Curley's Fisheries has always had a café. It started off as a shed, then a slightly bigger shed, then a portakabin type shed, and then now it has reached the peak of its evolution in a newly built but beautifully complementing building which now contains Curley's Dining Rooms. The café always had loyal regulars, and always achieved good customer service, and word was spread far and wide about their great quality food, but with the opening of a very modern and stylish new airy and spacious dining room, offering traditional favourites as well as a great evening menu, and beer and wines from Bank Top Brewery, it's attracting new customers from far and wide, eager to see the changes, or try the new food they've heard so much about.





The dining room itself is a lovely open space with modern dark furniture and reclaimed church pews, with features including a large coal-burning open fireplace (amazing in the winter when accompanied by the under-tile heating!) and a baby grand piano, which is frequently played by a pianist, to accompany your meal. The windows facing water-side all open fully concertina-style allowing a semi al-fresco feel in the warmer summer months, and offering some beautiful views right the way to the Fylde coast. On a clear day, you can even see Blackpool Tower! I love the way the menu is presented as the "Daily Catch" newspaper, telling the story of how the café started and developed, along with photos, and then inside the menu is designed in a similar newspaper style. The menu offers a great variety of fish dishes as well as classic favourites, salads, hot and cold drinks, snacks, and desserts, all of which I'm happy to say are at pretty decent prices considering the quality of the offerings! The fish has a perfectly crisp batter, and lovely fresh hot chips, accompanied by a wonderful home-made tartare sauce and a wedge of lemon. The fish is presented on a gigantic fish-shaped plate, which as well as perfectly containing the very large fish offered, is a fantastically theatrical statement when it arrives.

I ordered the prime cod, which although my photo does it no justice, was colossal! There was a menu option for an 'extra large cod', which considering the size of the standard cod, must require the concertina windows to be opened to get it into the dining room, surely! As you can imagine, after this beast, I couldn't manage a dessert, but the cake cabinet at the front of the dining room only taunted me that I wouldn't be able to try what looked like some very tasty cakes! Bank Top Brewery providing the beer and wine means that if you don't quite fancy traditional chippy fare, you can still have a tasty and well prepared meal, and a pleasant evening, and equally if you wanted to simply pop in during the daytime for a slice of cake and a cup of tea, you'd get just as pleasant experience.



I'm making myself hungry simply remembering this visit. I really must visit again soon!



Curley's Dining Rooms
Wallsuches
Off Chorley New Road
Horwich
Bolton
BL6 6PP
(01204) 691 783
www.curleysdiningrooms.co.uk






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Curley's Dining Rooms

by on 11:57
Curley's Fisheries has always had a café. It started off as a shed, then a slightly bigger shed, then a portakabin type shed, and t...
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From the people who brought you Teacup on Thomas Street comes Proper Tea at Manchester Cathedral, which unlike its hipster and trendy brother, is a quieter, more relaxed, and traditional affair, facing Manchester's grand cathedral, and occupying the space that was partly taken up by the cathedral's visitors centre. As you walk in, you're greeted by a grand airy and open space, shabby chic décor, and a striking black and white tiled floor. Gentle 1940s music plays, and on each table sits a jar of fresh flowers. The counter is made up of reclaimed doors, doorhandles, and doorknockers, which is a lovely unique design feature. Behind the counter stand shelves holding large tea caddies and tea making accoutrements.


Perusing the menu, I decided upon the cream tea, and although the listing mentioned a few teas that came with the cream tea, the friendly waitress had no problem in me having Earl Grey instead. She did inform me that sadly they had no clotted cream at the moment, but would substitute it with butter if that was okay with me (which it was).

Whilst I waited for my order, I asked where the toilets were as I couldn't clearly see any signage. I was told they were "out this door, across the bridge, down the stairs, and along the corridor", which seems a bit of a trek, but due to the nature of the building when it was a museum, it's understandable. Not ideal, but not a deal breaker by any stretch.

When I returned, the waitress smiled and said she was waiting for me before serving up. I was brought a lovely spread for my cream tea. I was pleased to see that the butter offered as replacement for the cream was actually in an individual high quality pack rather than café style butter blocks, and the jam came in a ramekin rather than a little pot, or plastic container.

I loved that the milk came in a little old-school milk bottle, what a cute touch! Also the home-made scone was massive! A timer came with the tea, to give you the ideal brewing time, but by the time the sand ran out, I felt my tea was merely very-warm rather than hot. I could've mentioned this to the staff, but it really didn't make much of a difference, as it was very tasty tea, and still very enjoyable. The scone was a touch dry due to the fact that I had butter rather than cream, but it was very tasty and very filling! As a taste preference, I prefer sweetener in tea rather than sugar, but sadly only sugar was available, in tube packets. With the nature and style of this venue, I was surprised not to be presented with sugar cubes, which would top off the "cream tea" feel. The cream tea came to just £4.90, which for Manchester City Centre is very reasonable indeed!

The selection of teas on the menu was vast, and included several variants of my favourite, Earl Grey. As I paid up, I mentioned how I liked this, and that I'd have to try the different varieties next time, and the friendly staff passed over the various tea caddies of Earl Grey varieties for me to see and smell, which was a lovely touch. The 'rosey' blend smelled wonderful, and as I'll definitely be returning, I will have that next time! :)

The venue also does Afternoon Teas, sandwiches, toasted sandwiches, soups, and a lovely array of home-made cakes, which sit on the counter looking seductive. Damn sexy cakes. Next time.... next time!!



I will definitely be returning here, as it gives the other Manchester City Centre tea rooms a run for their money, whilst maintaining good value, and a relaxed, quiet, and friendly atmosphere, which can be lacking in said other venues due to the resurgence in popularity of tea rooms.



Proper Tea
Manchester Cathedral Visitors Centre
10 Cateaton Street
Manchester
(0161) 832 3220
www.properteadeveloper.com







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Proper Tea

by on 15:17
From the people who brought you Teacup on Thomas Street comes Proper Tea at Manchester Cathedral , which unlike its hipster and trend...
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Pizza Me (or "Wanna Pizza Me?") in Breightmet only opened last month, but is making waves due to word of mouth and various food bloggers who have gone along expecting a simple little pizza chain, but ended up enjoying a great meal.

I'm no exception.

We popped in to give it a try for a bit of lunch, as the menus promising lunch for £3.95 or dinner for £4.95 seemed too good to pass up.

As you walk in, you see two distinct areas. To your right is what looks more like a traditional style pub area, which I think is more focussed on their "4 Coffee" side, but to your left is a more modern and open area with big chunky benches and tables, more focussing on their modern pizza side, Wanna Pizza Me. We sat down, and a friendly waiter came over and took our drinks order, and asked if we'd perhaps like to order some garlic bread. We did.



Pizza Me undersells itself by seeming to just be a pizza place, when in fact it serves modern Italian cuisine, offering salads, pastas, pizzas, and specials, all offering tempting sounding Italian fare, as well as teas, a good range of coffees, and desserts.

However, on this occasion we decided to go for a pizza, and try out the name of the place. 


 The first thing to appear alongside our drinks was the garlic bread we ordered. It arrived whole, on a board, and with a pizza cutter. It glistened with fresh garlic butter, which was mild but tasty, and the base was perfection! You could even smell the stone a little from the oven on the base. Very tasty indeed. This made us eager for our main!

I chose to go for the Salami, and my dining partner went for the Quattro Stagioni. They arrived in the same fashion, on a board with pizza cutters, and with the same delicious crispy base.

Salami
Quattro Stagioni
Both pizzas were delicious, and bursting with fresh flavours, especially the herby tomato base sauce which we both had. Mine boasted milano and napoli salami and proscuito, and was very rich and tasty, wheras the Quattro Stagioni was split into different toppings, each full of flavour and distinct.

We both agreed that the pizzas here were superb, and worth far more than the £3.95 asking price each, which is cheaper than some take-aways!


Although this was just a fleeting visit, I'm very glad we popped in, as it has cemented somewhere for us to go back to whenever we get chance, as the menu is very tempting, and the prices are just phenomenal for what you get! I urge everyone to give this place a try, as it's not your run-of-the-mill pizza place, and it deserves a little more recognition and love spread by word of mouth!

We will most definitely return.





Pizza Me
Breightmet Fold Lane 
Bolton
Greater Manchester
BL2 6PP
(01204) 238 877
www.wannapizzame.com



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Pizza Me

by on 12:26
Pizza Me (or "Wanna Pizza Me?") in Breightmet only opened last month, but is making waves due to word of mouth and various fo...
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This time last year, there wasn't even a building standing here! Coast To Coast is the newest addition to Bolton's Middlebrook Retail Park, and has had the good fortune of having a unit built especially for them between Pizza Hut and McDonalds, where there was formerly some parking that wasn't used very much.


As you approach the restaurant, it's nice to see that they have a stylish and pleasant outdoor seating area which I can see being popular in summer. A nice touch is that the pots on the tables are actually fresh rosemary plants which smell great.


When you walk into the restaurant itself, it definitely has a "wow" factor. It's very stylishly decorated in dark woods, padding, and with theatrical lighting and spotlights to give it a nicer atmosphere, very much in a New York Loft style. The decoration is very focussed on its American theming, with wall boxes containing artifacts and pictures of different US States. Even the toilets are bright, stylish, and pleasant.



The seating is split into different areas and a bar area, there are standard tables, tall tables, and cosy booths, all padded in blacks, deep blues, and reds. The condiments on the table tell you ahead of time that you're in for a good quality trip. High quality vinegar, Tabasco, and Budweiser BBQ Sauce (delicious!) with tactile salt and pepper shakers have you ready for the experience.



The menu is extensive, expensive, and very tempting! I say expensive, as it's a bit more than the average cost in the area, (their cheapest burger is £10.45), but they have some really good weekday lunch offers where you can really get a good deal compared to the main evening menu.

Our server was a pleasant guy called Joel who told us about the specials, things not available, and his personal recommendations. He was friendly and professional through our visit, attempting to up-sell a few times (sides, desserts etc) but without being obnoxious or pushy about it.

We ordered from the lunch menu, and chose to start with the loaded skins and the battered mushrooms.



These didn't take long to arrive, and were absolutely superb. The battered mushrooms weren't little button mushrooms like the usual offerings, but big mushrooms, in a perfectly crispy batter! The potato skins were loaded with cheese and BBQ Pulled Pork, which was mind blowing! I've not had pulled pork in a loaded skin before, and the flavour and texture was sublime. I didn't even need to touch that mayonnaise! It's a nice point to notice that the dishes are prepared so their logo is at the top of the plate, and facing the customer, almost like a piece of artwork.

For our mains we went for the classic cheeseburger and the southern fried chicken burger.



















Once again, these were nicely presented. We both chose different fries as our accompaniments. The normal fries were nice but nothing amazing, however the sweet potato fries were crispy, delicious, and morish! I'd definitely get those next time! The cheeseburger was juicy and meaty, and perfectly cooked. The southern fried chicken burger had the most perfect crunch, and was seasoned just right without turning into the pepper-fest that so many chicken dishes fall into.

We didn't order dessert (we were stuffed!), but Joel told us about how his favourite dessert was the warm fudge brownie, (complete with "mmm! nom nom nom!" after describing it).

The food was very good, particularly given the lunchtime price. I'm not sure I'd be as happy with the price if it was the full evening cost, but as somewhere to come for a special occasion now and then, Coast To Coast delivers, even if it's not somewhere you'd go as often as some of the other cheaper chain restaurant options on the leisure park. However, I can see those other restaurants quaking in their boots a bit, as Coast To Coast is doing what they're doing, but better, and may steal their customers!

The service is really superb, from the host greeting you at the door, to the server, and even the folks bringing the food out to your table if your server is busy. We felt taken care of, and looked after. It didn't feel like we were just another bill, and we didn't have to crane ourselves about looking for staff.

I'd dine here again. It'd be great for a birthday or anniversary visit. There's much more I'd like to try from that menu! I have my eye on the sliders...





Coast To Coast 
Units 24 & 25, The Linkway
Middlebrook Retail Park, Horwich
Bolton
BL6 6JA
01204 692929
bolton@c2crestaurants.com
www.c2crestaurants.com/restaurant/bolton
Coast To Coast on Urbanspoon

Coast To Coast

by on 15:19
This time last year, there wasn't even a building standing here! Coast To Coast is the newest addition to Bolton's Middlebrook...
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The Rivington Pub & Grill (formerly The Ridgeway Arms) in Blackrod is a warm, cosy, and comfortable traditional English pub, with a large focus on dining.

If you enter the Rivington from the car park, you would firstly think that you've walked into a the bar of a pleasant restaurant, complete with leather winged armchairs, candles, and historical photos of the area. If you walked into the Rivington from the other entrance, you would think that you've walked into a traditional and friendly pub, complete with a roaring fireplace, wood panelling, and comfortable chairs. Fortunately, both are true. Whether you're there for a pint, or there for your dinner, the warm and pleasantly decorated and furnished surroundings automatically make you feel relaxed and comfortable.


BBQ Saddleback Ribs
The main dining area for the restaurant side of the pub is in a horseshoe shape, with open fireplaces on each end, and a raised seating area in the centre. The food offered has something for everyone, ranging from the traditional to the modern, but done superbly well, and in good portions. The head waiter told us how nothing is ever frozen, and everything is bought and created freshly, hence sometimes there can be a wait for your food, but frankly if you want good food created fresh, you should anticipate a bit of a wait. It only makes sense
Camembert cheese in filo pastry
Bruschetta, with home-made bread 


Of the above starters, I had the Saddleback Ribs, which were in a delicious BBQ sauce, which was very much a home made sauce, rather than the thick ketchup-like BBQ sauce you seem to find everywhere today. The meat was so tender, that I was able to simply lift it up, and the bone fell out! Very tasty indeed!


The serving staff here are friendly and helpful, but for many of them it seems English is not their first language. This isn't a criticism as much as an observation, and a note that a few times we had to say things a couple of times before they understood, as we were often asked "sorry, what was that?". My only criticism might be a one off, as we asked the head waiter for our bill, but it didn't arrive, and after 15 minutes we asked another waiter about it, but as we did so, we saw the head waiter walk in, see us, and have a moment of realisation, before he dashed off to the bar to collect our bill. Everyone forgets something now and then, but as soon as he realised, he was on it!

Although there are many vegetarian dishes available, I do have to say that the Rivington's forté is their meat! All of their steaks are dry aged for 32 days hung on the bone, and all of their beef is from traditional breed cattle. My personal favourite dish here is the rare breed minute flash-steak, which is tender, juicy, and full of flavour (as were my dining companions' above dishes too!). My flash steak came a specific way, but for other meats you are asked how you want it cooked, and obviously which sauces and accompaniments you would like. Steaks cooked without a sauce get lightly drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. I personally love their chips! Big, chunky, old fashioned chips. Proper comfort food!

Herdwick lamb chops
You see the photo of the Herdwick lamb chops here on the left? I feel I must point out that when asked what he thought of them, my father-in-law, who is a very difficult man to impress, declared them "excellent!", which frankly blew the rest of us away (my mother-in-law dropped her fork!). This is an old fashioned man who would usually say something was "not bad" or at most "not bad at all!", but to declare a food 'excellent' is something we've not heard before... so that's saying something!



They offer a nice selection of after-dinner goodies, from teas and coffees to after-dinner tipples, but as beautiful as their desserts sound, I have yet only ever had their sticky toffee pudding, which is home-made and very light (not stodgy and heavy like you'd imagine) and served with vanilla icecream and butterscotch sauce (my favourite!). It's not that I don't want to try their other desserts, but I can't resist their sticky toffee pudding whenever I'm given the choice!! Frankly I should go there one day and JUST have a couple of desserts!



The Rivington Pub and Grill is superb basically, and if you've only ever been there when it was The Ridgeway, I emplore you to go along and give it a try! Maybe have one of their amazing sunday roast dinners. It's the sort of place you could go as a couple, with friends, your parents, or even the whole family. It's a good example of a traditional English dining pub done right! I look forward to my next visit.



The Rivington Pub & Grill
Station Road
Blackrod
Bolton
BL6 5JF
(01204) 696 027
www.rivingtonpubandgrill.co.uk
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The epitome of a traditional English Tea Room, Richmond Tea Rooms is a fun and camp tea room nestled away in Manchester City Centre, close to the Manchester Gay Village. It has a wonderful Alice in Wonderland theme (traditional, not Disney) and is decorated to reflect that theme, complete with lace doilies, swagging curtains, mismatched furniture, curtained booths, and even a "greenhouse" built into the corner of the room, should you want to dine surrounded by flowerpots, but a slight feel of privacy, despite being all glass! It's theatrical but charming!



The staff are very friendly and professional, and seat you as you arrive. The food is both delicious and incredibly tempting, not just the counter of wonderful cakes and pastries which are prepared fresh each morning (and which would tempt even the staunchest dieter), but a good selection of both hot and cold meals, and daily specials. And of course, they offer delightful afternoon teas, complete with cute sandwiches, scones, and cakes, perfect for sharing with friends over a catch-up after shopping in the city.


The drinks are also very much worth a mention. Not just the classic (but beautifully done) coffees and hot chocolates, but they also have a great variety of specialist teas of the world, whether you fancy a classic Earl Grey, the distinctive Lapsang Souchong, or even their own "Richmond Blend". They also sell a good variety of cold drinks, including Fentiman's soft drinks.

Caaaaaaaake!
To the rear of the main room is "The Lodge", which is another area, themed as a traditional Victorian hunting lodge, complete with antler chandeliers, which feels more aimed at the night time social element as it boasts its own bar. The Lodge and the main tea room itself are both connected via a corridor, and the venue's toilets, which are unisex (that is, the cubicles are individuals, but there is a shared wash area... don't worry, it's clean, and matches the traditional style of the rest of the venue, just check out their mirror!) 

 I highly recommend Richmond's for the traditional English tea room experience in a world of increasing American coffee shops. To those who may be a little uncertain about Richmond's being in the city's 'gay district', I implore you not to worry, because despite its location down a quieter street behind Canal Street (which feels like you've gone the wrong way, so stepping through the looking glass from the dismal street into the sumptuous tea rooms is very Alice in Wonderland indeed!), you could bring your granny here happily, and enjoy afternoon tea with her, and she'd bloody love it. I would. I do. In fact take me with you and your granny too?

Richmond Tea Rooms
Richmond Street
The Village
Manchester
M1 3HZ
(0161) 237 9667
www.richmondtearooms.com 

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Richmond Tea Rooms

by on 00:13
The epitome of a traditional English Tea Room, Richmond Tea Rooms   is a fun and camp tea room nestled away in Manchester City Centre, c...
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