Medlock Canteen

Medlock Canteen is a laid-back drop-in style restaurant at the swanky New Jackson complex on Deansgate Square, coming from the team who brought you the mighty Madre and Liverpool’s raved-about Belzan. It’s a great-looking space that takes inspiration from the classic 50s diner merged with a casual Parisian bistro. 

The same goes for the food. It’s a wide-ranging menu with plenty of family-friendly classics with a light French influence. Think croquettes, mussels and chicken Caesar salad, alongside a solid array of fish, steak and what might well be the city centre’s one and only rotisserie oven, stacked with countless plump chickens slowly roasting and rotating away, like delicious fairground prizes. 

Fans of The Bear who like both bargains and surprises will appreciate the inclusion of ‘staff dinner’ – for £10 you get to eat the same meal as that enjoyed by (very lovely) staff. 

Things are slightly manic on our launch night visit, as to be expected, but the charming staff more than make up for it. Standout dishes? The sourdough bread comes with a superb caramelised cauliflower butter that probably shouldn’t work, but very much does.

As for mains, the turkey schnitzel is a golden-brown crispy thing of beauty, topped with a fried duck egg neatly sliced so the rich, orange yolk glides gloriously over the meat. Feeling fancy? Pay a few quid extra to add some truffle shavings on top, to go alongside the caper and salsa verde. It’s a big old brilliant combination of ideas and an absolute must-try for schnitzel fans.

The desserts are pretty great, across the board. You’ll find many rave reviews of the deep-fried rhubarb pie and custard, speckled with sparkling purple dust, but hand on heart, the poached pear and elderflower trifle is up there with the North’s best. It’s heavy on the cream, and I mean heavy with a capital H, just as all good trifles should be.

Medlock Canteen has a lot in its favour – not least that it comes from the crack team behind two of the most acclaimed casual restaurants in the North West. Dishes such as the schnitzel and the trifle give a good indication as to where its strengths lie, and it’s an undeniably great-looking, welcoming space. We’ll give it another whirl in a few weeks to give it the ultimate test: the Sunday roast – watch this space.