Exhibition
Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor
Exhibition is a stunning venue with three aces up its sleeve: a trio of elite in-house kitchens, namely Jaan, Osma and Baratxuri. They’re entirely independent, with the creative freedom to design their own menus and come up with unique, exciting ideas.
Osma was founded in 2020 by Sofie and Danielle, and the name comes from their respective hometowns: Oslo and Manchester. Before coming to Exhibition, they made a splash in Prestwich, with a mention in the Michelin Guide in their debut year.
The food is a glorious combination of Scandinavian and European influences. Osma provides one of the highlights of Exhibition’s spring menu: Panko chicken thigh, tonkatsu, Chinese curry, noodles, daikon and shiso salad. It’s a deceptively simple-looking dish, but the intensely deep flavour of the broth – not to mention the superb-quality ingredients – is what lifts it.
They’re also behind the tuna sashimi, tomato and XO ponzu, sesame. It’s an ideal dish to welcome in the sunnier weather – all bright, clean flavours and thick, fresh slabs of seafood.
Baratxuri is all about ‘meat & fire’, and here that means open-flame cooking with aromas that wind throughout the building. A must for meat-lovers, they supply the Iberico Secreto – the most-prized piece of the pig, from the top of the loin.
The edges of the meat are charred and crispy in all the right places, while the pork inside is superb, soft, pink and piping hot. On the side, some charred aubergine and an unforgettable beer and honey puree.
Jaan is an offshoot of Another Hand, one of Manchester’s great independent restaurants. Their grilled flatbreads are already legendary – team it with the caponata and whipped feta to taste why – but the potato terrine takes the prize for dish of the spring.
The terrine is a masterclass in texture – delicate layers of potato, slow-cooked with thyme and garlic butter, then pressed and fried to a golden crunch. It sits on a silky French onion sauce, the sweetness cut through by a fiery hit of ’nduja jam. Rich, crisp and deeply satisfying.
Exhibition is undoubtedly the best-looking and most elegant of Manchester’s growing number of food halls. It’s all about high ceilings, beautiful drinks and next-level dining, with a more intimate and vibrant atmosphere than some of its more sprawling rivals.
