Manchester Restaurants

Juniper

21 The Downs
WA14 2QD

PLACE: Physically, there's little to distinguish Juniper from the average suburban restaurant. The dining room, decorated in shades of green, is functional and comfortable, but hardly luxurious or lavish. Only the smartly uniformed staff give a hint that something is afoot.

FOOD: Little can prepare you for your first encounter with Paul Kitching's cooking. Out of all 1800 or so restaurants in the current guide, this has to be the most idiosyncratic, incomprehensible and downright breathtaking (it makes The Fat duck in Bray appear conservative). Like Blumenthal, there's no doubting that Kitching can cook (a roast saddle of French farmed rabbit with walnut and courgette galette, garlic beignet and pea cream, or a luscious lemon tart are testament to that). The thing is, the man has so much creative energy, he simply doesn't know where to stop! Order a gourmet menu (anything between 8 and 20 mini-courses) and you'll certainly have terrific fun (it's what most people do). Don't be perturbed if you start with a face painted on a plate (using aubergine mayonnaise), with a dried leek moustache and a (blue) coconut teardrop, followed by a salmon button (4 minuscule, creamy pink dots on a saucer, arranged like the holes in a button); simply sit back and enjoy the ride.

Copthorne Hotel Manchester

British, French Modem food and lovely views
Clippers Quay, Salford Quays M50 3SN

PLACE: A modern hotel on Salford Quays. The stylish, crescent shaped restaurant has windows all round, allowing wonderful views over the Manchester Ship Canal basin.

FOOD: An eclectic modern menu, full of flavoursome, interesting dishes and now including some excellent produce such as Loch Fyne scallops. Cooking is confident and exact, as in a perfect piece of venison with truffle flavoured purple mash, parsnip cream and caramelised shallots.

Moss Nook

French Classic and traditional
Ringway Rd, Moss Nook M22 5WD

PLACE: Moss Nook sets its face determinedly against the trend for low key minimalism, and plumps instead for comfort and tradition. Deep red walls, lace cloths and soft chairs keep an affluent clientele coming back for more. Dine outside in the pretty gardens during the summer.

FOOD: The emphasis here is on perfect technique rather than fussy presentation. Classic French dishes make up the bulk of the menu, although there's the odd nod to more global influences.

Nico Central

Mediterranean Contemporary brasserie
Mount St M60 2DS

PLACE: A light, spacious restaurant with much art deco character serving contemporary brasserie style European cuisine with Mediterranean tones. As its name betrays, the restaurant is in the heart of the city on the ground floor of the Edwardian Midland Hotel.

FOOD: Choose from fish dishes like grilled barracuda with pak choi, mango and chilli couscous and rich skilfully crafted puds like banana creme brulee.

White Hart Inn

Gastropub with a passion for food

 PLACE: A measure of this renowned gastropub's passion and curiosity is that it has its very own 'cheese detective', dedicated to sniffing out new tastes from across the British Isles . The setting's not bad either: the cosy inn dates from the 18th century, has served as everything from police station to schoolhouse to bomb shelter in its time, and offers views across windswept Saddleworth Moor.

FOOD: Home made sausages are another speciality and come with a choice of five types of creamy mash, or you could plump for pan-seared beef fillet with sauteed sweetbreads, or roast rump of lamb with curried parsnip risotto.