Choice Bar and Restaurant, Castlefield

Choice Bar and Restaurant, Castlefield

Date of Visit: Sunday 20^th November 2011

Cost of Sunday Lunch: 3 courses for £15.95

Roast O Meter:

"A first class British choice in beautiful surroundings with wholesome, hearty and satisfying food"

With the promise of authentic dining in smart surroundings, The Roast Review lands at Choice for Week 2 of the 2011 Roast Review.

Voted one of the top ten places to dine by the riverside by the Sunday Times, Choice poses as an intimate, hidden away treasure in the corner of Castlefield. Understated, classy, friendly and inviting, Choice is the perfect environment for a relaxing, chilled out Sunday late afternoon. Overlooking the beautiful canals, you feel a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of Manchester City Centre. Exactly what I need after the week I’ve had.

The ever popular 3 courses for £15.95 strikes again. There must be some clever theory behind this price tag with most of the local restaurants adopting the theory. The menu choice is good; emphasis is not on ‘Sunday Roast Dinner’ at Choice, indeed the set menu actually runs pretty much all week long. Not a problem. In fact, I actually quite like it. It strikes me more of a “Traditional Winter Menu”.

The choice of starters was a little narrow with a choice of Pea and Broadbean Soup, Red Onion and Beetroot Tartlet or Terrine to pick from. However all looked appealing and seasonal to tie in with that winter mood.

The Red Onion and Beetroot Tartlet was enjoyable. Very much a ‘home cooked’ taste to this dish, a good balance of flavours, sweet and earthy with pastry that didn’t leave anyone asking that awkward question of “So where did the pastry come from?”

My partner in crime chose the terrine of 3 Cheshire meats which consisted of local sausage, black pudding and bacon served with salad and mustard vinaigrette. Without doubt, a dream for any meat lover, perhaps a little heavy for a starter but none the less – a showcase of good quality local meat.

The front of house staff were friendly, polite and down to earth. No faffing, no airs or graces just a good quality friendly service with a smile. The restaurant was quiet but quickly picked up as 6pm approached. The time in between each course being served was perfectly executed. Just enough time to relax to the background music and take in the surroundings.

The Roast beef looks fantastic. I’m 30 seconds away from drooling as it approaches. No time for manners. I dive in. Two slices of perfectly cooked cut meat lie before me. Not too thick so you’ll be wishing you had a chainsaw and not too thin for it to be lost in the gravy. A big thumbs up. It tastes unbelievable. Someone get me the number of the butcher. This is exactly how British Beef should taste. This is England. This is why we are so god damn proud to tell everyone this is our National signature dish.

What other treats lie on my plate, ahh, to the left, standing as tall and proud as our very own Big Ben was the Yorkshire pudding. Another British beauty.  Another result for Choice. The dish was completed with the usual appearances. Tatties were fluffy with that crispy finish and nicely seasoned. The vegetables did not shine with the same glory as our King Roast Beef and Queen of Yorkshire Pudding but … still held their ground and finished off a very good Roast Beef Dinner.

The duck has to be tasted to be fully appreciated. Half a dozen fancy adjectives still couldn’t do this dish any justice. A Battle of Trafalgar in a dish! Exciting flavours to be found from France and Spain battling with the grand British Duck (and support from some Roasties).

This dish is a spectacular success. We end this battle of foreign flavours in a ceasefire, handshake and a mutual acceptance that together it works bloody beautifully! Confit Duck Leg on Chorizo and White Bean Cassoulet to give it a name! The meat gracefully fell off the bone without any effort, a melt in the mouth success. The star of the show.

Not being a huge fan of Bread and Butter pudding or Crème Brulee, I was a little disappointed to see my only other option would be cheese. But I am reliably told by our waiter that they are both delicious and a fitting way to end this winter feast.

The bread and butter pudding was chocolate laced served with a vanilla cream, a heavy way to end the 3 course meal but satisfyingly tasty. A cheeky appearance from France again with the crème brulee – a raspberry treats to be found in the middle giving this dessert a nice edge.

I walked away feeling proud to be British. It’s reassuring to see restaurants continuing to challenge British cuisine, not losing focus with over the top surroundings, striving to source locally and most impressively offer traditional yet innovative takes on classic British favourites. Not a bad choice at all.

Starter ★★★★★★★★★ (6)

Meat ★★★★★★★★ (9)

Potatoes ★★★★★★★★ (8)

Veg ★★★★★★★★ (6)

Yorkshire ★★★★★★ (10)

Gravy ★★★★★★★ (6)

Dessert ★★★★★★★★ (6)

Serving Size ★★★★★★★★ (9)
Menu Variety ★★★★★★★★★ (6)

Environment ★★★★★★★★ (7)

Service ★★★★★★★★★★ (6)

Atmosphere ★★★★★★★★ (6)
Value for Money ★★★★★★★★ (7)

Overall Score: A hearty and worthy 72%