Giraffe, Manchester

I really like this Giraffe but I will admit that I only ever visit it for the Breakfast / Brunch menu. I would say its one of the best places for brunch in Manchester!

The prices aren’t the cheapest but I recommend scouring the internet for a voucher as they usually have some about, although they do tend to exclude weekends (booo!).

The only drawback to this place is the 10% added surcharge which is automatically added on to the bill. I hate it when places do this, I would much rather leave the tip in cash and decide the amount myself. Other than that, I highly recommend you go and try the brunch!

I've eaten at a couple of branches of Giraffe in London, and although I've always enjoyed the food (chicken, mango and avocado salad, be still my beating heart), I was always a tad baffled as to where it sat in the eateries food chain. Is it cafe, intended for low-key quick bites? If that's the case then the £10ish price tag for the main courses seems on the steep side? Or is it more of a restaurant? If that's the case then the bright, fast-food style décor could be seen as a touch too much. I'll admit it doesn't take much to confuse me, but had left me puzzled.

But meeting the executive chef of this brand at the Qype event last week soon clarified all my confusion. He was friendly, upbeat, and his passion and enthusiasm for food and the Giraffe brand was obvious. So too was that of the staff, who were patient, helpful and all smiles throughout their speedy, attentive service. Considering that earlier that day I'd experienced glacial (both slow and frosty) service at the Hilton, this was a welcome change, and especially so when considering the modest price tag.

The food itself was delicious, I had the Mexican burger, which the others have lovingly explained in such detail that I probably don't need to, suffice it so say that it was a towering monster, and bountifully topped with avocado and chorizo (when the executive chef told us that they'd 'searched for months for the perfect chorizo', he wasn't kidding, those bad boys were succulent, tender and tasty indeed). And the Rocky Road sundae has been invading my dreams ever since.

Thanks so much to Giraffe for having us, and next time I hit the North, rest assured that I'll be back...

Giraffe is one of those restaurants that I'd always walked past but never wondered into. Lots of people had recommended it to me, so when the opportunity arose to go to the Spinningfields branch as part of a Qype event, I jumped at the chance - and I wasn't disappointed!

The restuarant itself isn't massive, but the high ceilings and glass front make it feel huge. There is booth seating available for that extra touch of privacy if you want it. The decor is a little bit 'in your face' but when you understand the ethos of the restaurant and their passion for fresh ingredients and a healthy lifestyle, it totally falls into place.

Service at this place could not be faulted. The staff were attentive from start to finish, and even as their shift wore on, they still had a smile on their face.

It was clear that the food on the menu had been carefully chosen, as it wasn't overrun with hundreds of choices that would simply confuse you. I had the Mexican burger - marinated chicken breast, chorizo sausage (and a whole one two - not just a few slices), avocado and corn salsa. It was served with a generous bowl of chips and was in all delicious. To finish I had the brownie sundae, which was actually intended for two people. It wasn't on the massive side, so for a couple sharing there might be a few arguments over who gets the bigger portion, but in all it was the typical ooy-gooy, yummy chocolatey-ness you would expect. A main meal costs an average of £8-9 whilst a dessert is about £4-6. Considering the quality of the food, this is a decent price.

I'm pretty sure Giraffe is going to become one of my new favourite restaurants. Where it had been overlooked in the past, it certainly won't be any longer!

Despite spending most of last year working in Spinningfields for a major newspaper organisation that will go unmentioned here, I'd never actually been in the Manchester branch of Giraffe. It always looked too bright to me, too cluttered, too full of families - always a sticking point for a barren grump like me.

Then, I was invited to the Qype Manchester 'Burgers and Booze' event which was held at Giraffe last Thursday. Being a massive glutton - and a lady who will never turn down free food and booze, I couldn't really say No. Also, having been to a few of these events before, I knew I was in for a good nigt.

I was totally bowled over by the service we received from the serving staff when I walked through the door. Warm, friendly, but not too overbearing, they were polite and admirably patient - not an easy thing to do when you have eight people shouting out drinks orders all at the same time. They really couldn't do enough to make us feel welcome - who knows, perhaps when they go home after an eight hour shift they shout cursewords in a padded cell and batter hunks of meat with their bare fists to relax - but when they're at Giraffe, they're all sweetness and light. Which is more than can be said for some of the serving staff I've encountered at other eating establishments recently.

The key ethos of Giraffe is to serve fresh, delicious food - something which was explained in great detail to us by their Executive Chef. He described in painstaking detail the effort the kitchen staff went to to ensure the sustainability of their meat, and how they endeavour to find the right bread buns for their burgers - all of which are handmade from 100% meat. Whilst he was speaking to us, Ryan Giggs (yes, that Ryan Giggs) came over to him to shake his hand and thank him for the lovely meal he'd had. So they must be doing something right.

I had a chicken burger with chorizo and spicy corn salsa. Whilst the salsa could have been a wee bit spicier for my tastes (readers note: I have blood like tabasco sauce), the actual quality of the burger itself was superb. A huge chicken breast grilled to perfection, topped with fresh avocado and massive hunks of chorizo sausage. After one bite, I was in a big meaty reverie, and I clung to my burger like it was a life raft until it was all gone.

However, for me, the definite highlight of the evening was the dessert - a Rocky Road sundae, which was so big that I immediately reverted back to being five years old and squealed with glee when it was presented to me. I slurped the whole thing up with an unrestrained joy and even had to get one of my friends to wipe the sides of my mouth with some spit on a hanky - you can't get better regressive thrills than that!

My night at Giraffe was filled with good food, good drink and great company - and a meal there won't break the bank either. This is one fast food venue I won't be idly just walking past ever again.

I’ve not really visited Spinningfields much, mostly because I had no reason to. Until I went along to Giraffe to take part in a Qype event, that is.

When we arrived, we were given a very warm welcome and a drinks menu. And as soon as I clocked my favourite Brooklyn Lager on there, I knew it was going to be a good night!

One of the Executive Chefs joined us to tell us a little about the origins and ethos of the business and, more importantly, the burgers, which he said were handmade from 100% meat. When we were lucky enough to try some afterwards, you could tell.

I had a Greek lamb burger on focaccia bread. It looked about ten feet tall when it arrived, but I quickly demolished it. Yum! Although I was completely stuffed, I decided to go for a dessert anyway - and I'm glad I did. The chocolate cheesecake was amazing!

All in all, eating at Giraffe was a great experience that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a low key, high quality place to eat. I'll definitely be making a return trip!

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

As someone who is immediately put off by things that remind me of woolly world music events, I have to say that entering Giraffe, with it's WOMAD soundtrack and charity pamphlet decor initially gave me cause for incredibly vague concern.

However, because I'm not a complete idiot (nearly, but not wholly), I gave the place a chance and I'm awfully glad I did.

Attending as part of a Qype event, we got to meet the chef who told us about the ethos of the place. He told us that the mandate of Giraffe is Fresh! Fresh! Fresh! Basically, it seems that this small chain wanted to create an eaterie that gives you super fresh food for reasonable prices.

The average price for a burger is around £7/8 which compared to McDonald's is a bit steep. However, comparing Giraffe's burgers to a Big Mac is like comparing a bottle of flat pop to a really nice wine.

The food itself is stacked high - you'd need a jaw you can unhinge if you're thinking of tackling it without a knife and fork. I had a Mexican burger, which was really great. It came with a side of chips which all went down very pleasingly with a bottle of Mexican beer.

The staff are also super friendly and very attentive. The back up the whole informal ambience of the place which is very pleasing indeed.

I'm not sure you'd take someone there if you want to impress someone with fine-dining... but that doesn't feel like the point. It's a laid-back, comfortable place which would be great if you wanted something nice off-the-cuff. If I had children, it seems like a really good place to take them. But I don't have children. Which is good because they'd probably be shrieking idiots.

Anyway, Giraffe - well worth a visit and a place that you'll probably go back to repeatedly. Highly recommended.

Brightly lit restaurant on the edge of Spinningfields Square in the shadow of all the new tower blocks.

It was a nice day, so we sat outside underneath a bright orange umbrella. I ordered chicken potstickers (usually known as gyozas) which were unusually crunchy but were still fairly tasty. My girlfriend had potato wedges with salsa and cream which was pretty basic but still ok.

We both had the cajun chicken burgers for our main course - the chicken was a bit dry plus it was stacked so high with tomato, onions etc you couldn’t actually eat it as a burger which was a little annoying.

The bill came to £37 - well actually it came to £33 but they sneaked a 10% automatic tip onto it which I didn’t spot until I’d paid it, a bit cheeky to say the least.

As a restaurant its alright but there’s better ones out there…

Giraffe in Spinningfields is part of a growing chain that I first visited in London. The restaurant is modern, bright and airy, desorated with vibrant artwork. Staff are generally friendly and helpful, though the service can suffer during busier times.

The menu is a little limited in terms of the number of food choices available, however the food on offer is exciting and the quality is good.

The busy periods seem to be between 5-7pm on weekdays, and as you would expect in a business district the weekends are very quiet.

Starters will set you back by about £5, with main courses coming in at around £7-12. There is also an offer between 5-7pm (hopefully runnng indefinitely) which offers a starter and a main course off a selected menu for £6.95. During the same period there is also a 2-for-1 offer on cocktails (which are priced at around £5) - in my book this offers amazing value.

All in all this is a great restaurant; the highlights being the relaxed atmosphere and value of food on offer.