Sod The January Diet: Steak At Grill On The Alley

This week I started a temporary contract with a new copywriting client near Manchester Airport so I have been pretty conscious about what I've been wearing whilst I've been on site - it's never good to be the person that breaks the dress code in an office! On Thursday I also had to keep in mind that I was going to dinner in the evening so I decided to play it safe with a bit of hippy inspiration - here is what I wore:

Blue shrug from H&M - £7 sale price

I was really excited about going to dinner as my fiancé had booked us a table at The Grill on the Alley in Manchester city centre; I'd been to the one on New York Street before but I thought that the tables were too close together meaning it is kind of awkward to have a normal conversation when you are basically sat with another couple...

Anyway, we rocked up to the restaurant, already pretty clear on what we were going to eat for dinner. I am a bit of a fanatic when it comes to various foods you can grill, so naturally steak holds quite a lot of appeal to me - and I had heard really good things, so I was keen to sample the delights for myself!

We were seated downstairs, and I quickly relaxed (quite unlike my experience in the New York Street restaurant). Everyone around us was chilled out, enjoying good food and conversations - I think the décor and seating arrangements definitely help to give it the right vibe. The staff were also excellent as soon as we came in, and continued to impress me throughout the evening.

After having a few moments to look over the menu, our server came to take our drinks order. I asked for a recommendation for a glass of red wine and he suggested Tarquino Malbec Shiraz, something which is described as having intense flavours of black fruit, chocolate and sweet spice - naturally I said 'yes please, I'll have a large glass!' despite it costing a whopping £7.75.

Savouring every last drop of my pricey wine selection

We soon gave our food orders: I asked for a medium cooked fillet steak (£22.50) with chips and peppercorn sauce, whilst the fiancé opted for a beef burger (£11) with cheese and chips. The length of time between ordering and being served was just right in my opinion; long enough to hold a conversation without starting to check the time on a watch. Here is what arrived at our table:

Just looking at these photographs is making me hungry (yes, I have eaten dinner tonight already). The steak was soft, tender, almost melt in your mouth. But what made it even more delectable was the peppercorn sauce. I love dipping my chips in it too which is what makes it a good choice with any steak.

I didn't find it difficult to polish off the entire meal, and despite being pretty full we still managed to share a slice of chocolate fudge cake for pudding. We clearly wolfed this down without me managing to get a photograph of it first...

Satisfied after a tasty meal

The verdict

This is the part where I tell you to go the restaurant and try it for yourself, especially if you are a fan of cow cut and cooked in various ways. However the one drawback is the price which can be a little bit steep for a midweek meal. That is why we took advantage of the 50% off food promotion that is running throughout January - although it is essential to make a reservation well ahead of time. Even with the deal we still managed to spend £36.82, but then again I did get a rather delectable steak and a smashing glass of wine.

I'll give this restaurant a four star rating (****) as the food and service was great, but the prices could probably be a few quid lower. Despite this, I know I'll be back!