Reviews in Northern Quarter

On arrival we were pleasantly welcomed and shown through to the new, airy, two sectioned dining area. The service was pleasant and attentive initially and we were quickly looked after for our drinks and food order. We had a mildly pleasant glass of the house Claret to go with our food. The starters we had were Mussels in a very agreeable, if voluminous, scrumpy sauce and a delicious, if ever so slightly too cold, soup. As we were there on a Friday Night and having a maximum of £20 fix per head, the choices were probably less than you would normally expect, although sufficiently varied to cover most tastes I would have said. My wife and I both went for the Roast Lamb. For some reason any offer of condiments didn't materialise in our little corner of the restaurant despite there appearing to be plenty on offer elsewhere. By the time we realised we couldn't be bothered to ask for them, but it was a slightly annoying oversight on the part of the waiting staff. The Lamb was wonderfully cooked, but was slightly fatty. I did ask for extra gravy which turned up neatly in a little pot with spoon for ladling across my food; a nice little touch. Vegetables turned up in a shared dish and all mixed in together, which might have been a pain if we hadn't both liked all of the vege therein. Again it was all very pleasant without really taking us to epicurean heights. Finally puddings were a sticky toffee pudding (not as good as the Ivy's, according to the missus!) So all-in-all, a pleasant and enjoyable experience without really being the culinary delight we had been anticipating. Informal discussions with the staff however did start to shed some light on this. The place has recently had major overhauls, the new seating area, new Kitchen where less than 4 months old. I fear that the English Lounge may not be able to live up to its newly won reputation unless it irons out some of the 'niggles' that can just take make the difference between OK and great. I do wish them all the best of luck.

Good food, nice staff. Food was an average price, good choice.

The food here is just excellent and also a little different to your usual Bar / Restaurant menu restrictions. Can't recommend highly enough and the staff are fantastic and knowledgeable. Worth every penny. The upstairs restaurant, I believe which has just been built is a beautifully done, relaxed atmosphere in stylish setting with subtle, well-chosen background music. I would highly recommend a visit just to view the lavish decor, hanging chandlers, and highly impressive waiting staff. Well Done.

My wife and I go into Manchester every week to sample the flavours of what the city has to offer, my wife suggested going to a place called 'The English Lounge', located not too far from the Arndale Centre, an establishment, recommended by a friend of hers who had dinned there before and had enjoyed it herself. We had a drink in the bar as we arrived about 10mins before our booking time to get relax and get a feel for the place. You look around and can tell a lot of thought has gone into the place. We had placed in front of us a beautifully presented and designed menu, offering a very varied choice of both, continental meals, and English dishes. The meal was perfection! 10/10 at the end of the meal (Both feeling very full and had 2 bottles of wine plus the 2 bottles of water to keep us standing up right). I can only thank the staff for being both friendly, and delightful in their approach and mannerism's. When we left I explained to the manger we had not had service like that from a waiter more helpful for a long time. Last note this place is a must for anyone wanting the best of Manchester, and highly rate this establishment, as a must for both dining and sampling a great range of wines and real ales. Mr. & Mrs. Goodayle.

Went to English Lounge on a Friday night and the whole evening was brilliant, entertaining and a great start to the weekend. Huge portions!! It was well worth it as the price for a main dish alone can be under £6.00. Our table was delighted with the service, drinks we constantly refilled. We couldn? finish our main courses & next time (there will definitely be a next time!) would probably just opt for mains! A brilliant, lavishly furnished restaurant - perfect for drinking copious amounts of wine with delicious food. Brilliant!

A lovely place, warm atmosphere, good food and good service!

Im from Surrey and was told to visit the English Lounge, for a true English Experience, and let me tell you it was....The food was excellent, and of good value, a good choice and range of continental dishes, cooked perfect, I couldn't hardly move to get to the cinema, a great place to eat, and drink some good ranges of beers.

An uplifting experience, even if you were to pop your head in the 'English Lounge', staff, apart from being outstanding in service, were approachable, and funny!!! The food, beautiful, plentiful, and more presentable than some other expensive restaurants I have visited....Well done on the re-furbishment, a real experience.

We went for the Beat the Clock Menu, which cost us £5 for two meals because we ordered at £5. That was fantastic value for two generous portions, which were delicious. The staff were great - we will see you again. Best regards Margaret

An excellent restaurant which is notably emptier than the bar at lunchtime. The food is first class but don't expect to be out of here in less than 90 mins. Slow food is great but this is very slow indeed! However the wine list is excellent, friendly service and superb food which may be a few pounds more than your standard Manchester Conran inspired bar but well worth the extra.

I had my birthday here and had a wonderful evening. My party of about 11 people were all served very quickly and efficiently. The food was lovely and so cheap for the quality. The atmosphere is just right for a celebratory occasion. Thanks for making the evening so special.

We went on a Sunday; the restaurant was packed giving a lively atmosphere. There was a large selection of dim sum on trolleys; all were delicious and the waiters very helpful. I would highly recommend this place!!

Always receive a warm welcome here, great no fuss decor simple yet stylish. Always good atmosphere. Really nice staff, and the food is unbelievable for the price. especially considering its excellent location right next to Bluu.

The Sweet Mandarin is fast becoming one of our favourite places to eat out. The prices are extremely reasonable and the vegetarian options such as the Buddha's Golden Picnic Basket and Mabel's Claypot are amazing quality - always fresh and full of flavour. We would recommend this place to your viewers.

I have been to Sweet Mandarin a few times and the food and service are absolutely excellent. I've been as a couple and for my birthday and each time the staff have been attentive and the food lovely. I look forward to my next visit.

We had a really excellent evening and would highly recommend The Sweet Mandarin. We want to thank Lisa in particular for excellent service and really making our party feel welcome. The recommendations of Manchurian Fillet of Beef, Mabel's Claypot and Lilly Kwok's Curry were fantastic. Mike, Steve and Brian

i love this place! it's just cool, it's lively and funky. but if you want top notch food or are fussy about service, probably not the place for you. The food's really good value, pretty tasty and the place has good bar atmosphere - we reguarly go after work. However, if you're a little more diserning over your food: it can take a long time for orders to come through and there's some sloppy 16year old service. all in all, good place, will keep going back - but please change the menu at some point - i've tried most things on it now!

We went for the Beat the Clock special menu. We ordered at 5.15pm and paid £5.15, which was amazing value. I had the Vegetable Spring Rolls to start and the Lilly Kwok's Chicken Curry. Both were really delicious. My friend had the Chicken and Sweet corn Soup and the Pork Wambamboo - he loved it too. I would definitely recommend Sweet Mandarin. It was a great place tucked away in one of the most exciting streets in Manchester.