The Most Beautiful Restaurant in Manchester: Grand Pacific

I’m just going to come out and say it; Grand Pacific has to be the most beautiful restaurant in Manchester. If not, the whole of the North West. It’s just my opinion but I’ve had a lot of meals in a lot of restaurants (heck, my hips know it!) and a lot of drinks in a lot of bars (yep, my boyfriend feels that one!) and I just can’t think of anywhere more stunning to eat or drink in the area. Heck, I was blown away when I visited, and it didn’t just stop at the décor. The whole premise of Grand Pacific is based on grandeur and, as they say on their website, they ‘pay homage to the golden age of high society’ – it’s certainly evident throughout.

Located on Spring Gardens in Manchester City Centre, alongside some of the city’s most premium fashion shops and opposite the grand 5* Hotel Gotham, Grand Pacific is hosted in a historic and grand building. With its high ceilings, floor length windows and grand staircases, it’s the exact embodiment of how I picture classic Manchester, combined with modern touchpoints. The décor and interior design is just as beautiful and fitting to the building; full of black, gold, marble and tropical elements of pineapple and palm leaves. In fact, it’s exactly how I want to decorate my house!

We were welcomed at Grand Pacific and given the choice to sit directly at the table or sit at the bar or a little while. Making the most of the grand surroundings, we decided to sit at the bar and I enjoyed a house cocktail whilst Jonathan went for a beer (obviously!). I felt as though if you didn’t want to eat there, the staff at Grand Pacific would just as happily welcome you for a drink. The perfect start to a night out.

After sipping our drinks and enjoying the stunning environment – it really is so beautiful to look at! – we were welcome to our table where we each chose a starter from their dinner menu. I went for the Thai Fish Cakes (£6), which were noticeable fresh and highly flavoursome, served with a delicious pineapple chilli dipping source. Jonathan chose the Satay Chicken Skewers (also £6), which he also tells me where delicious and nicely spicy. Both were beautifully presented with just enough of a portion; enough to feel like you’ve had your first course, but not enough to leave you not wanting more.

For my main course, there was a lot I wanted to try but simply had to cave in and go for the 10 OZ  Rib Eye Steak (£22). It was cooked exactly how I liked it (with no judgement from our lovely waiter!) and served with Kimchi, Wasabi Crème Fraiche and Grilled Heart Of Palm. It was absolutely delicious and I chose their hand cut chips with curry salt to go alongside it – also absolutely fantastic.

Jonathan had a hard time choosing too, but gave in and went for the Lamb Massaman Curry (£17.95) which came served in an individual bowel alongside two mini sides of gunpowder potatoes (nice and spicy!) and forbidden rice (a textured, sticky rice). This was extremely rich, flavoursome, and he tells me was a great decision to make. We also shared a butter leaf salad between us – a little like a cesar salad – which gave a really refreshing element to the meal. Plus, we needed some greens after all!

After our main courses, I was enticed to try another of Grand Pacific’s signature cocktails – I couldn’t resist the pineapple glass, I wanted to pop it in my handbag for my home-bar if I’m being totally honest! We also chose a plate of ice cream, meringue and raspberry coulis (£4.95) to finish; not an exotic choice on our part but a lovely and refreshing way to finish a magnificent meal.

Over all, our experience at Grand Pacific was totally wonderful. Despite having some confusion with the bill at the end where I believe we were charged more than we were meant to, we happily paid without qualms as we would rather leave on a top note and thorough enjoyed the experience. In fact, we would happily return and pay more, as I truly believe this is the most beautiful place in Manchester.