There’s a road sign when you enter Greasby that reads: “One of the earliest settlements in Britain, circa 8,500 BC”.
And now in the historic Wirral village is one of the peninsula's newest attractions, The Manor which I think could see visitors flocking to sample its culinary delights.
Although it’s a 17th century Grade II listed building, The Manor restaurant and wedding barn only opened its doors on March 17 following an extensive refurbishment having become family-owned Nelson Hotels & Inns’ fifth property, joining the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel & Spa plus gastropubs The Fishpool Inn, The Bear’s Paw and The Pheasant Inn.
Along with the expansive main dining area that my wife and I ate in, where the theme is a contemporary take on British classics and gastropub influences along with inspiration from Asian fusion cuisine, the historical barn serves as a wedding and events venue for up to 80 seated guests.
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What the Manor is like inside
The Manor’s period exterior makes way for vibrantly colourful but tasteful décor once you walk through the door. We were placed in a comfortable L-shaped booth in a cosy corner by the windows which allowed plenty of natural light shining through on a pleasant spring evening to further brighten the cheery-looking room.
What we ordered
We both ordered from the main menu, served daily Monday-Saturday from 12 noon. To start, from the 'small plates' section, my wife had the truffled organic wild mushrooms while I had the twice-baked Quicke’s cheddar cheese soufflé.
For the main, we both selected 'Manor Classics' with my wife choosing marinated chicken fettuccine Alfredo with the steak and ale pie for myself. From the dessert menu – which also includes a cheese board – my wife went for The Manor sundae and I picked the malt chocolate brownie.
What I thought of the price and service
The cost of the mains was fairly standard at £16 for the pie – which came with mashed potato, mushy peas and red wine gravy – and £17 for the fettuccine. Maybe £9 each for the starters, as previously stated, labelled ‘small plates’ and £8 apiece for the desserts can’t be classed as cheap but as we’ll now come to, the preparation and taste of all those dishes could not be faulted.
All of the several staff who attended to our needs throughout the visit were polite and attentive. It should also be noted that the pace at which the courses came out was just right too, ensuring service was satisfyingly prompt and efficient but without feeling rushed.
How the food tasted
My wife told me her starter was delicious, with creamy goat’s cheese complementing the subtle flavour of the mushrooms; the main course of crispy smoky pancetta was very tasty with the creamy chicken Alfredo and a good-sized fettuccine pasta while she thought her dessert was an excellent choice for those who can’t make up their minds as it included the sticky toffee pudding (also on the menu) with honeycomb and lashings of Chantilly cream with salted caramel sauce.
I was also pleased with my selections. The soufflé’s texture was delicate but the taste of the cheddar came through robustly. The consistency of the pastry in my pie was spot-on with the steak chunks feeling like they were of a high quality.
On a personal note, unlike my other half, I’m a devoted mycophobe though so I was glad I was able to spot a few mushrooms in the pies not mentioned on the menu before they had chance to enter my mouth but there was no harm done! My brownie, which came with clotted cream ice cream, sprung no such surprises though and as well as being smartly-presented – like all our dishes – it was scrumptious.
The verdict
A big thumbs up from us both for the restaurant and venue you can tell a lot of TLC and creativity has gone into. While Greasby is predominantly a residential area in the heart of the Wirral, its relatively close proximity to motorway links provided by the M53 should help attract diners from other parts of Merseyside and further afield to The Manor, a quality location with a relaxed but stylish vibe.
- You can find The Manor restaurant and wedding barn at 91 Greasby Rd, Greasby, Wirral CH49 3NF or check out their website themanorgreasby.co.uk
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