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The Dinner Detective dines at: The Greyhound, Church Road, Flixton
The Dinner Detective13/10/2005
MANCHESTER city centre has so many good restaurants that there's
no need to stray far out of town to get a decent meal, but it's
definitely worth having a look at The Greyhound in Flixton. The pub
has enjoyed a renaissance in its fortunes since being taken over by
Robert Owen Brown, who is also responsible for the success of The
Bridge in the city centre.
The Greyhound is far less accessible if you prefer not to drive in
order to enjoy the wine list, but what it lacked in convenience
transport-wise was definitely made up for by the quality of the
food and service.
A blackboard by the side of the road alerted me to the fact that my
drive was over and I was impressed on entering the pub to find a
spacious bar area, where bar meals are served for anyone who
prefers to eat in a more relaxed environment.
The staff offered us the choice of eating from the restaurant menu
in the bar or in the dining area upstairs, and my companion and I
opted to go upstairs and have a look round.
The restaurant was much bigger than I had expected from a pub-type
venue and was immaculately laid out with candle-lit wooden tables
and plenty of space between diners.
The service showed a great attention to detail, as the restaurant
was quiet diners were offered window tables. The staff also seemed
knowledgeable about the food on the menu, which made for
interesting reading.
I opted to start with a Cropwell Bishop stilton tartlet, topped
with asparagus (£6), which was delicious though very large for a
starter portion of something so rich. My opposite number chose to
try the corned beef and pickle terrine topped with Sue's fiery
picallili (£4.50), which was a fantastic invention. The terrine was
smooth and the picallili the perfect compliment and definitely
feisty.
For my main course, I ordered oven braised ham shank glazed with
honey and blackberry jus on spring onion mash (£8.95), which was
absolutely delicious, but would easily have fed at least two or
three people, leading to a slight embarrassment on my part at
having to leave so much - a cringe soon eased by the staff who
allowed me to take the remainder in a doggy bag for a canine
companion.
My dining companion fared a little better with a roast salmon
fillet on creamy crab and cockle taglietelle (£9.95). The salmon
was pronounced perfectly cooked and very tasty, though the sauce
was too rich in its creaminess to finish.
For pudding we shared an assiette of desserts (£5.50), which
included spotted dick, a brandy snap basket and a brownie, all of
which tasted beautiful and were perfectly sized for a taste of
sweetness.
I left the Greyhound feeling like I'd enjoyed a splendid
meal.
It was just a shame about the long drive home.
One the menu
Starters: Cheapest - soup £3, most expensive -
Stilton tartlet £6
Main Courses: Cheapest - vegetable and goats
cheese Wellington £7.50, most expensive - Welsh rack of lamb
£13.95
Desserts: Various - £4
Parking outside
Bar menu also available
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