The Refuge by Volta in Manchester

Very good breakfast and pleasant service from our waitress, Nicky.

Lovely place for eating or just drinks

Hollys service was excellent, very kind and polite. The food was also amazing. Definitely recommend.

We visited last Saturday with some friends and loved it. I had the pork belly and it was divine, would definitely recommend. Holly was a waitress and her service was brilliant

Vaishnavi was an amazing waitress! Great experience

There was a good variety of food to choose from at breakfast. Our server Evie was very friendly and helpful. Ten out of ten for both.

Bar service was excellent and our server was full of knowledge and a great maker of cocktails. The building is phenomenal. But the bar area was an absolute catastrophe. Tabes full of glasses and mess everywhere (had a show at the palace theatre, book of mormon) and there wasn't enough staff drafted on to help clear.

The food was excellent, and Holly was great — super friendly and helpful. Lovely place with good vibes and service. Definitely recommend.

Great breakfast, our server Ash was excellent too. A great experience. Highly recommended!

Our waitress Alisha was excellent. She couldn’t be more helpful. Thank you.

The Sunday roast platter is 100% worth the hype! Our server, Alisha, was lovely and you can't fault the food. Go hungry! Plus they always make me a lovely virgin Mary ❤️

Haven't eaten here yet but the bar service is great, plenty of options and the building is beautiful.

Roast was delicious, I believe our waitress was called Holly, the customer service was exceptional! Definitely would recommend!

The waiter Ash was incredible , great service

Lovely really kind staff, breakfast was brilliant

Let down by the value for money. £21 for a bland pie… got to do better than that

Perfect venue for hosting an international guest. Beautiful building with vibrant atmosphere and good food. Our server, Saukhyad, provided exceptional customer service. Overall, a great experience.

Fantastic service from Ebony who was so knowledgeable about the menu, warm, approachable and completely brilliant. Delicious food cooked to perfection, a wonderful experience, thank you so much!

Superb roast, one of best I've had eating out, however, really needed an extra piece of beef, it was a bit small for the price. Or give an option for extra bit of beef

Food was good but the service is terrible. The server didn’t know how to serve the bottle of wine and was pretty awkard… The place looks fantastic tho.

Sunday lunch platter for 4 , £138. Total bill with wine and desert £360. Thought it pricey today. Also was only able to eat the chicken on the platter as pork was very fatty with no cracking, and beef was literally mooing inedible for 2 of us. This was our goto meet up Sunday lunch venue. but it no longer represents value for money to us. Ps the yorkshire pudding is the size of your head and gravy and staff are good. Probably needs a rethink on pricing to stay competative in a saturated market. (perhaps include dessert in platter)

Vaishnavi was extremely friendly, smiley, attentive and welcoming 😊. Our food was lovely as always :)

Hands down the best Piña Colada I’ve ever had! The atmosphere was fantastic & the music added the perfect vibe. Such a great spot to unwind & enjoy a drink - Even bring a date 😏

Drinks Fine Service good to a point Food, poor quality, poorly prepared and nowhere near enough. I’m not sure who chose to call the sharing menu a “feast” but 1 chicken thigh to share between 4 people is not a feast! When we asked if there was more coming we had a menu thrown at us and told if you want more you’ll have pick something off the menu and pay for it. I would probably come back for a quick drink, but the food is extortionate, it’s not cooked particularly well and the service leaves a lot to be desired

Eboni was great. Food was great. Quiet when we visited- but great space

So reading these reviews, Sunday lunch sounds great, but good god the main weekday menu is tosh. Overpriced, absolutely tiny - and when I say tiny, the squid starter was an absolute joke size (£9). There’s a beetroot starter that’s about £8. It’s a dip type thing. Does it come with anything to dip it in? Don’t be daft, either use your fingers, or pay extra for some Sainsbury’s level pitta bread. Small plate or big plate option? Neither is enough for one, never mind the hilarious prospect of sharing. More than a couple of hundred pounds spent on a tiny amount of food and all of 4 of we’re starving after. Brilliant bar and aesthetically pleasing, but do yourself a favour, get a drink there before or after you go to a different restaurant for dinner or go on a Sunday when it looks like you might get a decent meal.

Friendly, great food in a 1800 building that keeps the character until now

Lovely meal great atmosphere too

This was so disappointing and not what I would expect from a restaurant with such a high reputation. My friend and I visited for Sunday roast and the food arrived cold, so we sent it back. But then waited nearly an hour for it to return. We sat in the garden courtyard area and loads of tables around us were left dirty and plates hadn't been cleared away. It wasn't like they were short staffed as we saw a lot of staff stood around. When we voiced our concerns they offered us a free round of drinks which didn't seem a fair compensation. So we asked if we could have a dessert to share which they agreed to. However the biggest insult was when they left they service charge on the bill. The food when it did arrive hot was delicious but the evening had been tainted by that point.

Good food, nice staff. Some things took a little time, but with nice staff you forget about that.

Great food. Great service from Ebony.

Unbelievable!! Food was stunning and was served fresh and so quickly! Michael was the perfect waiter and he looked after us so well! It makes such a difference to your experience when it’s your first time somewhere and the staff are so lovely! Thank you so much will definitely be back!

We were served by Michael today. He made us feel at home, with a smile and light hearted banter. He also catered very much to our needs and I will definitely be returning. Amazon food!

Great service tonight from Vaishnavi, and a lovely atmosphere. We enjoyed the pre-theatre menu which was delicious, especially the hummus. A great choice for a meal before a show, recommended

We came in on the off chance last night for my son’s birthday whilst visiting Manchester and managed to get a table. Everything was just perfect, the girls on the front desk were lovely and really helpful, our waiter was so friendly and happy. The food was up there with some of the nicest we have had. I would recommend the steak! I can’t recommend it enough. Will defiantly be back on our next visit. Thank you

Food ( as far as we got) gorgeous but the service was ridiculously slow. We had to go and find a member of staff to order. In the end we had 3 small plates, went and asked for the bill l, and went elsewhere for a main course. Sad, would love for it to be different.

Birthday Meal for 14 people on Saturday night Very nice culinary and social experience in a lovely environment. Served fabulously by Vaishnavi. Who also took some excellent photos for us. Thank you

Great food, excellent service from Cads. Thanks

I come for the Sunday roast and it won't let you down. !!!

I dined here last night and the food was incredible and service was brilliant. Holly walked me through the whole menu and recommended the beef cheek which was divine. A great night with great service!

In the right circumstances, I'm sure this would be an excellent place to visit. Unfortunately for us, our visit seemed to coincide with an event, featuring very loud DJ music. Very busy and long wait time to get served. Consequently, we only stayed for one drink, as could not hold a conversation.

Lovely dining experience at The Refuge, food, drinks and service all top notch in a beautiful setting.

Food was fantastic and service was top draw - thanks Holly!

Great food - Sunday roast was top notch - great venue and the service was great too. One small hiccup on a late meal for two guests but the team resolved it really well. The Winter Garden atrium bar is a lovely little oasis inside the venue too if you prefer more private drinks.

Kat was such a lovely host and made us feel very welcome and attended to. Kat also made a great recommendation for my wine and made a point of getting condiments quickly so our food did not go cold. Very lovely experience with Kat. We ordered small plates and sides and there was quite a significant wait between some of the food arriving - that’s our only gripe!

Our server Michael was attentive but not intrusive. We were well looked after and had a lovely time.

Fantastic meal & service!! Vegetarian roast was one of the best I’ve had in Manchester. Micheal was an exceptional host too!

Thank you Michael - lovely food, amazing service

Lovely service and atmosphere. Our server Vaishnavi was very helpful and welcoming

Popped in for a pre theatre drink.

Michael was very polite and helpful.

Great food and nice vibe to the restaurant . waitress was excellent … Vaishnavi couldn’t have been more friendly and attentive . 10/10 for her 👍🏻

We ordered the sharing platter. I hadn’t realised we’d only get one slice of beef to share so we had to cut it in half. The food was just ok. We told the waiter we only got one piece of beef on the platter and he merely said he’d pass the comment on to the kitchen. The service was appalling. It started off quite well when the waiter introduced himself and pointed out another waiter who would be looking after us. Once the food arrived we didn’t see either of them again. Nobody asked if everything was ok, or enquired to see if we wanted more drinks. The dishes sat on the table for at least 45 minutes after we’d finished eating. We had to ask a waitress for the bill and it was only after I stood up and put my coat on that she came over with the card reader. We deducted the service charge because the service was non existent! Absolutely will not be returning. Lovely building though .

Called into Refuge for a drink before heading to the Palace theatre across the road. This place used to be a smart, boarding on sophisticated vibe, but has unfortunately lost this spark. It now seems to be trying hard to be something it shouldnt be (in my opinion) - trying to be a cool Northern quarter type venue, with open DJ in the middle of the once stylish main bar area, grubby floors and a major lack of seating/tables. However, the sophisticated cocktail menu remains, as do the high prices. Won't be rushing back, and it's such a shame.

Terrible service for a hotel of this class. We went for the Sunday dinner as a treat. Great start with a lead server who introduced himself and his co-server saying how the two of them would look after our every need. Took, the order, food arrived. Downhill from there. We were totally ignored, no checks to see if the food was OK, and OK just about covers it. No checks on drinks. My son, actually cleared the table and piled the plates, which stayed there for 30 minutes until we flagged down someone. We paid £69 (not the £49 widely advertised) for a meat platter for two and a further £20-30 for porchetta (advertised at £21). When we eventually got the bill an hour after we had finished eating I said I wasn't paying the service charge and was met with surprise. Absolutely terrible experience, which was a real pity. This place has gone downhill since I last stayed. Won't be going back.

After seeing this place all over Instagram I decided to give it a try !!! Well worth the 1hr drive !! With its salubrious decor and furnishings and being set in one of the oldest buildings in Manchester the setting is perfect. Opted for the Sunday sharing platter at £69 and there is more than enough food !! The meats were cooked to perfection as was all the trimmings ! I can always tell it’s fresh and homemade by the gravy ! And honestly I could have just had that with a loaf of bread !! Will definitely be back ! The service was outstanding and you won’t be disappointed if you visit.

The Sunday Roast Sharing Platter at The Refuge is an absolute treat. The quality of the food is superb, with perfectly cooked meats, crispy roast potatoes, and an impressive variety of sides. Everything was flavourful, and the generous portion sizes made it perfect for sharing. However, the service left much to be desired. Despite the fantastic food, the overall experience was dampened by slow, inattentive service. We had to wait far too long for our plates to be cleared, and it took ages to get the attention of the staff for the bill. When we brought this to our waiter's attention, she couldn't care less and simply said "yeah well it's a Sunday and we're busy", which took away from what could have been a perfect dining experience. While the Sunday Roast Sharing Platter is worth every bite, the service needs serious improvement to match the quality of the food.

My partner and I had such a lovey time! We came for dinner for a date night and it was perfect! Food was super tasty, loved the atmosphere of the bar and restaurant and our waitress Lucy was an absolute star thank you so much! ♥️

Incredible experience. We went for lunch to celebrate my birthday and couldn't have picked a better place. Fran was amazing to chat to and Lucia our waitress was so helpful with recommendations of what to have. Food from the new menu was great too. We even got showed how to make some cocktails as they weren't too busy, and the bar staff were very friendly and knowledgable. Overall amazing service and the people who work there are a credit to the restaurant!

The Sunday Roast Sharing Platter at The Refuge is an absolute treat. The quality of the food is superb, with perfectly cooked meats, crispy roast potatoes, and an impressive variety of sides. Everything was flavourful, and the generous portion sizes made it perfect for sharing. However, the service left much to be desired. Despite the fantastic food, the overall experience was dampened by slow, inattentive service. We had to wait far too long for our plates to be cleared, and it took ages to get the attention of the staff for the bill. When we brought this to our waiter's attention, she couldn't care less and simply said "yeah well it's a Sunday and we're busy", which took away from what could have been a perfect dining experience. While the Sunday Roast Sharing Platter is worth every bite, the service needs serious improvement to match the quality of the food.

Sehr schönes Ambiente, Essen lecker, leideretwas laut durch angrenzende Bar(Samstagabend) Empfehlung, gerne wieder

Great hangout for working or after work drinks

Denisa was great, very attentive and lovely. Food was very tasty, although no set meals, so you build everything as you go which can be £££. That said, worth it

Had some cocktails and bar snacks on the way to dinner and also such a lovely place to visit. One of my favourite places when coming to Manchester either for drinks, diner or to stay. Bar staff are always lovely and very good at what they go, good music, lovely setting. Would highly recommend, been plenty of times and will continue to visit!

Did I spend way more than I was planning to on lunch? Yes. Was it worth every last pound? Also yes. Absolutely beautiful atmosphere with food that was both absolutely delicious and extremely satisfying even after almost a week of eating only take out. The stand out meal during my trip to England, for sure. My server, Ebony, was so nice and took the time to ensure she had exact and accurate answers when I had questions about menu ingredients. The public bar was even more gorgeous and was the perfect place for me to have a relaxing post meal coffee (although I wish I had the chance to try one of their signature cocktails!). I would totally recommend going with a group of friends.

The food here was absolutely delicious—every dish was full of flavor and clearly made with care. I thoroughly enjoyed my time; the atmosphere was warm and inviting, and it felt like a place where you could truly relax and enjoy a meal. The server added to the experience with their genuine friendliness and attentive service, making us feel right at home. I'll definitely be coming back!

Fabulous interior great service definitely worth a visit.

Sunday roast - a very good roast beef with all the trimmings. A bit pricey at £26 for 1 course though. Service was great until we asked for the bill which took ages and 3 different staff members. Food came out very quickly and the plates were hot which was great.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at The Refuge, and it was nothing short of amazing. From the moment I walked in, I was captivated by the inviting atmosphere that perfectly blends elegance with a cozy, welcoming vibe. The ambiance truly sets the stage for a memorable dining experience. What really stood out, though, was the exceptional service provided by our waitress, Kat. She was simply amazing—attentive, friendly, and spot-on with everything she did. Whether it was recommending the perfect dish or ensuring our drinks were always topped up, Kat's service was impeccable. She genuinely made us feel cared for throughout the entire meal. The food was, of course, delicious, but it was the combination of the amazing atmosphere and Kat's outstanding service that made this visit truly special. I can't recommend this place enough, and I’ll definitely be coming back!

A great bar in a building that is steeped in history and very well preserved, if you like your architecture then it's worth entering just for that. If you like your ales I'd not recommend here as it's mainly the usual hotel larger available though they do have a good selection. Go to the Salisbury over the road after visiting here if it's ale that takes your fancy Very spacious and a nice place to visit in the week if you like to chat with friends, it gets incredibly busy at the weekend.

The food and service is always great here. Michael specifically who served us this evening was really good.

Fantastic place, lovely food and Michael was brilliant, making us laugh as he took our order.

I visited this restaurant for the first time, and the first waitress I had was super kind and friendly. The food was great too. But I’m giving two stars for the service because of what happened with some other staff. After I finished my meal, I tried to “grab” eye contacts and get the attention of the nearest waiter or waitress, but they two were too busy chatting with each other to notice me. I ended up having to go over and say, "Sorry to bother you, but can I get my bill, please?" Only then did they stop chatting. Other than that, I really liked the food, especially the chicken breast—it was juicy and melted in my mouth, absolutely love their food. Thanks.

We always go to the Refuge for a drink when having a day out in Manchester City center it's a nice peaceful place with a chilled atmosphere.

Food was okay, very well presented however quite small sharing portions (even the large plates). Staff were not very attentive and service was slow, seemed like a result of bad management/organisation. Venue is beautiful, think it would be better to just come for drinks.

Suggestive, interesting and very beautiful environment, perhaps a little noisy and air conditioning like crazy even if it was 20 degrees outside. Very good food (the pork belly was amazing), but small portions even for the main courses. Prices quite high for the amount of food. The only flaw was the poor service although all the staff were very courteous and helpful the waiting times were too long, they brought drinks after the starters and half the table received the main course after the first courses which had been served they had already finished eating. The location is worth it, maybe just for a drink…

Very very nice location, otherwise I wouldn't go back. Good food but slow service even though it wasn't a crowded evening, slow also for cocktails and wine... bill a little high overall. Friendly staff but there is a bit of disorganization. It's worth to come and have a drink and enjoy the place

I would recommend anyone to try if you’re in Manchester. Fantastic food and the ambience is top notch! Plates are mostly for sharing

lovely place, great service from Gabe and Conor

Only stopped in for a coffee, it was very quiet however it was early afternoon of a Friday. Pretty decor, friendly staff and lots of ample seating.

Always a great place for drink or food ,great atmosphere

I’m here again that the Refuge fantastic Sunday lunch, Beef was amazing so was the brownie for afters but I didn’t get a photo of that staff were amazing Jared was really attentive and knowledgeable about the menu

Always great food here. Michael was an amazing server. Really attentive and smily.

10/10 Sunday Roast! Great and friendly service by Michael :)

Sunday lunch with friends. Fantastic service by Michael. Couldn't have been more helpful. A beautiful venue with a lovely relaxed atmosphere

Great music, service and food. Marco was excellent

Food is very expensive for what it is, ‘London prices’ even. It’s called ‘tapas’ but hardly any of it is Spanish and it’s a tiny menu with tiny portions. I complained my food was lukewarm and they said they’d replace it but it was obviously the same portion just jived around slightly when they returned. The atmosphere is terrible. It’s a beautiful building but not design for a lot of people. It has tiles and hard surfaces everywhere and is is very noise and you cannot hear your dining partners speak. Service was patronising and unfriendly. I’d avoid this place at all costs.

Lovely meal at Refuge. Was quiet - atmosphere would have even better if busier. BUT, our waiter Michael, was AMAZING 😊

The space itself is enough to warrant five stars. Came here for lunch, dinner, and afternoon drinks, and each visit was lovely. Delicious food, tasty mocktails, and friendly service. If you’re staying in the hotel, you must come here for breakfast — so worth it.

We had the most wonderful Sunday roast! The service was amazing, Lucy ensured we had everything we needed and was very kind to our big dog!

Beautiful building and atmosphere. We ordered 3 mains as we were three guests. Unfortunately- my friends food arrived tepid. She asked for it to be”even better warmed up in the microwave” they said they would not do that - which was commendable - they would cook it fresh again. They did do this - and the food was this time piping hot - but her favourite vegetable- the large carrot was practically raw 😞😞😞😞 the waitress was amazing - the place and atmosphere was lovely, ☺️ Sunday dinners were fabulous but my Friends was a little disappointing. I will defiantly still visit.

I booked a table for 5 last Sunday at The Refuge restaurant in Manchester for my wife's birthday and as a leaving meal for my daughter who is starting a new life in Manchester. Unfortunately the quality of food was truly awful. Leathery potatoes, concrete Yorkshire pudding. It was inedible and I left most of it. Very, very unhappy. I was charged £238 for the privilege. Recommend booking somewhere else.

Great place for events, such as celebrations.

Amazing date spot. Great service, great atmosphere, and the chefs are clearly experienced. I have no complaints.

Really beautiful place with a nice atmosphere. Food was amazing. Only issue is we felt a bit abandoned after the food had been delivered. We asked for some more water which we never received. We were also willing to get another round of drinks and even a dessert but it took us so long to chase down a member of staff that we eventually had to ask for the bill instead as we needed to leave for the theatre. Enjoyed the meal though 😊

A great place for pre theatre drinks.

The Refuge is one of my favourite places to visit in Manchester for food and drinks. I took some of my colleagues after a work conference and they were impressed with the experience. We enjoyed some nice food in the restaurant and drinks at the bar. There isn’t loads of gluten free options but enough to get a good meal

The food is amazing. Our waiter Jared was lovely and attentive. Great atmosphere.

It’s a nice place but we came for a Sunday lunch & it was average to say the least. Not bad but not great for the price was expecting more. The porchetta was very fatty & the chicken wasn’t great either.

The Refuge is a spectacular looking venue and the drinks are great. The music from the live DJ can be a bit loud for the space unfortunately, making it difficult to have conversations.