Grill On The Alley Manchester

The Grill On The Alley Manchester - reader comments

"We visited Grill on The Alley as a group of 4 on a Wednesday evening and overall it was very enjoyable. On arrival, the front of house was very welcoming and the same can be said for all members of staff that evening, especially our jovial waiter. The downstairs restaurant has a superb relaxed atmosphere which was added to with live music from a fantastic piano player. Based on the prices, excellent quality food would be expected but unfortunately it could have been better. We started with the Garlic Rub Bread (£2.95), Rocket & Parmesan Salad (£3.95) and the Lamb Kofta Skewers (£5.95) all of which can be highly recommended. The main meals were a bit more disappointing. The two Classic Beef Burgers we ordered (£9.95 each), although tasty, were a little dry and came with no side salad but they were served with the most gorgeous chips! The Warm Goats Cheese & Roasted Pineapple Salad (£8.95) does not state that it comes with bread, which is not good for somebody who doesn't eat bread! The Crab, Avocado & Walnut Salad for £10.75 was a very small starter size portion and, for the price, it was just not acceptable. There was also a very good wine list and I would recommend that, if you plan to go, you book a table as it's always very busy." - michelle knowles, rochdale - TRUSTED REVIEWER (14/8/09 - visited on a weds evening)

"We had an awful experience at Grill On The Alley, from warm white wine, without a wine bucket and a young waiter who was not sure what to do regarding it. The food was cold and it's not cheap. I have rang them twice to give feedback only to be told the manager would call back. I'm still waiting 6 weeks on. Unacceptable when we had travelled such a long distance!" - alan lowery, cumbria - member since dec'07 (30/7/09 - visited on a monday evening)

"After hearing so much about Grill On The Alley, eleven of us went for my girlfriend's mother's birthday. They sat all eleven of us downstairs, crammed in a very small table with a chair added on to the end. After a word with a member of staff, we got a better table upstairs near the kitchen. While I have no complaints as such about the food, I just expected better considering the prices. The waiting staff were excellent, just the right balance of being helpful without over imposing on you. One of our party had the £50 Kobi Steak and while he said it was nice, he couldnt understand the price boost. So to sum up, The Grill On The Alley didn't live up to its reputation, was overpriced and, in my opinion, certainly not Manchester's number one place." - jon bentham, salford - member since may'09 (25/6/09 - visited on a sat evening)

"I had a lovely meal with my partner at Grill On The Alley. The food was lovely and served in good time. Staff very attentive and had no problem meeting a few special requests we had. Will definitley go back." - louise ingham, handforth - member since jan'09 (23/5/09 - visited on a fri evening)

"We visited Grill On The Alley late on a Friday lunchtime. As a couple we were surprised to be shown to a booth next door to some noisy businessmen who were clearly the worse for alcohol. We assume the staff thought they were imminently going to leave, but unfortunately they didn't. Our waitress was pleasant but new and didn't understand or know the menu. Therefore questions resulted in a trip to a colleague for guidance. The menu choice was reasonable but based on the price I was expecting excellent quality. Regrettably this did not materialise. My calamari starter was poor. The calamari was tough and it was served with mayonnaise rather than tartare sauce. My husband's ribs were deemed ok but he suspected the marinade was bought in rather than home made. Our main courses fared no better. My mussels were over-cooked and relied too much on cream and too little on herbs and spices for flavour. Mr B's steak was ok but he found it somewhat tough. The chips were over fried and greasy. We didn't bother with dessert. Our drinks were fine but little attention was paid to us and as a result we had to ask for refills. As an observation, I felt that the manageress coped well with the drunken table next to us. However, our service was mediocre as was our food and did not represent good value for money. We wouldn't return for an evening meal based on this experience." - melanie bryan, wigan - TRUSTED REVIEWER since Sep 2008 (28/4/09 - visited on a fri lunch)

"I went to Grill On The Alley with my partner on a very busy Friday night, but we were quickly seen to and sat down, no delays on the reservation time. I had oysters to start and they were excellent, my girlfriend's starter of camembert was huge, almost a main meal in itself, but I was happy to help her finish it off. Lobster was cooked perfectly, and ostrich was cooked exactly right. Service was excellent, and the waiter was happy to let us digest the first course before bringing the mains out. Fantastic wine list, and helpful suggestions from the waiter regarding choice. We'll definitely visit again." - stephen kerns, manchester - NEW MEMBER (27/4/09 - visited on a fri evening)

"We visited Grill On The Alley as a group of four. We booked the table with the Hi-Life card although the Hi Life website doesn't list them anymore. We arrived at 7:30pm but our table wasn't ready until 8. We took a seat at the bar and waited with a drink for our table. When shown to our table we quite promptly ordered some olives and bread to share, and 4 main courses (Fish Pie, Grilled Chicken, Rib Eyed Steak and Ostrich Steak). After a few minutes the bread and olives arrived. Unfortunately, it was then about 50 minutes until the mains arrived. Our waiter had been very good at keeping us assured our food was on its way and thanked us for our patience. The food arrived together. The ribeye was excellent. A very large steak, although a little underdone for medium. The ostrich was also good, although a little over done for rare. The grilled chicken was done perfectly but the Fish Pie was probably the most disappointing. The pie didn't really have that much fish in and came with a mustard mash that wasn't described on the menu. Fortunately the waiter waived the cost of the pie. For dessert Eton Mess and Sticky Toffee Pudding were shared and were excellent. Overall, The Grill on the Alley was a good night out but there's definite room for improvement." - stephen lake. manchester 19/3/09 (visited on a Weds evening)

"We had a nice evening at Grill On The Alley and the staff were great, very approachable. My husband had a lovely filet steak and the chips were gorgeous. The only two beefs I have is that the Flattened Steak was much too chewy. I loved the balsamic vinegar and shallots but could not eat the meat, after chewing for ages I struggled to swallow it. The other gripe was the disabled toilet was disgusting. I don't know if it was the drains or the dustbin, which had no lid and smelt rank. Apart from those two points, on the whole it was lovely." - debra mcdonnell. manchester 4/3/09 (visited on a Tues evening - NEW MEMBER)

"Fantastic food, great atmosphere, good choice on a spur of the moment evening out. Considering it was Valentines Day I was amazed they could fit us in. We were told we could have the table for an hour and a half, and that was ample and we were never rushed. Would definitely dine at Grill On The Alley again." - rachel carter. kearsley 16/2/09 (visited on valentines evening)

"The food was excellent. Grill on the Alley introduced me to oysters and I loved them! The steak was great and the true test of a good restaurant, the vegetables were great too." - charlotte. manchester 13/2/09 (visited on a Tues evening)

"I enjoyed Grill On The The Alley and would normally return however I filled out a 50% off card and have still not received a voucher. I've called in since and given my email address once again, yet still have not received the offer . Not sure now if I will return or recommend although I did enjoy. Very unprofessional." - yvonne robinson. manchester 14/11/08 (visited on a Sat evening)

"This was my third time at Grill On The Alley in the past six months. I have been once for afternoon meal, once in the evening with partner and friend and once for Christmas. The food was ok the first time but they sat 6 of us in a booth clearly designed for 4 people, so things were a little cosy to say the least. I do like this type of food (quality steak, fish etc) and despite the first time I went with a friend for an early evening meal, which was ok.

The food is just ok, nothing special. The thing that irritated us was they tried to put six guys in a booth that would not fit four of us comfortably. We immediately moved to a round table and told the girl serving us we could not stay there, as it was not comfortable. After telling her to get the manager to move us she seemed to leave it at that.

The main gripe was the place charges at the top end of the scale but the food you get does not reflect the cost. As an example they advertised chicken/beef skewers as a starter and they charge £5.95/£6.95 for these and deliver just one skewer for the price! We were disgusted at this as we thought skewers meant plural not singular!

The venue is nice, layout and design is good and it is very busy. The food and service let the place down, it is expensive (for what you get) and the girl that served us was embarrassed by the lack of volume in the food. I could say a lot more but I think overpriced, poor value & terrible service/attitude just about covers it." - brian, stockport 8/12/08 (visited on a Sat afternoon)

"Although we booked a table at Grill On The Alley, we still had to wait over 30 mins for it, there was a list of no less than eight dishes unavailable on the menu - the waiter had to come back after we'd ordered to tell us that they had even sold out of the soup! My starter came, which should have been Chicken Skewers (note the plural), however it was one tiny piece of chicken on a cocktail stick with a big pot of sauce. For over £5, I was so disappointed with this I complained there and then, and was brought another, equally as small! There were no gents toilets available - just one filthy disabled toilet next to the kitchen for which there was always a queue. Not impressed at all." - mark allinson. manchester 14/11/08 (visited on a Sat evening)

"A very enjoyable meal, steaks were very tasty, veg just right, chips outstanding, apple crumble... after the wait, marvellous! We will be back and have already recommended The Grill On The Alley to friends." - celia fish. fylde coast 11/11/08 (visited on a Sun evening)

"Absolutely the nicest food I have ever tasted! Me and my partner were in Manchester for the weekend and spent Saturday afternoon looking for somewhere to eat, and what a find! You walk in and the atmosphere is amazing, unfortunately we left it too late and could only get a booking at 10pm, so I would book early! When we arrived, we were welcomed and waited for our table at the bar, very relaxing, with live music on the piano playing. When we were shown to our table (exactly at 10pm) our waitress greeted us and was very friendly. Then the best part, the food came. All I can say is, me and my partner generally like to try different places when away, but we are in Manchester again in December and booked our table on the way out. I had seen Grill On The Alley on the net before we came away and it looked good, but the fact that we dont know Manchester very well put us off booking, but don't let it put you off, it's right in the city centre right next to all the shops! Amazing food, amazing atmosphere and very welcoming staff. Can't wait to go back!" - hayley, cumbria 29/10/08 (visited on a Sat evening)

"We arrived (6 Irish guys) for our 22:30 booking and were well greeted particularly as it was jammed. Our table was ready at 22:35 and although we were concerned that they would be too busy to provide a good experience, all staff and our waiter Paul performed admirably, and the food was exceptional, well done to Grill On The Alley Manchester. We will be back." - donal. dublin 20/10/08 (visited on a Sat evening)

"I have being wanting to try Grill on the Alley for ages and couldn't get in for my birthday, but managed to dine there on Saturday evening and it was really nice and worth the wait. I was impressed with the quality of the food and I would go back next week if i could." - lorna. manchester 14/10/08 (visited on a Sat evening)

"My visit to the Grill on The Alley was very enjoyable. The food was excellent, albeit a little on the expensive but well worth the money. The atmopshere was great - a great place to eat and drink." - sharon hall, stalybridge 12/10/08 (visited on a Weds evening)

"If you like your meat, then you'll love Grill On The Alley. their premium cuts are amongst the best in town and there's even Kobe Beef available for real steak connoisseurs (£50 for the 8 oz fillet or a more affordable £16.95 for a Kobe Burger). Ostrich Fillet, Suckling Pig, Lamb, Tuna, Oysters and Chicken join beef on the menu, all grilled over large flames in the open kitchen. With 15 veggie dishes available too, there's something for everybody.

Located in the premises vacated by the city centre branch of Est Est Est (part of the same chain), this is a plush backstreet gem that is welcoming (and as busy) as its predecessor. You walk into the bar area, which is beautifully decorated and offers a cocktail list equally as impressive. The dining area is also wonderfully furnished and the atmosphere is always fantastic. You can see the chefs working away in the kitchen and there's a lobster tank if you're feeling cruel and want to hand pick your meal.

On our numerous visits, service has always been very friendly, if not the most efficient, and the food is consistently enjoyable. The Kobe Beef Fillet is highly recommended if you're rich (or mad) enough to shell out £50 for one steak, even if it is widely acknowledged as the finest meat in the world. The poor man's version, the Kobe Burger (£16.95), is not as good as the excellent Steak Sandwich with Emmental Cheese, which comes highly recommended. That said, we always seem to plump for the generally colder and tender Kobe Burger on every visit. Where else in town can you eat a burger made from beef that's said to be hand-raised on beer, given regular massages and rubbed down with Sake?" - restaurants of manchester 12/11/07 (visited on a sunday evening)

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