Owned and frequented by former footballers including Gary Neville, Tender at Manchester’s Stock Exchange Hotel, has a new dinner menu created by Michelin-starred chef Niall Keating. And as you’d expect, there’s a lot to love.

The new menu sees Britain’s youngest star-winning chef bring his culinary expertise to a laidback style. Think gourmet pub food and European flavours showcased in small plates and larger dishes designed to share.

Spacious turquoise booths and low lighting are set under the awe-inspiring flamboyance of Manchester’s historic stock exchange. This is the heart of the city’s old financial district, and the hotel’s renovation under Neville and company is a fitting celebration of it’s Victorian heyday.

Small plate choices include charred padron peppers and Quaver-ish pork crackling. One of my favourite dishes, duck liver parfait, served with just-so brioche is typical of Keating’s elevated take on classics, as is the Galician-style octopus, enriched with smoked paprika on impossibly tender slivers of potato.

Drinks are another thrill. The bar under the restaurant is called Sterling and is run by the global award-winning team behind Schofield’s cocktail bar. Think perfect martinis and manhattans. Upstairs in the restaurant, standards are equally high. We try the house Old Fashioned before exploring a perfectly curated wine list. The sommelier’s recommendation for a bright, powerful Bourgogne from Pierre Naigeon is ideal.

The main event

Niall’s favourite main is whole seabass with fennel, saffron and white wine alongside the root vegetable wellington and salt-aged tomahawk with all the trimmings.

We go for the classics, arguing over buttery grilled lobster and pink chateaubriand with thin and fat chips. The onion rings with the steak showcase Keating’s perfectism. Crisp and wafer thin, they’re on a different planet to their freezer-section brethren.

I wish we had got to try the glazed pork tomahawk, truffle duck egg, pink peppercorn roasted pineapple and pommes anna. But we loved the rhubarb crème brulee, and the walnut cake, light coffee ice cream and fancies of Valhrona dark chocolate.

In a recent interview, Keating said “I have always believed that the best food should be uncomplicated without too much fuss and so this menu is all about getting the very best ingredients and allowing them to shine by being meticulous about the quality and the technique.”

Tender’s new menu feels like the kind of thing he wants to be cooking. The interior is a thrill obviously – this inverted wedding cake levels of cornicing and historic details at every turn. When they first opened, I feel convinced there were TV screens in here showing sports. The room’s iconic looks have gradually pushed those touches out and now it’s a almost sacred-feeling space, with classical music, and low level lighting.

My only quibble is with the layout; the tables are quite large making it difficult to have a kind of intimate chat with anyone other than the person you are cosied up with in the booth – although it would be a great spot for group dining with friends too. It’s somewhere you need either a lot of people or just a couple to make the design feel right. The food and drink, on the other hand, is flawless.

The new dinner menu is available from 6pm Wednesday to Saturday.

 

Tender at The Stock Exchange Hotel ,
4 Norfolk Street, Manchester M2 1DW
, Tel: 0161 470 3901
Words:
Ruth Allan
Published on:
Thu 20 Mar 2025