The Refuge by Volta in Manchester

Great pub for socialising. Love it here

Had breakfast here few days ago, the food was amazing, and Sarah was very welcoming!

Let me tell you beforehand , the food here is to die for ! It’s so good that you’ll visit again and again ! The service and the quality of food is beyond my expectations

A mixed bag. I have been to The Refuge several times before and loved it, but this time round, it was a disappointing experience 😔 The food wasn't great at the restaurant and we only came for the food ☹️ The hummus was substandard. We had to send back two small plates as the chicken was overcooked and dry. By the time the new plates arrived, we had already eaten our remaining food. It put us off ordering any dessert. A small bugbear. The Glamour of Manchester gin cocktail was served in a prosecco glass (!) I really wish bars and restaurants would stop doing this. Cocktails should be served in appropriate cocktail glasses, and at £13.50 a pop, it should at least be in a nice looking glass please 🙏 On a side note, the female toilet cubicles need alot of attention. It's not acceptable to have such messy and unclean cubicles for what is, overall, a lovely looking venue. I realise it must be challenging for staff on a relatively busy Saturday afternoon, but it's off putting and unhygienic. Ending on a positive though, the service was great; our server and her colleagues were professional, very friendly and helpful, which was much appreciated, thank you 😊

Federica always knows my order and makes the best cocktails! Love it there!

A brilliant experience today at Refuge. Huge thank you Vaishnavi for looking after us so beautifully!

Special call out for our waiter Michael who was excellent. Really knowledgeable and super helpful. Great food!

Lovely roast dinner with excellent service from Michael

We had a lovely time, thanks to Michael our server. The food was amazing and the place is gorgeous.

Delightful relaxed but upmarket eatery. Limited vegetarian choice but the dishes we had were delicious and we left replete without the deserts. Special thanks to the bar team who whisked us up Brandy Al even though they aren't on either the cocktail or dessert menus. 😁🍸

Dark and noisy on a Saturday afternoon. The queues for the bar were incredibly slow.

We had an amazing evening meal at the Refuge. The surroundings were exquisite, and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. They staff are attentive and welcoming, and the service is excellent. The meals were tasty and well cooked, and our compliments went to the chef and the waiting staff. It was a memorable evening for us, and the staff made it special. Many thanks.

We sampled their new festive menu which was absolutely gorgeous. Wonderful service from Vaishnavi and beautiful surroundings. Is a Manchester must!

We sampled their new festive menu which was absolutely gorgeous. Wonderful service from Vaishnavi and beautiful surroundings. Is a Manchester must!

This is such a beautiful bar in a really lovely listed building. I’ve been here for drinks in the day before and on Friday night I went there again with my friend for drinks. The cocktail list had some unusual choices and we really enjoyed our drinks. We also enjoyed watching them being made. It was really busy but we managed to get a seat and it was a really fun atmosphere.

Lovely food, atmosphere and vibes. Vaishanavi was great and attentive and very welcoming, we had a lovely time! Recommended to visit and Sunday lunch looks amazing !

Lovey building. Enthusiastic waitstaff, but overall service lacking. Food overpriced for what we received, arrived before drinks and mostly lukewarm (admittedly didn’t complain as we were hungry and was just warm enough to eat). I would go again for drinks but I’d give the food a miss

I tried to book a table for my family of nine and was told that they would not take a booking that large. On what planet is 9 too many to book for, when it mentions on Open Table that it is a good place for special occasions and groups, evidently not! A number of us were flying in from the USA and we had booked into the Clock Tower Hotel. They recommended Refuge to us, but because of this appalling service we have now made alternative arrangements for both the meal and accommodation. Poor show!

We recently dined at the exquisite Refuge Bar & Restaurant in Manchester and had an absolutely impeccable experience. From the moment I was seated until the very end of my meal, our waiter, Saukhyad, provided top-notch service that truly exceeded all of our expectations. Saukhyad’s professionalism was outstanding - he was attentive, courteous, and displayed an in-depth knowledge of the menu that was impressive. His friendly demeanor made us feel right at home and added an extra touch of warmth to the dining experience. I must say, in a time where customer service seemed to have vanished after Covid, Saukhyad and the entire team at Refuge Bar & Restaurant truly got it spot-on. Moreover, the building itself is stunning, the decor is nothing short of fantastic, and the overall atmosphere was simply magical. The addition of a talented DJ only served to enhance the ambiance and made our night truly unforgettable. We cannot recommend Saukhyad and the Refuge Restaurant enough - a five-star experience all around. Thank you for an evening filled with delectable cuisine, incredible service, and we’ll be back when we return to Manchester

nikkita was amazing and very welcoming❤️

Beautiful location and very friendly staff!

Great place for a couple of beers before our night out

Ebony was a wonderful server. She was friendly, knowledgeable and great for helping us make choices.

Beautiful food, grand setting, friendly staff and management.

Fabulous food, drink & ambiance.

I like eating out and exploring new places. Great mid-week vibe at the bar, an impressive entrance. However, our evening at the Refuge was disappointing, our table was booked for 7pm and was made up for one place setting only. I had to ask for a plate and cutlery. We were both hungry, starters were very small, but the main course plates followed the same theme. The smallest steak I have ever seen, at £45 for a ribeye, I was hoping to be impressed. Rock hard veggies were inedible. Very few chips. Really poor food. My only regret is not booking somewhere else. A disappointing experience.

Went here for drinks with some friends. Delicious cocktails but pricey! Lots of seating and space. We went on a Friday night and there was a DJ.

Dinner and drinks in a lovely setting. Cocktail was delicious. Only downside was the time it took to be served both times. We also had sharing plates which were great but no serving spoons.

Lovely evening at The Refuge. Food and drinks were delicious and our server Saukhyad provided excellent customer service

A beautiful refuge in the heart of an Autumnal Monday night. Saukhyard was diligent and caring and brilliant in his recommendations.

Had some great food here on the weekend, my server Holly was fantastic!!

Saukhyad made or meal very pleasant. He really looked after us.

Had a wonderful stay at the hotel and a fabulous breakfast, ash gave us such wonderful service during breakfast service and Matt made me the most amazing cappuccino looking forward to my next visit!

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

Lovely place for eating or just drinks

Fantastic breakfast and wonderful service from Sarah and Matt 👍

Excellent food with excellent service,

Beautiful decor, divine food and perfect service! Thank you Jared and Vaishnavi!

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

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.

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

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.

Vaishnavi was an amazing waitress! Great experience

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

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!

Lovely really kind staff, breakfast was brilliant

The waiter Ash was incredible , great service

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

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)

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.

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.

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!

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!

Great food. Great service from Ebony.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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!

Thank you Michael - lovely food, amazing service

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!

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

Michael was very polite and helpful.

Popped in for a pre theatre drink.

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.

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.

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! ♥️

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

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

Great hangout for working or after work drinks

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!