Steak and seafood at The Grill on the Alley in Manchester

I recently headed north to Manchester for the weekend and on our first night we ate out at the Grill on the Alley restaurant just off Deansgate in the heart of the city centre. As the name implies, the Grill on the Alley specialises in steak of all sorts with a nice little sideline in seafood. There are a few minor diversions into old favourites such as roast chicken and bangers and mash, but that’s not really the point of a Grill restaurant is it?

That’s not to say that there aren’t some other good reasons for choosing the Grill on the Alley for the start of your night out in Manchester, before heading off to the clubs and bars for which the Northern cities and especially Manchester are famous. There was a great bar area where I’d have happily have knocked back a cocktail or two and the atmosphere was buzzy and lively with a mainly 20-30s crowd with couples and groups of friends.

The ambiance and decor managed to be at once laid back and stylish, with exposed brick walls nodding to Manchester’s industrial past as Cottonopolis, the centre of the 19th century mill worker’s world, as well as leather booths, wood and chrome and a proliferation of lights dangling low from the ceiling.

The Grill on the Alley in Manchester

The Grill on the Alley in Manchester

This was one restaurant where I found myself both under and overdressed. Underdressed because the ladies of Manchester dress to impress for a night on the town, and overdressed I was practically the only gal in town that had my arms and shoulders covered. I found myself people-watching a bit like a naturalist might sit observing a strange new species, coming as I do from the south of England, so here’s a few tips on what to wear for a night out in  Manchester.

Girls – you must look at all times as if you are heading for a nightclub (I know, in Manchester on a Friday night, you probably are). You must wear your shortest skirt, your skimpiest, sparliest top to show off your all-year-round-tan and the highest heels you possess with at least a 1 inch platform. Don’t worry – you a won’t feel the cold as all the restaurants are well heated. A leather mini dress like the one seated at the next table to us would fit the mood perfectly. You’ll have spent at least an hour in front of the mirror carefully applying lashings of mascara and lipgloss and straightening your hair and only then will you be in acceptable state to meet the bouncer’s approval at the door of your chosen bar or club. Guys -you’re allowed to be little more relaxed, in a close fitting shirt (never tucked in), designer jeans and a nice leather jacket only if it’s exceptionally cold outside, or a tight fitting designer t-shirt to show off your biceps for that off-duty footballer look.

The Grill on the Alley in Manchester

The Grill on the Alley in Manchester

Anyway, back to the restaurant and our Friday night out meal. As you might have guessed, we had steak and chips, but not just any old steak’n'chips. The menu proudly claims the steak’n'chips credentials as hormone free, naturally raised and aged for at least 28 days for extra flavour. Indeed if the website is to be believed they only buy meat from farmers whose wellies are splattered in honest, hormone-free muck, and are in possession of a healthy, ruddy-glow, a clear indicator of time spent chasing live stock around the pastures. Not quite what I’d heard about the farming industry today but I’ll take their word for it.

Oh and the chips are hand cut into satisfying chunky and wholesome pieces and the fish apparently has similar sustainably, freshly and responsibly sourced credentials. We both enjoyed our juicy rib-eye steaks although I was tempted by the Chateaubriand roast fillet steak with all the trimmings that the couple on the neighbouring table were trying and then there were sizzling plates of steak that kept passing dangerously close on the way to other tables. For pudding, my cherry bakewell was moist and fruity but my dearly beloved was almost defeated by the huge piles of creamy desert with fruit and meringue, until I offered to help him out. The staff were busy but enthusiastic and efficient and still managed to offer us a few tips on the Manchester nightlife, in between whizzing at high speed from table to table.

If you enjoy food that’s straightforward and undemanding, made with top quality ingredient, then this is a great place with a buzzing atmosphere to have a few drinks and a meal with friends as the perfect start to your night out on the town in Manchester.

Grill on the Alley
5 Ridgefield
Manchester M2 6EG
Tel: 0161 833 3465

Our trip to Manchester and complimentary meal at the Grill on the Alley was hosted by creativetourist.com who are your trusted source of information on lively creative scene and museums of Manchester – you’ll be hearing more about that side of our visit very soon.

This article is posted as part of Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust and Lipstick - Head over for Vietnamese deserts and other foodie delight