Albert's Worsley

East Lancashire Road, Swinton

Albert’s Restaurant at Worsley is one of the four restaurants in the Albert’s group. The flagship, Albert’s Shed, is the beating heart of Castlefield, just outside of Manchester City Centre. I’ve dined at Albert’s Shed previously and have always been bowled over by the quality of the food and the service: it’s Great British cuisine at its finest.

Last week, we branched out and visited the Worsley restaurant instead. It’s the bigger, more modern cousin of Albert’s Shed, but the menus are exactly the same. They’re open all hours and cater for all meals, with breakfast and set price lunch menus, an a la carte evening menu, Sunday lunch and even afternoon tea.

Inside, Albert’s has a much more contemporary feel compared to its Castlefield relation. Stylish royal blue booths accompany silver service style tables adorned with crisp white table cloths. The staff are extremely attentive and can’t do enough for you. The service is fast and efficient, which is all you can ask for.

We were booked in at 2:00pm on a Tuesday afternoon, yet the place was buzzing. It’s hardly surprising, as they offer a set menu of sensational value – just £12.50 for a two course lunch. There’s plenty of choice, with the options simply being lifted from the a la carte menu, and there’s no scrimping on the portion sizes either; it’s a complete win-win situation.

To start, I had Rabbit Gnocchi: gnocchi topped with pieces of slow braised rabbit with pancetta in a creamy white wine and mushroom sauce. I’d never tried rabbit before, so it seems like a cliché to say it tasted like chicken, but it’s the truth. The meat melted in your mouth and the gnocchi was tender and buttery. The pancetta was smoky without being too salty and the creamy sauce wasn’t overly rich. It was something very different and very tasty.

Rabbit Gnocchi

For main course, I had the Fish of the Day, which was sea bream served on a bed of buttered new potatoes tossed in tomato salsa, alongside fennel and courgette puree. There was a decent sized piece of fish, with the skin slightly crispy. The courgette puree was a flavour sensation. I wouldn’t have paired tomato with fennel and courgette, but it worked really well and made the new potatoes deliciously tasty. Overall, it was a delightfully fresh, healthy, tasty and satisfying main course, whilst remaining light enough for lunchtime.

Fish of the Day

I’m absolutely astounded that these two stunning dishes were served up for just £12.50. It’s one of the best lunch menus I’ve ever encountered I my life. There was so much choice. Other starters included mushrooms on toast, soup of the day and Moroccan chicken salad. Main courses included a range of meat, fish and vegetarian options, as well as a selection of quirky pizzas. I was truly spoilt for choice. There’s even three decent desserts for if you want to skip starters in favour of something sweet. 

The staff were friendly and attentive and the service was faultless: both courses arrived swiftly without being rushed. As it was my brother’s birthday, he was presented with a little triangle of chocolate brownie, topped with whipped cream and adorned with a candle. It’s this kind of personal touch that highlight the best in customer service.

The set price lunch menu changes throughout the year. The December one is available to view already and it looks delicious. I’m already planning to return.

All menus are available to view online at: https://alberts-restaurants.com/worsley/.

The Alchemist

MediaCityUK

Last weekend, we made a return visit to The Alchemist at MediaCity, the trendy restaurant and bar nestled in between the two docks in Salford Quays. It’s a favourite with the stars who frequent the nearby television studios, famous for its theatrical cocktails and unconventional menu.

I’ve previously spoken fondly about the food. Back in April, I enjoyed one of the most delicious portions of fish and chips I’ve ever had. Served black, the charcoal-battered cod melted in your mouth and the fries, whilst not the chunky chips you’d expect to accompany the Great British classic, were perfectly seasoned and generously portioned.

In June, I returned and enjoyed a spectacular lemon and poppy seed fondant for dessert. A light and fluffy sponge oozing with lemon curd filling, served warm with clotted cream, it instantly became one of my all-time favourite puddings and certainly worth the 15 minute waiting time whilst the kitchen prepare it fresh to order.

This time, we went for something different. Rather than ordering a starter and a main course each, we opted for one of the ‘Social’ options. These are designed for sharing, consisting of an array of starters and available in a meat and a veggie option.

They can be found on the menu underneath the starters. I’m not entirely sure whether they’re intended to be enjoyed as a starter or as an alternative to a main course. For two people, there’s too much for a starter but not enough to keep you satisfied for main course. 

The Social #2 - The Vegetarian Option

We had the vegetarian option, which consisted of a bowl of nachos, edamame beans, padron peppers, mac and cheese bites, vegetable gyozas and houmous with crudites. The nachos were one of the standout nibbles, topped with guacamole, salsa and sour cream. The mac and cheese bites were equally delicious and totally unlike any other kind of mac and cheese bites I’ve had in the past, as they weren’t greasy or sickly. Accompanied by chipotle mayonnaise, they weren’t overly rich.

Nacho Bowl

The other bits and pieces were nothing to shout about. The padron peppers and edamame beans seemed like a bit of a cop out. Given the vast array of starters available on the main menu, they certainly could have included some better options. The houmous was, however, creamy and delicious.

Vegetable Gyozas, Houmous and Crudites, Padron Peppers

We added a couple of extras to our social platter in the form of salt and pepper squid and sweet potato fries. It was a good job we did, as the platter in itself is certainly not enough to replace a main course. You can choose to ‘big up’ your social sharer for an additional £5. This simply means you get four of everything rather than three. This seems like a bit of a trap to entice you to pay extra, as three is an awkward number to share between two people and, if there were four of you, there certainly wouldn’t be enough to go round.

Mac & Cheese Bites and Edamame Beans

The salt and pepper squid was delicious, accompanied by a garlic mayonnaise dip, and the sweet potato fries were perfectly cooked. It’s difficult to get sweet potato fries just right but The Alchemist managed it; they were soft and fluffy with a crispy glaze.

Salt and Pepper Squid

The social platter was £19, which was far too expensive for what it was. Had I ordered a starter and a main course, it would likely have cost me less and the portions would have been much bigger and more satisfying. The salt and pepper squid was £6.50 and the sweet potato fries were £4, so it quickly added up to become quite an expensive bite to eat, considering we weren’t overly satisfied by the end of it. If you pick the meaty option, consisting of barbecue wings, pulled pork bon bons and tempura prawns alongside the nachos, mac and cheese bites and homous, it’ll set you back even further, at £24 a pop.

I’m a fan of The Alchemist and, generally, the food is very good. I just don’t think these sharing platters are worth the money.

But, as my Mum always says: if you don’t try, you won’t know.

https://thealchemist.uk.com/