Five courses, two people, just £49 at The Lowry’s award-winning restaurant
Five courses for two people, just £49, at the Lowry’s River Restaurant. This is one belting deal whichever way you look at it.
So is it as really as good value as it sounds? Well you get a starter, palate cleanser, main course and dessert each, followed by a cheese board to share. Considering the quality of cooking here, the answer is a resounding yes.
Diners choose from the Chef’s Choice Dinner Menu - which changes monthly, based on the best available British produce - so the dishes we had in October may not be available thereafter. But you can get a pretty good gist of what’s in store from our experience as (very willing) guinea pigs…
Autumn now well underway, we plumped for daily soup to start: creamy courgette, garnished with micro cress and a drizzle of basil oil. Accompanied by a warm bread roll, it was a hug in a bowl; just how soup should be.
Next came the palate cleanser, a Prosecco granita. Presented in a flute glass, with boozy undertones and freeze-dried raspberry pieces, this sorbet refresher set the scene for two very triumphant mains.
Honey roast Barbary duck was tender and gamey, served skin-on for extra flavour. Burnt celeriac puree, fondant potatoes, blackberry jus, heirloom carrots, tenderstem broccoli and big juicy blackberries all conspired to make this the ultimate autumnal dish.
Pork loin, meanwhile, was another seasonal delight - with pomme puree, candied apple, charred broccoli and charcuterie sauce, not to mention premium pork from Jack Wood butchers. We’ve said it before but the cooking here really is spot on.
Again, the two of us each chose something different for dessert. Honeycomb shards, an Amaretti biscuit, Salford rum-soaked raisins and a rich drizzle of chocolate sauce made iced banana parfait a textural tour de force - and it looked the part too. Instagram fiend? This is your pud.
Toffee pudding cake was a little less showy, but still worked a treat. With dabs of caramel puree, apple puree, vanilla and caramel, it’s like a posh version of toffee apples at Bonfire Night. A sparkler of a dessert.
Alas, it was a cheese time - and what better way to end a meal than generous slabs of Garstang Blue, Garstang White and Lancashire Bomb? We don’t know either. The sharing board also comes with fig jam, quince paste, spiced pear chutney and a handful of red grapes. Needless to say, it’s a goodun.
As was the meal in general. Not only does the food never disappoint, the River Restaurant is also a very pleasant place to while away an afternoon or evening. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a view of Calatrava’s iconic Trinity Bridge, while classic meets contemporary in white tablecloths, leather booths and quirky art.
You’ll find this stunning deal on our free app. Not downloaded it yet? Simply search ‘confidentials’ on the app store and join the 17,000 savvy diners who have.
