If you want an outstanding Sunday lunch then look no further than The Refuge. Amazing experience and the food was outstanding. The Sunday roast is one of the best we have ever had. The ambience and stunning dining room makes the whole experience outstanding. A massive call out to Denisa who gave us amazing service.
The building is huge. Whilst it was quieter on a Sunday evening, there was still a great atmosphere. We took a table of 6 for their roast menu. The 5 carnivores were beaten by the huge platter of roast meats, cauliflower cheese and roast potatoes. The meat was excellent, the food was delicious. Our vegetation guest had the veggie alternative which was also good plus the potatoes, cauliflower cheese and more.
The restaurant had a good selection of wines and beers. The service was prompt and friendly.
We have a new favourite restaurant for Sunday lunch, I think! Set in a huge converted insurance hall which oozes character, The Refuge has plenty of space for diners to relax and enjoy their meals. And enjoy it we did. We ordered the Sunday Roast platter for two which had thick slices of tender and tasty beef and pork and a half chicken. Plentiful roasties (though we ordered some extra as well), veggies, cauliflower cheese and a lovely gravy rounded it off. By the end we were glad we skipped the starters. Very highly recommended and we will definitely be back.
My friend and I popped into The Refuge for a glass of wine, and I gotta say, it was a vibe! The place had such a pretty atmosphere, like stepping into a cozy oasis in the middle of Manchester. The staff were welcoming, which really added to the experience. Plus they are dog friendly!
Really beautiful building.
The layout and set up is absolutely spot on.
Simple but great menu. There were two of us and I would say that 5 to 6 tapas style pieces is enough. That includes selecting from the starters.
Definable would have the crispy mushrooms again.
Everyone serving was excellent and happy
Highly recommend
Wonderful ambience. The menu is limited but the food is very flavoursome. Definitely try the sourdough bread with the tapas-like main course. The service is very good with an extremely friendly staff.
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Formerly the Palace Hotel, this is a Grade II listed building. Established in 1858 as the Refuge Friend in Deed Life Assurance, later becoming The Refuge Assurance Company Limited in 1881. The Victorian architect Alfred Waterhouse designed the building, completed in 1895 and expanded in 1905 and 1912. The 1910 addition of a 220ft baroque clock tower marked the new entrance, adorned with stylized Manchester bees. Surviving bomb damage during WWII, it housed the Refuge Company until 1987, becoming the Charterhouse Hotel and later the Palace Hotel. Renamed The Principal Manchester in 2016, the building features the largest hotel ballroom in the north-west and hosts The Refuge, a bar and dining room curated by Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford. The Refuge, embodying the building's historic legacy, offers a multifaceted experience in the heart of Manchester.
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The building is just beautiful, a must-visit in Manchester. The bar is usually very busy in the evening and at weekends. A great place to have a couple of drinks, soak up the history and marvel at the architecture.
We tried their restaurant around Christmas time. The tapas was good, but you can only order tapas to share at this restaurant. It is a shame that they do not offer other main courses, especially around Christmas time. Not the type of environment that you would associate with tapas usually. Having said that, the food we had was very good.
I think they will do quite well if they offer more substantial main courses in the future alongside the existing menu. And making the place feel warmer around Christmas time might be a good idea.
Dined here for my birthday and it was great! Very relaxed vibes with lovely architecture & decor. Food is served as small plates for sharing, we got 7 between 3 of us plus some pitta with hummus and we were stuffed. The dishes are small but flavoursome and gave a fine dining feel. Would love to go back & try some more of the food. The bar bit looked perfect for a date night!
Spectacular place. Great food and drinks and service first class.
Nice place to eat tapas! All dishes were great, atmosphere is super nice, there is a real good vibe! Service was friendly and fast!
I would just not recommend desert
Today, May 12th, 2024, I enjoyed breakfast at The Refuge (Kimpton Clock Tower), where Georgia provided exceptional customer service. Her attentive care went above and beyond, ensuring a delightful experience.
We booked for dinner. The place has different areas, and each has a different menu. So if you are coming just fkr the cheese fondu make sure you are booking on the terrace. The restaurant is more of a tapas dish to share. The staff are so nice, especially we were assisted by Diego. Note that if you are coming for the cheese fondu, they don't serve other food like meat
Exceptional dinner experience at The Refuge, highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for great food and drinks, amazing ambience and friendly service!
We asked our lovely server for her recommendations and everything turned out absolutely amazing! Sourdough with black garlic butter was moreish, as were the Semolina Crusted Oyster Mushrooms! Chilli lime chicken wings and Blackened tenderstem broccoli were equally stunning!
Our food and drinks took a very long time to be served unfortunately. However, the staff were apologetic and kind enough to offer us desserts on the house without us even asking for anything.
Loved the ambience and the whole experience overall. I will definitely be coming back here and sampling the rest of the menu!
Had very nice dinner, was easy to make the reservation online, i felt the menu very limited, we did had all the small plates, loved the Korean chicken wings and the potato
Also I think the waiter was new, not very experienced but was lovely and friendly
Best part the cocktails yummy
A big round of applause to The Refuge restaurant! Love the time there, was here for lunch a week ago. I am serving justice to leave a great review for the great hospitality and everything else there. The place is gorgeous, the food is fabulous, we ordered quite a lot of mains, side dishes and desserts, that's how much we love it there. The Refuge is absolutely fantastic for special occasions, saw couple tables of customers celebrating birthdays, April birthday Stars, I am sure everyone at the restaurant enjoy the splendid experience there.
Had a really lovely light lunch here. This place is really nice, massive vaulted ceilings and minimalist decor. We had a couple cokes, a steak, padron peppers and a smash burger. The padron peppers were in a sweet sauce with nuts and were delicious. The steak was perfectly cooked and in a really rich sauce. The service was quick and friendly. They allow dogs, and the bar man brought ours a bowl of water, which was very sweet.
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