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Proper Restaurant For MediaCityUK
The Chester-Based Red House To Open In Luvvie Land
THE RED House Restaurant and Bar is to open at MediaCityUK.
There will be an independent North Western food representative at MediaCityUK. That is a good thing. If it plays it's cards right, then The Red House will make a fortune.
It will be the first for the mini-group in Greater Manchester and will be located on the ground floor of Dock House (BBC) overlooking the gardens and Quays. The opening date is set for Spring 2012.
The internal design will have a large bar area, a substantial restaurant space and a private dining section. The food will be Modern British (quelle surprise) and combine The Red House's, to quote, 'signature stylish dining with a relaxed ambience'.
The venue will measure approximately 4000 sq.ft. and will be able to cater for up to 160 diners.
Steve Metcalfe, Brand Director of The Red House said: “MediaCityUK is precisely the sort of place that we would want to locate a Red House. Design and customer experience are a vital part of The Red House philosophy, and we are very excited about opening a restaurant and bar with a bit of a wow factor in an environment that already has it.”
The Red House at MediaCityUK will be the fourth Red House in the North-West. The original flagship restaurant is located on the banks of the River Dee in Chester (click here).
We've never eaten at a Red House so any information from readers would be welcome.
Menu items on the Chester venue's present menu might give a clue. These include Posh Chicken at £15.25, Enrique Iglesias Duck at £18.45 and Cod Niçoise at £16.95.
The menu in truth is irritating. It has that worryingly 'fun' element worked in as though we go to restaurants to wonder at the cleverness of the marketing rather than going so we can have a good time with friends and family.
The Enrique Iglesias duck is so called because apparently it's 'a hot favourite with the ladies'. The cod nicoise because it's 'Nice Nice as well as nice nice'. The sea bass dish at £17.25 is the 'Coco Chanel of Fish Dishes!' Note the exclamation mark.
Enrique Iglesias
A Duck
Help.
By the way there's also a steak and kidney pie at £27.95 but the Red House people do assure us it is the pièce de résistance of pies. It better had be.
Some of the dishes are straightforward though such as steaks.
Steak
The winelist is a little mundane but the top end Barolo, Alfredo Prunotto, Piedmont, at £48.95, should live up to its billing given it's the most expensive red on the list.
Still at least there will be an independent North Western restaurant at MediaCityUK. That is a good thing.
And if it plays its cards right, then The Red House will make a fortune. It should play them straight as well: welcome punters with a smile but leave the jokes to them. No Duck a la Lineker please with descriptions such as, 'this is sure to score with ladies and gents alike'.
Or Match of the Day rather than Catch of the Day.
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Plenty of fat cat BBC wages mean that Media City, with its fancy supermarket and upmarket restaurant, will be in Salford, but not part of it.
The whole thing is distasteful, financed by a tax which causes plenty of poor people to go to court for the heinous crime of declining to pay the government for rubbish like Eastenders.
I'm ashamed that the Mancheter area was chosen for the BBC's move from London.
Take it you never paid you T.V licence then Simon S, tut tut
Would you watch West-northwestenders if it was made in Salford?
Guess what? Salford will change.
Guess what again? That's not a bad thing.
What Simon means is that he is gutted that his town has been shafted by the rampant unrestrained model of capitalism practised by Peel Holdings in developing the Trafford Centre, whereas a public-private model has yielded immeasurably better results for Salford.
This restaurant sounds 'kin ludicrous through. "Posh Chicken"? Sounds like something Hyacinth Bucket would serve at one of her candle lit suppers. Send it to Altrincham.
I was going to start ranting about the rather higher tax plenty of 'poor people' pay to a certain other broadcaster; one which may come down from the sky, perhaps. But I felt it would be lost on Mr. Smith.
I pay for EastEnders too. It's cack. But it's incredibly popular, so on balance a lot more people get something out of it. They in turn contribute to a lot of content that I like. Swings and roundabouts.
Oh Simon. And the award for the least focused line of argument goes to...
Simon. Shut up you fool. It's clearly magnificent for the region
I agree with both of you... TV licences should be optional, I can't remember the last time I watched anything on BBC apart from the Richard Attenborough stuff you can buy on DVD anyways!
You don't listen to BBC radio then? Or use the BBC website? Or use Freeview, a technology standard the BBC were fundamental in developing? You'd prefer no public broadcaster, with everything sponsored or paid for by large corporations that can push their own agenda on you without you knowing?
Just wondered.
actually they are optional but don't a a TV recieving appartus (which includes a compurt set up to watch live. TV. You can listen tot the radio an watch the iplayer ok
No one makes you watch TV and so buying a licence is optional! Anyone who has a TV and says they NEVER watch or listen to BBC channels and only commercial channels I reckon are being a little sparse with the truth. But anyhow this article isnt about the relative merits of the BBC move to Salford is it - so all a bit off-topic. Oh and I think you mean DAVID Attenborough.
Never mind all the red house discussion; when will mediacity get a 'wings', a 'hawksmoor', a Teppanyaki etc etc....keep rolling, and don't bother with simon, above, cos he won't be eating with us.....mike f
@Anon: well there's a Wagamama due to open next month according to the large banners next to where Red House will be.
Isn't this the same Red House Restaurant at Cheshire Oaks?
Hi, yes it is, and the food is lovely. They usually do some special offers too so, maybe there will be pre theatre offers etc. I think its great.
That Enrique picture is photoshopped!
Ah choir boy, you seem to have read this piece for all the right reasons. As for the Wagamama, that's merely casual dining, it isn't even a restaurant, but a noodle type place.
....and yet another boring chain eatery to boot.
I have to disagree with Simon about the supermarket. At least Booths is local and has a smidgen of integrity (yes I accept that's laughable in the corporate world) unlike the behemoths which are Tesco, Asda et al
Simon's a right fool. He hates everything all the time
'Fat cat' salaries Simon? Not everything the Daily Mail prints is true you know...
Bet you a tenner Wagamama does more business.
The Beeb might not always be perfect but we need public broadcasting - I love BB4 and R6 because you couldn't have them in the commercial sector. On another note I wonder what Iglesias thinka of his name being used to sell duck?! Why not email his agent?
why do I get sucked in and read your articles every now and again? why are you slating something that you haven't tried? they not your chums? they not offered you a free table? waste of time - stick to offers
I is sick of people spellin' like dis, mon.
Melissa. I'm not slating it. I was laughing at the absurdity of the menu titles. I look forward to Red House arriving. I hope it adds some substance, something more than Wagamamas or any Wetherspoons that may end up there. And again and again and again we never ever accept free tables for scored and rated reviews and we always pay our way for them as well.
Did I hear Wetherspoons? Now that would be awesome. I really do struggle to find anything of interest when it comes to dining options at the Lowry shopping cathedral.
People. Cannot. Read. Or. Spel (sic). Love and kisses and I'll give it a go. Menu sounds like it's for retards, tho.
ooh ali's retarded again
@Sue Lees. The Red House is hardly part of a 'chain eatery' - Chester, Cheshire Oaks and now Media City (Hull branch closed). The food at Chester is very good and yes, the steak & kidney pie seems expensive but take my word, it is rather special.
Well, Red House has clearly got its target market defined. Charging £30 for a pie whilst at the same time assuming that its customers are utter, feckless idiots who'd be amused by a meal because its named after a "celebrity." And you'd have to be a feckless idiot to pay for comedy food. Manchester and Salford are woefully, woefully lacking in decent restaurants. Red House's menu gives the impression that north westerners are apeing and clapping into their food.
It's actually not a 'pie' at all - I would urge anyone to eat at a restaurant before commenting. Feckless for being amused at dishes named after celebrities or feckless for simply eating at restaurants where celebrities have dined? Which is what a great deal of Manchester diners do - the food takes second place. What's the difference? I agree, Manchester is lacking in decent restaurants but it's also lacking in discerning diners
The Confidential Snob Alert alarm has just gone off *covers ears*.
But it's thirty quid! It costs more than half the main courses at Dinner at the Mandarin Orient from a three starred Michelin Chef.
Someone is certainly having a laugh at the expense of diners. I can't see how a regional chain - that serves a dish called "Posh Chicken" thinks it can compete at those prices.
I don't agree I need to fork out a ton of cash at a chain restaurant in Salford Quays in order to comment.
Are you saying you agree with the marketing strategy being hopeless, but inviting me to try pie?
Believe me, there are discerning diners. Hence the success of Aumbry and Ramsons and occasionally ROB when he's paying attention. But by god, the selection is minimal. Instead of creating a Polpo, the region seems to get by on quasi Panacea gaffs serving OK food at not OK prices (see also Australasia).
Aumbry and Ramsons aren't in Manchester - I thought that was Anon's. point? And, it isn't a fecking pie - all the other dishes mentioned are of similar prices to those in similar restaurants. What's the problem?
What's your point?
Look I wouldn't care if it was in a tutu and doing a sexy dance, it's still thirty quid for a main which is clearly completely and utterly overpriced for a restaurant of its calibre. Give me decent food and don't piss about. Give me overpriced tat with stupid names and I'll call it overpriced tat with stupid names.
Bloody hell. Just don't order the fucking pie then. I would love to know how many of these ranters have actually eaten at the Red House - not a lot I'd guess but still they pass judgement. I've eaten there, jolly good it is too, but I didn't have the pie.
160 covers, meals named after an iglesias and mains up to 30. Sounds JUST what Manchester needs.
Read before you comment, it's usually helpful
www.redhousechester.com/…/rh1-main-menu-2011.pdf…
Mm. Yes, in addition I can also see they describe their smoked salmon as the "Jaguar E Type", the strudel is introduced by means of explaining the chef needs to go to "the funny farm" and calls Steak D'Agneau Marine "fancy." Oh and that pie: "They don't want to give anything away" and so helpfully decline to tell the customer anything more about it.
And the Tenpole Tudor Turrine. Goes the menu: "What has a lesser known 80s pop group got to do with terrine? Nothing"
Quite.
Or how about
"Whipped Goats’ Cheese: OK – let’s get this straight. This is not a bunch of goats that have been whipped, with cheese"
Be still my beating tastebuds. Basically, the menu says "come and eat here if you don't give two hoots about food, are a bit thick and think Salford Quays is glam. Oh, and can I be your mate?"
An example of everything that's wrong with Manchester's dining scene. Here is Exhibit fecking A.
Anonymous, you've clearly got a bee in your bonnet about this place, never having eaten there. Why? They actually do give two hoots about food, the one is Chester is very good and would give any Manchester restaurant a run for their money. Can't say I'm that enamoured myself about the cheesy menu descriptions but I would far rather see this restaurant taking up residence in Salford Quays than Cafe Rouge, La Tasca, Ask, Nandos etc.