Rendition: a new take on luxury dining

WHEN we first heard news of Rendition's arrival in Manchester, we admit we were a bit confused. 

 In their press releases, phrases like sustainability and local sourcing were sandwiched next to words like exclusive and exquisite. We weren't sure whether it was an ethically-minded independent of the type you might find in Chorlton or Levy, or a high-end, champagne and cocktails style club with a clipboard-carrying host on the door. 

 Turns out, it's both. (Minus the clipboard, thankfully.) And it's a concept that seems to fit our mid-pandemic, climate-aware lifestyle surprisingly well.

The food is the work of executive chef Arthur Potts Dawson who used to be head chef at The River Cafe and is known for his work on sustainable farming and reducing food waste. The other big name behind the business is Chinawhite - the celebrity-frequented club that originated in Soho in the 90's. 

 The result is a discreet restaurant and bar that feels luxurious and decadent - yet doesn't ignore its impact on the wider world. It's a grown-up type place where you'll want to savour your cocktail rather than knock it back, and make your night one to remember, rather than hope to forget. Conscious hedonism, if you like.

With its plush, low-lit restaurant and stunning Art Deco bar upstairs, it's certainly somewhere we'd like to spend our time. After the collective deep breath of lockdown, many of us don't want to go back to life as normal - but nor do we want to leave behind all the fun stuff we used to love. Rendition seems to offer a bridge between the two. 

Chef Stuart Valentine and Chef Jack Fields have created a series of menus that showcase local ingredients while embracing influences from further afield. It's modern British food, both playful and intriguing. 

 On the lunch menu (two courses £20, three courses £28) go for dishes such as glazed heirloom beetroot with smoked cheese custard and linseed wafer.

 The early evening menu (two courses £20, three courses £28) features dishes such as dressed Cornish crab, heritage tomato salad, whipped buttermilk and horseradish.

 The main menu includes dishes such as chalk stream trout with samphire and roast anya potato and parsley root puree (£17.50), and beef fillet with smoked carrot and ox tongue and marrow sauce (£28).