The Refuge By Volta - Manchester

I previously visited this restaurant just for drinks, but this time we decided to have dinner, and it was incredible! The small plates were larger than typical tapas, and every dish we tried was fantastic. The standout for me was the Gochujang-glazed pork belly, which had just the right amount of heat and a burst of flavor. We also enjoyed the chicken thigh and Old Spot pork tagine with apricots, pistachios, and mint; lamb shawarma with roasted garlic toum, zhug, slaw, green chili, and onions; and cauliflower with coconut yogurt, harissa; and green lentil daal with ghee and ginger. As carnivores, we found plenty of options, but there are also many vegetarian and vegan dishes available. Everything was superb, and our server Curtis provided excellent service. A big shoutout to Chef Paul for an amazing dining experience!

As a couple of cultured Americans (almost an oxymoron) and food enthusiasts staying at the Clocktower Hotel, we decided to explore the tapas-style menu here. We were pleasantly surprised by the vibrant flavors. The grilled prawns were excellent, and the chicken wings were outstanding—far better than what you'd find at Wingstop or Hooters. The portion of Jerusalem artichokes was generous and paired beautifully with flavorful stewed tomatoes. The broccoli was a bit on the salty side but packed with delightful Indian and Asian flavors. The grilled carrots were less sweet than typical orange carrots, but the pesto added a fantastic kick. The lentil and potato daal had a distinctly Indian flavor and was simply amazing. The service was impeccable, and the ambiance and decor spoke volumes about the historical charm of the place. The prices were quite reasonable given the visual and sensory experience. I highly recommend this restaurant and would definitely return.

I absolutely loved the ambiance of the restaurant. The tall ceilings added a spacious feel, while the decor made it warm and inviting. The food was incredible! We ordered several tapas to share, and each dish complemented the others perfectly. There was plenty of food to enjoy without feeling overly full. Make sure to save some space for dessert! Our server, Lucia, was wonderful; she was attentive, helpful, and seemed to anticipate our every need.

The Refuge in Manchester has to be the definition of cool . One small word of warning consider NOT going here (first) if you are starving they serve what are basically Tapa 's small portions that night share with you dining mate(s). They suggest starting with 3 per person prices range from £5.50 (small portion of triple fried new potatoes bravas) to £9.50 (small portion of sea bass (Mrs. G 's fave) £16.50 (small 5oz steak) so it can add up if you take 4 5 per person. So with this one caveat the Refuge is awesome. Go and graze with friends together with a beer, wine or cocktail or two. The lighting is great, the ambience and the service too. If there is anything wrong with one of your dishes (had that experience once) they will bend over backwards to make you happy. Big bar area with hopping music, a pool/billiards space, the restaurant and (our absolute favorite) the Winter Garden. The Winter Garden has totally cool lighting and ambience are amazing unfortunately the nibbles here are very limited so our last visit we had tapas in the restaurant and then hung out in the Winter Garden afterwards. Love it use Uber parking nearby seems challenging to us on our first visit Two thumbs up Review #1 2020

Thought I reviewed Refuge already but I guess not! I've been for lunch on Sunday and dinner on Monday now and both times it was quietly buzzing and was a really nice environment they've really enhanced what was already a cool, historical space (Manchester tiles! . The winter garden is beautiful. I did attempt to come for a drink on Saturday night but the winter garden seriously lacks seats (several tables left without any so bf I abandoned it which was a shame for Refuge given the amount we drink. Foodwise it's generally a good standard. We also had really nice servers both times. I enjoyed the black daal, it almost veers towards sickly but is great if you want comfort food. The pork belly was also really good. The lamb is also a safe bet (as at Volta . Also as at Volta, there's the occasional bum note the aubergine chips we had just tasted a bit weird, and we thought the ox cheek, although a nice piece of meat, was not well balanced by the egg and Srichacha (it needs a lighter kick like lime or coriander perhaps but the majority of the dishes are good. On my second visit our server recommend the volcanic tomatoes and the were genuinely outstanding, I really didn't expect them to be that good! Incidentally, they have vermut on the menu here. I hope this is the sign of more (sweet vermouth to come in Manchester, because after much research I have decided it is the best alcoholic drink. Overall a very welcome addition to the central Manchester dining scene, especially given it's not an American diner or tapas restaurant.