Browse Sections
Interactive
Popular Sections
Partly cloudyMagazine
The Dinner Detective eats at: The Bridge, Bridge Street, Manchester
The Dinner Detective26/ 5/2005
PUB grub can be something of a moveable feast, covering
everything from the poshest gastropubs to places serving
straight-from-the-microwave food with a hefty price tag.
Having eaten a surfeit of overpriced and shoddy pub fare in my time
I found the Bridge Pub and Restaurant to be a great treat.
My companion and I were seated to the rear of the pub in a dining
section separated from the drinks-only crowd by a rich red
drape.
This was an excellent idea as we still felt we were in a pub
environment, but were unable to notice whether any of the usual
Friday night city centre antics were going on out the front
(probably not, as the fellow on the door looked pretty
sturdy).
I began the meal with a dry cure bacon and creamy leek tart topped
with Lancashire cheese (£6). I struggled to locate any leek, but
the strongly flavoured bacon and cheese complemented each other
well and the pastry was perfect.
My opposite number went for the unusual-sounding Bury black pudding
potato cake with a runny poached egg and béarnaise sauce (£6) which
was pronounced an triumphant success.
The menu of main courses contained more fish dishes than one might
expect to find, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Port of Lancaster
smoked haddock chowder with baby spinach, Morecambe Bay shrimp
dumplings and a poached egg (£9.50).
The chowder was creamy and rich and bursting with colourful
ingredients, though the dumplings were too salty for my
liking.
My fellow diner opted to try the crisp roast chicken breast with
wild mushrooms, baby spinach and air-dried ham, which arrived with
an unexpected but much appreciated gravy which was deliciously rich
and provided the perfect accompaniment to the duck-fat chips
(£2.50), which in spite of their greasy sounding name were
exceptional, and tasted how all chips should.
The main courses were so hearty that it would have been easy to
skip dessert, had I not spotted the rare classic of Manchester Tart
on the menu. This was a rare treat and wonderfully made and I can
only hope that other eateries will take note.
The dark chocolate and Everton mint brulee, which came with two
Everton mints either side of a small pot, was declared a success by
my companion, though both of us wished that we could have been
greedy enough to sample the cheese as well, given the extensive
range of locally-produced delights on the list.
All in all, the Bridge proved triumphantly that it is possible to
serve restaurant quality food in a pub without compromising on the
relaxing atmosphere.
What's on the menu
Starters: Cheapest - soup £2.90; most expensive - various at £6.50
Main courses: Cheapest - various £9.50; most expensive - Scotch fillet steak £12.95
Desserts: Various, £4.50
Parking: Several city centre car parks nearby
The Bridge, Bridge Street, Manchester: 0161 834 0202
Got an opinion you want to share?| Company | Typical APR |
| Platinum Exclusive Loan | 7.8% |
| AA | 7.9% |
| Sainsbury's Personal Loan | 8.2% |
| Alliance & Leicester | 8.7% |
| Lloyds TSB | 8.9% |
| Abbey Personal Loan | 8.9% |
| Provider | AER* |
|
ICICI BANK HiSAVE Savings Account |
4.50% |
|
FIRST DIRECT Everyday e-Saver |
1.75% |
|
SAINSBURYS FINANCE Internet Saver |
2.25% |