Reviews The Bar & Lounge At The Midland

What a choice

I visited here for lunch and dinner on my recent stay. I was a bit concerned it may be a bit repetitive but that was not the case. The food is of excellent quality and i had no complaints at all the staff are very attentive.

Classic location with beautiful interiors, excellent attention to detail and beautifully presented cocktails. 

On bridesmaid duty in Manchester last month, we checked the bride and family into this beautiful hotel and Mr Coopers was a natural go-to often during that period. 

It really is the perfect place to start, or end any evening in style! 

*Recommendation: For the best G&T in Manchester, look no further!

Can I do a blogpost about a meal that I photographed but didn't eat? Yes because the remits of this website have slowly changed. Instead of being just about food and restaurants it now documents me taking the photographs in restaurants too. ).

Mr Cooper’s House & Garden is located in the luxury Midland Hotel in Manchester.  The name of the restaurant pays homage to Thomas Cooper, a popular historical figure in Manchester who came from a family of coach-makers. The family’s house and garden, where the restaurant is currently located, was famous for the fruit that it produced and The Coopers would often open the doors of their garden to the general public so that they could have access to it for picnicking and leisurely strolls.

The décor of Mr Cooper’s House & Garden has stayed true to it origins by offering a multitude of different dining settings. There is a lounge in the garden surrounded by a wall of plants and a 30ft tree, a cosy Library where drinks can be enjoyed, and a study area with leather booths where friends can enjoy intimate chats and some lovely food.

Mr Cooper’s House & Garden comes from the hands of Simon Rogan who is undeniably one of the best chefs in the UK. He tolds two Michelin stars at his flagship restaurant L’Enclume in Cartmel, as well as a one Michelin star at Fera at Claridge’s in London. With Mr Cooper’s House & Garden the food is more casual than that served at his Michelin outposts, but no less engaging. The menu centres on a spirit of flair and creativity, and particularly interesting were the starters with their many Asian-inspired touches.

We started with some caramelised scallops (£11). These were nicely cooked and were accompanied by a delectable cucumber sambal, memorable because it was nice and tangy. To temper the sambal was a lovely tahini dressing, and as garnish there were some jalapeno fritters which were glorious. Surrounded by a light and fluffy batter, they offered a sharp bite to the dish.

Fried oysters (£8.50) crumbed in a buttermilk and polenta batter were scrumptious. The coating was uniquely crunchy with a fabulous texture to it. Furthermore it kept the oyster nice and moist. Accompanying the oysters was an interesting and lively kimchee purée, some delightful pickled fennel and fragrant basil.

Crab kataifi (£7.50), sweet crab coated in a light and crispy kataifi pastry offered up an interesting texture and a contrast of flavours. Served with the crab was a deliciously sweet avocado and sweetcorn relish, red pepper sabayon and fragrant perilla leaf.

We tried the Cumbrian rib steak (£22.50) and this proved to very flavoursome. Cooked pink, it was tender and well seasoned. Also on the plate was a truffle pudding made using layers of croissant, truffle and parmesan. It was tasty and aromantic, but it was also incredibly rich and heavy, too heavy to eat in large quantities.  

A plate of Cumbrian lamb chops (£18.50) was our other main. Served with balsamic roasted beetroots, star anise and cinnamon, the chops had a good flavour, but it was also a tad chewy and slightly fatty. The accompaniments worked well with the lamb.

We loved the desserts. A tonka bean ice cream (£7) had an earthy flavour and paired well with the contrasting acidity and sweetness in the accompanying blood orange in miso butterscotch.

A caramel tart (£7) was gorgeous with its smooth, thick sweetness softened by a well-made mascarpone ice cream.  But the highlight dessert was the key lime pie (£7.50) which came with a delectable filling that was creamy, light and with just the right amount of tang.

I really enjoyed the food at Mr Coopers House & Garden, especially the starters and the desserts. Given a chance to visit the restaurant again, I would probably skip the mains and choose additional starters as these were far more enjoyable than the mains. Furthermore, the starters were particularly original and interesting. As for the service, we had a really wonderful waitress who took great care of us.  Conclusion - Mr Coopers House & Garden definitely gets the thumbs up from me.

It’s been a good year for the Midland Hotel. This iconic hotel in the heart of the Manchester city centre is now the city’s most decorated dining destination with Simon Rogan’s  Mr Cooper’s House and Garden , the sister restaurant to the flagship The French recently being awarded two AA Rosettes. Add to this the three AA Rosettes the French (read my review  here ) already holds, and you have a food lovers paradise. Simon Rogan has definitely delivered on what he was brought into do – to turn The Midland Hotel into a Manchester landmark. Mr Cooper’s House and Garden is one of my favourite restaurants in the city and I have being frequenting it since it opened last year. This 150-seat restaurant, with 50-cover destination bar, has a more informal feel than The French, and it marked an entirely new avenue for Rogan with the introduction of more varied, international style and menus. And guess what, this restaurant has a good back story too – you know how much I love a good back story. So

Not only was the food utterly magnificent, but the staff running the show are equally as great at presenting the food in a way which would excite even the grumpiest of guests.

The menu at Mr Coopers House & Garden is a world away from that at The French next door. Whilst they’re incredibly high end and use mostly British ingredients, Mr Coppers has a much more relaxed, bistro feel and takes inspiration and ingredients from all over the world. It’s much cheaper in comparison too with starters from £4 and most main courses around £15. We wanted to try a range of dishes and ended up with 4 starters, 2 main courses, 1 side and 3 desserts.

This is a five star hotel. The hotel is well maintained. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The breakfast was excellent. Special mention to Todd on the champagne bar who made us feel extremely welcome and valued. Good atmosphere for a Monday night.

We spent a night here, and had a lovely time. I love the elegant decor of the midland, and the receptionist was very sweet. Our room was very nice. We had cocktails at the bar, lovely servers however it took about 15 minutes to be served our drinks and about 20 minutes for 2 sandwiches to arrive. All in all it was very enjoyable, and breakfast was fab. Looking forward to staying again.

Just returned from a 2 night stay at the Midland Hotel along with a day visit to the Spa. From the moment we arrived it was so tranquil and calm. Every aspect was perfect. The staff are super friendly, the place is spotless. The beds are so comfortable that I didn't want to leave there. The spa is amazing, I had a treatment with Val and it was so relaxing that I almost fell asleep on the bed. The food and service was fantastic. I would recommend a visit

We visited a couple of friends staying on the top floor of this hotel and had an afternoon tea with them at the Tea Room of the hotel. This hotel is conveniently located, just two minutes walk from the nearby St Peters Square metro station. The room was spacious and clean. Equipped with all the necessary facilities such as refrigerator, tea making facilities etc. Prices were reasonable in relation to its location, provisions and service. The service of the staff was very good.

Beautiful historic hotel, really clean, great smelling bathroom products (Elmis), big soft towels. Only problem was I could here a buzzing noise all night, thought it may be fridge but as very tired I couldnt find how to switch off. Very good breakfast, great selection. A little slow at the bar even though a few staff were on and not many customers. Overall a great stay

Lovely hotel central to most areas, excellent bar and cocktails are a must have here, if adventures farther afield are required, the tram station is a two minute walk. I would stay again.

For the price and the prestige of the hotel, didn't expect black mouldy grout in the bathroom along with a loose towel rail that wasn't even screwed to wall straight to what looked like a pubic hair in the sink but was a crack that was full of dirt!! Breakfast was organised chaos, concierge was welcoming people and clearing/setting tables at the same time, not a rush in any of the other staff, while the queue was growing, food barely warm. I've waited a long time to visit this iconic hotel but since the make over its definitely too modern, soulless. One thing having modern bedrooms but the public areas were way off kilter. Its off my bucket list and not a place I will visit again. 🙂

Fabulous afternoon tea. The service and staff were lovely and the food was so tasty.. The vegan sandwiches and cake selection were fantastic. Really enjoyable and recommended 😊