Adam Reid at The French in French Rocks

Food was good but the service was really lacking and we were overlooked quite a lot.We had the wine pairing and one of the glasses was completely missed so we had to ask for it, and then we were brought the wrong one. One course was served to us without any cutlery and it took ages for us to get someones attention to ask for some. Finally one of our deserts was served with a black hair in it which really spoilt the rest of the visit as we were ready to leave after that.The whole experience was definitely not worth the premium price point and there are other places that are cheaper and so much more enjoyable.

Amazing menu , fabulous service, no words!

Simply outstanding food and service from a brilliant team, well worthy of a Michelin star, fingers crossed for next year! 🤞

OMG, loved this visit. We are not extravagant, and this certainly topped any bill we have ever paid in the past, but hats off to the whole gang, staff were extremely knowledgeable and the food simply devine

Had a lovely night here. The food was nice and staff were friendly. Food is rather more British, than French though.

An extremely enjoyable experience from the moment we were shown our table through to the end of our four and a half hour tasting extravaganza. Staff were extremely knowledgeable and attentive, food was delicious. Thank you

Steph and I was enjoying Baked English Custard and Baked Chamomile Custard, we will come back bear future.

Excellent food, the lunch menu is particularly good value. The staff are wonderful! Really enjoyed it and recommended it to people outside checking out the menu so they went in 😁 I dont doubt they enjoyed as much as my friends and I did xxxx

It was a really decent taster menu with some really interesting ideas. Highlights for me included red bell pepper sweets, eel and tongue wrapped in lettuce, and the most delicious roast chicken. However, I felt the balance of flavours overall was lacking, especially in the mini fish pie that was overpowered with spring onion, and the dusting on the scallops was lack luster. The menu was very fish heavy, and I would have liked to have seen more variety. There was also a weird assortment of background music that was jarring and not what you want for a relaxing evening meal. Not my thing at all, and no one seemed to know why the music was picked in particular. The marble top table we sat at was way to high, and it felt slightly awkward to eat. The staff were fantastic, and every time a new dish was brought out the chef who prepared bit introduced it to you personally, which I thought was a lovely touch. Service overall was very good. It was fine dining with a relaxed feel, so if youre looking for something very formal this is not your place.

Phenomenal meal. Amazing atmosphere and fabulous staff. Was one of my best experiences in a restaurant

Had a fantastic night at The French. The staff were incredible and made the meal and wine pairing that much more special. Alex one of our servers in particular had a great chat with us and explained what the food was. We had a culinary journey from start to finish - there was just too much. The staff kindly packed up the desserts for takeaway and we tipsily stumbled home! Thank you again!

Luxury vibes, food was nice too. Not sure if it’s authentic French food, would say it’s rather more English

My partner and I went here with a friend and his wife to do the taster menu.His wife is gluten intolerant and they catered for this with gluten free options.This was a ten course meal with each and every dish is presented and served to the highest standard, the chiefs talk you through each one explaining how and what makes the dish as they serve it to you.Obviously each dish is bite size but full of flavour.We also paid for the wine pairing including the non alcoholic option. Both of these are quite expensive but they have chosen very nice wines to match each dish.The non alcoholic one was very refreshing, a mix of fruit drinks.I was impressed all round it was definitely a special treat.Id go as far to say if this restaurant was in London and not Manchester it would be michelin star rated.

Had afternoon tea here very recently. Mediocre service, disinterested staff stood around with arms folded, dry, past their best, scones, three small finger sandwiches with sparse filling plus one small brioche bun. One hot drink, no top ups!!!! Spend your hard earned money somewhere else. One star given for lovely building.

Incredible from start to finish. Every single dish blew us away. The restaurant is beautiful (try and get a booth if you can). The service was also 1st class - Eleanor and her team made our evening such a memorable experience. Thanks again. We will definitely be back!

We had the tasting menu, about 17 courses. We sat down at 7pm and departed at 11pm. The staff were all fantastic and very helpful. It was a belated 80th birthday present for my wife. It was paid for by her sister, family and friends in Switzerland. We werent disappointed. Please pass on our thanks to all the staff for making it very special. Chris and Dorothy Massey.

We had afternoon teaThe food was lovelyBut over priced and £10.00 service charge.Weve been to much better afternoon teas and better priced with no service charge.Also tried to get served in the bar area after our tea ended up walking out not enough staff on , terrible service its a shame because its such a beautiful setting.

What a great experience this was. The food was incredible from start to finish. The apple dessert was one of the best desserts Ive ever eaten. Every dish was well thought out and by the end I was absolutely stuffed! It was all finished off with a thoughtful touch of a signed menu to celebrate my graduation. Id definitely recommend.

Exceptionally impressive. The best managers Ive ever encountered are managers. We were only in the UK for two nights, yet we went on two separate visits! As a nightcap, once. The next morning, we went back for brunch, which was fantastic! Once again, the managers were gracious, allowing us to leave our luggage near the host stand. Thanks!

Had the 10 course tasting menu and wine flight last week. The setting and ambiance was great however the food is not of the same quality. A number of courses were cold, the scallops, monkfish and venison. Some accompanying sauces were exceptionally salty. The ham on 1 course was also very fatty.It was mentioned through the service the issues however nothing was done.On the wine flight we were give an Ale / beer! Which is strange and the sommelier was serving the wine when half way through a course.Having had a number of tasting menu around Manchester, this is one I would not return too and in my opinion not worth the price.

I love the fact they try to keep the menu northern, and that they go for quality over frill. Very inventive menu - Cant believe they made something THAT delicious from giblets. And theyre quite daring too....e.g. serving cold scallops with tomatoes had me wincing for a second.Pricey, obviously, but well worth it as its quite different. Even their bread and butter was totally different!Really pretty restaurant too, and i loved that each chef came out to present their dishes. You can tell they also get on as they banter about each others dishes etc.Id dock half a point though on desserts. One of them was plum done in several ways....it was just too much plum. Otherwise, this place is so so so worth it!

This place is something else!!! we have eaten at restaurants with a star and the food and dining experience here is so much better, such a lovely dining room, food comes out at a nice pace, and it put of this world..... already booked to come back!

Wasnt bad. I mean we enjoyed the food, but couldnt say it was spectacular, and when you pay 250 quid for a meal, you expect it to be. Service was pretty good though and chefs coming out and explaining their dishes was a nice touch.

Came with my 13 yr daughter who wanted to try a fancy restaurant for the first time. I have to admit it was underwhelming...3 hours to finish the menu which was - on the whole - pretty average. Plus it was a warm day and the room has no air con...dont wear anything too thick if you visit...but honestly for this type of dining experience there are much better restaurants.

I love this restaurant! The food is always beautiful, the staff are excellent and professional but also friendly. The sommelier was very knowledgeable and choose excellent pairing wines for our meal.

Second time enjoying the Signature experience which if you go back to anything after your first experience you know its good.I could review the food and wine but you just know its going to be good.Wine pairing this time for 2 dishes were just mind blowing, paired to absolute perfection so well done again to the lucky pair that travel testing wines for us.If your going, make room for 3 hours of eating and drinking, enjoy the room, your company but more than anything the food and wine.You wont be disappointed.

Better than most restaurants in Poland offering Polish cuisine. Still not comparable to Polish grandmas of course, but a great place for lunch nevertheless. Glad to see something different than the ubiquitous kebab/sushi/wok/etc. I wish there was a place like that in Stockholm.Have eaten here once before, was great to go back again. Food was excellent and it has a nice atmosphere

We booked in for the signature menu with wine pairings at the chef’s counter. Truly a special experience. The atmosphere, drinks and food is absolutely tremendous and the chefs and waiting staff were excellent. Would recommend for a special occasion.

Booked the Great British Menu for a lunch time birthday meal, with wine flights. The whole experience was fantastic, knowledge and friendly staff, excellent service and as expected the food was delicious. The accompanying wines were perfect selections for the dishes. Ill be coming back to sample the signature tasting menu on the evening

The only downsides was a woman who was vaping openly at one of the tables. She was not asked to stop by any of the staff. The other is that we were given a voucher for two medium tasting menus for a birthday. This, we assumed, and my other half was told when they asked, would cover the two meals and we would only need to pay for drinks. However, when it came to pay the bill, it transpired that they had adjusted the menu a few weeks ago. They had removed the medium menu and made the 9 course menu their signature. So this meant that rather than cover the food, it gave us some money off the bill. If you have a voucher I would advise checking, maybe get it in writing, what it actually gets you. This was a bit of a annoying ending what had been an excellent evening

Beautiful décor and mouth watering menus that will revive your taste buds! Very classy and friendly staff and the service is flawless. Its pricey but thats the real fine food. Many thanks to the professional staff and chefs that made our day.

Ok...yes its expensive granted.. however this was hands down the best meal Ive ever had....really nice for our 12 year anniversary and so glad we chose here. If your rich or its a very special occasion try this place. And wear baggy pants as after the 4th course it gets intense. Love it

Amazing place for fine dining in Manchester. The laid back atmosphere, attentive service, friendly staff, and of course the stunning food and wine were amazing. Worth going to experience at least once.

Got to experience the GBM2019 menu. I have to say the Taterash with the amazing bread and butter was one of the most enjoyable dishes I have ever eaten. Thanks for a very memorable occasion to mark our first wedding anniversary.

Lovely dining experience and very tasty, well refined food! Great British Menu dishes were as good as they looked on TV!!

Fantastic GBM meal at this place. We were made welcome for our lunch last week, the service and food was amazing. Would highly recommend, located on the ground floor of the midland hotel it was easy to find. The decor was classy and a great playlist in the background. Ill be back to try the full tasting menu at some point.

We really enjoyed our evening at the French. The food was exceptional, and far exceeded our expectations. We recently had a meal at the Waterside in in Bray, and have to say that this meal was of a comparable standard.We had the 6 course tasting menu with wine flights, with my partner having a vegetarian version. Have to say that this was one of the best thought out vegetarian tatsting menus we have experienced, as a lot of thought had gone into theses dishes (not simply taking the meat out/ altering an ingredient).Lovely relaxed atmosphere, with none of the stuffiness you can get from similar restaurants. Only drawback was that the main course was our least favourite (sauce a little overpowered vs. everything else on the plateand perhaps needed a bit more thought. Otherwise excellent all round.

Had our anniversary meal at the French and it exceeded our expectations. The flavours and presentation of the dishes were excellent. A relaxing atmosphere to dine in.

Thought the meal was all dressed up nicely but lacked flavour and any imagination. It didnt have the wow factor I thought it would have. We had the lunch tasting menu and thought it expensive for what you got... No hidden surprises nor any theatre to the food....The only stand out dish was the raw beef salad the Manchester ale sour dough with beef and caramelised onion butter which was an absolute revelation.....and had to ask for seconds..

WOW, WOW, WOW. It has been a while since I can really say a fine dining restaurant really swept me off my feet. The feelings to explain this is nothing but not showing off and being snobby at all but delivering the goods in what is a fine dining experience. The food was beyond elegantly prepared and flavours paired so well with my matching wine. Shown nothing but amazing hospitality and warmth from all the staff seeing that also I was dining solo. Really enjoyed my evening. I look forward to returning with friends. Thank you so much for an amazing experience.

How could you not rate this 5/5?? I literally cant think how this could have been better. Although if they somehow managed to fit in 20 courses I think Id be game

Great food and very stylish place.We went for the sit at the counter option but honestly would prefer to be sat at table (more comfortable and no differenceas it wasnt what i hoped for to see the chef cooking the food for you.. The food was amazing though and really exquisite and something ive never tasted before. £65 for 6 course meal is not exorbitant either. Good experience.

Could not have been better! Im surprised they dont have a few Michelin stars. The nine course tasting menu is delicate, packed of flavour and extremely well presented. The non alcoholic cocktails seriously tasty. And the members of staff have great knowledge of what they are serving. The venue itself is small and has an subtle elegant vibe. We enjoyed the food for over one and a half hours and expecting to repeat! Thank you very much!

An amazing experience, food and service were amazing, the food definitely was the highlight. EVERY dish we tried was just too good, flavor, idea, presentation, vessel, cooking point, garnishes, texture,... just wow! Highly recommended for the ones that look for really smart and executed food!The only downer was the potential manager that was running the restaurant that night, was the only element that lacked finesse, maybe should be slightly more friendly. Removing and placing plates at the table, was just too careless, which clashed with the rest of the team. Never the less, the rest was so good, that it would always take a great score. One of the most surprising meals this year, for the consistency throughout the all night. Thank you

Fantastic experience, the food is first class, the service was attentive and friendly. Having eaten in a fair few michillen star places this was better than most and truly deserves one.

Probably one of the weakest tasting menus weve experienced. Its a real shame because it was a wedding present.Beautiful location with a great atmosphere. We had 9 courses. . Unfortunately a high proportion of dishes were overseasoned with salt, accompanied by overpowering consommes and not as well balanced as one would expect. The range of flavours felt limited in an offal heavy menu (which you might likethat was not to our taste. Normally the service at high end restaurants is excellent but our experience was entirely average. Staff were friendly but there were very long waits between courses (which felt like they were trying to force the experience to last the three hours discussed onlineand the staff on our service were not as knowledgeable about the dishes as you would expect with one waitress openly stating that it was her second day and she couldnt remember what something was (although there was enthusiasm and an offer to ask someone and let us know).Just my opinion but Manchester has so many fantastic restaurants for cheaper or a similar price that one might be better placed visiting before resorting to the French. It certainly will be a long time until we go back. I dont want to say we wasted our money but our experience was worryingly subpar.

Music for the taste buds!We thoroughly enjoyed our taster menu at the French from start to finish. Each plate was artistically crafted to challenge the palate with flavour and texture combinations which left me bouncing around like a kid in a sweet shop. From the sous vide prawn cracker to the delightfully tangy dessert each course had us grinning and scoffing every bite.Halfway through we received a plate of bread and butter which blew my simple northern mind, served with a jug of BBQ gravy with beef and ale flavoured butter and ox cheek shavings I could have died right there.The place is super classy with a disco ball chandelier and feels like you are eating in New York if it wasnt for the indie rock and roll playlist keeping us firmly and proudly rooted in Manchester.Edit: I forgot to comment about the price. It is obviously horrendously expensive but you are getting as close to a Michelin star as Manchester has to offer in one of its most historic venues. We went for our tea on a Thursday night because thats how we roll [This is fundamentally untrue, we physically cannot afford to eat until our next payday]

Why this place does not have a Michelin Star is beyond me. The menu was well balanced and really interesting (the only slight downfall was the sour dough bread roll which was perhaps a bit tough). The food was flavoursome and highly enjoyable. I also liked the wine recommendation. Finally great staff, very polite and helpful

I found very little to fault in our evening here, hence the five star rating.You walk in to the restaurant to see a ceiling filled with spherical lights, something quite magical even before you see the menu. We were greeted by a polite man, who seemed to want us there, hard to put into words, but welcomed and wanted sort of covers it. We were seated beneath one of the ball chandeliers, which made me feel like I was under the spotlight, but in a good way!There are two set menus to choose from, 6 and 10 courses. We opted for 6 as we were going for drinks after and didnt want to be bursting, but I half regret it as each course was exquisite. My favourite, and probably the best meal Ive ever eaten, was the Valley Venison. Dont be fooled by the small portions, its like luxury to the tongue, so you dont want to ruin it by being stuffed, plus there are 6 courses! Other highlights were the scallops and of course, the wine!The service was impeccable, couldnt have asked for a better balance between knowledge, time at the table and pleasantries.This place has it all down to a T, you will not be disappointed, I could not find one fault.

I was treated to a 10 course taster menu here and it was a lovely experience. The decor is classical and simple. The taster menu was on average a high good. There were a few dishes that were good but not taste buds explodingly good. There were a couple where I just could not finish because it was too salty for me. But there were also a couple that were gems; flavours that Ive never tasted before and since. Incidentally, I would recommend the smaller taster menu as 10 courses was a lot to stomach.