An intimate chef’s table set in the basement of a Northern Quarter sports bar? The latest project from acclaimed chef Caroline Martins is certainly not your typical venture, but it sure is a fascinating one…
In what surely has to be one of Manchester’s most unlikely, cosy dining rooms, SAMPA seats just 8 guests below Calcio Pub each evening, offering a 12-course tasting that changes on a daily basis. Optional drink pairings are also available, ranging from expertly curated Latin American wines to in-house infused cachaças and soft drinks.
Caroline, who rose to prominence during her time on Masterchef and has since helmed several acclaimed restaurant concepts in the city, describes her cooking as British-Brazilian fusion, and a loving tribute to both cuisines. Throughout the menu, local producers like Littlewoods Butchers and Dan & The Bees Honey are tied seamlessly together with exciting South American flavours. The end result? It’s pretty spectacular.
The evening sees you veer between familiar, big-hitting flavours like a melt-in-the-mouth ex-dairy cow and a barbecued mallard duck breast — which came paired with a stunning red wine that instantly became one of my favourite culinary combinations of all time — and more adventurous innovations like coffee mixed with a prawn bisque, which is an unexpected but no less excellent surprise. Elsewhere, there’s a trio of canapes served in your personal smoking greenhouse, a tantalising plate of truffled salami and a hefty Orkney scallop with cassava.
As each plate is prepared mere yards from your seat, there is a wonderful sense of theatre to the whole thing. Having the opportunity to be up this close, seeing Caroline and her supremely talented team work their magic, feels like a genuine privilege.
Another subtle but lovely little touch is the night’s playlist, a large chunk of which was picked by Caroline’s family back home in Brazil, upon the request of each choosing a song that they think would make people happy as they dine. That, and a healthy dose of New Order thrown in.
While dishes are prepared with sublime precision, the whole experience feels incredibly personal and Caroline’s passion for hospitality is infectious. In between their work, the entire team never ceases to make you feel welcome.
Conversations constantly flow and stories are swapped between diners and the kitchen lineup, so much so, that what is probably close to a three-hour spectacle flies by annoyingly fast. I’ll certainly be heading back to pick up where we left off, though.
Prices
12-course tasting menu: £58
Drinks pairing: £35
Soft pairing: £25
Cachaças pairing: £35
A la carte drinks are also available.
For more information, or to book your table at SAMPA, click the button below.
- Words:
- Bradley Lengden
- Published on:
- Fri 14 Feb 2025
