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Manchester - Restaurants - British

Eight of us went to The Grill On The Alley on Tuesday night, to celebrate my birthday. The restaurant is pretty large, set over two floors, in a building just off Deansgate and King Street in the centre of Manchester.

The restaurant has a large menu and a comprehensive wine list. Their speciality is arguably steak, offering three cuts (rump, sirloin, fillet) each in three sizes as well as the famous Kobe beef. As well as steak they offer a wide selection of burgers, seafood and other meats.

I started with the baked Camembert, which was served with a cranberry jam (£6). This was lovely however I did find the label from the cheese in the bottom of the terracotta ramekin it was served in… proof that it was authentic Président cheese from France I suppose!

For my main course I had the 11oz sirloin steak (£17.50). This was cooked perfectly to my preference of medium-rare and was served with hand-cut french fries, with their skin on. I also ordered french beans with shallots as a side dish; these were very nice too if a little garlicky for my liking.

The others with me chose a selection of burgers, fish and other steaks, and everyone was very happy with their meals.

Unfortuntely the dessert menu let the restaurant down a little — the usual suspects of sticky toffee pudding, cheesecake and so on — and nothing really took my fancy. Coffee, chocolate and digestifs are also availalbe for those that enjoy a drink after the meal.

Service was very friendly and prompt; we had to wait a little while for our main courses but I think this is to be expected when a large group dining together orders steaks. Overall a great restaurant I would recommend to my meat-eating friends, and definitely one I will return to in the future.

Check out my review of Grill On The Alley - I am david_1982 - on Qype

London - Travel & Hotels

I love Oyster — I live in Manchester and have had a card for a couple of years for my fairly regular trips to London. There’s no way I’m going to pay £4 for a single tube ticket when the same on Oyster will only cost £1.50. On the buses, a single cash fare is a whopping £2 (even if you’re only going a couple of stops) but with Oyster it’s only 90p.

I also love the fact that they have ‘daily price capping’. This allows you to travel as much as you like each day and you won’t ever pay more than the cost of a travelcard. A daily travelcard on Oyster is cheaper than the equivalent paper travelcard, so you save money and don’t have to plan your trips in advance to work out whether a travelcard would save money.

If you are a regular visitor to London then the £3 deposit for an Oyster card is definitely worth it, as you will save loads when using the tubes, DLR, trams, buses and certain trains. I ordered mine online and had it delivered, or you can buy one from vending machines when you get to London. There are also loads of Oyster offers available too — these are published in leaflets at stations. A brilliant idea that is very well executed.

Check out my review of Oyster Card - I am david_1982 - on Qype

Manchester - Restaurants - Thai

We went to Try Thai last Friday. I’d never been but my partner had. I was very impressed, especially as someone who might normally avoid Thai as I’m not too much of a fan of the red and green curry that most people associate with Thai food.

We started off simply with some Thai prawn crackers. These are more flavoursome than the Chinese variety, and less greasy. We munched on these for only a few minutes before the mains arrived — Thai cuisine is quick!

For mains, we chose pork Pad Thai and a dish with chicken and vermicelli. Both were served within minutes and were excellently presented. Portions were large and we were glad we didn’t go for much of a starter as there was more than enough to eat in the main course alone. Everything was fresh and there were no signs of any MSG in the dishes!

The staff were friendly and attentive, and able to recommend items off of the menu. Admittedly it was very quiet when we went (early evening). On the way out I made sure a lady perusing the menu outside heard my hearty recommendation!

Prices were very reasonable - meat dishes are between £7.90 and £9.50, fish is £16 and lobster and crab £22.95. As well as the à la carte menu, the restaurant offers banquet-style set menus for between £20 and £30 per person.

The restaurant offers a cocktail menu as well as the usual drinks list; cocktails were around £6.

If you’re in Chinatown and fancy something other than Chinese, then Try Thai is definitely a good choice.

Check out my review of Try Thai Restaurant - I am david_1982 - on Qype

Manchester - Food & Drink - Delicatessen - Restaurants - Fast Food & American

I’ve heard mixed reviews about Rice, but after meeting up with some friends in Piccadilly Gardens yesterday we thought we’d give it a try. We opted for the Japanese katsu chicken and the jambalaya, both of which were served very quickly in American-style take-out boxes. I really enjoyed the food — it was hot, tasty and very filling, and prices were reasonable at
between £5 and £7 for most dishes, which is good value for the size of the portions.

This was my first visit, and I think I need to go back a couple more times to get the measure of the place, but I will recommend it if you want a quick, healthy and filling meal whilst out in town.

Check out my review of Rice - I am david_1982 - on Qype

London - Travel & Hotels - Hotels

We stayed for a night at the Chiswick Moran Hotel a couple of weeks ago. Located at the end of Chiswick High Road, about a ten minute walk from the centre of Chiswick, the hotel offers large rooms in a modern building.

Our room was very well appointed with a big, comfy, king-size bed. There was room for two armchairs, a coffee table, a large desk and chair, and an LCD TV on the wall. There was plenty of storage in the room, with two bedside cabinets, two wardrobes and a chest of drawers. Conveniently the room already had an iron and ironing board in the room — proper ones too, not the built-in sort you sometimes get in hotels.

The bathroom was also large, with one of the walk-in rain showers mentioned by GCattermole. To begin with this seemed a bit feeble compared with the power showers I’m used to, but it was actually very relaxing and a lot like standing in a heavy downpour! The bathroom also had a separate bath, which was a bonus, and a speaker in the ceiling hooked up to the TV.

The bar and separate restaurant, situated downstairs on either side of reception, both looked stylish and modern, however we didn’t make use of either facility as we had other plans.

The car park underneath the hotel costs a hefty £20 per 24 hours for non-residents; those staying at the hotel are charged a more reasonable £10 per 24 hours.

I would recommend this hotel if you fancy staying somewhere comfortable outside the centre of London. It’s close to both rail and tube stations, so getting into town shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Check out my review of Chiswick Moran Hotel - I am david_1982 - on Qype

Manchester - Nightlife - Clubs

I’ve been going to Tribeca since I came to Manchester in 2001, and although I like it, I only kinda like it.

It’s a cool-looking bar, very New York, serving good food, and the £5 bottles of wine are fantastic value for money, but there’s just something about the place that doesn’t sit well with me.

The mezzanine gets too hot on a busy weekend night, for example. The place subscribes to the "music volume up at 9 p.m." policy, regardless of how many people may actually be in the bar (a pet hate of mine, that one). You get some really, really obnoxious people in there. There aren’t enough seats, yet there’s not enough floor space for standing. Everyone is in everyone else’s way.

On the plus side, Tribeca does offer some good live music, a quiz (at least they used to; I hope they still do), a wide selection of cocktails and the aforementioned cheap wine deal. During Manchester Pride, it’s just on the outside of the Gay Inclusion Zone, allowing you to meet up with your cheapskate friends who don’t have wristbands.

Maybe I’ll go back there a few times over the next few weeks and try again. Watch this space.

Check out my review of Tribeca - I am david_1982 - on Qype

London

Hosted by a member of the Royal Family, attendees are invited to attend a Garden Party in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, usually to celebrate the achievements of a particular charity or organisation.

Security is, as one would expect, fairly tight, so entrance is strictly by invitation only, and only then if you can prove your identity at the gate. Queues can sometimes be long and arduous, which is no real surprise when 7,500 people are attending…

Once inside the gates, guests are lead through the main entrance to the Palace and then through two rooms which lead to the garden. Once out in the garden guests can obtain refreshments in the tea tent. Beverages are limited to tea and soft drinks; food on offer includes crustless cucumber sandwiches, Victoria sponge cake and little chocolate mousses with a crown emblem on top. Food quality is good and nobody minds if you go back for seconds.

Across the garden from the tea tent are two other tea tents: the Diplomatic Tea tent (for VIPs) and the Royal Tea Tent, for the Royal Family and VVIPs.

The gardens are more small park than back yard, featuring a lake with island, arboretum, rose garden and a 170 metre long herbaceous border; in the centre of the Rose Garden behind the Summer House sits a large marble vase originally made for Napoleon but given to the Palace by King Edward VII.

Given a warm, sunny day, a Royal Garden Party provides a unique opportunity to see a part of London that is not normally open to the public. Getting an invitation, unfortunately, may prove very difficult.

Check out my review of Buckingham Palace Garden Party - I am david_1982 - on Qype

Manchester - Restaurants - Latin American

Pau Brasil is an authentic Brazilian churrascaria offering a wide selection of meat grilled on a skewer and carved and served at the table. Meats on offer include chilli chicken, lamb, sirloin steak and sausages.

Eat as much as you can for a flat fee - the restaurant offers a wide range of salads and hot dishes at the buffet bar. Turn the disc on your table from red to green to indicate to the waiters that you’d like them to carve some meat. Service is attentive and friendly, and the restaurant offers great value for money.

The restaurant is very busy at weekends so reservations are a good idea even if there’s only two of you. Even during the week I would suggest calling ahead as on a couple of occasions during the week we were unable to get a table.

Check out my review of Pau Brasil - I am david_1982 - on Qype

New York - Shopping - Computers

Apple’s flagship store in New York is a must for any Apple fan-boy or aficionado. The store is located underground, with a huge glass cube covering the lift and staircase downstairs. Once you get there, be prepared to queue just to get in - the free internet available at the dozens of computers makes the place a magnet for tourists too savvy to pay at an internet café.

As another reviewer mentioned, if you’re paying by card you can grab the attention of one of the helpful staff carrying a handheld computer. They scan the item, bag it up and swipe your card. No signature required and your receipt is e-mailed to you as you leave. They make it scarily easy to spend money! (What’s cool as well is that the Apple Stores in the UK share the same system - use the same card to buy something back home and they’ll already have your e-mail address!)

The store is open 24/7, unless there’s something special going on - like filming an ad - so if you don’t like the crowds, pop down late at night when it’s sure to be quieter.

There are other Apple Stores in New York, but this is the only one worth taking a photo of!

Check out my review of Apple Store, Fifth Avenue - I am david_1982 - on Qype