Hotel Indigo’s restaurant fits comfortably into the ‘dine well’ bracket.
Mamucium Restaurant & Bar, found within Hotel Indigo Manchester, has been awarded a two AA Rosettes. It's an accolade only 10 per cent of restaurants nationwide are awarded - so it is no small feat for any kitchen team. I trotted along to find out what all the fuss was about.
The restaurant is, of course, part of the service for hotel residents, so on the Thursday night we visited there were several tables of besuited chaps and solo diners with laptops open. The music was audible, but not overwhelming, and added to the informal and upbeat atmosphere. Service was superb: fast, friendly, welcoming and warm. Unlike the temperature, with the AC just a little too effective for my comfort! The menu isn't overlong - always a good sign - and the offering is tempting, with soup and pasta mingling with finer options that include scallops and a shared Beef Wellington. My husband chose to start with a Lancashire onion soup. With a base of lamb broth and plenty of onion, it was unctuous and rich and deeply satisfying. He was really quite smug, especially as my choice of burrata with asparagus was significantly less successful. It was all a bit bland, sadly, with very skinny and rather droopy asparagus.
Tempted by the pine nuts, I opted for the chicken linguine for my main course. It was positively packed with pine nuts (hurrah!), broad beans and asparagus, adding varied flavours and textures to enhance a comforting dish. Much to my surprise, Hubs chose a burger; his decision, he said, was based upon a need for comfort food on a cold night (outside and in). He was pretty impressed; tender, moist and flavoursome, topped with Lancashire cheese and a generous serve of smoky, salty bacon, it satisfied his every expectation.
As city centre dining goes, Mamucium fits comfortably into the 'dine well' bracket. Great care has been taken to develop a menu that doesn't challenge or confuse, but equally isn't dull and predictable. It fits well with the ambience, too - and ambience is something most hotel dining spaces sorely lack. Plaudits for scoring the two Rosettes - every time this happens the standards are raised across the board, which can only be a good thing.
Mamucium, 6 Todd Street, Manchester, M3 1WU | 0161 359 7498 | mamuciummcr.com
