With so many dining spots in Manchester offering a range of supper clubs and bottomless brunches, it’s difficult to choose just one for a great evening out. The Alchemist has launched its Cosmic Supper Club menu and invited us at The Mancunion to try it for ourselves. I popped down on a Sunday evening to see if their menu would live up to their beautiful atmosphere.
The journey begins with the Cosmic Oyster Shots, served in gleaming metal shells atop a bed of glistening crushed ice. These miniature marvels are as visually stunning as they are delicious, and made for gorgeous Instagram stories! I had the pleasure of savouring the original cosmic oyster: a Bombay Press Gin-infused shot with a tantalizing blend of zesty limoncello, yuzu, and passion fruit pearls that popped on the tongue.
Meanwhile, my friend indulged in the Aperitivo oyster, an Aperol-infused creation with a symphony of citrus, grenadine, and orange bitters that she loved. Both oyster options truly represented the magical atmosphere of The Alchemist, and my only complaint was there was only one each.
Our adventure through the menu continued with an array of small plates. The supper club offers three small plates each, so we opted to share them all. With 19 incredible options, it was not an easy decision! Our favourites included the salt ‘n’ shake potatoes: smashed and served in a playful bag with malt vinegar salt and creamy garlic sauce and the chicken pan-fried gyoza.
Although it was a struggle salting them due to the bag being so full, these were the best potatoes I have ever tasted – they were crispy, but still soft, and the malt vinegar salt added a classic but delicious flavour. For sure a must-order if you try this yourself. The chicken gyoza was fried to perfection, but the real showstopper was the Vietnamese-inspired sweet chilli dip they were served with, which was honestly comparable to tasting the real thing in Vietnam.
In addition, we also tried the chorizo and cheddar dough balls, which were served in a true theatrical style with a syringe of cheese on top. These were bursting with flavour from the chorizo and mature cheddar; however, they were on the dense side, so they weren’t something I would personally order again. The Pork Bon Bons, though very subtle in their pork flavour, were delighted with the sweet tang of apple sauce and a crisp bite of pickled onion. Though these dishes certainly had delicious elements to them, they weren’t quite to my taste, so I would opt to swap them out for another tempting option from the menu next time.
For a sweet treat afterwards, we indulged in the Passionfruit Pancakes and Next Level Chocolate Brownie- yes, the menu includes dessert plates, too! Both were as aesthetically pleasing as they were delicious, with the passionfruit pancakes coming on top as favourite. They were served with passionfruit cream, miso butterscotch, burnt white chocolate and more; an undeniably perfect combination of flavours. The brownie was served alongside vanilla gelato with miso caramel and a rich chocolate snap, which elevated the experience. If the brownie had been served warm, it would have ticked all the boxes.
Unfortunately, the supper club menu doesn’t include one of the Alchemist’s famous theatrical cocktails, but obviously, we still ordered one. As a huge whiskey fan, I chose (with a recommendation from our lovely server) the Pipe Dream, whereas my friend opted for the vodka-based colour-changing option. The Pipe Dream was a mouth-watering combination of rum and whiskey served in a pipe and finished with dry ice. It had sweet notes from the vermouth, and I was glad to find the flavour hadn’t been compromised for the aesthetic.
My friend’s Colour-Changing cocktail added a whimsical touch to our evening as it changed from blue to lilac when added to the glass. Throughout our evening, attentive and friendly servers guided how to get the best possible theatrical experience from our drinks, infusing every moment with great hospitality.
I highly recommend indulging in this treat to reward yourself after the rigours of exam season. While it might not be an everyday indulgence for many students, the value of the experience makes it a worthy splurge for any celebratory occasion, whether it’s the end of exams, or simply attending that dreaded 9 a.m. lecture. Be sure to savour the cosmic oysters, as you will want to order another round. Looking ahead, it would be delightful to see The Alchemist consider incorporating cocktails or drinks into this menu, adding an extra layer of magic to this wonderful experience.
Overall, the Cosmic Supper Club experience was an aesthetically pleasing treat, and I was struck by the mixology and beautiful, unique menu.
The Cosmic Supper Club is available at all Manchester Alchemist venues, Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. and costs £20 per person.
