THIS IS what L'Entrecote should have been like.
Cracking the claws with various torture instruments presented on the plate to get the stronger flesh hidden away was all part of the fun
Remember L'Entrecote the King Street exercise in lazy restauranting that closed last year? The latter was an essay in mono-vision offering only green salad, steak, arrogance and intransigence.
Steak & Lobster also offers brevity of menu but with a balance of yin and yang, of fish and meat. It costs £17 for a filling meal (rather than L'Entrecote's £21) for either steak or lobster. There's even a veggie burger for those who don't eat either.
Menu - happily straightforward
The lobster I had was a little cracker, very sweet, very tender, blasting the seaside at me and bringing visions of piled lobster pots in Padstow harbour. A minute longer in the steamer and it would have been ruined. Here the timing was good.
Of course cracking the claws with the various torture instruments presented on the plate to get to the stronger flesh hidden away was all part of the fun. The struggle needed with our crustacean friends adds to the drama of munching them. Eating becomes a scrap to scrape out all the last bits of succulent flesh, like a dog worrying a bone to get to the marrow.
It wasn't a big thing this lobster it must be said, but for £17 with all the trimmings it did the trick beautifully. By the way the fries are excellent and contain enough potato to make them feel real. The green salad is nicely cheesed up with Parmesan, given body with shallots and scale with croutons. The shallots are the key.
You can have as many extra portions of fries and salad as you require which is a good touch. They also come with the steak.
Lobster of love - cracking fun
The steak was a fine 10oz rib, that was perhaps a tad over-cooked for the requested medium rare but not disastrously so. A mistake was made with the sauce, a garlic, white wine and mushroom pond that was too runny, too weak and a waste of space. A proper Bearnaise would be better. Or maybe go with the Stilton or the peppercorn.
However the sauces cost another £2.50 so I recommend you forget them and try the English mustard that arrives on the table with tomato sauce for nothing.
The steak
Wine can be an issue when trying to match with both steak and lobster but, if red is your thing, go with the Don Jacobo Rioja Crianza (£7.10 a glass). The lobster can stand it, just, and the steak will love it.
Matching fish with red isn't the sharp intake of breath it used to be. And in the end a meal is about enjoying the moment not getting the scientists in to check if the acidities marry up.
Then again a jug of tap water might be adequate as it was for me.
Steak & Lobster lies in the Radisson Blu Edwardian Manchester, aka The Free Trade Hall. It's located on the other side of reception and snug against Windmill Street in the old Cafe Alto space. The restaurant room provides a harmless enough environment but is a bit too 'hotel'.
Steak & Lobster - a bit too much hotel
The management might want to darken the space, give it more personality.
Still I enjoyed this experience.
In fact the lobster deal is already sirening me back. The only realnegative is after leaving I realised Steak & Lobster do a knickerbocker glory (£4.75). I love knickerbocker glories.
Maybe they should change the name to Steak & Lobster & Knickerbocker Glory. It'd be a marketing triumph.
For me at least.
You can follow Jonathan Schofield on Twitter here @JonathSchofield or connect via Google+
Steak & Lobster, Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel, Free Trade Hall, Peter Street, City Centre, M25GP. 0161 835 8903
Rating: 14.5/20 (please read the scoring system in the box below, venues are rated against the best examples of their kind)
Food: 7.5/10 (lobster 8, steak 7.5)
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 3/5
