Ducie Street Warehouse is a vibrant and spacious venue with a strong sense of community. It has everything: a bar, a restaurant, a cinema, and even has a workout studio attached to the side. I went down to try out their new autumn menu, and it did not disappoint.
On arrival, we were greeted with attentive service and the restaurant had a casual and relaxed vibe. The interiors are minimal and cool with an industrial edge. The open kitchen meant we could watch with fascination as the team of chefs worked seamlessly to prepare our meals.
We started with a cocktail each, I had a classic Cosmopolitan whilst my housemate tried the Pineapple Daiquiri, both of which were delicious and presented beautifully.
The menu is based on sharing plates of various sizes, which made it difficult to choose just a few dishes to try! We decided to go with one or two dishes from each section – the menu is categorised into Farm, Sea, Allotment, and nibbles to help you decide.
First up we had the rosemary and rock salt focaccia and the baby chorizo with aioli and fried onions. The focaccia was warm and fluffy but the chorizo was the standout dish, potentially even of the whole meal. The combination of the flavoursome sausage with the creamy aioli and the crispiness of the onions really was the perfect bite.
Moving on to the bigger plates, we ordered the chilli, sesame and peanut gochujang chicken with a miso dip, salt and pepper calamari, and the king prawn and queen scallops with chilli, garlic, and parsley.
The chicken was crispy yet tender and the marinade was delicious too. My housemate’s favourite was the prawns and scallops, they were light and fresh in comparison to the other dishes. The calamari was nice but could have been crispier, if we were being picky. We also got a side of Asian-style broccoli to get our greens in, and it was as good as broccoli gets.
An unexpected standout was the gingerbread sticky toffee pudding, which we ordered on a whim and could not have been happier that we did. It was a unique twist on a classic favourite and possibly the star of the show.
Overall the food was great and every plate had a distinctive taste. We really enjoyed the sharing aspect as it meant we got to try a large variety of dishes. This might not be the place for an average weeknight dinner, but it is perfect for a special occasion or a weekend when your parents are in town.
Ducie Street Warehouse calls itself Manchester’s “social hub”, and their new autumn menu with its emphasis on sharing plates reflects this completely.
Ducie Street Warehouse is located on Ducie St, Manchester M1 2TP and is open seven days a week for brunch, lunch and dinner.
