When I moved to Manchester in years gone by, I vowed to visit Campagna at The Creameries; the much raved about Chorlton restaurant that was Italian trattoria-style and hot on my then-new favourite drinks trend - orange wine. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be, as the beloved venue closed its doors just three weeks after I arrived. Hoping my desire to visit was no longer a curse on Chef Mary-Ellen McTague's restaurant ventures, I headed out on a spring evening to try her latest: Pip at the new Treehouse Hotel on Blackfriars Street. Would one of the hottest new restaurants in Manchester deliver?
Leaning into the Treehouse Hotel location, Pip's look takes a stunning, themed approach.
DesignMyNight's Review Of Pip Manchester
Knowing the vibe of Treehouse Hotel's London location, which is home to Mexican restaurant Madera, I was looking forward to an evening of leafy surrounds and themed decor. While there are no 360-degree views from the hotel restaurant here, Pip's interior was no less stunning - think earthy tones, colourful glass windows and bottles, views of a huge tree trunk and mini golden mushroom-shaped, rechargeable lamps on every table. Tucked away from the rest of the ground floor, the atmosphere was cosy and inviting, too. First impressions, tick.
Pip's menu is equally heart-warming, taking classic British dishes and giving them a refined edge. Mary-Ellen McTague has even thrown in a low food waste ethos and a focus on local, seasonal ingredients for good measure. Already feeling at home, my partner and I kicked things off with drinks: a Rhubarbarella (£12) for me and a garden margarita (£13) for him. I'm a sucker for the tart seasonal treat that is rhubarb, although not usually a gin drinker, so my cocktail order could easily have gone one of two ways. Thankfully, it was a hit, served long with a herby-floral hint of bay and spent wine (made using the leftover fruit from wine production). Having watched my other half happily guzzle a riff on a marg more times than I can count, his choice didn't come as a surprise. The cocktail's addition of celery did, though, piquing our interest and then delivering on it with a muddle of Olmeca Altos, chilli, lime, celery and honey; spicy and zesty, tinged with a balance of sweetness from the honey and slight bitterness from the unexpected ingredient.
Pretty interiors at Pip are ideal for sipping gorgeous, seasonal cocktails.
Delighted with our cocktails, it was onto the food. We dove into small plates of smoked chalk stream trout (£11) and the generously sized mussels with cider, burnt butter, wild garlic and parsley (£11). Trout is one of my favourite fish and this example melted like butter on the tongue, served alongside a mustard cream offset by rhubarb ketchup and the sourness of rye bread. Naturally, we ate in silence to savour the moment, accompanied only by a chorus of "mmm" and me happy dancing with my knife and fork. But while I favoured the trout, my other half couldn't get enough of the mussels. I agreed and thought they were some of the tastiest we've had out, and many of the mussels were on the much larger side too. We both made sure every last drop of the delicious broth had been slurped up.
Our sharing starters polished off, we ordered a couple more drinks. Treehouse Lager (£4.50 per schooner), made in collaboration with Leeds brewery Northern Monk, hit the spot for him. I asked the bar staff what they'd recommend to go with my main, and they quickly whisked out a medium glass of Single Estate Bacchus (£12) from New Hall Wine Estate in Essex. With non-sparkling English wines still not making it onto too many restaurant wine lists, the forward-thinking choice impressed me; as did the white wine itself, with fresh, bright flavours of stone fruits and citrus. It paired nicely with my herb-fed chicken (£28), which came as a serving of oh-so-soft, sliced breast with creamy celeriac puree, a scattering of diced, cooked rhubarb, some kale and a good soaking of roasting juices. The accompanying mini leg meat pie was my favourite part though - rich and hearty with golden, crumbly pastry. I also piled on a few spoons of our cauliflower cheese (£8) side, a gratin made with nutty and mature Old Winchester cheese, to complete my filling and wholesome plate of grub.
Meanwhile, my partner was tucking into his first ever Lancashire hot pot (£26). Having chosen the tender, braised lamb shoulder over the vegetarian option, his meal then came with oyster ketchup (making sure to use up anything remaining from the Carlingford oysters you can have as snacks at Pip) and pickled red cabbage. Balanced and flavourful, it's something we'd get again in a heartbeat. We also tucked into a side of the crushed potatoes (£6). While we were (rightly or wrongly) expecting these to be a bit crispy, the smoked Dulse butter they were tossed in was, admittedly, very moreish.
From mussels in rich, garlic and herb broth to upmarket takes on chicken dinners, Pip's menu spans all kinds of favourites.
Not to be deterred by our already filled bellies, we rounded off our meal with a couple of puddings (yes, I'm giving Pip extra marks for writing 'Puddings' on the menu rather than 'Desserts'). Our waitress, who was wonderful throughout the evening, recommended the treacle tart (£9) and the caramelised apple trifle (£9) - and who were we to say no? While the former was delightful - sweet but not too sickly with glass of earl grey and bergamot drizzle to accompany - it was the trifle that stole the show. Adding to the layers of caramelised apple and creamy custard? A bay leaf and Calvados (apple brandy) syllabub, which created a mousse-like whipped cream topping on the side, perfect for adding as much or as little as you wanted to the rest of the trifle. Naturally, I slapped the whole lot on and gobbled the entire pud down without much patience for sharing, beyond the tiny spoonful I gave to my very envious other half.
Chasing our desserts were two further cocktails: Stout Hearted (£12) and the black old fashioned (£13). Perfectly rounding off our experience, our digestifs lived up to their menu tasting notes perfectly; mine, sweet and velvety with Absolut vanilla, Mouse Kingdom coffee liquor, cacao, espresso and Porter - almost like a dessert in its own right; his, a rich, smooth take on the classic old fashioned, complete with walnut, coffee and cultured butter to add to the good glug of Jameson Black Barrel.
Overall: Pip Restaurant
British restaurants are on-trend right now but Pip stands out from the crowd. It's not trying to turn our classic flavours and dishes into an eye-wateringly priced tasting menu, nor are the team just slapping together some bangers and mash and calling it a day (although, if Pip did a tasting menu or sausage and mash, I'd bet on both being 10/10). A visit to Pip is like a warm hug from family, a cuppa and a catch-up with friends, a nostalgic trip down memory lane; yet, each dish still feels like a fresh take. Given the quality and good portions, I'd say this is a reasonably priced restaurant too - especially since we splurged on three courses, three drinks and a side each.
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💰 Price: £175 for three courses, three drinks and a side each, excluding service charge. 📍 Address: Ground floor of Treehouse Hotel Manchester, Blackfriars Street M3 2EQ 👌 Perfect for: Wholesome, hearty British food for date night or family get-togethers. ⭐ Need to know: You can try their breakfasts and Sunday roasts too. |
