Manchester may not be close to the coast, but that doesn’t mean its not a city beaming with first-class seafood. There are restaurants, pop-ups and even chippies across this wonderful city that serve some of the freshest and most delicious seafood you may ever taste, so it’s about time we appreciate Manchester for its oceanic delights.
Randall & Aubin
The Anglo-French brasserie, Randall & Aubin on Bridge Street is the only restaurant in Manchester that reserves a large part of its menu for succulent sea food and is a fish restaurant through and through. The selection includes an array of fish and crustaceans, including lobster, crab, squid, halibut, scallops, sea bass and many more delicious catches- so you’ll always be spoilt for choice every time you visit. But if you’re greedy like me and want to try everything in one sitting,
Randall & Aubin offer a massive sea food sharing platter which includes 3 oysters, crab, pink prawns, mussels, cockles, scallops and whelks- so you’ll be sea-riously fished-out by the time you reach the bottom of the plate. A dining experience here won’t come cheap, but it’s the best seafood you’re going to get in Manchester. All their seafood is true wild food and not farmed hence the price tag, but you won’t find quality like it anywhere else and there is plenty on the menu which is a little more cost effective-like their fantastic £12.50 lunch deal.
Randall & Aubin, 64 Bridge Street, Manchester M3 3BN
randallandaubin.com/manchester
Steak & Lobster
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out what seafood this Peter Street restaurant serves. I’ll give you a clue… It’s in the name! The lobster comes in every variation you can imagine, from lobster salads, toasted lobster sandwiches and their legendary steak and lobster ‘Surf and Turf’. But none of these plates are complete without one of their DIVINE sauces. Pretty sure they were all cooked by God himself. One word- YUM!
Steak & Lobster, Free Trade Hall, Peter Street, Manchester M2 5GP
steakandlobster.com/menus
Holy Crab
Next, we have the coolest catch on the menu today. Manchester and Leeds’ favourite seafood pop-up – Holy Crab, the home of some of the best crab and oysters you’ll ever get your hands on. Although owners, Hannah and Lou, don’t have a fixed abode as of yet (it’s in the pipeline), it doesn’t stop them from feeding hungry customers at supper clubs, parties, events, takeovers and even weddings across the city.
So far, they have collaborated with huge names like Grub, Indy Man Beer Con, Kosmonaut, Beermoth and Bunny Jackson’s, and have many more amazing gigs for the future; including an irresistible wine and seafood night at Salut on the 5th April. Mind-blowing seafood snacks, great vibes and fantastic company? Yep, don’t mind if I do!
Vermillion
Vermillion is a luxurious restaurant at Sports City that serves a diverse range of Asian Fusion cuisine, Indian, Thai and of course, mind-blowing seafood. From the second you step through the doors, it’s clear Vermillion is grand, and the same can definitely be said for the food. The menu consists of various dishes including Thai King prawns, spicy curried cod, steamed seabass and marinated Scottish salmon, all of which combine tasty fresh seafood with classic eastern flavours.
From starters, to mains, to side dishes- Vermillion dedicates a large part of its menu to seafood, so you’ll never struggle to find a plate that’ll satisfy your taste buds. And if you’re a prawn lover, you’ll especially like this restaurant. I cod’nt believe how many prawn dishes were on the menu!
Vermillion, Lord North Street, Manchester, M40 8AD
vermilion.uk.com/
Ocean Treasure Seafood Restaurant
I hope you’re feeling adventurous, because this Middleton-based restaurant has a lot more than just prawns and squid on the menu! To say they offer variety is an understatement- the menu is pages and pages long- teeming with unusual and creative seafood dishes that will make any foodie dribble! Just some of the DOZENS of dishes include: baked lobster in black bean sauce, spicy battered oysters, fresh scallops in a bird’s nest, deep fried crab claws, baked lobster tails and even salt and pepper frog’s legs.
I for one would probably pass on the frog’s legs, but do I want fresh seafood cooked in classical oriental flavours and spices, served with my favourite noodles and rice? Hell yes I do! And, in traditional Chinese style, there is a karaoke room in the restaurant, so you and your mates can enjoy a post-dinner jam. Might I suggest, The Little Mermaid ‘Under the Sea’?
Ocean Treasure, 23 Peter St, Manchester M2 5QR
oceantreasure.co.uk/
Umezushi
Umezushi- arguably Manchester’s best sushi restaurant. I think all sushi-lovers would agree that freshness is the key feature of a good piece of sushi; something which Umezushi takes very seriously. The quality of their fish is second-to-none, and their masterful chefs always exploring new tastes and flavours; constantly trying to push and create new boundaries.
Choose from a massive range of made-to-order sashimi and sushi or sample their daily-changing specials and hot dishes for an incredibly reasonable price. Whether you’re a sushi-advocate or a first-time trier, there’s no better place to taste truly special sushi.
Umezushi, Unit 4, Mirabel Street,Manchester M3 1PJ
www.umezushi.co.uk/
