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"We
enjoy modern European cuisine and had admittedly high
expectations after reading the reviews below. However,
if this is innovation if was so far over the
top that, with the exception of the main
course and cheese board, we literally wouldn't
have recognised some of the dishes as being food.
For £47 one doesn't expect to be served the
first 2 or 3 "courses" in a plastic thimble
no bigger than a medicine measuring jug. The most
amusing aspects were listening to the waiter describe
the number of ingredients they had apparently managed
to cram into a 20ml thimble and our own gullibility
in stumping up £130+ for a very dissappointing
2 hours!"
- roy, bolton 23/6/07 (visited on a saturday evening)
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"Of
the 112 Michelin starred restaurants in the UK, it's
a travesty to think that there's only one in Greater
Manchester. Fortunately for tourists and city centre
dwellers alike, Juniper is not off the beaten track.
In fact the short 18 minute trip on the tram to Altrincham
and a 5 minute walk up the high street probably works
out a shorter journey than the walk from many a hotel
or apartment to an inferior city centre restaurant.
And boy! What a journey worth making!
Head
chef Paul Kitching is a gastronomic genius. Taking
his influences from so many different flavours and
ingredients, he is able to serve up dishes with such
a unique imagination it's impossible to pigeon hole
his style. It seems rather easy (or should that be
lazy?) to describe Juniper as being 'French' but apart
from the exhaustive choice of Burgandy's, Champagnes
and many regional fine wines from across the Channel,
the only nod to France appears to be Geremie, the
excellent French waiter, and, on my visit, two tables
of French businessmen enjoying the amazing set menu.
And whilst the French would be very proud to call
Juniper one of their own, there's little on the menu
they could identify with. That's where Paul comes
into his own - his creations are so unparalleled,
no other top chef dare try copy for fear of falling
far short.
The
6 course 'Early Summer Herbs' menu on offer the day
we visited was incredible. Add an extra 2 courses
which came 'with compliments from the kitchen' and
it's impossible to argue that you're not getting your
£35's worth. For me, the breast of chicken with
chives and coriander glaze complete with dill Mayonnaise,
black olives, courgettes, chicory and parsley dusted
new potatoes was worth the price of the full meal
alone - it was quite simply the finest chicken I've
ever tasted.
As
with many 'French' restaurants, and especially Michelin
starred ones at that, quality rules quantity every
time. This approach works perfectly with the set meals
at Juniper as each dish is just about small enough
to leave a little bit of room for another round of
even more artistic delights from the kitchen. The
journey your tastebuds are taken on constantly changes
direction and the extraordinary flavours that are
delivered can not be put into words. How do you describe
the unexpected delights that Paul can somehow produce
from a Chervil, White Chocolate and Sea Salt Ice-Cream?
A very brave chef indeed who is complimented with
an excellent team.
Katie,
his partner and Juniper's manager, takes time out
with each customer over pre-prandials in the wonderful
basement bar before handing you over to the excellent
waiting staff who whisk you upstairs to the intimate
luxurious restaurant upstairs. A special mention to
Geremie, who has to be one of the best waiters in
Manchester even if his Gallic sense of humour isn't
at first obvious as he indentifies each region and
fromagère represented in the huge assiette
of French and Swiss cheese - there's no better way
to upset a proud Frenchman than by asking him which
one is the Cheddar.
With
Paul Kitching's amazingly innovative dishes, outstanding
service and a wine list to match, Juniper is certainly
a restaurant of a quality not matched elsewhere in
the region - and that's exactly why, for the tenth
year running, they are the only Michelin starred establishment
around these parts!"
- neil, restaurants of manchester 15/6/07 (visited
on a thurs evening) |
