Wolf at the Door, Manchester: restaurant review

Bringing nature to the Northern Quarter, Wolf at the Doors' ethos is simple ingredients, communal seating and unfussy décor. Food and drink menus are seasonal and there’s a special focus on freshness and sustainability.

Who's cooking?

Although the team behind Wolf at the Door is a roll call of talent from Manchester’s hospitality scene, it’s ex-Manchester House chef James Lord running the pass and bringing a fine-dining flourish to proceedings.

What's the vibe?

Californian pastels and yacht rock set the ambiance. The bigger tables give the room a friendly, communal feel; the experience, like the food, is built for sharing.

What's the food like at Wolf at the Door?

On the snacky end there’s a treacly, double-buttered round of malted sourdough that comes with salt and a mound of sweet onion butter. Pressed potato is a retro croquette, topped with a creamy row of smoky crab meat and fresh dill. Elsewhere, there’s star dish of roasted cauliflower steak, slathered with pumpkin seed butter and topped with toasted buckwheat – possibly one of the best dishes being served anywhere in Manchester right now.

Monkfish is so rich and salty that it could almost be mistaken for pork and is joined by a verdant green sauce of burnt lettuce and chives. While a delicate treacle tart, to finish, even won over a table of treacle tart haters.

And the drinks?

Reinforcing the policy of simple, fuss-free dining, there’s an extensive list of natural wines and beers, some of which are unique to the venue. Get yourself some biodynamic goodness with the well-balanced Circumstance Cape Corral rosé, or a tasty small-batch ale from Somerset’s Yonder brewery.

olive tip

Up on the first floor there’s a specialist cocktail bar with a handsome menu (literally, it’s an art catalogue) designed to be in dialogue with the nature photography of Michael Thomason. Ideal for a digestif or two.

Wolf at the Door, 30-32 Thomas Street, Manchester, M4 1ER

Words by Stephen Connolly

Photographs by Wolf at the Door