Shiny new all you can eat buffet Tops

Taking over the former Billie Rox roller parlour on Portland Street, Tops is Manchester’s newest ‘all you can eat’ restaurant. Principally serving a diverse range of Eastern cuisines (braised tofu, lamb bhuna, pad Thai noodle) with a nod to European palates in the shape of an Italian selection (cheese mussels, chicken with mashed carrot), Tops is large enough to accommodate any size of party, and welcomes both the greedy and the discerning with a combination of buffet canteen dining and live cooking stations against an uncompromisingly grandiose backdrop. Impressive seafood and sushi stations plus globally influenced desserts speak of Tops intention to beat Deansgate’s Red Hot World Buffet at its own game. You have to admire the scale of the enterprise but it’s possible they have bitten off more than they can chew: early feedback is mixed, with tepid food and slightly chaotic organisation both typical complaints. Weekday lunch is £7.99, rising to £14.99 on Saturdays, with beers starting at £3.30 for a bottle of Tsing Tao.

106 Portland Street, M1 4RJ. Tel: 0161 237 1000, www.tops-restaurants.co.uk