Vapiano in the beautiful new version of Manchester's Corn Exchange is the first of the Vapiano Italian restaurants outside of London here in the UK, and I'd heard interesting concepts about it, such as each restaurant having 40 chefs, and all dishes being prepared freshly every day, so I was looking forward to giving it a try.
As you approach the restaurant from the ground floor, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was quiet or unpopular, as the lower area, known as the atrium, is really not where the action primarily takes place. Look up! If you look up, you'll see the balcony level full of socialising and laughing diners all enjoying themselves.
Assistant Manager Sarah took us upstairs and told me about how the system works, and that "when you go, you know" because of how simple the arrangement is.
I'd liken it to the system used on cruise ships where your passcard is your perpetual "tab" on board. The same happens at Vapiano. Each guest is given a card, meaning all of their food and drinks choices are added onto the card when they order, so there's no messing around splitting bills, and you can simply pay your bill on your card as you leave. The lovely element about this is that you can wander around the areas of the restaurant for as little or as long as you wish, not feeling pinned down to any one spot, as you simply take your card with you. This means that if you like, you could meet in the atrium area with friends for drinks, then move into the main dining area and fill up on food, before heading over to the bar lounge for cocktails over a leisurely few hours, or you could simply head to the lounge for a quick espresso and a coffee before heading out for some shopping. I like this idea. It reminds me of
Ziferblat, and the idea of taking your time and enjoying yourself with no pressure. This is their ethos, and even where their name was inspired from, siting an old Italian proverb
“chi va piano, va sano e va lontano”, which translates to “if you have an easy-going and relaxed approach to life, you’ll live more healthily and longer”. I can go with that proverb!
As we're taken into the main dining area upstairs, its pleasant to see that it's very open and bright, with light wooden furniture, and lamps on each table with fresh herbs and condiments. We're told to sit whenever we'd enjoy, there being lower tables, higher tables, and lounge areas.
We chose a lower bench table with a view over the Corn Exchange, and ordered drinks with Sarah. We were given a wine list, but we don't drink, and usually this means that as a non-drinker, your options are usually Coke, Fanta, or Lemonade. Maybe orange juice. It gets dull quite quickly and happens at a majority of places. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to find a good of variety of non-alcoholic drinks! I chose the Vapiano iced black tea with peach vanilla, which was delicious.
A simple thing I liked about the tables was that there are little hooks underneath the tables, allowing you somewhere to hang your coat or handbag. It's little details like this which always impress me.
As you can imagine, the menu has a wide variety of pasta and pizza, as well as salads and desserts. Each section has a corresponding chef station in the restaurant where you go and place your order. At first I thought this might feel a bit odd, but the chefs and staff are all very professional and friendly, offering you various choices and options as you order so that your meal is uniquely to your preference, and offering you something to drink to go with your meal.
An interesting angle is that they have a huge amount of pastas, which are all displayed like a fantastic pasta pick-n-mix behind the pasta and antipasti stations, as well as tasters of their dressings, including some beautiful balsamic, and even a raspberry and maple syrup dressing which has to be tasted to be believed! As well as the fresh herbs on the tables, they were also literally all over the restaurant, along with big boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables.
I tentatively approached the antipasti station, where a friendly chef welcomed me and took our order of both bruschetta and tomato soup, asking whether we'd like some grana padano cheese on top too. At that point it was then actually interesting and enjoyable to watch the food being created, rather than it being awkward as I might've imagined. This was the same at the other stations, where we were also asked how spicy we'd like the pasta dish, if we'd like any cheese, if we'd like extra sauce with the pizza etc. I liked this. It was nice to have it just how you want it, and freshly prepared enthusiastically rather than begrudgingly.
After ordering, you're simply asked to place your smart-card on a black panel on the counter, which records what you've ordered and the price, then showing you the total. Brilliant! Dishes that would take a little longer, such as pizza, didn't require you to wait around, as you are given an alert machine, which buzzes and flashes when your dish is ready, allowing you to relax back at your table.
Back to the food! For our starter we ordered the bruschetta and the tomato soup. They were absolutely perfect. I've never had a refreshing tomato soup before! We were both very much impressed, and ended up sharing each other's! Sarah explained to me that one of the reasons that the quality is so high is that apart from the dishes being prepared freshly every day, the management team and chef team are frequently asked to taste the dishes to ensure the quality and recipes are consistent. It must be a hard life, having to make sure these delicious dishes are delicious!
For our main course, we opted for the ravioli con carne, and the barbecue chicken pizza. My partner was continually smiling as he ate his pasta, and when I asked why, he simply said "it's so good! It's really really nice!". When food makes you smile, there's something being done right! My eyes widened when I went to collect my pizza. It was huge, and so amazing looking that it looked like the actual pictures you see of it! Although I won't really go into prices, I will say that this pizza was less than £10 and absolutely delicious and so very fresh... which is less than can be said for certain chains who charge considerably more for considerably less!
As we sat, relaxing from our delicious meals and exchanging our praise of the quality, a friendly and smiling staff member called Iris came over to our tables, asking if everything was okay and if she could clear our used plates, asking if we'd like any coffees or desserts. I asked where we ordered desserts from, and she smiled and said that we could order from the table with her. We ordered the death by chocolate and the "Cioccolata Bianca".
The death by chocolate was an Italian style chocolate cake, which had an intense taste of dark chocolate, and the wonderful thickness you'd associate with a chocolate cake, but with none of the "claggy" taste after a few minutes, as it was surprisingly light, melting away in the mouth.
The Cioccolata Bianca... ohhhh the Cioccolata Bianca!! Presented in a Kilner jar, this was a biscuit base topped with a blend of white chocolate and cream, and then topped with salted caramel and honeycomb. I know, just me describing it makes you want it doesn't it? Well believe me, it really did live up to it! This desert was absolutely delicious, and one of the nicest I've had in a very long time! I could happily come to Vapiano just for a cup of tea and one of these babies!!
We left, both singing the praises of Vapiano and its ethos and method even whilst we were still there, and thinking about our friends and family who we must bring to try this place! Payment is a simple case of approaching a central payment desk and handing over your smart card, no messing about, no bill splitting, no waiting for someone to bring over the bill or go and find a card reader. Just like a hotel, hand over your card, pay, and head off. Easy!
We had a thoroughly pleasant visit, and we'll most definitely be back again! I really recommend this place if you fancy a treat, or even just a quick lunch with friends away from the bustle and noise of the city centre. It's a lovely retreat of a place, and I loved the freshness and quality of the food, the friendly and professional staff, who made us genuinely feel welcome and taken care of, and the décor and atmosphere (even the toilets were beautiful!)
Bravo, Vapiano! We'll be back soon! :)
Vapiano
The Corn Exchange
Manchester
M4 3TR
(0161) 348 7590
http://uk.vapiano.com/
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