It was my Gran’s birthday not so long ago and as a birthday suprise we took her to The Ivy in Spinningfields. I booked The Ivy Brassiere a few weeks in advance and luckily was able to attend just a few days after it reopened from their roof top fire. The Ivy features a ground floor Brassiere, a private dining room on the first floor, an Asian bar and restaurant on the second floor and finally a Roof Garden on the third floor. I have already been to The Ivy previously on their Roof Garden shortly before it opened to the public but will blog more on that another time. This time I went to The Ivy Brassiere and as one of the newest restaurants in Manchester and also Spinningfields, I have shared my experience below for those of you who haven’t been yet and are debating the idea of booking into The Ivy. 

Image Credit : Manchester Evening News

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 

I work very close to The Ivy and walk past it on a daily basis. It’s one of the new and must go to places in Manchester at the moment and with everybody raving about their experience and.. the ladies toilets.. I had to go there and find out for myself. 

The outside of The Ivy is an experience in itself.. the sides of the building are covered in plants and the front of the building also covered in decorative plants and foliage, is guarded by two doormen dressed in green long overcoats and flatcaps and who open the doors for guests entering and exiting the restaurant. There is also a fire pit outside the front of the restaurant with ‘The Ivy’ situated above it and a menu on display for people to have a look at before booking into the restaurant. 

When entering The Ivy, I was greeted by four members of staff behind the check in desk who instantly knew my name (from my booking obviously but a nice touch!). A member of staff took our coats into the cloakroom, whilst a fifth member of staff came out and took us to our table. Another a member of staff then introduced himself as our waiter and took our drink orders and handed out the menus. He was very attentive throughout the whole of the meal and could not do enough for us.. the service from the waiter was great and couldn’t have been any better. 

For our starters, we ordered two of the Prawn Cocktails (£9.75), a classic prawn cocktail with baby gem lettuce, avocado, cherry tomatoes and Marie Rose sauce, with lemon on the side and the Roasted Scallops (£11.95), with grilled chorizo and ras el hanout roasted butternut squash. 

For the main course, we ordered Chicken Bourguignon (£16.50), a flat iron chicken with a crispy skin, creamed potato, chestnut mushrooms and bacon lardons. Fish and Chips (£14.50), traditional battered cod, served with mushy peas, thick cut chips and tartare sauce and the Sirloin Steak (£22.95) with peppercorn sauce (£2.75) and we ordered extra chips to share (£3.75). Desserts were skipped as we were so full but I treated myself to a Mint Hot Chocolate (£4.25). 

Overall, there is quite an extensive menu for the Brassiere and they also have a set menu and a vegetarian and vegan menu. Not to mention the breakfast menu, weekend brunch and afternoon tea which is served at dedicated times. The waiter was very attentive and explained everything on the menu and the surroundings once inside The Ivy Brassiere were amazing and in keep with their decor.. everywhere you look it is filled with either plants, artwork, floral prints, textiles, chandeliers.. the works. It’s definitely an experience that I would recommend you try.. even if it’s only the once. 

TASTE

Starting off with the starters, I really enjoyed the Prawn Cocktail. It was a traditional prawn cocktail with a Marie Rose sauce. The prawns and salad were fresh and the presentation added a nice touch to a simple yet traditional prawn cocktail. My Gran went for the Roasted Scallops and again they tasted delicious. You could taste the grilled chorizo and the butternut squash but they were not too overpowering - both complemented the dish well. Again the presentation was was very nice which was a theme throughout the meal. 

The main courses were also delicious and although the presentation of the dishes was nice, it wasn’t as well presented as the starters. Overall everybody enjoyed their main courses. The Chicken Bourguignon, was really tasty and the layer of cream potato was fluffy, creamy and complimented the dish alongside the bacon and chestnut mushrooms. My Mum went for the Fish and Chips and she also enjoyed it. Two portions of cod was served alongside the thick cut chips and mush peas - plenty of food which was very fresh. My Gran went for the Sirloin Steak which again she also really enjoyed. Unfortunately the steak did not come with chips or a sauce or vegetables and so we purchased additional chips and the sauce separately but it would have been nice for the steak to come with a choice of sauce and a side dish. Overall I was impressed with the food served, it was really tasty, freshly prepared and I would definitely recommend giving either dish a try!

COST AND VALUE 

The starters were a little small for the price, especially for a traditional prawn cocktail at £9.75 but I must admit that it was tasty and presented very nicely! It would also have been nice if the Sirlion Steak had come with a choice of sauce and a small side dish included in the price. Some items on the menu do seem a little expensive but you do need to consider the location and service. Based on the food that we ordered, coupled up with the service, the location of the restaurant and it actually being The Ivy, I was actually expecting it to cost a little more than it did. 

The only thing that I would point out is that the waiter asks when you are seated if you would like some water for the table, it is worth taking note that if ordered they will bring bottled water and you will be charged (£3.50). When ordering drinks for the table, it did take a little longer than expected to arrive and the drinks service is not as quick and efficient as the food service. 

OVERALL 

I really enjoyed the whole experience at The Ivy Brassiere from the food to the service. The waiter was very attentive and friendly and seemed to actually care if you enjoyed the food. The only downfall was the delay in the drinks order arriving to the table but this was down to a different waitress. I would definitely recommend giving The Ivy Brassiere a try and it’s definitely a place to check out at least once. My Mum and Gran also really enjoyed the food and the experience and they definitely were amazed by the ladies toilets! 

The ceiling of the toilets is covered in flowers (a theme of the restaurant and building itself) and the statue in the middle really is a talking point. When we went into the toilets.. you can imagine the que of people posing for a photograph next to the statue! Overall, it was a great evening and a great place to go for a meal for a special treat or for a special occasion. The waiter made my Grans birthday that little extra special by bringing over a little birthday celebratory dessert which gave the evening that extra special touch!

I would definitely recommend booking into The Ivy Brassiere and giving it a try. We will definitely be returning back to try The Ivy Asia in the near future. 

PROS AND CONS

Pros

• Staff very attentive
• Amazing decor especially the ladies toilets
• Great place for a special treat or a special occasion 
• Presentation and great food

Cons

• Can take awhile with drink orders
• Some items on the menu are a little expensive

FOODIE RATING