The French By Simon Rogan in Manchester

Up there with L'Enclume, the French is one of the best fine dining restaurants I've been to. Our expectations were very high, and they were absolutely met and exceeded. The food is outstanding and presented to the highest standards.
The staff are perfect, polite and knowledgeable. We went for the full 10 course menu. The ox with coal oil was our absolute favourite, but everything was sublime, full of flavour and fragrances. Our previous experience at L'Enclume was surpassed. Recommended.

I booked a table at The French as a surprise for my sister's birthday, and I was happy I did. The food was outstanding, the best tartare we've ever had, and the coal oil was absolutely fantastic. The wine list is certainly a bit pricey. Still, my sister thought the wine by the glass was good value, and she's quite the wine expert. Unique atmosphere, and a lot of nice touches which show that a lot of thought has gone into this place. I would certainly recommend the French if you need to celebrate a special occasion.

What a marvellous experience we had! The French definitely deserves to be a starred restaurant. Everything was faultless, food, wine choice, and the service was superb. The atmosphere is very quiet and elegant. The chef is supremely talented, both my husband and I loved the menu and all its six courses, but I have to say that my lobster was absolutely fantastic. The only con I have to mention is the wait between courses, we spent approx 3 hours there before paying the bill. Still, we definitely enjoyed our meal and the overall experience was great, we'll certainly be back!

I think it won't be long before the French is awarded one Michelin star, and it certainly deserves it. Quality-wise this is a special place. The food is great, from the beetroot snack to the dessert all courses were delicious and cooked to perfection. The staff are very welcoming and professional, and the young waiters explained our courses in a very personable way. Wine selection is also very good and broad enough. Our lunch was £125 each, so I won't be returning for a while and certainly I can't afford to be a regular, but the experience was worth every penny. Recommended.