As the lesser-known sister to Ramona, situated in the heart of Ancoats, Firehouse is a small-plates restaurant with a friendly but intimate atmosphere, making it a perfect spot for your next birthday dinner or girls’ night out. While it does not boast popular DJ sets and Chicago-style pizzas as Ramona does, it certainly merits a place in the trendy upcoming Ancoats list, but without breaking the bank. We visited to try their new ‘Supper Club’ menu exclusive to Wednesdays.
We started our night sampling their great selection of £6 margaritas. We would recommend the Ramona Tommy, which replaces the usual triple sec with a sweet agave syrup making it refreshing and sharp without relying too heavily on either the tequila or citrus flavour, alongside the frozen margaritas, which were also fantastically balanced. As for other drinks, whilst the beer selection was wide, it was expensive, with IPA cans for £6 minimum. On draught, the Ramona Pilsner was similarly expensive yet rather weak in flavour.
As we moved onto food, it’s clear that Firehouse focuses on reliable classics, all cooked over a fire to produce that smoky moreish flavour. We tried everything from their Wednesday ‘Supper Club’ menu where, rather predictably with the name ‘Firehouse’, the meat dishes took centre stage. The £14 Picanha Steak, which came coal-fired, impressively rare, and topped with a zesty chimichurri, was perfect for those craving Latin American flavours. Similarly, the £16 Peri Half-Chicken was generously sized and perfectly charred, but the great addition of roasted lemons with peri-gravy contributed massively to the flavour.
As for vegetarian options, the mezze plate’s presentation was excellent. It came with three dips, pita, chermoula squash, sweet potato, tabouleh, red cabbage slaw, and broccoli. This was a decent portion size for £15 and the dips were a great addition to the main meats. The stracciatella – a creamy dip with sharp acidic tomatoes on top – was a favourite, whilst others preferred the creamy hummus and muhammara. All of these were complemented perfectly by the pillowy, soft pittas.
The vegetables brought some freshness to the plate and the tabouleh, chilli, and lemon-roasted carrots were interesting. Overall though, the vegetables were slightly underwhelming. Being served cold, due to being part of the mezze, made them somewhat unappealing and none of the flavours were particularly striking. We found none of them held up to the standards of the rest of the meal.
Therefore, we would recommend the main menu for veggie options, which unfortunately ended up being much nicer than the dishes from the Supper Club menu and demonstrated Firehouse’s reliable flame-charred sharing dishes that we had heard about. The Crushed Roast Potatoes and Appleby Creamery English Halloumi were intensely comforting and heartwarming. The potatoes came drowned in truffle mayonnaise and parmesan; the English halloumi block was roasted and soaked in hot honey then topped with sesame seeds, which provided a nutty taste to complement the honey. Both of these were presented excellently and made the perfect side accompaniment to any meal.
The Chargrilled Oyster Mushroom Kabobs proved to be the stand-out of the night. Brimming with piquant flavour, and a meat-like texture dipped in mojo verde, they made for the most interesting dish we had. Perfect for vegetarians trying to find a tasty alternative to the picanha steak, they certainly demonstrated the potential for more fantastic culinary experimentation from Firehouse.
Firehouse’s Wednesday Supper Club deal is not cheap and for true foodies expecting exquisite, experimental food this may not be the place. But what you can expect is generous portions and a lively atmosphere. With DJ decks and live music in the room next door, Firehouse is a great place to dance the night away after catching up with friends over a rustic, tasteful dinner.
Firehouse are open 4-11pm on Wednesdays, 4pm-12am on Thursdays, 4pm-1am on Fridays, 12pm-1am on Saturdays, and 12-11pm on Sundays.
