Food review: Altrincham’s Blanchflower restaurant from Caffeine & Co team

Blanchflower ‘artisan concept bakery’ and restaurant recently opened in Altrincham and has just started serving evening meals (from Thu 1 Feb 2018). The space brings to mind an upmarket gallery cafe – think Rochelle Canteen at the ICA, or the Whitworth – while elegant British cooking under the auspices of head chef Rafal Dziewonski shows both ambition and a passion for local ingredients. Founder Phil Howells (Caffeine and Co, Longford Park Cafe) tells us that the idea behind Blanchflower is to make as much as possible in house  – from breads, crisp wafers and streusel tarts to fermented cauliflower, pickled red peppers and the feta-style cheese served with the beet salad. The cooking reminds me of a more casual version of London’s Portland while Howells cites modern British restaurant, Lyle’s, as inspiration. Highlights include the pickled veg, homemade cheese with a retro raspberry vinaigrette (£6.50), seared Dexter onglet (£15, go for medium rare) and a pitch-perfect coconut panna (£6.50) topped with a thick layer of real mint jelly, toasted coconut and a dried pineapple sail. Puddings are a thing, actually. A cube of marmalade-y orange and cardamon creme brulee with homemade gingerbread (£6.25) is a treat and the homemade apple streusel tart with calvados caramel sauce (£6.25) sounds great. The ridiculously garlicky yoghurt, served with the radish and watercress side salad (£3), pushes the envelope in a good way – and I’ll be back for the seafood bisque with chargrilled octopus (£18). The only disappointment, if you can call it that, is the vegan ‘cauliflower steak’ (£14) which seems to be missing something. Wines are good too; our choice would be the Italian Vermentino, vanilla-rich Monastrell or mysterious Confidencial 2014, a blend of ten ‘undisclosed’ varietals from Portugal. Prices start at £4.45 a glass and £18.50 a bottle. For this week only, the menu is discounted by 50% too, meaning a 3-course meal with wine comes in at around £20 a head. It’s a right bargain.

Blanchflower, 12-14 Shaw’s Road, Altrincham WA14 1QU. Tel: 0161 929 6724, www.facebook.com