The Alan, Dine and Drink in Manchester

Short version: the staff are trying their best with a crap hand, we had a voucher and left before spending it all after a cocktail that tasted of burnt cigarettes. On arrival we overheard a staff member telling a couple who had no hot water in their room "that's the way it is, we have old pipes" which set the tone. We sat in an empty, silent dining room and ordered a bottle of wine, 2 x steaks, chips and greens from a menu that had half of it printed upside down. The waiter left to find his pad, then went on his break. A new waiter took our order almost 10 minutes later. After going to the computer, they returned and told us that the steaks were no longer on the menu but the chef was going to look for some in the fridge. He was unsuccessful. We had to reorder and got steak frites and a burger with greens and fries. The food arrived and the burger was good but completely alone on a plate for £18, the steak was overcooked and bland. The greens appeared to be fried spring onions which we sent back and were returned identical 20 minutes later after the waiter went into the kitchen and cooked them herself - we overheard the chef saying that he wasn't doing them again or words to that effect (still no music or ambience in the dining room). We went across to the (silent, ambiance less) bar to have a cocktail and when I asked for a menu, the waiter looked at me blankly and said we don't have one. We were then given the restaurant menu again and ordered espresso martinis. They looked great but tasted of cigarette ends thanks to the terrible, cheap coffee they're using in this high end hotel - I can only imagine how the breakfast goes. We had spent around £75 of our £100 voucher after they took 50% off the food and didn't want to stay any longer to spend the rest. I think that says it all. Absolutely would not recommend

We booked in for lunch for 4 people, the restaurant was deserted apart from another table. The food was mediocre, the steak had little flavour despite paying for the more expensive one and the desert which was meant to be a lemon posset, normally smooth and creamy, was gradual and strange tasting. Seemed like it might have been sitting around for a while to go that way but I can’t confirm that. The service was terrible, we were introduced to our initial waitress who then stopped her work shift which is fine and we had another waitress introduce herself. She did check if our meal was ok then we didn’t see her again. There was no one around to ask if when we wanted more drinks and our plates weren’t taken away from us for an hour and in the end I went and asked at the front desk if they could get someone to take our plates. The waiter came over and asked if we wanted to see the desert menu, took our orders and was again walking away without taking our plates so I had to call to him to ask him to do so which made me feel embarrassed. We then had another waiter bring our deserts and eventually bring our drinks. We were there for three hours and not by choice but due to the ultra slow service, it’s not like they were busy. Very disappointed. Will never be going back.

The Alan’s restaurant used to be excellent but it seems to have downgraded its food offering in the last quarter or so. The sambal sauce for the prawn small plate was too tomato-focused with no dried shrimp flavour to it. It was unevenly heated. I briefly entertained the idea of going to a restaurant in nearby Chinatown to order a more authentic version of the dish. The steak was more on the medium side than medium-rare. When we commented on this we were told that steaks of that size could only be cooked in one way. We found it hard to believe that, in a hotel named after the father of computing, the results of cooking a steak could not be finessed with the aid of an electronic device called a meat thermometer. We also thought the meats were under-seasoned. Service was otherwise good.

Second time visiting this restaurant and probably the last. Ordered drinks and we were told there was no tonic and no sparkling water! The starters were average and our pan fried chicken with hispi cabbage was ok but underwhelming and under seasoned. This place has gone down hill and we will not be returning.

We had a really lovely lunch here for Mother's Day, there was a good variety of small plates that were all tasty and our waiter, Jan, was great. He was really friendly and welcoming and we felt spoilt! Thanks for a lovely afternoon!

I had been for the oyster champagne deal a couple times before and had a great experience and raved about it. Unfortunately I decided to bring a group of friends for my 30th birthday in December. I booked a table which they had no record of which was ok at the time because we were only there for the oysters and drinks but they managed to seat us at the shucking bar which was hard to have a conversation as we were all seated along the bar. 5 out of 8 of us ended up with bad food poisoning the night after, and after ringing the restaurant when I was well enough to do so to inform then, I then found out through a friend two other groups had gotten ill off them that same week so they’d continued serving around Christmas instead of investigating ruining a lot of people’s Christmas plans. I filled in a food form as requested but there was little concern and no responsibility taken and after being told there would be an investigation and that I would be informed on the outcome I never heard back so I was really not happy with the way they dealt with the situation.

Beautifully decorated with some wonderful food options. The crab pasta, cured meat and pickled celeriac salad were really lovely in particular. Shame it isn’t busier as it would improve the atmosphere. But hopefully it gets more popular with time as I think it’s a great boutique hotel

Great place with super vibes. Jan was looking after us. We had a great time with my partner . Cocktails Jan recommended was amazing. Few bites to eat before heading out. Jan was super friendly. Will come back soon.

Service is terrible they forgot about my order Had to stand up and go to the bar to remind them about my drinks honestly awful experience for the first time !

Second time dining at the Alan and a vast improvement - the place had only just opened on my first visit. Food was amazing especially the venison. The service was good when you could get a waiters attention - they kept hiding behind the wall near the pass. The atmosphere was a bit disjointed as hotel guests were popping in for bar meals which was quite a change to guests there for fine dining

Early evening NYE We decided to go to our favourite restaurant in Manchester…The Alan As ever we had a truly stunning meal, dishes listed below 12 oysters Butter bean Hummus with flatbread Beef tartare Crab cavatelli Roast turbot Confit potatoes Sprout tops with cream and bacon 1 glass of champagne 1 bottle of Vinho Verde Total cost including service £145 The quality of this food for this price in such an exquisite location is an absolute steal We had attentive and very friendly service from Freya and will be making a return very soon in 2024

The staff are very friendly and the food is very delicious. Lamb breast is amazing, not too fatty! Oysters are fresh, confit potatoes are the must to try, so crunchy👍

The waitresses described the meals in great detail to us and helpfully took our coats 🧥 when we arrived. We ordered 4 dishes each and a drink for £25 - a bargain! I would say 4 each is too many however, the dishes are decently sized. I recommend the hummus, the leeks and the crab 🦀 rosti which was LUSH. The toilets 🚽 were very clean also - and you can see them prepare the food in the open kitchen which is very nice 👍

Amazing place and definitely worth a visit for the cocktails expertly mixed and served by Jan and Aaron who are true hospitality professionals.

We ate before 6pm so had some good options, cost of £25 pp for 4 selected small plates + a drink. Lovely food and much more interesting than going to one of the local chain restaurants. Service was great too.

After I had a meal with my friend in here, me and my friends started to feel unwell which we have both vomit and got a really bad diarrhea. We went to see the doctor and the doctor said it is because we ate something uncooked which is the oysters. And me and my friend are having a gastroenteritis now and I am typing this with a fever. Don’t come if you don’t wanna get sick !!!! Also, we spent more than £100 on this meal, and now we felt extremely unwell and this is definitely not worth it.

Had another fantastic meal at The Alan! Tried the Bone Marrow burger which was delicious. The chips were cooked perfectly. The atmosphere was vibing too. This time I brought my friend with me as I fell in love with this place a while ago and kept mentioning we needed to go! AND, Jan, as always, gave us fantastic service! So welcoming and funny! Great energy. Overall! Loved it!

Real high quality food, decor and service, at all times of day, Jan very entertaining as front of house too!

Wonderful place with amazing food and a wide wine selection. On the top, highly professional and friendly staff. Special thanks to Jan for being so helpful.

Awful breakfast, slimy cold egg, black pudding rock hard, 1/2 slice of toast, lipstick on teacup, waitress didn't even apologise, waste of £40, won't be visiting again!!!

Duck was great, so was the liver parfait and the hummus, the potatoes with their mayo is amazing, priced cheaply for what it is.

Popped by for a business lunch and was served by the lovely Jess who was very attentive. I was impressed with the delicious food and seamless service - would definitely recommend again for business or pleasure!

Excellent food and service from start to finish. The server Jan made the experience 10 out of 10. He gave recommendations from the menu and wine. Top member of staff you have. Would highly recommend this to all my friends and family. Will definitely be coming back again.

Best dinner in Manchester, food was incredible, perfect ambience. Our server was Nell, she recommended a delicious wine and guided us perfectly through the menu… we can’t recommend this place enough, and look forward to our next visit… 10/10

From start to finish a great experience From receiving a warm friendly welcome from Nell and Kintija The food as always was excellent Highlights being the Monkfish with clams and nduja and the confit potatoes The atmosphere / cooking / space are always spot on in this really great restaurant

I have to say it that Emily at “Alan” restaurant made me and my family feel welcome, at home and was so helpful. Not only was she empathetic to our long journey but she engaged with our son from the outset. Such a fab lady...

Another really good experience at the Alan. Beautiful food and lovely staff once again… big thankyou to Jacob and amelia who made my experience brilliant!!

What a wonderful find - the food at The Alan was delicious, a balance of small plates and larger dishes. Open kitchen so you can see your chefs at work. Nell my server was friendly, helpful and service was speedy. Atmosphere was relaxed. Chefs Morgan...

This place is incredible, the food is delicious and the staff are lovely!

Such a great find. Really lovely restaurant with great service - we were looked after by Jess. And the food was superbly cooked by chefs Kyle and Ed. Will most certainly be returning.

Very reasonably priced for such fantastic food. Brilliant service from Nell & Kintija. We will definitely be returning! Thanks for a great evening.

Excellent restaurant, would highly recommend. Delicious food made by Ed and Morgan, with exemplary service from Kintija.

Lovely food and ambience. We were served by Jess and Poppy and they were great. Would definitely recommend the confit potatoes!

We came for our anniversary and both the food and the service was impeccable. Our servers Kintija and Jan were absolutely wonderful. Warm, welcoming, lovely people who don’t miss a trick - glasses are always full. The food is beautiful and the chefs are so...

Very good food and brilliant attentive service from the staff (both Kintija and Jan were lovely). A thoroughly enjoyable meal - would recommend to a friend!

Food was delicious, atmosphere was amazing. Very friendly and professional service by Jan and his team. We will be definitely back.

High class dining. Very nice staff. Comfortable dining.

Excellent service as always from The Alan. Stopped by for a coffee and Zoom call in the bar area. Jan and his team were fantatstic and went out of their way to make me feel comfortable. Keep up the good work!

Really great food and drinks. We went for a family dinner for 8 people and the staff couldn’t have been more attentive and charming. Emily, Kintija and Tim were amazing. Also whoever made the cocktails deserves a huge thank you too they were exceptional. We...

Best restaurant in Manchester. Lovely setting and amazing service. Been a few times and never disappointed, perfect for proper foodies Emily our server was great

Best for real foodies in Manchester. Great quality food, service and setting. Menu is different every time which keeps us coming back for more A must ! Emily our server was great.

Read the fabulous review from Jay Rayner in The Guardian so thought we'd give it a try one Sunday afternoon and it didn't disappoint. Fabulous small plates that you can see being made by the chefs, who are also happy to chat with you. Surroundings...

For our last night at The Alan, we decided to have our last dinner of the holiday at the chef’s table. The chef’s Ed and James were both entertaining and helpful hosts as they guided us through our dining experience. We were extremely impressed and...

We dined at The Alan yesterday, the decor, food, drinks, service and atmosphere was excellent! We took advantage of the sharing menu, the food comes as and when it’s ready. The confit potatoes, cavatelli, aged beef tartar and lychee margaritas were exceptional.

Another fantastic lunch at The Alan. 4 dishes and a glass of wine for £25 is an absolute bargain for food of this quality. It’s rapidly becoming my favourite place to eat in Manchester. Great to be able to speak to the chefs who are...

I enjoyed a great business dinner at The Alan. The food was enjoyable, but it was the team that made the night. Special attention from Ed (who is in a band), Jake, Daniker, and India made for a great meal. India was superb with advice...

Superb family meal for a special occasion. Sat at the Chef's table so had the privilege of watching the food being prepared and chatting with the chefs. The food was exquisite, in particular the steak, cooked to perfection (trust the chef for recommendation of how to take yours). Honourable mentions for the pork, guinea, jersey royal potatoes and everything else too! We had the selection of small plates and shared between us so we all got to try everything. The Chef, Kyle, was clearly very talented, engaging and funny and had the knack of being visible without being overbearing. Top, top bloke and he and his colleagues, Dan and Ed were that great blend of being able to explain what each dish was while ensuring we all had a great time. Just can't recommend this place highly enough and we can't wait to return.

Staff were very friendly and so so lovely. We were served by Kinzija, Freya and Jacob , who were all excellent and so attentive. Food was absolutely incredible (Chef's James + Morgan did an amazing job), would definitely dine at the Alan again the the future!

The four plate lunch including wine for £25 is incredible value. Food delicious and tasted very fresh. The team are friendly and helpful. I live in London, but will definitely look to return to have dinner when next in MCR.

Loved my evening here! The best vibe with the best cocktails. Deneka and Ed severed us and it was 10/10 service.

This is Manchester best kept secret. We had dinner to celebrate end of my treatment and we couldnt have had better service. The food was exceptional and I mean clean plate exceptional. Cooked in open kitchen and served to our table by chef himself. We will be back for sure and very soon.

We were served by Nell;l, which was very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu, & made our lunch delightful - we had the best time, and the food was incredible!

The Alan is one of our favourite places in Manchester. Both food and service are excellent! Mel is great.

A big shout out to Nell for fantastic service when we popped in for lunch. Delicious food, lovely wine, very experienced hosting and lovely ambience. Would recommend. And we'll definitely be back.

I came for a drink at the Alan and the interior of the hotel was stunning , I also had lunch in the restaurant which was amazing. The waitress Rusné had impeccable customer service skills she made feel very welcome. She recommended the cavatelli which...

Great Father’s Day treat with my son. Excellent food , great position looking into the open kitchen Service was top class Jacob and Amelia really looked after us.

I booked lunch for Father’s Day for my husband. Unfortunately we left so frustrated it ruined the day, and we certainly will never return. All due to one obnoxious member of staff who treated us with pure contempt. We ordered the Father’s Day special sharing...

This was the one of the best dinning experiences in Manchester. I was lucky enough to visit the Alan and try a number of there little plates. They were amazing and very filling. All the staff were lovely especially Jacob and Amelia who let me...

Once again we visited The Alan in Manchester and had the perfect experience Great food Great service Perfect ambience This is our favourite restaurant in Manchester, for the quality the food is ridiculously great value

The Alan turned a potential difficult situation into an absolutely lovely evening. The slight hiccup with booking was dealt with very well and we received outstanding service for the rest of the evening. They catered for my gluten free dietary requirements. It was a wonderful anniversary and I will be recommending it to others.

I had an incredible time here. The location is in central Manchester so it was a 10 minute walk from everywhere at the most. The interior of the hotel was super trendy and quirky, with a very homely atmosphere. We were served by Grace who...

What a fabulous hotel,and such friendly and attentive staff.Breakfast was amazing.Definately be returning here

We had a quick meal here before our comedy show. Food was lovely service was lovely. Whilst we appreciated being squeezed in as the restaurant was empty the manager requires training or should just be kept in the back office. All the staff except the manager were friendly and knowledgeable. The ladies helped us to decide on food and wine. THANKS LADIES 😁 I would definitely recommend dining here the small plates are very different and super tasty

We had a wonderful anniversary at the Alan, chefs table was amazing. A big shout out to all the staff especially Jan at breakfast service. Mr and Mrs Owen.

My wife and I visited yesterday with our 2 daughters who are 10 & 7. The building is stunning, the staff who worked there were friendly, welcoming and attentive and the food really tasty. As a family we were abele to sample many of the...

Wow, nothing but great food. We dined at the chef's table which I would really recommend the chef's will tell you all about your dishes when they cook them. I think you also get to appreciate just how hard they work. We opted for a...

Amazing food, lives up to the other reviews! Thanks for a lovely evening.

Superb food and service. We sat at the chef’s counter. We ordered 1 oyster, 5 small plates and 2 desserts. That, along with 4 glasses of wine, came to £100 including service which is exceptionally good value for the quality of cooking. The service was...

We had an early dinner here (5.30pm) before going to a concert. We sat at the bar overlooking the open kitchen. The chefs were friendly, chatty and entertaining. The food was top notch. We had a selection of small plates to share. The slow cooked lamb breast and the salt baked celeriac were particular favourites. Cocktails were good and the relatively short wine list offered a good selection covering all bases. The space is relatively minimalist and industrial, but wasn’t lacking atmosphere. Not cheap but very good value in my opinion. We’re looking forward to going again.

Cool hotel bar and restaurant. We had oysters and champagne. Service was outstanding and pretty chilled, lovely vibe all round.

Great food and service. Recommend the lamb and the leeks

The food was outstanding.. some of the best food I’ve ever eaten in all honestly. Great venue, lovely staff. Only one downside for this visit - we were seated in the bar, despite booking the restaurant…this meant it was hard to get service, but beyond...

Really beautiful food. So well cooked. Trying out all the small plates and all the different flavours was just loveky.

The Alan offers great food and fab service, all for a reasonable price. If you read nothing else of this review, remember that, and I strongly recommend you visit! Myself and my partner visited following a positive review by Jay Rayner in the Guardian, and we visited during Jamuary when The Alan had a fantastic '4 small plates and a drink for £20' deal. We enjoyed it so much we went again yesterday (this review is being written in March), and if anything the meal was even better this time around. The Alan does small and large plates, sent out when they are ready, with around 4 small plates per person being the suggested number to order. The plates are around £9 each, and yesterday we had oysters, foccacia, aged beef tartare, cavatelli, grilled lamb, cauliflower tikka, hisbi cabbage, grilled hen of the woods and confit potatoes. So, as you can see, quite a wide array of options for diners, including meat and veggie. The vegetarian plates were fantastic. The grilled hisbi was incredibly tasty - that smokey char-grilled taste, a bit of sweetness, it's something we've ordered both times we visited. The cauflower tikka is also a really nice dish, the mix of flavours with the various spices, the pommegranite, and the cauliflower itself cooked to perfection. The 'hen of the woods', a mushroom and grains dish, was also really nice - we ordered as we had no idea what it was, and were not disappointed! The aged beef tartare was also a real highlight. The beef itself was very tasty and tender (as you'd expect for a tartare), with the croutons and capers adding a real crunch and salty heft to the dish. The lamb with kimchi is also a delight, and something we ordered both times. The wine list has lots of good options, at a range of prices, starting at around £19/£20 a bottle. We had a rosé last night, along with cocktails afterwards. Finally, the desserts are also great. If you're feeling decadent, try the snickers dessert, though warning, that's probably best shared! Service from the waiting staff was also top notch throughout. Finally, it's located really conveniently for anyone who gets into Manchester via tram, as The Alan is only a 3 minute walk from the St Peter's tram stop. All in all, a top notch meal at a really good price - highly recommended!

Amazing food and drinks as always. Such a good atmosphere. Bradley and Jan are amazing and always make you feel welcome !

We arrived for lunch - our waitress advised us that 4 small plates come with a glass of wine or beer. However, when we ordered we were told that she was wrong - that was last week. “You can only have a soft drink”. At...

Great food, good location. Menu was pretty good, the flavors were great too. Service was attentive, but there was a mess with order. Waiter messed up even more but manager was great at fixing things. Some round tables which I really favour

Stayed in the hotel and stopped for a couple of drinks in the bar, service was so slow. Drinks order came and was wrong. Took ages to get anyone’s attention to get the bill. No coasters were given when serving drinks which resulted in the table being messy as drinks had leaked over the edges when being served.

Came here for drinks and light snack. The interior is light and airy and the service was good

I dressed up for this. I'd been looking forward to it for so long and had expected it to live up to the reviews. The minute we arrived we were sat on a couch and had to wait for a host to come and seat...

The welcome was very friendly and we felt extremely comfortable form the get go. The food wand drinks were amazing. The retired dairy cow & confit beef potato was IMMENSE. I’ll say it again IMMENSE. The service was impeccable and attentive but there when you...

Outstanding food (the lamb was up there with the best I've ever had!) Great service and cocktails. Will be back again soon

A fantastic restaurant with wonderful service, fabulous food & a great atmosphere

Simply incredible food, experience and service. I’d come back just to be entertained by Jan alone, he guided us through the menu in exquisite detail and knowledge truly a credit to the Alan. The chef’s explaining the food as we watched them prepare made it...

Absolutely best restaurant in city center. Thanks to chef james , ed, fanny, mae, jan, bradley they are so friendly. Definitely I will come again ..

Great food, people and service. Their 4 items for £20 is divine! Highly recommended.

Stayed for one night earlier this week. Am not easily pleased so this is not that easy to say, but the hotel is superb. Excellent location, smart on-point & well equipped rooms, and very friendly staff. Jan and the team are excellent. Keep up the...

A number of friends have recommended The Alan hotel to me and have got to say, we were not disappointed. The hotel entrance is beautiful and the music being played is cool and compliments the ambience perfectly. The quality of food is fantastic. The 4...

We had visited the alan in December for our anniversary and enjoyed the meal so much decided to revisit for my 50th Birthday meal this month. We started at the bar area and had a couple of cocktails, the hazelnut old fashioned is a winner,...

Beautiful location and a hidden gem on this busy street. Lovely place to work from, very classy, clean and airy. Restaurant - Food is arty and nice but unfortunately I'd just say small plates is literally the smallest of small. 2 tiny cubes of foccaccia in a bread 'bowl' is not good enough, especially at the menu prices.

Professional and friendly staff, the food was outstanding and fairly priced. The only (minor) issue is the layout of the restaurant itself, to sit at a table we had to be situated next to the automatic entrance door which was a little draughty. A simple screen next to the tables would add to the intimacy and work a treat.

Bradley who looked after us is a perfect gent. The experience was amazing from start to finish. We sat at the counter and watched our meals being cooked. Ed the chef was amazing and very chatty and talked about the food and it’s provenance m. Fanni his assistance was amazing too. We had the most exquisite dish of lamb fat cabbage. And to be honest only ordered it out of curiosity but WOW!! What a showstopper of a dish! Sadly we were told it won’t be in the new menu? Honestly, please reconsider! We agreed it we could eat that dish all day, every day. It was sublime and could well be your signature dish. I would love the recipe!! It was a wonderful experience and we loved it! Thanks for a memorable lunch x

Exquisite food, for Breakfast I would suggest the egg benedict with bread and bacon, they make a homemade sauce on top of it, which is to die for, For Lunch, we had a variety of meat which was cooked to perfection, and very friendly and...

We had an absolutely amazing dinner at the Alan and it was easily some of the best food we've had this year. Delicious seasonal dishes. All of the meat cooked over an open flame, and the lamb fat cabbage is a must if it's still...

Lovely modern venue. Nice food. Tapas/small plates style. A little more expensive than other places, but make a very nice treat.

We were staying at the Alan for a couple of days to celebrate our anniversary so I had booked a table at their restaurant. We had a couple of drinks at the bar before hand, the hazelnut and cacao old fashioned is excellent. And then...

Excellent food. Small but outstanding plates. PRiced appropriatelly to the quality of food. I did particularly like sitting on the bar next to the chefs, nice to see craftmen in action! Wine list could do with improvement. Steak would impress better with some garnish/sauce.

The interior was stunning, and really wanted to love it here but it’s really not up to scratch. I’m not usually one for bad reviews but wasn’t sure why this was rated 5*. I think the issue is that they don’t know how to accommodate...

Me and 3 friends ate what felt like half the menu, 1 bottle of wine, 2 large glasses of wine, 2 beers and all got desserts - £56 each including service and we were very full at the end. Bargain for the quality of food....

Great place with good atmosphere. Nice service with open kitchen. The starters got cold very quick, onions slightly burnt. Mains were so tasteful, taste like heaven. Pork belly was delicious.