Wirral Life July 2017 | Page 26

THE MANOR by Nicky Rigby-Smith & Si Hall The Manor Restaurant, situated in Greasby, is a charming restaurant with a distinct elegance, set in idyllic surroundings. Established 20 years, the Manor is where tradition meets modern English cuisine with a few twists. We were greeted with a warm welcome from manager, Jo Williams, who seated us at our table overlooking the English garden; by the grand piano. The smartly dressed waiting on team, were on hand to ensure that we had a fabulous dining experience. Whilst perusing the menu, we ordered the manager’s choice of wine, a French Chardonnay, ‘Le Charme’ priced at £20 per bottle. A great all-rounder with lovely fresh aromas of tropical fruit. Highly recommended. We married our wine with the artisan bread and olives, served with a seriously good whipped balsamic butter. This was home-made baking at its best and interestingly by Lee Hollywood (Paul Hollywood’s brother). To begin, we opted for Monmouthshire Dried Ham, Heritage Beets and scallops. The dish was beautifully presented, the ham moist and succulent, served with a homemade cauliflower and shallot sweet piccalilli. The roasted heritage beets - a delicate dish, perfect for summer and refreshing on the palate; the balsamic and maple dressing complimented the entire dish. The hand dived scallops wrapped in prosciutto were fresh and tasty; served with a delicious pepperonata sauce – divine! For mains, we ordered pheasant breast curry – the first time we had seen this dish on a menu - so definitely a must try. Rump of Peak District lamb and fillet of Turbot. The lamb was succulent and perfectly cooked. Served with delicate slithers of wild flower 26 wirrallife.com honey glazed parsnips, incredibly moreish. The rosemary infused gravy worked perfectly with the lamb. The simply grilled fillet of Turbot (Queen of fish) came served with a preserved lemon butter and tempura caper berries. This ‘Queen’ should award itself an OBE… Finally, the arrival of the much anticipated pheasant breast curry –it did not disappoint and was fantastic! The entire dish was beautifully cooked, with a warm blend of spice, sherry and cream which gave the dish a rather nice ‘kick’ – Fantastic and highly recommended! Feeling very satisfied and a tad full… we took a short breather before sampling our dessert selection. A chocolate orange torte, cappuccino cheesecake and crème brulée tart. The chocolate orange torte was beautifully presented, served with a white chocolate ganache and Seville orange coulis – rich and sumptuous. The crème brûlée was luxurious, served with poached rhubarb; a superb combination of flavours. The cappuccino cheesecake, perfect for coffee lovers was both creamy and crunchy. All three desserts were equally delicious. We ended our meal with the 3-cheese platter and perfectly blended iced margarita cocktails. With its consistent high quality, extensive and yet value surprisingly great value menu, great service and ambience, what’s not to love about The Manor. Here’s to the next 20 years. Top marks! Booking is advisable. Tel: 0151 677 7034 www.themanorwirral.com