New Tastes...

Cafe Rouge, Printworks, Manchester

Yesterday was Mo's birthday, so we went for a meal at Cafe Rouge in the Printworks (not encouraged at all by the £30 vouchers my mum had given us for there...). We went at 8.45pm so it was pretty quiet, and we got the pick of the tables so chose a nice one for two in the corner by a window. I ordered a large glass of the house white wine, which was a good medium/dry which is exactly what I like, whilst Mo got a bottle of Hoegaarden. 

We decided to get a starter to share, so pushed the boat out and went for the sampler platter for 2/3 people, which was a brilliant decision. It had rich chicken pate, creamy houmous, and a spicy red pepper tapenade with warm herbed white bread batons and slices of dense brown bread to dip in them, mini chorizo, little balls of goat's cheese served on rocket, aromatic cured pork, and a dish of assorted olives. After eating it all between us, I was pretty full to be honest! The bread batons in particular were my favourite, they were subtly flavoured and so soft and fresh, clearly they had just come out of the oven. 

For my main I chose a French classic, Moules Mariniere (mussels in white wine, cream and garlic presented in a huge tin bucket!) and spent a good twenty minutes picking them all out of the shells before I started eating to give myself a breather. They were served with fries seasoned with a hint of paprika dust which added a nice kick to the mild taste of the sauce. Mo opted for a hamburger topped with Gruyère cheese in a brioche bun, a more European twist on the American classic. His too was served with the same tasty fries, which he agreed were a great accompaniment, and a bit different to normal chips.

We were both so full after two courses, we decided against a dessert, despite a couple taking our fancy (creme brulee is one of my all time faves!). The whole bill came to £48, but as we had the vouchers, we just left £20 cash so as to give a little tip.

I used to go to Cafe Rouge all the time a few years ago, so was a little afraid I would end up being bored of the menu, but there were lots of new dishes, so I would happily go back to try something else again!