Bøck Bière Café

10 Tib Lane, Manchester

Easter is a time for miracles. This weekend, we experienced our very own miracle, only this one was in the form of cheese.

Vast quantities of this gooey dairy delight were consumed during our debut trip to Bøck Bière Café. Buried away in its small premises on Tib Lane, just off Cross Street, Bøck is a European cafe bar serving up Belgian beer and cuisine.

Had it not been recently recommended by a work colleague, I probably wouldn’t have discovered this hidden gem. The unit was previously home to The Filthy Cow. Inside, the Northern industrial decor remains but has been adapted to become incredibly authentic. There are bare brick walls and open ceilings with the pillars exposed, marble table tops and wooden chairs, studded leather back rests and wrought iron staircases. You’d be forgiven you were in a cafe in the back streets of Belgium.

The website deems ‘booking is essential’ at the weekend, although I’m not entirely sure why given that it’s very quiet when we arrive. There were only two tables occupied on the second floor. Still, it was quiet and relaxing, which is perfect for a bustling Saturday lunchtime when you want to catch up with a friend who you haven’t seen for ages.

In terms of food, it’s all about ‘social dining’, with the focus being on sharing boards and fondues. There’s a variety of platters featuring continental meats and cheeses – steak, pork scallops, chorizo, Roquefort and brie, as well as a veggie board which includes caramelised onion bruschetta and the old favourite, halloumi fries.

When in Rome, or rather, when in Antwerp (Belgium’s historic port city which the wall pictures on the second floor are all themed around), we decided we had to try a fondue. The Cheese Fondue is a melted melange of four cheeses, Belgian biere and crème fraiche; a creamy, dreamy delight, served over a roaring flame to keep it bubbling away whilst you’re working your way through the accompanying nibbles.

It’s a huge vat of cheese but astonishingly doesn’t get sickly. Quite what their secret is, I’m not sure.

It’s served with pots of crunchy vegetables (carrots, celery and cucumber, you know, the usual dipping choices), potato rosti and a basket of rosemary-infused foccacia bread bites. You can also choose between pieces of steak and cured sausage, or vegetarian sausage and halloumi. The medium-rare steak was cooked to perfection, so succulent and juicy it melted away on your tongue. The sausage was a lesser spicy version of chorizo, but equally delicious. The cheese fondue is sensational value at just £20.  

Being naturally greedy, we ordered a couple of extras. Bitterballen was recommended to me as ‘an absolute necessity’ by a colleague. A traditional Dutch snack, Bitterballen is a deep-fried ball of shredded meat, gravy, broth, butter, flower and parsley, creating a ball of breadcrumbs filled with a rich, creamy, meaty roux. They were served with rocket and a mustard-infused Bock sauce, although we found it worked much better to dip them in the cheese. You got six balls for £5 – bargain!

We also indulged in garlic and parmesan ‘pomme frites’ – that’s potato fries to you and I. We were presented with a mountain of fries, smothered in garlic and sprinkled in grated parmesan. I’m not a fanatic when it comes to cheesy chips, but these were sensational, possibly the best fries I’ve ever tasted. Given that there were so many of them, and with the amount of food we had on the table, it was inevitable that they would go cold. But here’s the thing: they were equally as flavoursome cold! Again, not sure what secrets they hold.

Our cheese fondue, fries, Bitterballen and (non-alcoholic) drinks came to a grand total of just £17.25 each. Considerably less than you’d expect to spend on a meal in the city centre of a weekend. It’s brilliant value.

It’s not all about cheese. For the sweet-toothed fiends, there’s a Chocolate Fondue, which I’m desperate to try. Had we not ordered the extras, we perhaps could have attempted the bowl of chocolate lava for dessert, but it would have been tough. I’m desperate to try it, however, so a return visit is absolutely necessary.

The jewel in Bøck’s crown is the Sunday Roast Fondue: beef brisket, Yorkshire pudding waffles and roasted vegetables served with biere bourgugnon gravy (£25 for two people). It’s only available on Sunday and Monday and booking is essential. That’ll be a third return visit.

There’s also a selection of ‘All Day Dejeuner’ dishes, including savoury waffles, Croque Monsieur and a Steak Sandwich, so if you’re after something a little bit lighter at lunch time – or if you’d rather save yourself for the chocolate blow-out – then this would be ideal.

I’m told that Bøck also houses the largest selection of Belgian beer in the whole of Manchester, with over 70 different types and more being added.

Bøck Bière Café is a hidden gem in Manchester’s City Centre. We fell in love with the place at the first mouthful of deliciously hot, gooey cheese, and you will too. I fully intend to return and work my way through the rest of the menu.

Website: http://bockcafe.co.uk/