10 Tib Lane
Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor
A meal at 10 Tib Lane is something special. At a time when many city-centre restaurants are fighting to be the loudest and most ostentatious, this elegant destination is all about sophisticated dining. No gimmicks here, it’s all about the food, the drinks and the ambience. Even the name is understated.
The food is best described as modern European, with a tightly-curated list of small plates, some big, some small, all immaculately presented and made using the highest quality produce found anywhere in Manchester. You’ll find it in Bow Chambers, within walking distance of practically all the main transport hubs, yet it feels special, like somewhere you’d stumble across down a winding back street path in Porto.
It’s a joint effort from the brains behind the Northern Quarter’s sadly-missed Cocktail Beer Ramen + Bun and Chorlton’s Henry C, and manages to capture the magic of both while adding lightning into the bottle. The venue is beautiful and relaxed, all deep wood panels and cosy nooks, perfect for anything from a light business lunch to a special date.
The menu promises great things and delivers. You won’t see anything wild and outlandish, but each dish has a confident flourish that you won’t find elsewhere. First, the Cantabrian anchovies in green sauce (otherwise known as salsa verde). The meat glides off each mini-fish like a knife through butter, delivering bright, salty hits to the tastebuds.
This is how 10 Tib Lane operates: the very best ingredients possible, prepared beautifully. There’s real skill in the kitchen, in both execution and ideas.
The squash is a triumph. This vegan dish contains a tumble of textures, toasted seeds, soft, almost smokey roasted squash flesh still in the skin, lying on a smooth romesco sauce. The triple-cooked potatoes shine, mixed up with fried crispy kale, with a side dip of tonnato sauce (a glorious blend of tuna and anchovy mayonnaise).
The 8oz rump steak is a must for meat-eaters, scattered with salt chunks, sliced and ready to be submerged into the thick, creamy peppercorn sauce; while the pork chop is a work of art, the perfect blend of texture and autumnal flavours. The burnt apple pureé is a delight, the celeriac remoulade is crunchy and smooth, all at once, while the pork meat has everything: soft bits, crispy bits, and crackling bits.
The desserts don’t let up on quality. The satisfyingly jiggly panna cotta comes with cherry syrup, while the fried bread and butter pudding is another top-of-the-class autumn dish, helped in no small part by the potent hits of brandy spread throughout the cream.
If anything, the drinks are even better. A fine combination of classics and unique creations, with the season in mind. Best of all, there’s a happy hour (two, to be exact) between 4pm and 6pm where customers can enjoy £6 cocktails and £1 oysters. If you’re looking for a high-quality post-work drink, here it is.
Open for little over a year, in that time 10 Tib Lane has added new depth to city-centre drinking and dining. Forget trends, think timeless. And if you’re looking for a city-centre lunchtime treat, this is the place. There’s a new offer on, two courses from the lunchtime menu for £12 or three for £16, available Weds-Fri 12-4pm.
