You wouldn’t know it from the outside but Grand Pacific is one of Manchester’s most beautiful venues. The restaurant aims to recreate the golden age of high society and that’s exactly what it does.
Inspired by colonial-style bars, the interior is lavish. Even the stairway to the dining room is impressive with tropical-leaf wallpaper and low hanging lanterns. And then you arrive at the bar which is equally decadent; it’s almost excessive and yet tastefully done. There’s a golden-palm tree- chandelier, glossy wooden flooring and huge art-deco windows. Put it this way, it’s an Instagrammer’s paradise.
But beautiful interiors are not the only thing this restaurant serves up, but tasty wine, cocktails and food too. I visited on a rainy evening back in August with my friend Charlye. We were there to try out their summer menu and left feeling totally transported from a grey Manchester.
Much like the design of the restaurant, Grand Pacific’s menu can’t be pinned down to one culture, with most dishes having some kind of pan-Asian influence. Highlights included the soy and treacle cured salmon starter, which was served with wasabi crème fraiche and the duck gyoza, which came with a rich hoisin sauce.
Being totally honest, I felt uninspired by the baked salmon I had for my main course. The fillet was tasty, but rather small and the Indonesian salad was crying out for more flavour, which, for £17.95, was a little disappointing. Thankfully, that was the only hiccup as Charlye really enjoyed the thick cut of steak and variety of sides… on that note, order the thick cut chips, you won’t regret it.
When it came to drinks, we started the night with a glass of champagne, because, as the saying goes, when in Manchester…! And, with our dinner, we shared a bottle of Ribbonwood’s New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a fruity, refreshing white which went perfectly with the zingy Asian flavours.
We were very close to turning down pudding but our waiter convinced us otherwise and thank goodness he did. Grand Pacific’s Iced Peanut Butter Parfait hit the spot. Continuing the Asian theme, the dessert was drizzled in caramel miso, yes, caramel miso, and topped with a crunchy chilli and almond brittle. It was 50 shades of delicious.
Grand Pacific isn’t Manchester’s finest foodie restaurant, but it’s definitely up there, offering something completely different: a gorgeous venue, which has most definitely earned the title ‘grand’, an eclectic menu and tasty array of cocktails.
Address: 50 Spring Gardens, Manchester M2 1EN
Phone: 0161 839 9365
Website: grandpacific.uk.com
