TaffMaster's Qype profile

A Starbucks is a starbucks, but the only reason Im writing this review is to complain about the toilets. One toilet that is unisex and was in a complete mess!

If youre gona get people full of liquids then at least clean your toilet!

Far from Pukka.

We went to Jamies Italian as a treat for my partners birthday with her family and I was pretty excited at eating at a restraunt from one of my favourite TV chefs.

When we got there we were seated quickly, but told that as a party of 6 we would have to be finished within 2 hours as they needed the tables. Bit strange but we were happy to go ahead with this.

The table we were put on was in fact 2 circular tables pushed together, which isnt a very good idea really. We were left all awkwardly sat and it made discussion more difficult.

The menu feels very sparce, and the descriptions of the meals sound very vague. The waiting staff didnt seem to be very interested in offering advice over the different things available.

We started with some bread and olives. The bread was kind of a disappointment too, with oil and balsamic put in front of us, then the majority of the bread basket being hard bread or breadsticks that didnt dip at all. Some of the bread was even quite burnt. The olives tasted great, but for some reason it took a good 5 minutes after the bread was brought to the table for the olives to come.

The main course took what seemed a very long time to arrive. Considering what was ordered I wouldnt have expected any of it to have taken that long to cook. When it finally did arrive the first three plates came, then another two plates 2-3 minutes later, then two sides, then another 2-3 minutes till the last plate of food arrived. It seemed strange to put food in front of people for that long to cool down before bringing the rest out. Maybe we were a long way from the kitchen, Im not sure.

The food was nice, but nothing I thought was particularily special. There were a few things that didnt sit quite right, like the scallops tasting a little gritty, which I wouldnt expect in a place like this.

I cant really be too positive about this visit, there were too many things that annoyed me, like the table not being wiped between courses, even though youre being served dipping bread and pastas which can get quite messy. The service wasnt of the standard Id expect, and at times you feel isolated from the staff.

Would I go here again? Maybe, as it not too expensive, but for a special meal Id go elsewhere. If Jamies name wasnt above the door I cant imagine it being half as popular.

One of the best meals Ive had in Manchester.

As a special treat my partner and I decided to go slightly more upmarket than our usual dinner haunts, and chose Gauchos due to the positive reviews we read on here. We were definately not disappointed.

We were greeted and our coats were put in a special cupboard, which immediately made us feel fancy! The restraunt is very dark, and the chairs have a cool cow print on them. While this may come off as cheesy for some, I thought it was fitting with the theme.

The waiting staff were excellent, willing to give advice on which beer I may prefer, offering advice on what they tasted similar to. We were also shown a meat board, which showed the different cuts and we were given advice on the best way to have them cut. The only negative thing here was that the waiter was quite soft spoken, and afterwards I realised my partner hadnt heard everything he said over the music!

The food was amazing. We were advised that some of the staters are barely cooked to ensure the flavours are fresh, and that smetimes this confuses people and they return them barely touched. I went for a starter of Crab with avocado and quail egg, which was amazing. My partner had some delicious cooked fish cakes.

Of course the starters are meerly a warm up to the main course of the Steaks. I had a Sirloin, which was cooked perfectly. The steaks all come with a sauce served in a side dish, and I went for peppercorn which was delicious to dip in occasionally. My partner had the rib eye and the bernaise sauce, and this was also delicious. We both had fries as our side dish, and while these werent anything special they were ok. The only big disappointment was my partners steak - her final bite of the rib eye consisted primarily of fat which she wasnt really able to see because of the darkness of the room. While you can expect a rib eye to have a fair amount of fat in it, she had managed to spot the other parts and she was left with a fatty taste in her mouth without anything to take the taste away.

The deserts were ok, but nothing special and I expected a bit more for the price. I had a pancake, and my partner had a twice set chocolate cake.

Overall I was very happy with the starter and main, and would definatey return (if I had a fair amount of spare cash!)

Ive got to admit, I'm pretty stuck in my ways. As a result of this when I find a place I like I end up going back there time and time again because I know the food, know its good and know its value for money. So through no fault of its own Giraffe had always been neglected by me, with me usually heading to GBK or Wagamama. However after a great night there Thursday thats going to change.

We were lucky enough to be invited on a Qype event and on our arrival we were very quickly served by the waiting staff who made sure we had a drink quickly.

We managed to have a short chat with the executive chef who explained a few things about Giraffes philosephys on food - 100% beef in their beefburgers, and all food prepared in house and sourced locally which is something very pleasing to hear. He also mentioned that they test new menu items as specials before adding them to the main menu, to ensure that everything on the menu is the very best it can be. Even the buns for the burgers go through a strict selection process

Near the end of our chat a gentleman came over to thank the chef for the food tonight and I was shocked to see it was Ryan Giggs! Clearly if premiership footballers are happy to eat here the food must be something special so I was even more excited about the food to come.

I went for the Herby Chicken Schnitzel BLT Burger which was amazing. Two chicken escallopes with breadcrumbs covering them, delicious bacon and salad, and a side serving of fries. The only disappointment was the fries, but the burger more than made up for this. This was one of the best burgers Ive had in a long time.

For desert I went for the Apple and Berry Crumble, which I had been assured would be better than my grandmas. As a real nana's boy I have to say hers still has the edge, but this was a great winter desert with a topping that I think was granola. The menu does say its best shared and I'd have to agree as I struggled to finish half of it without being stuffed.

In all we had a great time at Giraffe and we're sure to be back there soon. The food is great - and not too expensive with their mains being under £10 each, and the waiting staff were fabulous all night ensuring that we never had a moment where we were waiting for a drink, while also not being as pushy as I sometiems find staff.

If you're looking for a good burger then definately give Giraffe a try - I know we will be!

On a side note if anyone is ever unsure about attending a Qype event then dont be - you get to meet some great people and have a fabulous time. A big thank you to everyone involved and all the other atendees who made it a fab night where I learned not only what goes into Giraffes burgers but also what dolphins are like in the bedroom

While Ive been to other resteraunts in this chain, the last time I came to this branch we had a terrible time.

Three of us ordered food, which all came out at different times, which left us sat there with food going cold waiting. I wouldnt have had as much of a problem if the staff had warned us that the food would be coming seperately, but it took a full 10 minutes after the first persons food was served for the last person to get theirs - which was a ceaser salad and would have surely taken less time to cook. To add insult to injury two of our orders came out wrong, with the most notable error being that the staff member having not marked down that we wanted chicken in the ceaser salad - which meant that person was left with a bowl of salad leaves with dressing and 4 croutons.

When we complained we felt completely ignored, and were not offered any kind of compensation and were told the only option we had was to wait for the chicken which would take 15-20 minutes.

We will not be returning to this branch.

Cupcakes have become massively popular on the cookery TV channels as of late, and I was delighted to find out that there was a great little cupcake shop in Chorlton.

Its just off the main street in Chorlton, and we managed to find it quite easily. Theres a couple of streets nearby that mean you should be able to find somewhere to park.

We went there on a windy saturday and got a cupcake each and a ice cream float for my partner and a 5 dollar shake for me. I must say we were loving the quality of the cupcakes and had almost eaten them before our drinks got to us! With two cupcakes and two drinks totalling £10 it isnt cheap, but the taste is top notch and its great to either sit outside or in (if theres room) or even take a few cupcakes home packed in a lovely box to eat later.

If you like cupcakes you'll love to come here.

As a meat lover, I adore going here.

Its absolutely fabulous, meat is served on skewers with waiters coming round and offering you slices. If your belly is full or you dont want to be disturbed you can flip a coin on the table from green to red, which means they wont ask you if you want some meat.

The food here is fabulous, and while the lunch menu is great I would reccomend going after 4pm for their dinner menu which features a wider variety of meats.

We also went at Christmas last year where they served extra special meats.

If you're a veggie then this isnt the place for you, but if you love meat then get yourself a table ASAP!

Ive seen some very good acts at these venues, and its a great place to catch new and upcoming artists for a tenner, but I must say that the Club Academy can be awfully expensive considering its a student hangout (£10 for a ticket is great but not when its £3 for a glass of coke!)

I will start this review by making sure I warn you that I am a massive fan of TGIs.

Even though I may be a bit of a lover of the food there, I have experienced bad service in some branches - but never this one. Despite numerous visits for birthdays, celebrations and random “I just want the glaze” visits, Ive always been left 100% happy with the service.

I am one of those people who always goes a little over the top when they know they get a bottomless drink (free refils through the night), but the staff here have always been quick to top up my drink even when Ive finished it only minutes after they’d already replaced it!

Food can be expensive here, though I do feel the taste of it justifies it. The steaks here are always cooked great, and the Jack Daniels sauce you can get with them is divine. Ive never been left unsatisfied by a meal here.

They also have a wide range of cocktails available, some that come in massive glasses ideal for sharing. The decour is typically american, but I like it that way.

I must say this place knows how to put on a show. We visited here for the BBC Food Show, but the arena also holds concerts, events and shows. Infact the day we were going there was also a large motorbike show also going on!

The place is massive so its easy to get lost, but thankfully everyone there was helpful and there are plenty of staff to help with directions.

The food and drinks are expensive as to be expected, so eat before you visit and bring a drink! Its easy to find by car, and the train station is a brief walk through halls.

This is a great place to visit for a concert or show, and I would reccomend it.