I’ve heard great things about the Northern Quarter of Manchester. In fact the entire city seems to be on a roll. New restaurants, hotels and investment have been pouring into the city.
So when I heard about a new boutique hotel located in an undeveloped area between the Northern Quarter and Piccadilly Rail Station I was intrigued.
You see, this is not quite a part of the city that I have ever really thought about visiting. I’ve never known anything in this location until now.
After checking out the website, I decided this would make a special date night with my wife. So we dressed up and made our way to the Dakota Hotel where we had reserved a table for 7-30pm.
There is limited valet parking here and Scott welcomed us as we pulled up in front of the hotels’ main entrance and limited parking area.
The warm welcome, a comforting receipt for my car and introduction to Andrew the delightful doorman and hotel ambassador sets the scene for what awaits inside.
Wow! This place is incredible! I was not expecting such a warm welcoming ambience, luxurious decor, furnishings or the uniquely quirky quality interior.
This boutique hotel was cleverly designed with flair and passion to indulge those that appreciate the finest of dining and surroundings.
There are private dining rooms, lounges, bar area and for those that really like to satisfy their guilty pleasure… the finest cigars from their own humidor and two incredible smoking areas outside.
All this before we even sat down in the most intimate dining setting.
The setting for dinner here at Dakota is warm, romantic, private and homely. When we were seated our waiter offered water, the menus and after giving our orders we were pleasantly surprised by the first complimentary course of cool purée’d cauliflower, topped with shallot. They also presented a gorgeous Neapolitan tomato dish with goats cheese and a warm crusty brown loaf.
There is an early bird menu available but we chose from the clever and à la carte.
Our selection of ‘Chicken Liver Parfait with Brioche’ and ‘French Onion Soup with Crouton’ was perfect!
After a comfortable break, our mains arrived. ‘The Lamb Rump’ and ‘Stone Bass’ were cooked by culinary masters with a love for food.
The meal was not rushed, service was exceptional and the wine recommended by our waiter from Sicily was to die for!
But the meal would not have been complete without dessert. An incredible Vanilla Soufflé with Chocolate Sauce and Pistachio Ice Cream for the wife and for me a rich Chocolate Mousse with Blood Orange and Salted Caramel.
Let’s be honest this is not your local diner, neither would you want it to be. It’s perfect for that special someone or occasion. Ideal for a place to meet with friends or business colleagues.
What the Dakota Bar and Grill in Manchester offer is top-notch dining in an extraordinary indulging atmosphere.
Even the toilets here are homely and stylish, with each toilet an individual and private experience. Unlike somewhere when privacy is when you know there is no one either side of a cubicle!
We loved Dakota and would love to experience one of the many deluxe bedrooms on offer for a romantic shopping weekend.
Dakota was a surprise to us, certainly not what we were expecting and definitely not what you find in Manchester to our knowledge, but oh so welcome!
Don’t just take my word for it book a table or visit their website here, you’ll be blown away.
