Browse Sections
Interactive
Popular Sections
Periods of sunMagazine
The Dinner Detective Dines at: The Ox, Liverpool Road, Manchester
23/ 6/2005
ANY real ale fan who's been in Manchester long enough could give
directions to the Oxnoble, thought to be the second oldest licensed
premises in the city.
But traditional pub-goers might get a shock when they arrive to
find its name has been shortened to the Ox and it's full of people
eating some of Manchester's poshest pub grub.
My companion and I visited on a Thursday and were impressed with
the pub's traditional appearance.
We were greeted by an extremely friendly waiter, who obviously had
a good knowledge of the dishes on the menu, which all sounded
rather complicated.
I opted for the warm salad of seared wood pigeon (£5.95) to start,
which was delicious though slightly underdone for my taste.
My opposite number went for the pan-fried Dorset crab cakes with
tarragon and tomato salsa, which attracted strong praise for being
tasty and sizeable.
The efficient staff left just the right amount of time between the
starter and the main course - just as we were beginning to feel
hunger return and looked round to see if we had been forgotten,
they arrived with two delicious looking creations.
I went for the pan-fried fillet steak with wild mushroom gratin
(£15.95), which was cooked to perfection and served with an
unusually good sauce containing chunks of tasty bacon.
My companion went for the roasted breast of Barbary duck, which was
accompanied by a confit spring roll. The duck was pronounced
excellent, but attempts to conquer the spring roll were abandoned
after a few minutes as the pastry seemed very thick.
The wine list had the virtue of including most of the wide
selection by the glass, very important for drivers, and both of us
accompanied our meal with a large glass of Klippenkop (£4.70),
chosen for its name but one which I will definitely return to for
its smooth taste.
The healthy portion sizes left little room for dessert, but the
menu was so tempting we decided to let out a button each and get
stuck in.
My roasted apricot crème brulee (£4.95) was delicious, though not
as crispy on top as I would have expected from the conventional
version, while my fellow diner's champagne and summer fruits
parfait (£4.95) made a fine start to the summer season.
Our meals were more complicated than usual pub fayre, but also more
tasty than most, and the welcoming atmosphere of a traditional pub
is definitely alive and well.
On the menu
The Ox, Liverpool Street, Manchester, 0161 839 7740
Starters: Cheapest - soup of the Day £3.90; most
expensive - seared Cornish Scallops £6.95
Main Courses: Cheapest - fresh tagliatelle £7.95;
most expensive - pan-fried fillet steak with wild mushroom gratin
£15.95
Desserts: Cheapest - pannacotta £4.50; most
expensive - selection of local cheeses £5.95
Parking available on street
Got an opinion you want to share?| Company | Typical APR |
| Platinum Exclusive Loan | 7.8% |
| AA | 7.9% |
| Sainsbury's Personal Loan | 8.2% |
| Alliance & Leicester | 8.7% |
| Lloyds TSB | 8.9% |
| Abbey Personal Loan | 8.9% |
| Provider | AER* |
|
ICICI BANK HiSAVE Savings Account |
4.50% |
|
FIRST DIRECT Everyday e-Saver |
1.75% |
|
SAINSBURYS FINANCE Internet Saver |
2.25% |