of texture against the firm bites of lamb. *Wipes drool from mouth*



My co-diner was engulfed by her John Dory, declaring it as a steak from the sea. The flaked chunks of white meat were soft and delicately seasoned allowing the naturally fresh and light flavours to take centre stage alongside its sensationally sweet accessories. The Menai mussels provided a boost of salty, ocean flavour to the dish which juxtaposed with the sharp syrup erupting from the miniscule apples dotted throughout the plate.

Despite being most delightfully full, when faced with the dessert menu we couldn’t help but ponder over which delicious creation we would allow to lastly push us over the edge into postprandial somnolence (that’s a good ole fashioned food coma to me and you!)

Surrendering to a scrumptious portion of the Peanut Butter Mousse, I was in awe at its magnificent presentation. Perfectly crisp cocoa meringues supported domes of soft peanut butter mousse infused with a light chocolate sponge; these sumptuous toadstools guarded an allotment of cocoa shavings centralised by an indulgent and rich mound of warm, solid chocolate fondant. The tonka ice cream was a fabulous addition to the dessert, providing creamy coconut and mild almond flavours to a dish that was in abundance of rich cocoa flavours.



The Pina Colada Arctic Roll arrived glistening on a bed of tapioca pearls. A soft vanilla sponge hugged a light wheel of cool coconut ice cream and worked refreshingly well with the zesty, lime panacotta. Devouring the flavours together created the perfect palette cleanser whilst still managing a taste of exotic indulgence, the artistic flakes of thinly sliced dried pineapple which decorated the plate melted on the tongue giving soft bursts of the juicy and Caribbean flavour. A miniature holiday on a plate!



Sufficiently stuffed, we sat and enjoyed the view as the remains of our desserts were taken away and we drank in the last sips of a truly indulgent evening.

The River as a restaurant creates a magical setting no matter what your reason for dining. Perfect not just for occasions, but to add a sparkle your otherwise average weekday. I would thoroughly recommend breaking the mould to treat yourself and allow The Lowry Hotel to spoil you as it very much did me, go on – you deserve it!

Follow Frankie on Twitter @FrankAboutFoods!

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Posted: Friday 12th February 2016
ID: 2911 - 1585