If you want to go to the sort of place that'll make family and friends visiting you let out an audible ‘wow’ then here's the place. This bar and restaurant may belong to the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel it sits within but has fast become a destination all its own. One step inside and itís easy to see why. Taking its name from the building's original owners, The Refuge Assurance Company, Manchester DJ duo Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford, aka Unabomber, have brought an inspired menu from their travels around the world into this collection of spectacularly beautiful settings.There's a large, luxurious bar area, a cosy den, the stunning glass atrium of the Winter Garden and the restaurant proper.
All well and good but if the food doesn't illicit a second ‘wow’ then what's the point? Fortunately, it delivers a chorus of them from small plates designed for sharing as well as roasts on Sundays, vegan included.
The cleverness of the menu is in the combination of flavours, which bring new delights to the palette without ever feeling forced or simply on trend. They change regularly but if you like the sound of smoked feta with beetroot, tamarind-glazed chicken wings or spiced lamb flatbread with pomegranate and mint, then you're not going to be disappointed.
With a fine selection of wines and cocktails, plus staff who are so nice youíll want to follow them on Instagram, The Refuge is a food lover's sanctuary.