Adam Reid at The French — Restaurant in Manchester

I had two menus at dinner; six courses at £55 and ten at £79. There is also a three-course menu at £29; this is available at lunch. One other point, the ten-course dinner is the only choice on a Saturday night.

The first full dish arrived in a small bowl, dry.

Artichoke broth with truffle dumplings, bacon, radish and hazelnut.The broth arrived in a small teapot and was poured by one of the waiters.It is the perfect dish. The artichoke broth was glossy.

Ox in coal oil, pumpkin seed, kohlrabi and sunflower shoots. Fully polished on the paying evening and delighting with its tiny emulsions setting off the tartare of beef, the oils delivering flavours that lifted the dish on the palate. If this dish were wine, it would be a Grand Cru served at the right age, with a long finish.

The dishes kept coming; fresh crab a hedonistic offering that gladdened the heart; another dish of scrambled eggs with unusual herbs on a razor clam shell and razor clam in the egg shell screaming meatiness at all and sundry.

The salad course was the star of the show. Impossible to describe. When finished it reminded me of losing a lover; I felt depressed.

There were two puddings; The pear, meadowsweet and rye, buttermilk, linseeds hit the spot. Light, tart, tangy, sweet, creamy; there was an awful lot packed into this one.

Finally, with coffee, came sass ‘n’ soda, a delightful play on those ice cream sandwiches off the van when you were a kid, this one having a cup of what can best describe as dandelion and burdock on acid. It left Fattie with a huge grin on his face.

We then had a premier cru chablis, Fourchaume, domain Jean de Faix, 2010, showing classic flint and Cumbrian butter. Riesling from Chile, normally a flabby nightmare was an Emiliana Reserva, 2011 Bio Bio Valley, it clearly comes from a bit of height which lends it a nice crisp finish.

A pinot noir from Santa Barbara, California, 2011 was truly stunning. A quick check on Google shows you can buy it for about £13. You could say it was moore-ish. Very good body. A handful.

The wine list here is terrific. No 1961 Lafite,

Over all, this restaurant does what any restaurant of quality does. It provides us punters with a truly great dinner; some talking points, service that will become a Swiss clock movement, wines to broaden your horizon and finally, allows you to walk away knowing that you have had a...

A good start to 2016 with the first meal of the year at The French by Simon Rogan. The decor of the restaurant manages to respect the Edwardian history of The Midland Hotel whilst having a modern ambience, with the ornate chandeliers dazzling above as a centrepiece. The staff were extremely friendly and knowledgeable without being too over bearing and intrusive. They were also very accommodative when my dining companion wanted to go for the three course lunch menu whilst I opted for the six course lunch menu, by staggering the arrival of each course in order for us to start and finish at the same time. Each individual dish was outstanding in its own right but clearly a lot of thought had gone into creating the six course menu that, despite having many unique and in some cases bold flavours, complemented each other perfectly to create an epic taste experience. The six courses were: Crispy trotter and belly, hay emulsion, Beenleigh blue cream, pickled cabbage and linseed; Golden turnip dumplings with onions, chives, cauliflower milk; Smoked eel in cultured cream, potatoes, tarragon, sea herbs; Hake poached in pine oil, artichoke, mushroom catsup, grilled leek; 55 day dry aged pork, purple sprouting broccoli, pork juices with mulled Cumbrian cider; Poached pear, sweet cheese ice cream, quince jam and walnut. If there was any weakness to mention, it was the coffee, which didn't match the quality of the overall experience. I was interested to read afterwards that The French was ranked #30 in the Sunday Times Top 100 UK restaurants in 2015 and one place above The Fat Duck. Well deserved. The only mystery is how Michelin have overlooked this great restaurant when it clearly deserves at...

Earlier this month to celebrate our wedding anniversary I surprised my wife by booking a table at, The french, (I surprised myself too - after a few anniversaries I'm starting to get it right, heh heh) and I'm so glad I did. I notified the team ahead of booking that we may need a slight variation to the menu due to dietary requirements. Communication was good and I was assured it could be done. This promise became one of the standout aspects of our meal, the adaptations were taken into consideration by Adam and the team without compromising on flavour or creativity. It was a breath of fresh air to see our dietary needs taken care of so seamlessly. The wine pairing during this experience was amazing. Each glass perfectly complemented each dish. The expertise ( from I believe, continued learning through regular taste practice of the wines ;-) from Dimitri and the team was evident and truly added another layer of enjoyment to our evening. In fact everyone that we encountered, Adam, Blaze, Dimitri and other members of the team were incredibly warm and welcoming, guiding us through the menu and answering any questions with enthusiasm. We felt very much like valued guests throughout the entire evening. I would say that we are "self-proclaimed non-expert foodies" who enjoy dining experiences such as the Michelins and Best Restaurants, at least once or twice a year on our travels we can confidently say that the French is exceptional. Whether you are a self-proclaimed foodie or simply someone who appreciates good food, this restaurant is...