Bar Shrimp, Manchester M1: ‘This is meaningful, highly adept cooking’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants

Grace Dent, writing for The Guardian Food, delivers a glowing review of Bar Shrimp, a new seafood-focused establishment located on New York Street in Manchester M1. She hails it as offering "meaningful, highly adept cooking" and positions it as one of the best dining spots in Manchester, if not the entire North of England. The restaurant's ambiance is described as "quietly sceney New York" rather than typical edgy London, featuring a glass-fronted facade, discreet net curtains, and a distinctive Tracey Emin-esque neon sign. Inside, it boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, high stools, small tables, and an open kitchen, creating an "unfussy, elegant, and confident" atmosphere that feels distinctly grown-up. The menu at Bar Shrimp centers on small plates of fish and other aquatic items. Dent praises several dishes, including Lindisfarne oysters served with shallot vinegar and Tabasco (£3.50 each), devilled eggs with brown crab and trout roe (£9), hand-dived razor clams (£14), and scallop tartare with elderflower dressing (£14). Other highlights include grilled prawns with garlic butter, perfectly cooked chips, and a monkfish dish with brown butter and capers (£24). Desserts, such as a chocolate mousse with olive oil and sea salt (£8) and affogato, also receive positive mentions. The wine list is noted for being small, interesting, and reasonably priced, complementing a selection of well-made cocktails like negronis and martinis. Service is consistently described as warm, friendly, and knowledgeable, contributing to an overall exceptional dining experience.