The French at The Midland Hotel is Manchester’s fine dining standard-bearer. Under Adam Reid, it’s become a restaurant that genuinely competes with anything London has to offer, and it does it with a distinctly northern identity. The tasting menu changes regularly and focuses on British ingredients treated with real technique and occasional brilliance. Dishes look but never at the expense of flavour — Reid has a knack for making something that looks like modern art and tastes like the best thing you’ve eaten in months.
The room itself is beautiful. High ceilings, period details from The Midland’s Edwardian heritage, but updated with a contemporary feel that avoids being stuffy. Service is impeccable without being intimidating — staff are knowledgeable, warm, and clearly proud of what they’re serving. The wine pairings are worth doing. Each course is explained without being over-narrated, which is a fine line that a lot of tasting menu restaurants get wrong.
What to Expect
The tasting menu runs to around a hundred and twenty quid per person before wine. With pairings you’re looking at closer to two hundred. It’s a special occasion restaurant and it treats you like one. Book well in advance — tables go fast, especially at weekends.