Restaurants

[3rdpillar]

I still think DUK is one of the best restaurants in Lancashire but i visited Calypso this weekend and the food was absolutely spot on! It is under the Woodlands pub and specialises in Caribbean food. It was very different and a fun evening was had by all.

The chef Dave is very talkative and comes to meet all diners. He takes your ideas on board and is a really nice guy.

Hope is stays open.

Have been there, and for a change, well in Blackburn anyway was worth a punt. Would I return, ...NO. Good Idea but no imagination to the menu. No subtalty to the seasonings. You will end up with quite a big bill for someting you could have bought in LIDL and defrosted yourself.

I like the idea of a caribean food establishment, shame about the delivery, but I guess its like all things the first 80% is the easy bit , it's the last 20% that makes the difference. Unfortunatly I dont think this place will make the extra effort for that last 20% . Unlike the Clog and Billy, where they have. Prices very similar, product worlds apart.

Edited June 29, 2009 by 3rdpillar

[Sparky Marky]

Yep, the Clog and Billy is a great meal out...not over the top on price either.

[JC4LAB]

Love Caribean food myself but don't know it where you can get in the Blackburn area....its a bit naughty on the calories,but I work in Manchester and the local Cool Runnings in Hulme always has 20 in the queue..King fish and jerk chicken are my favourites..

Edited June 30, 2009 by JC4LAB

[dave birch]

Love Caribean food myself but don't know it where you can get in the Blackburn area....its a bit naughty on the calories,but I work in Manchester and the local Cool Runnings in Hulme always has 20 in the queue..King fish and jerk chicken are my favourites..

Get the spices, get the recepies and cook it yourself.

truly, it's not hard.

[JC4LAB]

Mongolian Barbaque in Manchester was once good. which I recommend if its till there .It was on Canal street dare I say (my bread is buttered on the right side)!..You take your ingredients and own spices to the chef and he cooks it on a wok..Took the stomach lining off when I picked my own..Caraibeean best left to the xperts.often the owners Mama in the back of the kitchen

[unluckymorton]

No, they went about 10 years ago.

And the refurb was this after the fire?

I wasn't aware of a fire, the fire must have been since I worked on the refurb. I must be getting old...

[Sparky Marky]

Is that Alan's gaff...?

[percy]

Anyone tried the Bem Brasil restaurant(s) in Manchester?

I went to the northern quarter site earlier in the year when it was still called Pau Brasil and had a great night. A few friends went after a couple of weeks later and really enjoyed it too. It got really good reviews a couple of weeks ago in the Go! section of the M.E.N too. Perfect if you loved bbqs!

It cost around £20 per person (before drinks) for an unlimited buffet / table service and the quality of the food was superb - there was a salad / cold meat buffet which was very well done and the quality / quantity of the cooked meats brought to the table was brilliant. They have a coloured disc on the table for each customer that lets the waiters know if you want more food, etc. They had around 4-5 waiters all carrying around various cuts of bbd'q meat on skewers who will stop at tables with a green disc to offer a cut of whatever they are carrying. There's more than enough choice, it was struggle to try a bit of everything!!

The staff were very efficient and pleasant - the service was still great even though the place was full. I'd suggest booking a table well in advance to avoid disappointment. The only thing I can think of that might be offputting, is that is can get very crowded and noisy if you're only after a quiet meal out.

[philipl]

The Guardian guide to grub in the Ribble Valley.

The Guardian also asks which town has the best food in England and cannot quite bring itself to say Ramsbottom

Edited June 30, 2009 by philipl

[Tom]

Bukharra this coming sunday for my birthday, looking forward to it.

[colin]

"The Eagle At Barrow" - used to be the "Spead Eagle." Between Whalley & Clitheroe.

Any opinions anyone?

I think it's been taken over by that chap who runs a good pub the other side of Pendle Hill.

Edited June 30, 2009 by colin

[thenodrog]

"The Eagle At Barrow" - used to be the "Spead Eagle." Between Whalley & Clitheroe.

Any opinions anyone?

I think it's been taken over by that chap who runs a good pub the other side of Pendle Hill.

Fence Gate.

Eagles OK and through lack of anything better towards Blackburn the piano bar is becoming the trendy haunt for the late night drinkers who used to frequent Yu and Yu's.

The food is OK but nothing special and with wine etc included it's a little too easy for a party to tick up a 3 figure bill per couple.

It's busy at the moment but with Mytton Hall, Three Fishes, Piccolino's and Nico's all chasing the same customers with the Villa, Emporium etc (all within 3 miles of each other) bringing up the rear it's going to be interesting to see who will survive and who will fall by the wayside. Yu and Yu's has fallen on 'quieter' times because of failings in cost and quality and quite rightly so and imo the Eagle may just do the same.

btw I may be wrong but speaking of trendy late night drinkers from the smart set...... Sorry but I didn't spot a bike rack when I was there Colin.

Edited July 1, 2009 by thenodrog

[nowthen]

Sorry boys, I know this is not in your neck of the woods, but last saturday at Shipwrights at Tom Ugly's (yeah that's the name of the bridge there. If you want to google the restaurant , put Blakehurst after the restaurant name) I had the famous Sydney Rock Oysters, natural, of course. Mains was Barramundi fillet, all washed down with a bottle of NZ Marlborough region Sav Blanc. If you find these wines on your bottle shop shelves, try one, they are very very nice, the ladies lerve this stuff.

Getting stuck into one watching Wimbldon, very nice and only 3.99 at the co-op on Livesey-edit- I don't work there ,sounds a bit like an advert.

Question to those in the know... Would four of us be alright getting in the Clog on a Wednesday lunch? I would have thought so with it being mid week but I've not been since previous people ruined my favourite pub but I know it's popular.

Edited July 1, 2009 by nowthen

[colin]

Sorry but I didn't spot a bike rack when I was there Colin.

OK, thanks for that, I'll give it a miss.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Question to those in the know... Would four of us be alright getting in the Clog on a Wednesday lunch? I would have thought so with it being mid week but I've not been since previous people ruined my favourite pub but I know it's popular.

Shouldn't have a problem then, nowthen. Me and the missus turned up on a Saturday midday and were ok.

[nowthen]

Cheers. Looking forward to it, particularly after the comments on here.

[thenodrog]

Stanley House restaurant last night. Not for the people with voracious appetites seeking value for money but a superb and relaxed dining experience all the same. I could feed a family of 4 for a fortnight for about the same cost of course but the food was excellent and very imaginative and the setting discreet and selective. A very relaxed and comfortable atmosphere overall and one imo that is rather more favourable than it's great rival Northcote, where in my experience the staff are rather too stuffed shirt, overly invasive and a tad intrusive on what really should primarily be a 'social experience' rather than a 'Northcote experience'. Stanley House is costly of course as one would expect from any 5 star but if the drinks are kept in moderation the overall cost is not too bad for a special occasion. Alternatively if the drinks are to be free flowing and excessive then consider increasing your home loan to cover it.

Edited July 5, 2009 by thenodrog

[ABBEY]

we went to tgf fridays in the trafford centre on friday night...the hot buffolo wings and the jack d glazed steaks are to die for.

[1864roverite]

More local

went to East is East on Chirch Street, Preston on Friday. Meal was absolutely gorgeous.

Average cost for popadoms, starter and main course with 3 bottles of Cobra was £18 per head (inc tip).

Probably the best curry in Preston at the moment

[Tom]

Bukhara tonight, have preordered the lamb roast for 2 of my mates to share.

Quick question is it still unliscenced and you can't take your own either?

[Ozz]

But by the time you read this, you may already be aware of the answer!.

[Sandiway Blue]

Went to the excellent `Copper pot` indian restaurant again in Rochdale last night.£60 for me wife and 2 kids (wife had a bottle of zinfandel though!) Food as usual superb (chicken tikka bhuna) and service is as good as you will find anywhere.

Nice touch at the end of the meal where i got a brandy and the wife had a baileys,`compliments of the manager`.

[Tom]

Full marks to the Bukhara, great food throughout, 11 of us went and not a bad word was said. The roast lamb looked as tender as could be hoped for.

Can't wait to go again there were so many starters i wanted

[Claytons Left Boot]

Tried the Crown & Thistle at Grimehills, above Darwen, last night. For years this has been a good pub for eating but seemed to go downhill a couple of years ago. Now under new owners there is an expansion programme underway with dining now upstairs as well as down. There will also be further dining areas once an extension is complete. Very good food from an extensive menu and equally good value for money.

[Hughesy]

Clayton - where abouts is that mate (Grimehills)? Il give it a try.