Reviews Manhattan Grill

The restaurant was very very gorgeous, great view and it had a nice lounge area + hotel. It was incredible. It's a very quiet restaurant, a relaxed and calm environment. The service was good, however the food although good wasn't fantastic. The drinks were too watered down with ice cubes so it's like paying for half a glass rather than a full. When I did receive my food which was simple Sweet Potato Fries and Onion Rings it was rather warm going to cold than hot, which I was not impressed by as the wait wasn't a short one for food. Of course the price is more on the expensive side, not so much fine dining but more expensive than casual dining experiences. Other than that the waitresses and waiters were very nice and I will be visiting this restaurant again to try the rest of the menu.

Update:

On my second visit the service was a bit better. They seated us at a nice table and even brought some bread and butter so we could snack on. I pretty much ate the whole thing as the wait for food was quite daunting. When my meal did arrive it was and I'm happy to say hot. I had Baby Back Ribs with apple Slaw and a side of Macaroni Cheese. The Macaroni Cheese wasn't fantastic but that's probably my own personal opinion as I've tasted much better from different cultures, I did have to dazzle it with salt to add flavour. The Baby Back Ribs were very tasty I would have liked a bit more sauce on the ribs but overall was very good. I couldn't finish my meal as I was so full, so their portions are very good. Again I would visit here for a third time. It's definitely an idea for Valentines Day also.

Having moved to London recently, was quite unsure where to go in order to satiate my desire for good, tasty, yummylicious steaks. An amazing surprise awaited me, as my husband took me to Canary Wharf, and into Manhattan Grill, aesthetically located within Marriott. Receiving a friendly and warm greeting, we seated ourselves. I had opted for a fillet of Creekstone Kansas and he went with a rib-eye of Scottish Aberdeen with creamy horseradish and bernaise sauce. The steaks were tender,juicy, well cooked and absolutely amazing. The sides ordered were good and complimented the main. 
Service was good and the place felt warm & cosy. 
With a big smile on my face, couldn't help but thank my husband for taking me to this place. A must visit if you are a lover of steak!!

I absolutely love steaks but I always struggle to find the right one. I’m on a mission to find the best in London and next up on my list to try was Marriot Hotel’s Manhattan Grill. My sister and I dined at Manhattan Grill on a Friday evening after work and it was surprisingly calm, perfect for a romantic evening (apart from the fact that I was with her). You get a lovely view over West India Quay while dining and a view into the open kitchen. The interior and ambiance definitely reflect its business location. For this very reason, the peak time to visit this restaurant would be during the week. Don’t forget to come suited and booted.

They serve up USDA prime streaks or dry age Scottish cuts no bull or gimmicks just great tasting succulent meat. The dining area can seat up to 40 people and you can watch them cook your food by the open kitchen. I was taken here for the special set menu of either 2 courses for £15 or 3-course meal for £18. Overlooking the riverside of West India Quay and Canary Wharf the scenery was set for a cosy intimate candlelit dinner. We both had clam chowder for starters the portion was very generous and filled me up straight away. The USDA rib eye steak was tender and flavoursome, juicy with a buttery flavour the added garlic butter melted on top. Gave it a kick, I smothered the extra sauce all over the glossy chunk of meat. The chunky chips cooked to perfection crispy on the outside fluffy inside. As I found the starter and main to fill my belly up, I wanted to opt for a lighter dessert and choos

Holy beefcakes, Sunny friends! Have you been to Manhattan Grill in Canary Wharf?

It’s no secret the Mr Sunny and I have an open relationship when it comes to our carnivorous loves. So, when a voucher arrived to our flat for Manhattan Grill, we were both individually sharpening our teeth on the steak house’s online menu.

Move over, Dracula! There’s something meaner! American friends, that joke was totally for you. ;-)

After my epic day long shopping trip, Mr. Sunny met me at West India Quay for our date night at Manhattan Grill.

This is the third time in my life that I’ve been to Canary Wharf. Quite honestly, the first time I lived in London, people rarely ventured from Central London to this area. Well, at least not without a passport. Hahaha!

However, over the years it’s become an international financial Mecca. I find it now to be a blend between lower Manhattan and Toronto.

For this reason, it’s most populated during the week. That was particularly appealing to Mr Sunny and I because we like to enjoy our meat fest at a restaurant with no distractions.

We both had a fairly good idea of our orders, so that didn’t take long. We started with our standard adult beverages, beer and wine. Stella and Rioja.

As we waited for our starters, we loved watching what arose from the kitchen.

In fact, after multiple burgers passed under my nose, I ran over to get this sneaky shot of someone’s burger-licious dinner for you.

And then our starters arrived.

Mr Sunny and I shared the Seared Black Pearl Scallops and Baked Blue Swimmer Crab Cake.

Like I said, previously, we have an open food relationship. So, this threesome that Mr Sunny and I ordered to join our Mains was not intimidating. It is the Mac ‘n Cheese with Lobster, Manhattan Onion rings, and Fries.

We shoveled these comfort foods in to our mouths as we enjoyed the gorgeous views of Canary Wharf from the restaurant. I enjoyed seeing the trains pass by as the London sun began to set.

Then our steaks arrived.

I had the fillet from the Creekstone Kansas USDA Black Angus menu. Medium rare, of course.

My thoughts on this ruby red Kansas delight is, ‘Surrender Dorothy!’ It completely defeated me. I finished it, but I was hoping that it would be possible to click my heels three times to get home. It was one of those post-Thanksgiving, ‘I need rolled on to a couch, STAT!’ food coma moments.

Mr. Sunny had the same sensation with his T-bone steak from the Scottish Aberdeen Angus menu.

In fact, at one point he said, ‘For the love of England, I have to finish this!’

We both tried some deep beef breathing exercises when our plates were cleared. And, we both dreaded the one hour plus journey back home to North London.

At that point, we received a bill for around £28. This really surprised us because we had reviewed the restaurant menu in advance and knew what to order to stay within our voucher allotment.

When we inquired about the charge, we learned that alcohol was not covered in our voucher. We were told it’s listed in the fine print of the Terms and Conditions. I still think Mr. Sunny and I would’ve had two drinks each regardless. However, I think Manhattan Grill could’ve communicated that alcohol wasn’t covered to us when we were seated and gave them the voucher. We did follow the guidelines and tell them we had a voucher when we booked the table.

We actually never received a copy of our food bill. When I asked how much we had actually spent, I was told we had enough for one, maybe two desserts.

Mr. Sunny declined. I, however, accepted the challenge.

As someone who lived in New York for 12 years, I’m not afraid of pushing boundaries. So, I asked that they throw a Manhattan Cheesecake in a take away box for me.

Every single morsel of food we ate at Manhattan Grill in Canary Wharf was truly fantastic.

When we left, we enjoyed a short walk through the area to soak in the sights of South London.

Mr. Sunny made me giggle when we passed this little area near the docks. As he listened to me yap about having to pay that separate alcohol bill, he had an idea.

‘Sweetheart, take a picture of those two, and call your title your story ‘Meat the Semi-circle of Trust.’

He’s so funny sometimes. ;-)

Manhattan Grill is located at 22 Herstmere Road, London E14 4ED

t was only last week Thursday that the BF and I had a pre date night before I jetted off to Istanbul. As you know we absolutely love our date nights, so when the offer came up to go to Manhattan Grill it was perfect timing as it was nice to spend some quality time together before I headed off for a very long weekend break.

To start with we shared the scallops. I felt the scallops unfortunately didn't hit that point of caramelisation and tenderness all in one spot. The flavour of the scallops alongside the pea puree and the chirozo itself was superb but i thought the scallop needed more of a firmness to make it superb.

I have to saw on this occasion the BF's choice of grilled prawns outshone my scallops. The prawns were fresh and so yummy and I would have left extremely happy had I only had the prawns. Who doesn't love a good grilled prawn?

So as serious steak lovers we ordered the filet and the rib eye! I have to say the steak was excellent!! I couldn't fault any part of my steak and it certainly ranks there with some of the best I have had.

My steak was exactly as requested medium to rare, which was great. I often find that sometimes restaurants struggle with medium rare concept as its either too medium or too rare. But as you can see below the perfect shade of pink yuminess.

After eating such a huge bit of steak I could manage anything else, but the desert menu did look pretty tempting.

Manhattan Grill is based in Canary Wharf within the Marriott hotel. In my young and wild years I used to venture to Canary Wharf when one of my crazy fun loving friends had an apartment in that area and duly introduced me to partying in the city, so I was pretty intrigued to see what type of atmosphere the restaurant would be. Unfortunately I would say the lack of buzz was the only thing that let the restaurant down a little bit. I love an intimate date night but I also love a buzzy restaurant, as great food and great atmosphere always make an excellent date night. Despite the lack of buzz the steak was excellent and the BF and I had a lovely evening before I jetted off.

When I started this whole food blogging thing, it really was for no purpose other than as a form of creative release - if I tell you I work in the City, I'm sure you can understand why - and to document my love affair with food. Every blog I wrote was like a love letter. Over time, I've been fortunate enough to met people who share this same passion and somehow I have managed to squeeze my way into quite a buzzing food blogging community which not only feeds my writing pastime, but fuels it. And sometimes, when you least expect it, there are occasions where you get rewarded for the hard yards you have put in - this post reflects back on one such reward I won whilst blogging, being a free meal at Manhattan Grill.

Nestled canal-side in the heart of West India Quay, Manhattan Grill is a good old fashion steakhouse set in a modern surrounding and prides itself on offering the best steak in the Canary Wharf area. One look at the menu certainly does nothing to contradict that claim as the steak selection (all USDA certified mind you) is vast and comprehensive. Irrespective of your appetite, you will find a suitable steak to satisfy your hunger. However, they do not come cheap at a price range in the mid £20's to high 30's before sides/sauces. That's not to say it doesn't cater for those more omnivorous!

Anyway on to the meal and for starters we had the seared scallops and the crab cakes. Both starters were beautiful and really set the bar high for the rest of the meal. The scallops were cooked to perfection and were complemented well by the pea puree. For me though the crab cake stole the show. It is the best I've ever had - generous amounts of juicy thick pieces of crab spiced just right. Our waiter recommended this to me and I can see why.

Then came the bump in the road. Unfortunately after the high of the staters came the somewhat low of the mains. That's not to say everything was bad, but every dish just had something wrong with it.
The blackened cod was delicious and I loved the soy honey glazing but the rice that it was served with was undercooked and still grainy.
The 10oz New York steak (ordered raw) with a blue cheese crust and chimmichurri came out without the crust so had to be taken back and the cheese hastily put on. What this meant was that when the steak was returned, the cheese hadn't properly crusted or fully melted and the steak was medium raw rather than raw. In saying that though the chimmichurri and blue cheese combo worked a treat and the beef was quality.
The Manhattan burger looked magnificent but failed to deliver on taste. The burger was cooked medium though I had asked for medium raw, was dry and just lacked any true distinctive flavour. However, the chips which accompanied it were fantastic.
And the side of mac and cheese with lobster was a nice luxury but I found it lacking cheesiness. This however might be by design so as to not overpower the comparatively subtle lobster taste so I will trust the chef that this is intentional.

But all was forgotten when the dessert menu was delivered! There was a selection of 6 dishes to choose from and I can safely say I would've been happy with any! I finally settled on the Quay Lime Pie with clotted cream and don't regret that decision one bit. Big piece of advice; SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT!

So in summary, the starters were amazing, the mains were so-so and the desserts were awesome. So on the food front, I guess you could say the meal was above average. However, had this meal not been complementary, it would've cost about £135 and for that, you expect better than average.

So what props up the score to a 3.5? The service is impeccable. The staff are attentive, friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the menu and meat. I can't stress enough the value of good customer service and how it can turn even the most average of dishes into a wonderful dining experience. So kudos to the floor staff for that.

And that concludes my night at Manhattan Grill. Thanks for reading!

Also follow me on Twitter @WeTryKai and @annixontong and on Instagram @annixontong.

I always like to start by saying that you have to compare like for like!  So when i give a michelin tarred fine dining restaurant, I am not giving it the same '4', as this '4'!  They are very different and shouldn't be judged against each other.  

A big shout out to our waiter Jamal.  Very attentive, polite and nothing was too much trouble.  Thanks Jamal!
The Manhattan Grill is in the West India Quay Mariott, right on Canary Wharf. At first you tend tot hunk that a restaurant inside a Mariott is going to be nothing to write home about: you would be mistaken in this case.

Something was happening at the O2 the Saturday night we visited, so we were the only 2 in the restaurant for a while and it wasn’t half full before we left around 10.30, which was actually a very nice atmosphere. 

The vibe is American Steakhouse and the menu reflects that also. We were overly indulgent ordering the scallops, the crab cake and from the bar menu, the pork belly bites to start. We planned on being there a while!

The view, although surrounded by large buildings, with the river is actually lovely. The whole atmosphere of the surrounding area is so nice, you are compelled to walk around afterwards and maybe visit one of the bars over the bridge. I have included some pictures of some places very nearby, as it all added to our experience at the Manhattan Grill.


The disabled toilets were airey and clean, out in the main lobby of the hotel.  Not too far away.  

I'm afraid i can't tell you about the bread because neither of us ate any, but it looked fine...like bread...and came with a little dipping pot of Philadelphia. 

The scallops were cooked perfectly and the chorizo chunks were real chorizo, bursting with flavour. If i was being picky, i would have liked the pea puree to be garden peas and not marrowfat pea. The crab cake was stuffed with crab and again, delicious. The belly bites are fried fatty and chewy....everything you would expect, not gourmet food but very easy to keep popping in with the apple chutney!

We went in August, so benefitted from the 10oz Wagyu for £26..a great price, but it is American Wagyu.  Also, we picked the more expensive 10oz fillet for £34.  We asked for the chef recommendation on how to cook the Wagyu...medium...and went with it.  Afterwards Jamal (who wasn't who we had asked before) said he would have gone for Medium well to melt the fat into the meat a little more....he is probably right!  Although neither of us like steak overcooked, in fact we like it rare, the actual meat in the Wagyu was pretty tasteless, it was only the fat that redeemed it.  The fillet had much better flavour and they were both cooked beautifully as we had asked.  All the sides were delicious:  Onion rings, chips, asparagus and green beans.  

Chocolate Sundae and Apple crumble for dessert were both very nice.  Jamal didn't even bat an eye when i asked for custard instead of cream, which wasn't anywhere on the menu!

All in all a really lovely night out in the restaurant and its surroundings.  I imagine it is completely rammed on weekday evenings, so booking is likely to be really important during the week.  I'm pretty sure its almost impossible for two people to eat here for £50...our bill came to £170... but I would definitely recommend it anyway.

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Staying at this hotel, Marriott canary wharf for 10 days. I am on day 8! Breakfast here is fabulous especially the omelettes that Ali makes..perfect to order and with a cheerful smile! Have had soups here 3 different days and they are amazing! Definitely recommend that. Hamburgers are also very good.

We were attended to by a lovely gentleman called Felix. Very professional, knowledgeable and bubbly person. I enjoyed every bit of the dining. He ushered us in, allowed us time to deliberate on our orders and gave a comprehensive rundown of the wine notes. Very classy. Great guy. Food was tasty too.

We have been staying at the Marriott at Canary Wharf for a few days. I am a steak aficionado, and even have endorsements and ambassadorships from companies that provide American, Australian, and Japanese Wagyu from the most exclusive providers on the planet. I had never had a Scottish beef steak, before. It wasn’t the prettiest cut, but it was tender, perfectly dry aged for the term (28 days), and very flavorful. The temperature was spot on medium-rare, and the extra layer of fat (dry aged cuts absorb most of the fat into the meat) was just the trick to make this steak something to remember. Now, the star of the show was the mushroom sauce… Thick, creamy, rich, and soooo much flavor! My compliments to the chef! I will be trying the filet, tonight!

The beed is good, pretty good as this is my first time, however, the chef Green salad not really match my flavor (little bit to Salty?) other than that, overall 4 is good for this restaurant

Preorder a table in advance via phone. Upon arrival we ordered drinks, atmosphere was busy with classy background music. Service was 100%, food 100% and overall lovely night. Price wise, not too expensive. Again, if you are in the local area, I would also recommend this restaurant.

The place is nice, the food is nice, the service could have been improved as a smirking waiter isn't really something you look after in a good restaurant.

I recommend this restaurant 100%, the staff was amazing and very professional. The food was more than delicious! If you want to go for dinner with your family or friends this is the best place to go.

The service was excellent couldn't expect more. There was an i9sbich Rashid and Francesco cleared and was well looked after

Had a family dinner last night for a relaxing time during our stay at the hotel. Dinner was great - food was delicious, quantity was amazing and service was fantastic. Well done Manhattan Grill on having a staff with attention to detail and caring service.