The Round in Manchester

Food is good, but not much selection. Too much vegan unhealthy food. I need protein... not mystery meat. The staff were friendly and quick to help and serve. A bit too expensive however. I also wish there was more privacy in the seating as its just chairs in a large open plan hallway. Manchester tart was very good.

Food was quickly prepared and tasty,..even though very busy..hard working staff.

A really good place to eat , very 👍 🙂

This may be petty to some. But the reason I have given this place a low score. Is because they only serve vegan cakes now. Had it been the other way around there would be loads of complaints. I would highly recommend the place to my friends and family But no longer. Most Cafes and coffee shops around the UK try their best to cater for vegans and it's getting better each year. So out of principal and fairness I sadly won't be using this place again even though the service and atmosphere are great.

Just to Clarify, now no longer a formal restaurant but a no reservation, Café serving light meals in accordance with the Theatre Productions on during the day. Closes as the evening performance starts

Always makes a trip to the theatre even better! Definitely worth booking in.

the exchange is a great setting for the rivals bar. Thoroughly enjoyed looking around the interior. Table settings design a bit naff but Good quality alcohol free beer.

Bit of peace and tranquility in the city centre

Great bar for pre theatre drinks. Wide selection of spirits.

The theatre was rehearsing but some brainless sound engineer had the volume levels turned up so loud it could cause customers hearing damage. Not going again because this happening all too often.. Not fault of the cafe staff.. Nice cafe nice people but the sound engineers are ruining their trade

Very limited selection of food Service slow when ordering food/drink Clearing of tables very efficient Prices very reasonable

Nice quiet place, live piano, interesting building with a long history, friendly & polite stuff, clean g not pricey, enjoy)

Bottle of peroni expensive. Should be given choice of gluten and gluten free

Always nice to grab something whilst in the city lots of choice

Hidden gem. What a lovely restaurant. First time diners, four of us. There was a show on at the Theatre. Restaurant was quiet as a consequence. Didn’t spoil our experience. Very nice menu. Reasonable prices for city centre restaurant. Lovely, friendly staff. Look forward to going again.

Lovely food and a bit unusual but none the worse for that. Wine per glass £6 a bit pricey even for Marlborough. Would advise buying a bottle if more than one glass is required. Otherwise fine

Gorgeous food, lovely staff and good decor/ambience. Had a fab pre theatre meal.

Lovely staff Very accommodating when running late with a theatre production to see. Food excellent Nothing to complain about at all.

Good place for a pre-theatre meal. Excellent choice of food and wines

I always love dining at The Rivals before the theatre but on this occasion the food was quite mediocre - both of our mains were luke warm and the chips arrived after my partner had finished his main and I'd almost finished mine. We didn't complain because we were on a time limit as the play was about to start. Also, there's so much on the menu these days that isn't included in the set menu cost that it feels a bit odd that it's a set menu.

It was lovely to enjoy a great meal before the show, the staff kept the table for us and we had desert at the interval which was lovely.

Food still excellent. Slow and inconsistent service. Quite expensive and supplements for certain dishes excessive.

Great for pre-theatre dinner. Very nice choices for a set menu and reasonably priced for the quality of the food. Prompt service, but do tell them you have a theatre booking and they will hurry your order along if need be. You can also order desserts to have during the interval. Good for groups as has plenty of big tables. Also, interesting wine list and something for all preferences. Usually go for the Paco and Lola Albariño as it's a wine lots of people like, and goes well with a lot of the dishes on the menu. Have been here more than once and always had efficient service and a tasty meal in lovely surroundings.

good food, service efficient, pleasant atmosphere. Would certainly go again

Lovely service . Nice food . A little expensive but a nice treat

The staff were very accommodating, giving us a well lit table as requested (we are lipreaders). The service was second to none. The food was very well presented and everything we had was very tasty. The value of the 2 courses we had was good, the same would be said of the 3 course menu also offered. I have dined here several times with different friends and will be back! Thank you.

Excellent food, very friendly staff, even though it was a pre theatre meal, we did not feel rushed

Been a few times, service is swift and friendly. Food is good - a bit expensive particularly when combined with the cost of a show.

We had a lovely evening attending the theatre, however the food we ordered we felt was to ‘heavy’ with cheese, I was unable to eat mine. But will visit again and try the main menu. Service and restaurant excellent.

Good Vegan option though could have done with smaller portion and something else with it.

Normally excellent innovative cooking, however, this time the lamb loin with a suet pudding didn't work. The herb encrusted cod and sea trout starter were excellent

Lovely meal and ambience would really recommend especially if going to theatre. Quality of food very good , service very good . I will be going again!

It is always a good way to wind down eat great food in a quiet warm environment.

An excellent meal with excellent and prompt service. Menu was so inviting and we were not disappointed with the selections we made.

hello - I would recommend the rivals to a friend - but only just the food was not wonderful although the prices suggested it should be

We were a group of 11 so service not easy. As it happened some had finished eating by the time others were served. Everybody was happy with their food though - some felt the portions were small. Staff didn’t ‘get the message’ that we were rushing pre afternoon theatre.

Lovely food and very varied combinations have been here quite a few times. It’s a nice place to have a meal and chat

We regularly book The Rivals alongside a visit to the theatre and have always had a superb experience. It is a real treat for the senses

Lovely meal but our gin and tonics were spoiled by only having one make of tonic available which was horrible and killed the Tanqueray gin. Any chance of stocking an alternative like Sweppes?

Lovely pre theatre meal with my mum, very pleasant seating position next to the window overlooking St Anns square. Quirky stylish interior of recycled doors. Wonderful, prompt friendly service, great food, can recommend the portobello squash wellington and the gingerbread with stout ice cream. Was relaxed and unrushed. Very convenient for the theatre. Would go again.

Exceeded my expectations both in terms of quality of the food and service. I decided to eat here at the last minute before doing a wine tasting at the Royal Exchange. I was seated immediately and provided with the menu and wine list. The service was attentive without being rushed. The starter I had was Haddock fishcakes with salsa verde which was excellent and matched very well with the Chenin Blanc recommended. The main course was butternut squash and mushroom wellington, with roast potatos and garlic gravy which was delicious. Finished off with a Cardamom brulee which was also very nice and not too large at the end of the meal. Overall I felt the meal was great value at 3 courses for under £30.

Lunch menu offer is expensive especially as about half of the items incur an extra charge and there is lots of competition in Manchester to a similar standard.

The food was lovely, and our waitress from N. Ireland was extremely efficient and friendly. The only criticism was that the area where we were sat was cold. A lot of draft by window and exterior wall.

Delicious food for a pre-theatre meal, served quickly but by friendly staff

The bill was expensive for the quality of the food. My fish cakes were nice but nothing special, my husband’s mackerel escoche was disappointingly ordinary. The main course duck was very good with a delicious sauce but the sweet potato wellington was quite dry and heavy on the pastry. Overall, a disappointing experience.

The entire ambience was superb. The waitresses were extremely attentive and ensured that we had supper and that we took our seats on time. Pudding was in the interval. Excellent.

excellent food at good prices. we will visit again

The food and ambience were very good but for a theatre restaurant who are I assume used to pre theatre dining, the Timings were rather off. As it got closer to curtain time (it was a matinee) we had to chase for the main courses to be delivered and still there was something of a wait for the starters to be cleared and for those to be delivered. The desert ordering for the interval was appreciated but a tad last minute. It just felt like they weren’t coping brilliantly with a pretty full restaurant which shouldn’t be unusual. As I say, the food and ambience were very good.

The food was lovely. Service very good indeed. Great staff. I like the decor too. Really enjoyed and we will return!

Good food very convenient for the Exchange Theater, nice place to eat

Been here a few times now. The menu is always different and interesting. The food is delicious- excellent vegetarian choices. The service couldn’t be better.

The food was excellent, it was a lovely end to a great evening!

Great pre theatre choice. Good food, good value. Excellent service. Will definitely return

Lovely menu, changes regularly. Alway a fish veggie and vegan options. Pleasant staff who accommodate need to get to performance but dont hurry you if you are dining post performance. I particularly like the option to have coffee a d dessert at the interval during an evening performance.

One of the starters had to be sent back because it was inedible. It was exchanged without charge. Rosemary potato had clearly been cooked long before and there was not a hint of rosemary to savour. Poor value for money. Two days later we had a cheaper pre theatre meal at the RSC Stratford and quality was far better.

As always, lovely food,good service and so relaxing before we see the performance.

The food was very good as always, limited but interesting menu, with lots of veggie options for one of our party, and the service was quick and polite, but we got charged £10 for 2 "changed mind" which we didn't and at half time I went and ordered drinks for 3 (a pint of lager, red wine and a large Coke) and the barman wandered off and started taking orders and serving at the other end of the bar. I was just ignored then, and didn't get served all interval. We will be going to the Rice Bowl from now on. At least they don't ignore you.

We arrived early for a pre Theatre meal and eventhough the restaurant was busy we were happily and comfortably seated. As we were pushed for time we chose the 2 course set menu with olives to nibble with wine whilst we waited. The main courses were excellent, one of us had the beef and the other the duck. The Service was excellent with charming, friendly and very helpful staff. We realised that we would have to rush our dessert so the waitress recommended we return during the interval for our dessert and to finish off our bottle of wine. We returned to The Rivals and found our table freshly laid with our wine and desserts so spent the interval quietly finishing our meal. Very happy dining experience with super staff.

Good quality food. Excellent service. Enjoyed having dessert in interval. Menu not extensive so that would restrict me returning very frequently.

Very convenient for the Theatre, with excellent service and a good choice of menus, from "light bites" to three course meals. Just one criticism: hot food was served on cold plates & dishes - not a happy combination on a cold January day.

This is a pleasant restaurant to eat before a show and the food is good. However, the menu dishes are almost all lacking in accompanying vegetables and the only non-starch vegetable available as a side was (very good) red cabbage. It is also something of a cheat to advertise the meal as a fixed price menu when almost any non-vegetarian starter or main course carries a price supplement. So the restaurant scores high for convenience but rather lower for food variety and value.

The staff were extremely helpful throughout the evening giving advice on selection . The food was good quality but we felt expensive especially as the main course was quite sparse of vegetables. The puddings were delicious.

We booked dinner before the production on Sat 4th Jan at 5.30. The food was lovely. My husband started with the pekora which was really tasty. We also had the focaccia bread- lovely and warm with a great rosemary taste. I then had the roast chicken which was tender and very moist and my husband had the feather of beef which he loved. I had the apple turnover for dessert which was delicious, particularly the almond ice cream. Coffee was also excellent. We couldn’t fault the food and the service was first class leaving us plenty of time to get to the performance. This was our first visit to The Rivals but we will certainly return.

Excellent food, good drinks choice and great to see food being prepared. Staff all were attentive and welcoming.

Great food including vegan and vegetarian options. Staff were attentive and welcoming.

The room is quirky and charming, with tables on the upper level having a lovely view of the square and a mis-matched collection of old-fashioned, brown tables and chairs. The staff who greet and serve are terrific, always helpful and informed. The food is consistent and every dish I've had has been characterised by an interesting choice of herb/ spice/ accompaniment that makes them just a bit different and special. Portions sometimes feel a bit on the small side. Wines - I've only ever drunk by the glass - are well chosen and reasonably priced. For anyone seeing a play at the theatre, a meal here is a delicious no-brainer, but the restaurant is certainly worth a visit from anyone in search of a happy foodie experience.

Definitely, especially pre or post theatre. Lovely ambience and staff really polite and efficient.

The restaurant is a wonderful place full of quirky decor befitting a theatre bar/ restaurant . The service could not have been better and the menu so varied something for everyone . We were a party of five with different palettes but the menu was perfect to fulfil everyone . I’m so glad I booked this restaurant for NYE and the service was just lovely and we commented on how great it was . Professional without being pretentious or condescending . Thank you for an Erving which was parfait !!!

Main meal was very good (hake risotto ) but disappointed in the starter and pudds . Chestnut gnocchi starter was very tough and there was no taste of chestnuts . Also the pudds was described as apple turnover with toffee plus ice cream , there seemed scant evidence of the toffee ! Service was great . Dont worry will come again

Our second visit and now our favourite place to eat when we visit Manchester. The food is well prepared and presented, the menu covers a good range of options and the staff are always cheerful and attentive. The space is limited so it can feel a little cramped but the food compensates.

I have been to Rivals restaurant several times recently. It is consistently good in terms of the quality of its food and value for money. I have chosen the from the fixed menu and always found a good choice. The food is cooked in view of the seating area and has always arrived hot and freshly presented. I like the table arrangement and often one is seated near to large windows which overlook the pleasant St Anne’s square. I did find myself a little cold by the end of the meal due to a slight draft I suspect. There was a reasonably priced wine which we found enjoyable to accompany our meal. The team working behind the bar and in the restaurant itself were really pleasant and efficient. I would definitely recommend this restaurant as I believe it offers a higher quality and standard of meal than many of the more expensive restaurants in Manchester. When booking the table through opentable ( an easy process) the site indicated that tables were becoming scarce for my booking period( 7:30 Saturday evening) . This proved to be misleading. Almost as we arrived the restaurant almost emptied as the largely theatre going clientele left to take seats in the adjacent theatre. We were in fact one of two or three couples in the restaurant. This might be significant for some visitors who might like the buzz of a fuller venue or indeed appreciate the quieter option.

We are looking forward to having a nice meal at the Rivals to celebrate my husband's birthday before going to the theatre. The menu wasn't convincing and appetising. Dishes were poorly presented. Risotto was in fact a tasteless barley dish and the foccacia bread was in fact toasted bread.

We really enjoyed being able to have dessert and more drinks at the interval of the play.

Very busy night! Lovely menu with good choices , too full for dessert this time!!

Very helpful getting the order and meal quickly for pre show Quality of food not as good as previously probably because of Xmas and very busy night Hasn’t put me off and will visit again

Delicious, varied food, pleasantly served in theatre restaurant. An enjoyable way to start the evening!

Quality of food is good and the general decor and ambiance is lovely. The set menu now has ‘extras’ with additional charges, either have a set menu or don’t . Put out a set menu and a separate a la carte menu , don’t try mixing the two together.

Great service. Good quality food reasonable price wine! Perfect for a pre-theatre meal.

We always choose The Rivals as the food is excellent; everything about the dining experience is perfect - in fact, it’s unrivalled!!

Enjoyed our visit, pre theatre, thought it was a bit in the expensive side and a lot of the choices were extra. But the service was good and the ambience was good. A nice way to start the evening

Wonderful staff and great food from bar menu We will be back

One of the most under-rated restaurants in Manchester. Great food, fantastic wine and lovely service. Not to mention value for money. I thoroughly recommend.

Excellent service and excellent food. Great choice for pre-show dinner at the Royal Exchange Theatre, as they are associated. You can even have dessert and coffee during the interval!

A super place to have a relaxed lunch before or after going to the theatre. And a great place to have lunch when catching the Christmas markets and soon to be shop sales. The staff are friendly and the food is tasty with good choices and your never hurried. A relaxed lunch looking out the windows on to St Anne’s square is a great place to people watch. The Carol singers adding to the merry atmosphere of Pantos and Christmas shopping in the market stalls

Very pleasant experience with friends. Relaxed, great service and good food before going to watch Gypsy. Makes a pre theatre meal hard to beat for convenience

Lovely food at a reasonable price. A smashing view from our table over St Anne's Square. A raucous group of women rather wrecked the peace, but hey ho, it's Christmas and they were obviously very excited. Service was excellent until the last course and we waited for over half an hour for pudding, which caused us some problems with transport. I think that the problem lay with the kitchen rather than the waitresses, who were very sweet. In acknowledgment we weren't charged for pudding.

Really enjoy eating here, the menu is vey individual without being off the wall. Great food and good selection of drinks. Good value forgone. Service is good, with pleasant staff. Little disappointed on this occasion at being seated amongst the drinkers, which made it abit noisy.

Delicious food, excellent service, a lovely appetiser to the show. Thank you. Coming back in 2 weeks!

Perfect setting, excellent food and service - wonderful start to our evening at the Royal Exchange

We have eaten at the Royal Exchange restaurant previously over the years. I have to say though that this new production, The Rivals is excellent. The atmosphere is very classic, almost staged - how appropriate and very warm, cosy in its feel. Very different from the previous contemporary environment. The staff are attentive but not annoying. The food is excellent and we really liked the menu. Would definitely recommend and return. It made a night at the theatre perfect.

Good food, good service - great place to dine if you are going to the production. No need to worry that you will be dashing out of a restaurant to get to your seats on time, love the option to have dessert, and/or drinks or coffee at the interval so no need to queue for them. Staff always really friendly and helpful.

We go to Rivals every year when we visit the markets ... As usual we were not disappointed ... Staff were so friendly and helpful especially with my elderly parents who are very precise about their likes and dislikes ... Could not fault it

Very good meal in pleasant, quiet surroundings. Good view from window. Very friendly service if a little slow. Excellent value.

We have been to the Rivals several times and have never been disappointed by the food or the service. It is a special treat after the theatre.

Tasty and inventive cuisine and great value. A great start to an evening at the theatre. Love being able to pop back for pudding I the interval!

Excellent service, delicious food, wonderful ambience. Just lovely.

If asked about my experience I would say that the food is good, although not a bargain, and the restaurant is convenient for the theatre. Tables set out in the bar area are not always comfortable as they get a strong draft from outside the restaurant. We were told we could have a booked a specific table but that isn't clear when making an on-line booking. The decor is rather faux but not unpleasant. On the whole, we have booked often because of the convenience to the theatre, the food is usually good and there are vegetarian choices.

Booked this very last minute before a show but so delighted with the food, and the service. Lovely staff. Great to see the Royal Exchange matched with a restaurant of such high quality.

Loved it here. Had a gorgeous meal before the play and left my son and his girlfriend eating cheese and wine while we went to watch the play. Came back to find dessert waiting for us. Our waitress was really fantastic and helpful. Really a lovely night out and a brilliant atmosphere in the restaurant. Also nice to see some actors drinking in there afterwards. Will definitely be back very soon.

Lovely menu, plenty of choice with lots of different dishes! Well prepared,cooked and presented. especially pleased with the desserts, unlike most reataurants!