"No matter how many times you visit Vermilion - we went three times in three days - you can't help but be impressed by the breathtaking decor. Photographs don't do the place justice and if it's your first time here, we guarantee you'll be gobsmacked at the splendour of the James Bond like fittings. The food is as equally as impressive with Master Chef Chumpol Jangrai highly celebrated in his own right back in Thailand. The Vermilion Cookery School he presents has even got the backing of The Thai Government, with a large delegation flying over from the Far East for the course we attended.

The menu is an array of Asian Fusion and Traditional Thai dishes with ingredients bought locally or flown over from Thailand. Iqbal Ahmed, the Bangladeshi owner of Vermilion, made his millions with Seamark (based on the same plot of land), importing seafood from the Bay of Bengal, so it's no surprise there's plenty of fish dishes on the menu. These are certainly worth checking out, even if the wholesale cost isn't actually passed on in the restaurant - although the most expensive dish (Whole Grilled Lobster) is only £25, and with a lunchtime menu at just £12 for 2 courses it's certainly affordable. The Fusion side of the menu also makes Vermilion worthwhile - Grilled Welsh Lamb Chop is cooked with lemongrass (£18), Chicken Tikka Massala comes with homemade spices (£10.50) and Grilled British Rib Eye Beef is served with a spicy tomato dip (£17).

If we have any grumbles, the Exotic Rock Lobster (£19) was far too salty it killed the flavour of the dish, and the prices are generally more expensive than other Thai restaurants in town - although there's plenty of main courses to choose from around the £10 bracket, including the excellent Pad Thai Khoong Sod (£9.50).

There's no doubting that if Vermilion was located in the city centre it would be the busiest restaurant in the UK. As it is, just a 5 minute taxi ride from Piccadilly, it's still relatively quiet enough for people to still be experiencing that 'wow' factor for the first time. Then again, having visited three times in just as many days - it still grabs our attention like it did that first time the paper thin doors automatically slid back to reveal a dining arena dreams are made of!" - restaurants of manchester 15/2/09 (visited on a weds lunch, thursday evening and friday lunch)

"Having read the great reviews on Restaurants Of Manchester, I decided to give it a try, but I was not so sure that I'd made the right decision as I drove past Bradford Road Gasworks to arrive at an industrial park. The security guard waved me through a checkpoint and we then entered another world as we walked into the restaurant at the end of a big industrial unit. This place is jaw-droppingly amazing! Incredible design, which no amount of photography can really do justice to. Absolutely stunning huge restaurant and upper floor bar. Worth the trip just to see the place but what about the food? My meal of sushi style Cinnabar Roll (salmon & avocado), followed by Slowly Cooked Duck with a Penang Curry, was excellent, as was my wife's Sea Bass and my son's Seafood Casserole. Maybe my main course could have been served a little hotter, but that was the only slight quibble with a really good meal. As for value for money, I thought that the main courses were well priced but the starters could be a little cheaper, as could the rice accompaniment for the main course, which was £3.50. Wines are mainly mid-price to higher end but there's a few decent bottles at very accessible prices.
After our meal we stayed for a drink in the bar (Cinnabar), which I've reviewed separately at Manchester Bars.com.

My overall verdict: This is a must-see, must-do experience, whether you live in th region or are staying for a night or two - it's only a short taxi ride out of town. If the place was in the city centre, the excellent Chaoprahya would be getting a really serious competitor and if it was in London it would no doubt get sensational reviews. The Southern journos should get themselves out here to see what we can achieve 'Up North'." - ian, stockton heath 13/6/08 (visited on a thursday evening)

"I've vistied Vermilion three times now; once for a quick lunch, once to entertain business clients and another for a romantic evening. On each occassion it has fitted the bill perfectly and delivered consistently good food and service. As you'd expect for a restaurant costing £4.5 million and designed by Miguel Cancio Martins, famous for Man Ray in Paris which is owned by Johnny Depp, Mick Hucknall, John Malkovich and Sean Penn, the interior is breathtaking. Cinnabar, the bar area above the restaurant is worthy of a romantic night out on its own with huge pods to relax in.

The menu is a fusion of Thai meets British, with a great selection of seafood dishes, which, given the owner's shrimp importing empire, is certainly worth exploring. Indeed from my three visits, the Clay Pot of Baked Mixed Seafood (£12.50) has been the stand out dish so far. Presentation of the food is as impressive as the decor whilst the prices aren't as steep as I'd been lead to believe by some reviews. Main courses range from £8 (Chicken Green Curry) to £18.50 for the Exotic Rock Lobster Tails with Truffle Oil and Asparagus - another dish I tried and liked! At lunchtime, prices are even more tempting with a superb business lunch offer - only £12 for 2 courses with a varied selection to choose from including the Grilled Sirloin Steak served with sticky rice, which at this price is amazing value!

Service is somewhat formal although, with the surrounding decor and sliding Japanese style doors, adds to the James Bond ambience. The highlight of all three visits though has to be the desserts, which are amazing. The Delicately Steamed Golden Bean Cake (£6.50, or only £3 extra on the lunch menu) and the Vermilion Surprise (£7) are to die for - the 'surprise' being the number of calories!

Overall Vermilion is an excellent restaurant and whilst it sells itself as a destination restaurant, it's close enough to Piccadilly (only 5 minutes in a taxi) to offer a great alternative to city centre dining. With the superb Cinnabar upstairs it's very easy to make a night of it and it should only be a matter of time that Manchester's elite will be knocking back glasses of Hennessy Ellypse cognac at £350 a pop and scoffing the £120 Beluga Caviar with their Ferraris parked neatly in the car park outside. Not that the rest of us should be put off, there's plenty here to impress." - neil, restaurants of manchester 28/5/08 (visited on a mon afternoon, weds lunch & friday evening)