Delightful truly is the word which comes to mind when dining at Pip. From tasteful and warm decor, to excellent food and attentive service, Pip is of course one of the excellent venues which contributes to Manchester’s iconic food scene.
Set in the Treehouse Hotel, just five minutes away from the Arndale centre, Pip is an elegant but comfortable dining room. Our waiter, Tony, whisked us to our table as soon as we arrived, setting the tone for the thoughtful service we would experience throughout the meal.
We began with a rhubarb and gin cocktail which had been developed for Mother’s Day, and the passionfruit martini. Both were fruity and light, a great way to whet our appetites. The rhubarb cocktail was also an excellent example of Pip’s use of seasonal ingredients, as the restaurant places great focus on minimising food waste and showcasing local, fresh ingredients.
To start, we sampled a range of the snacks on offer including some special items designed for St Patrick’s Day. The potato cakes were truly excellent, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside with a sharp blue cheese melted on the top which drew out the natural sweetness of the potatoes. We also tried some Irish bread which was on offer for St Patrick’s Day, which was some of the best bread we have had in Manchester. It was delicately sweet with a spongy, light crumb surrounded by a crunchy crust, making for some delectable mouthfuls.
The cheese gougères were delightful, each bite just melted in the mouth into a puddle of cheesy goodness. These were an absolute must order which we would recommend for anyone dining at Pip. The golden oat buttermilk mushrooms had also been fried to perfection and paired excellently with the bloody Mary ketchup and spring onion mayo. The only snack we were slightly less convinced by were the split pea chips which were texturally a tad one-note. And, in comparison to the other dips, the mushroom ketchup didn’t jump out at us especially.
For main course we had the oyster mushroom casarecce and the soused pear and Garstang blue cheese salad. Made with Northern Pasta Co. pasta, the casarecce was incredible; cooked beautifully and coated in a nutty cavolo nero pesto with a generous dusting of parmesan on top, this is the dish we would absolutely recommend. Next to this, the salad was tasty without being exceptional and we would perhaps have expected a different ratio of leaves to cheese, walnuts, and pear for the £18 price tag it comes with. However, the bottle of El Renegado we had with the main course definitely brought it back. A strong but drinkable red, this paired excellently with the pasta and elevated the whole experience.
The dessert course came last and was the perfect way to cap off a great meal. For anyone dining at Pip: do not skip the dessert. The treacle tart with Earl Grey cream, buttermilk sorbet & candied bergamot was unlike anything we have ever tried before. The treacle tart had a light citrus note which undercut the sweetness, preventing it from becoming overly sugary. The accompanying earl great shot was thick and creamy, resembling a non alcoholic baileys with the classic earl grey flavour which harmonised perfectly with the light buttermilk sorbet.
The flourless chocolate cake was rich and indulgent. Despite a slightly grainy texture which shouldn’t be a part of a flourless cake, this was still a delectable bite. Fennel was an unexpected but welcome flavour for the ice cream, delivering an understated sweetness, and topped with a white chocolate and pistachio crumble.
Overall, St Patrick’s day at Pip was perhaps the most elegant Paddy’s day we have attended in a while, but one that we would unquestioningly recommend. With graduation coming up, for any students looking to impress their parents with a great celebratory dinner, the food at Pip should absolutely be a part of that conversation.
Pip’s A La Carte menu is available Monday to Wednesday from 12:00pm to 9:15pm, Thursday to Friday from 12:00pm to 9:45pm, and Saturday from 4:00pm to 9:45pm. You can view the whole menu here.
