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Aumbry Restaurant
Tel: 0871 246 2150
2 Church Lane, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1AJ [map]
Multi-award winning intimate restaurant in a Prestwich cottage, offering a modern twist on historical British cookery
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Aumbry Manchester

Aumbry Restaurant Prestwich ~ overall readers' reviews
food
price
service
smartness
overall:
4.5 stars
3.5 stars
5 stars
3.5 stars
most popular dish: Nine Course Tasting Menu (£75)

Aumbry Restaurant Prestwich Manchester ~ our review
Throw Those Curtains Wide - One Meal Like This a Year Would See Me Right (Oct 2013)

Trusted Reviewer "So, it was a quick 15 minute tram ride to Prestwich for a nine course tasting menu at Elbow's Guy Garvey's favourite restaurant for the sixth meal in our 15 in seven days project.

This delightfully tiny restaurant, ran by married chefs Laurence Tottingham and Great British Menu finalist Mary-Ellen McTague, is located in a converted terrace house just off Bury New Road. It's so intimate that by the end of the night you'll find you've made friends with people on adjoining tables, comparing dishes and tasting notes whilst proclaiming how impressed you are by the food. Or at least that was the case with our fellow diners during our visit.

The white table clothes, white chairs and white walls are punctuated with huge black and white photographs of Dennis Hopper and Frank Sinatra. These are great images however we're not entirely sure on their relevance to Aumbry but there's plenty of Elbow and Badly Drawn Boy on the playlist to remind you of the restaurant's local friends.

Aumbry - Manchester Egg
   
Aumbry - Goats Curd

Both Laurence and Mary-Ellen have previously spent time working under Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck in Bray at the time it was crowned 'Best Restaurant in the World' (2005). This is more than evident in the playful nature of the dishes at Aumbry, each served on vintage English Fine Bone China crockery.

We lost count of the number of amouse bouches and extra dishes that found their way to our table amongst the nine 'advertised' dishes on the Tasting Menu (£75) however, like the main event, each one had us "wooing" and "wowing" enthusiastically for all to see. The same procedure was being repeated on other tables around the small room, which in a past life would have been somebody's living room.

The couple next to us, equally impressed, informed us they'd just relocated from Canada a few weeks previous and had been working their way through the Restaurants Of Manchester Top 10 list, of which Aumbry, for all its quirky Britishness, was already their favourite just two dishes into their four course A La Carte meal (£45).

   

Following two or three fantastic hors d’œuvres and teas, including the wonderful Bury Black Pudding Scotch Egg, we eventually reached the 'advertised' amuse bouche, a delicious goats curd served with pickled nasturtium seeds. Looking down the menu, we could see that goat was the chef's animal of choice for the night.

The Home Smoked Mackerel, was again a beautiful dish with the malted rye (or Malt Loaf as we preferred to call it) perfectly complementing the celeriac, mustard cream and pickled beetroot - a vegetable popular in many of Aumbry's dishes. This would be very much at home on the menu of some of the best restaurants in Scandinavia.

Aumbry - Home Smoked Mackerel

   
Aumbry - Scallop Cerviche

Each dish on the Tasting Menu is a little more than a mouthful. Something most foodies would come to expect from a restaurant of this calibre. The emphasis is on the flavours rather than the quantity and the skill of the two chefs is undeniably obvious with each creation. That said, we're not sure what the average Prestwich local would make of it, presuming the portions of almost doorstep sourced Bury Black Pudding and Heaton Park Honey are slightly smaller than what they are possibly accustomed to.

The next course was sadly disappointing however. The scallop cerviche was beautiful, but its flavour was killed by the overwhelming taste of the cocoa butter, clereriac and tarragon which was presented as a delicate egg yolk - its ingredients oozing out over the plate as soon as your knife cut into it. Scallops are such a flavoursome fish, it seemed rather odd to overpower them with the rather sickly cocoa butter.

However it's this playful cooking and brave combinations, possibly picked up whilst working at The Fat Duck, that make Mary-Ellen McTague and Laurence Tottingham the celebrated chefs that they are. With eight out of the nine dishes (or 14 of 15, including amuse bouches) leaving us dazzled by their brilliance, we could afford to forgive this particular plate.

   

The tomato consommé that followed really refreshed the palette. A rosary goats cheese dumpling together with miniature balls of cucumber and goats milk yoghurt accompanied the cold broth perfectly.

Perfectly cooked with Cornish mussels and garnished with radish before being drizzled with a Lapsang Souchong tea, we proclaimed the Poached Hake, as possibly the best dish we'd had all week. That was until at least the next course trumped it...

Living in Switzerland and being especially fond of goats, especially baby ones - which are the cutest thing you'll ever see in your life - I had very mixed emotions about eating Slow Cooked Kid Goat. It turns out that man's second best friend, tastes rather nice when cooked by Mary-Ellen McTague. Little more than a mouthful, it was served with seaweed-like sprout tops and mushroom-textured roast cauliflower yoghurt. Quite simply one of the best dishes we have eaten anywhere.

Aumbry - Poached Hake
   
Aumbry - Slow Cooked Kid Coat

The selection of six mainly local British & Irish cheeses was fantastic, despite being short of oatcakes to eat them with, however with so many to take in, we can't remember what the waiter said they were. As he reeled off their origins and coagulation techniques, it reminded me of a time when, dining at the now-closed Juniper, the only Michelin star restaurant in Manchester, the waiter sarcastically told the impressed table next to us their selection of cheeses included "camel, zebra, and giraffe" before turning to us and whispering "they'll never know". Fortunately the waiter at Aumbry, whom we recognised from having previously worked at the excellent Choice in Castlefield, was more honest. Or, at least, he seemed to be. I guess "we'll never know".

Additional dessert dishes arrived including miniature doughnuts and a fritter served with an aroma of musk (which we were instructed strictly not to drink - obviously that made us want to try it but we reluctantly decided to behave for Health & Safety reasons).

   

The main desserts were excellent. Macerated Strawberries, arranged like miniature alps, were well matched with candied violet & lemon balm whilst the Beetroot & Chocolate Cake served, as the meal had started, in the style of the Bury Black Pudding Egg with bee pollen, hazelnut, milk & Heaton Park honey. It was an excellent way to end the meal - not that it actually finished there, as more additional petit fours accompanied the teas and the bill.

Service throughout was outstanding. Very informal, very Mancunian and very friendly. Mary-Ellen also found time to come out and chat to guests at the end of her shift in the kitchen, also befitting the homely feel of the place. In this time of crippling rent and rates, we strongly feel independent restaurants should be supported - especially when the proprietor chefs are as good as this.

It has to be said that Aumbry offers exceptional cooking, as you would expect from two Heston Blumenthal protégés, but it also comes at a price. We paid over £210 for two people (10% service charge is automatically included), making it the most expensive meal of the fifteen restaurants we visited (albeit the 12 course Tasting Menu at Manchester House would have cost more). £29 of that was for a bottle of our favourite Sepp Moser Gruner Veltliner wine from Krems, Austria (£10 in the shops). The 140 bin wine list was excellent and generally reasonable value for money - there's 13 available by the glass, starting at just £7 and ten bottles less than £25, including the 2009 Plaimont Cotes de Saint Mont for £20 (around £8 in the shops).

Aumbry - Macerated Strawberries
   
Aumbry - Beetroot & Chocolate

Sadly the wow factor didn't come across in enough dishes to warrant the price, especially as the restaurant doesn't occupy an expensive city centre location nor, it should be added, comfortable seats for a four hour meal. That said, you can enjoy three lunch courses for £26 or a four course a la carte evening meal for £45. A smaller six course Tasting Menu is available at £60 or, if you can get a table, a five course Tasting Menu on Tuesdays is only £25.

During the £10 taxi ride back to town, the driver asked us "is it as good as everybody says it is? I've picked up hundreds of punters from there and everybody raves about it. I'm thinking about taking the wife for our anniversary. Would you recommend it?" Wholeheartedly, especially if you are a foodie, we would say yes... but possibly only once a year unless you have deep pockets." - restaurants of manchester - 24/10/13 (visited on a thursday evening)

food
price
service
smartness
overall
5 stars
3 stars
5 stars
4 stars
4 stars
"exceptional skills"
"expensive"
"proper friendly"
"quirky & homely"
"a must visit"

Aumbry Restaurant Prestwich ~ members' reviews
"Generally I thought Aumbry was quite good and whilst the food did not excite me, it was fair. It's a very small restaurant and nicely decorated. I had no problem with the costs, it was very much inline with my expectations. Service let the place down though. When the waitress was passing, she caught my head with a plate, I didn't think 'sorry darling' was the response I expected. Also one dish was very salty which, when we commented on, we were informed that everyone else seemed to be happy with it. Reading other reviews of it, I can only feel we had a bad night and whilst the owners where not there, it shouldn't make a difference, but I feel it did. I'm not sure if I would return, as there are so many good restaurants about." - ian hill, rossendale - NEW MEMBER (5/6/13 visited on a saturday evening)

"The food at Aumbry was very good with some of the dishes quite special and creative. It also offers a very good quality/price ratio, excellent service and a very pleasant atmosphere. The focus is in the service and food, but there's definitely nothing wrong with the interior either. Just like it should be in my opinion." - Arto, Prestwich ~ NEW MEMBER (16/3/12 ~ visited on a Friday evening)

Trusted Reviewer "I've long ranted that Manchester city centre's hefty rents are a major factor in discouraging independent restaurateurs, and hence draw large chains/well financed organisations, both of which tend to be a bad omen for true talent, which stifles quality and originality within the dining scene of our city. So, rather than relying on the financial cushion of operating in a city centre hotel, could opening out of town, down a quiet, unassuming residential side street, in two knocked through terrace houses, in the suburb of Prestwich, be the key? Somebody clearly thought so.

A couple of years ago, Aumbry popped up in Prestwich, with promises of food which was far away from its local peers in quality. Since then, its been building a very solid reputation as a star in the locality, run by staff boasting heavyweight CV's containing names such as The Fat Duck, Ramsons and Sharrow Bay, so we've been keeping a close eye on things, and just had to take a closer look.

We landed in the restaurant, and were greeting by very charming and polite staff, who ushered us upstairs, to a very snug lounge area, where we overlooked the menu and had a glass of bubbly as we settled in. Even before our arrival, our party of four had already decided that we would try the nine course tasting menu with matched wines. It is, in short, the only way to truly experience any fine dining restaurant's wares, and get an idea of the chef's pedigree. Aumbry’s terraced house roots do make it feel, very literally, homely and cozy. Still though, the dining room is pleasant, despite its size, and there is a full, unobstructed view of the pass into the kitchen, something which always makes me happy.

Onto the bit that matters, the food. We were surprised to find that there was no amuse bouche, although the bread was very nice indeed, but not warm or in individual rolls, just home-made slices of loaf, partnered with both salted and brown butter, along with my favourite, beef dripping/juices. The first course of Home Cured Ham was excellent, and came with an oatcake, mustard and cream cheese. All very pleasant. Second up was the Home Smoked Mackerel with Rhubarb, which came with toasted rye bread. It was perfectly smoked, very delicate, and the rhubarb balanced things out really well. Another success. The third course was the one which I'd been looking forward to the most. Bury Black Pudding Scotch Egg, made with perfectly soft boiled quail's egg. My only complaint was that it should have been made with an ostrich egg, not quail, which was way too small for something so tasty! A perfect marriage of retro Northern stodge, and very playful, elegant execution. Next was the fish course of Pike, which came with a frog’s leg lollipop, and smoked eel pudding. The pudding was arguably, the best single element of any of the nine dishes. Excellent stuff, with wonderful suet pastry. The pike, which should have been the star of the plate, was enjoyable, but a touch under seasoned, and one of our party found a small bone in her serving, something which you almost expect with pike, and yet strangely still moan about when it happens. The next course of Hogget was lovely all round. Perfectly cooked, great flavours, on a superb pearl barley ‘porridge’.

We suddenly, at midnight, four hours after being seated, found ourselves realising that we were possibly not making the last tram back to town, before moving onto the three dessert courses. These kicked off with a tasting of cheeses; six bite sized portions to be exact. These were accompanied by a dessert wine, to pair with the first three milder cheeses, and then a lovely 1978 Krohn Colheita port, for the latter bolder trio. All very good, although the rhubarb chutney on the side was a little sharp for me, and even the sweet wines didn’t quite balance it out. Grapefruit Posset with a celery granita followed, and it was a real success. Very clever interplay of flavours and textures, worked really well. The meal was rounded off with, sadly, quite a disappointing ending. Chocolate Brownie, with a selection of accompaniments, which never really gelled for me, or for any of my three companions. The brownie was very dry, and I’m tempted to say that this was intentional, as the texture was interestingly crumbly, although not what I'd relate a brownie to.

On the whole though, very solid and playful cooking. There were hardly any complaints about anything within our party, and we definitely thought that it lived up to all the attention surrounding Aumbry. What is clear, is that Chef’s signature ingredient is definitely beetroot. Even down to the after dinner petit fours, it features in many courses, for colour, texture and sweetness, so bear this in mind.

We ordered our post meal coffees, now fully accepting that at 1am, without ever feeling rushed by the guys, that the last tram had well and truly passed us by. The bill came to £106 each. It’s a lot of cash, but in truth, for nine starter size courses of this quality, nine decent sized quality glasses of wine each, a bottle of Champagne between four people, along with coffees, it’s very reasonable indeed.

Now on to notes which are unrelated to the food. Since the dining room is so small, the volume levels in Aumbry are very loud, and this only elevated as the evening and wine consumption progressed. I understand that Manchester doesn’t really do fine dining in terms of attitude, and that isn’t Aumbry’s fault in the slightest, but I find it a little irritating when a dining room is so loud that we could hardly hear our own conversations due to those of other table's, especially, and crucially, when those conversations are about everything other than what’s on the plate. Why eat at places like this when the food isn’t the primary subject or when you’re half/fully cut? For casual, rowdy, booze filled chats, go to the curry house around the corner!

Also, a lot of the decor has a slightly DIY feel to it, with many lopsided photos and pictures. The doorframe around the kitchen door had been nailed on, the stair carpet was coming loose in places. Also, we had nine courses sure, but our meal lasted 5 hours, which is a little overly spaced out really, and we should have been away for midnight, after arriving at 7:30pm. On a couple of occasions, our wine was topped up free of charge, due to the long waits, which was a nice gesture. Also, the wooden chairs, whilst very attractive and homely, were very uncomfortable after so many hours. The service, whilst being really efficient and very friendly, sometimes gave the impression, mainly talking you through the wine, didn’t really have a true understanding of what they were serving, and it felt quite ‘scripted’ at times. All in all though, a very nice bunch of guys, who did a good job, looking after us very well.

I have no idea how many bookings that Aumbry turn away, so this may just be opinionated rubbish, but perhaps long term, a slightly larger premises may be in order, with a few more covers and also breathing space. That’s just my view though, and how I prefer things. For now though, until they've been around for a while, have the coffers been bolstered, I hope that these guys just keep doing what they are doing, and continue to produce food of this standard. Also, I'm actually quite pleased that Aumbry isn't in the city centre and hope that, even if they expand, they don’t lose the homely, slightly kitsch charm of the dining room.

People will visit Aumbry despite that fact that it’s a little out of the way, down a quiet and modest side street, not because of the big Champagne list, not because it cost millions of quid to decorate, not because a footballer owns it, and not to people watch/be seen. Customers will visit for the only reason that you should visit a fine dining restaurant for. The food and wine. Bottom line. This is why many top end restaurants are out of the way, because true foodies will travel for it, without consideration. 20 mins out of town on the Metrolink is hardly a trek anyway, and well worth it too. Providing that you actually pay attention to the clock and catch the last tram back .

You know what? Finally, I think that we have a lasting gem right here in Manchester, well, almost in Manchester. The food is star, and maybe I’m being picky about the decor and ambiance, and admittedly, despite being a staunch and proud Bury lad, I cut my foodie teeth whilst living down South, so rowdy dining rooms and fine dining don’t sit well with each other for me. It’s all personal taste though. What I will say though is that Michelin state that stars are issued, purely based on food quality. They then also rate and reference the décor/ambiance as 'Comfort', on a scale of 1 to 5, with a side note that it has no relation to the award. Then why judge it? Because food tastes different depending on your environment/mindset, and the other factors are important! Tighten up the décor, give the service a more fluent feel, have a quiet word with outwardly lashed customers, and who knows what could come of Aumbry. Time will tell, but I have a warm feeling indeed about this one, and not just because Im a Bury lad, so very proud to see places like Aumbry putting themselves on the culinary map. It’s some of the best food in the region, and everybody who has an interest in food should check it out!" - chris handley, salford - TRUSTED REVIEWER (16/1/12 ~ visited on a Saturday evening)

food
price
service
smartness
overall
"very solid and playful'
"very reasonable"
"very charming"
"homely"
"a lasting gem"

Trusted Reviewer "A small cottage in a side road just off the busy A56 in Prestwich seems an unlikely location for a fine dining experience, but that's what you'll get at this brilliant little restaurant.

Our Saturday night visit to Aumbry started with a warm, friendly greeting before we were shown upstairs to a lounge bar, to be served with aperitifs and home made snacks. The reception room isn't the most inspiring but it serves its' purpose as a holding area for the dining room, which seats about 28 people.

The restaurant itself is light and cheerful, with a rustic, country style of furnishing, nothing fancy but very welcoming. Our early meal time meant that only two other tables were occupied in the restaurant when we were seated and it seemed a bit strange that we were all placed in a row of tightly grouped tables, whilst the rest of the room was unused until well into our meal, OK for the gregarious types but less so if you were there for a quiet romantic meal.

We were tempted by the tasting menu (£55 for nine dishes) but opted for a la carte. A word of warning – the menu is very short and if you're looking for steak and chips you're not likely to find it here.

Tasty home made breads and a pate and honey amuse-bouche were served prior to our starters, setting us up well for the wide array of flavours which were heading our way from the tiny open kitchen at the back of the room.

Our choices of starters were excellent: Warm Smoked Mackerel on a bed of beetroot, with mustard sauce (£7.50), and a Wild Rabbit Terrine, served with a delicious rabbit consommé and liver parfait, and finished with rowan jelly (£9.50). The taste buds were already seriously in gear.

Then on to our mains: One of us chose Plaice (£18), poached to perfection and accompanied by a delicious oyster pudding, fennel, and an unusual combination of samphire and wood sorrel. (For the uninitiated, samphire is a sea vegetable that grows on shorelines and wood sorrel is a wild, woodland plant). Our other choice was slow cooked Herdwick Lamb Shoulder (£22.50), in a Madeira sauce with shallots, cauliflower and fennel. Superb!

The portions are adequate, but not over generous, which suited us very well as it left room for two top quality desserts: The Almond Crisp, with chocolate mousse, Griottines cherries and cocoa sorbet (£8.50), and the Treacle Tart, served with a teacup of Earl Grey cream and a bowl of lemon jelly (£8). Both seriously good!

Our overall conclusion is that we have found a little gem and we'll be back soon, next time to work through the full tasting menu. Aumbry is highly confident but definitely not pretentious and it delivers gourmet meals in a friendly, understated manner. We can see why they've got a signed photo of David Byrne of Talking Heads in the loo. Like Byrne, this place is quirky and masterful.

At £115 for two, including wines and coffee (with delicious, unmissable chocolates!), our meal was not cheap but for this level of quality it was good value." - ian, stockton heath ~ TRUSTED REVIEWER (6/9/11 ~ visited on a Saturday evening)

food
price
service
smartness
overall
"seriously good'
"good value"
"friendly"
"nothing fancy"
"quirky and masterful"


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