After seeing countless cool Instagram shots of Tattu, a new high concept restaurant and cocktail bar in the heart of Manchester, there was nothing else for it… I simply had to try it out for myself.
My husband and I treated ourselves on a Saturday night, and found an easy mix of larger and smaller groups there for dinner. (Worth noting, booking was essential). The dance music, cocktail bar and young easy-on-the-eye staff worked well to create a youthful, pre-party atmosphere. The décor is dark and opulent and buzzes with super-friendly, knowledgeable staff, playful cocktails (my sweet tooth and my husband’s whisky obsession both well catered for, but more on that later) and of course that menu.
The menu, best described as modern Asian, with lots of original twists on classics and new creations, is fairly free in how you approach it, with dim sum, small plates and mains all available.
But first, the cocktails: we began with a Smokin’ Aces (think Old Fashioned with a dry ice smoking bullet on the side) and a Boo To Betty (a purple fruity number), both delicious. These were swiftly followed up with a Skull Candy, a sweet bubblegum concoction served smoking in a glass skull, and All The Tea In China, a Manhattan-influenced, tea-infused blend served in a teapot.
So, to round one: dim sum. Lobster and prawn toast (reimagined prawn toast, in sesame-coated balls), wild mushroom spring rolls with truffle sour cream, and chicken truffle shumai. We were also treated to an off-menu special, venison wonton with raspberry sauce, a trial dish that we pray makes the cut.
On to the small plates (and naturally a cocktail top-up), which featured hand-dived scallop topped with caviar, and sweet soya noodles and tender satay ribs. Although at this point panic was starting to set in that there would be no room for dessert (a common theme for our reviewer), we soldiered on.
Then the mains arrived: lobster and prawn ginger noodles, presented inside the shell and claws, and black angus fillet miyazaki wagyu ribeye, with shitake mushrooms and, CARAMEL soy. Yes, CARAMEL soy.
And then for the final leg of the meal, and arguably the most important: dessert. First up, the Silk Road, an ornate, all-edible, visually rich (ie highly instagrammable) creation, themed around the silk road, the passage from East to West, with strawberries, lychee and rose. It should be noted at this stage in the proceedings, the sharing stopped. Finally, Buddha’s Hand, an exotic fruit posset with sake and shiso sorbet. Both were expertly paired with dessert wine, which really brought out the flavour.
We skipped back to our hotel with nothing but positive things to say about our amazing dining experience. Now we can only hope and pray Tattu follows many other great Mancunian exports and opens in London, preferably within 5 minutes of Grazia HQ.
Tattu, Gartside Street, 3 Hardman Square, Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3BE / www.tattu.co.uk
To book: http://www.opentable.co.uk/tattu-restaurant-and-bar