Six by Nico, Manchester: restaurant review

Based on a concept that’s won plaudits in Scotland and Northern Ireland, Six by Nico offers a themed, six-course menu (plus vegetarian option) that lasts just six weeks before changing. It’s an imaginative culinary carousel that makes fine dining fun and affordable.

Who's cooking?

Scottish-Italian chef patron Nico Simeone is the man setting the menus. Having learned his craft in sophisticated kitchens such as the Michelin-starred Number One at The Balmoral, since 2015 he’s been creating high-end dishes at his own sociable, approachable venues.

What's the vibe?

The dining room marries the sleek, dark panelling of a New York grill with the bright touches and burnished chrome of a stylish Parisian brasserie. Front of house are faultlessly polite and thoroughly enthusiastic about the food they serve. Low music and a buzzing atmosphere make it a place for friendly conversations and late-night assignations.

What's the food like at Six by Nico?

On our visit, the ‘Mexican’ menu was a well-balanced parade of plates, all united by hints of chilli, corn and coriander. A pre-menu snack of a chicken leg taco was a two-bite beginning redolent of Latin street food and the joyfully authentic taste of masa. A tasty half bowl of chilli con carne came with a pungent cheese espuma that was as European as it was Mexican, and just as delicious for it.

Swapped in from the vegetarian menu, a riff on tamales in the colours of the Mexican flag saw hunks of sweet watermelon and slivers of green chilli perfectly accent earthy corn. A sweet piece of sea bass was paired intelligently with the acrid burn of a charred, squid ink wafer, and for dessert a rich chocolate mousse came with banana ice cream and a ‘taco’ that turned out to be a crumbly, cocoa-rich cookie. At just £29 for this procession of ingenuity, you won’t find a better deal in town.

And the drinks?

For an additional £26 there’s also a five-glass wine pairing that matches the sunny flavours with sympathetically chosen bottles from Latin America and Europe’s brighter climates.

olive tip

Check out both the meat and the vegetarian menus and ask if it’s possible to swap any courses you’d rather have. The kitchen will do their best to accommodate.

Six by Nico, 60 Spring Gardens, Manchester, M2 2BQ

Words by Stephen Connolly

Photographs by BLK29