NYE 2019 - Your last meal of the decade? Better choose wisely

As we wrap up not just another year but another decade, party season beckons big time. If you’re not firmly in the house-party camp and the idea of going out on New Year’s Eve doesn’t strike fear into your very core, you might want to treat yourself to a night of good food, fizzy booze and all round joie de vivre. 

We’ve had a scan at what’s on offer on the food front and put together a list of recommendations for all budgets. (Price in descending order…)

Where: The Lowry

How much: £145

Want to ring in the new year in total and utter luxury? The Lowry is pulling out all the stops with their black tie, four-course dinner. There are meat, fish or veggie options to choose from: venison carpaccio, pink champagne sorbet, queen scallops, beef fillet, Michael Cluziel chocolate, all the wish list items are there. A champagne toast at midnight and the option of booking one of the recently refurbished rooms makes this the ultimate ‘because you’re worth it’ indulgence. 

Where: The Midland

How much: £99

If you love getting dressed up in a dickie bow and cummerbund or a fairytale ballgown, this might be the glam NYE event you’re after. The Midland’s NYE Sparkle Ball is as glamorous as you might expect from the hotel that once refused The Beatles entry to the restaurant for being ‘inappropriately dressed’. You could say this is the Rolls Royce of NYE parties. There are champagne and canapés followed by a suitably posh four-course dinner which features a beef or beetroot wellington as its main event. Live music and DJs will keep you in the spirit until midnight.

Where: Peter Street Kitchen

How much: £85

A few doors down from the Midland, Peter Street Kitchen sits in the old Free Trade Hall. It's fancy enough to give you an excuse to dress up, but the Japanese-Mexican fusion small plates provide something a bit more edgy on the food front. Guests will be greeted with a glass of Moët and canapés followed by a choice of four small plates. Choose from dishes like black pearl-peppered calamari with tequila lime sauce or 28-day aged rib-eye beef with yuzu kosho, smoked sea salt and black pepper. 

Where: Tattu

How much: £80 (or £40 for veggies)

If one of the things you prioritise for the perfect New Year’s Eve is getting the best possible selfie, then Tattu with its cherry blossom centrepiece and rose garden bar area could well be your ‘grammable go-to. The Chinese-style 'three-wave’ sharing menu includes extravagant dishes like whole lobster with wasabi gratin and chilli and sesame roasted scallops with Chinese sausage, crushed edamame and mint. There’s also a traditional petal drop at midnight, “say ‘Chinese’!”

Where: The Creameries 

How much: £75

The Creameries are offering a glass of their favourite natural fizz on arrival and kicking off with some of chef Mary-Ellen’s famous snacks - Old Winchester cheese gougeres and Carlingford oysters & cauliflower kimchi, anyone? There are three courses to follow including Lyme Park venison with parsnip and scotch pine (or a roast cauliflower with Killeen cheese fondue alternative) as the main event. A certain big-shot food writer - no, not Gordo - recently gave this Chorlton gem an absolutely rave review, and it's only dinky, so you might want to book ASAP if you fancy heading there for NYE.

Where: Masons

How much: £75

The inspiration behind the seven-course NYE menu at Masons comes from the diverse heritage of the kitchen team. Head chef Nathan grew up in Ramsbottom (cod with salt ’n vinegar sauce, venison with black garlic) and sous chef Piotr has a Polish background (beetroot consommé, pork belly with red cabbage). There’s a crowd pleasing chocolate marquise for afters. Festivities at the plush restaurant in Manchester Hall start at 7pm with a glass of champers on arrival. 

Where: Tast

How much: £70

Paco Perez has so many Michelin starred restaurants we’ve lost count and some say Tast should have added to the list this year. The football-loving chef has designed a suitably eccentric, Catalan style New Years Eve menu for the celebrations at Tast. This is the top choice for those looking for a surreally great meal to end the decade with. Dishes include oyster with ponzu sauce, trout roe and seaweed and sole filet with meunière sauce. At midnight, guests will take part in the Spanish tradition of hastily wolfing down 12 grapes for luck, one per chime.

Where: Firefly/Foodwell

How much: £70

Foodwell by day, Firefly by night, whatever you know the place as, its Wanderlust NYE menu offers six-courses of travel inspired fusion cuisine. This is another one for those seeking something a little adventurous for their last meal of the decade. Daring culinary combinations like Italian/Korean (black rice arancini, umboshi dust & kimchi mayo) and Nordic/Indian (curried seared Nordic scallop, black tamarind pathia, charred cauli & Northern Lights papadum) feature on this all en-compass-ing six-courser.

Where: The Oystercatcher

How much: £60

The Oystercatcher serves up some of the best fish and seafood in the region year-round so we're confident that their NYE menu is worth shelling out for. There's an up-scale five-course menu which includes a seafood platter with red prawns and oysters, halibut with brown shrimp sauce, pommes Anna and Jerusalem artichoke puree, and a chocolate tart with blackcurrant sorbet. 

Where: Cosy Club

How much: £54.95

If you like the intimacy of large parties and you have a voice full of money, you might want to Lindy hop on down to Cosy Club’s Great Gatsby themed NYE bash. This one’s not just dress fancy but fancy dress - in a flapper or dapper style - with a bottle of champers for the best dressed table but even if you don’t win you can take polaroids of your efforts with Gatsby themed props at the special booth. There’s a welcome cocktail and canapés, a four course meal and a toast with Prosecco at midnight all to the tunes of a 1920s style band. 

Where: Banyan Spinningfields

How much: £40 supper / £5 entry to the party

Banyan Spinningfields is also taking inspo from Gatsby and the ‘roaring 20s’ for their NYE bash. The party kicks off at 6pm and continues until the wee small hours. There’s bubbly on arrival, 2-4-1 cocktails all evening, a ‘selfie mirror’ - no, us neither - and that 1920s classic entertainment, wandering ‘human disco balls’. Entry to the party is just a fiver but there’s also a bottomless supper for £40. Served between 5pm and 8pm, this includes one dish - maybe a Malayan cauliflower curry, a burger or a crispy duck salad - plus bottomless drinks - choose from Prosecco, Aperol Spritz, Coors or Kir Royale - for 90 minutes. 

Where: Chaat Cart

How much: £30

If all that lobster, truffle and scallops isn’t your idea of a decent scran and you’d prefer a good old Ruby, Chaat Cart are dishing up a feast. Recently added to the Good Food Guide, Confidentials has long been a fan of this southern Indian star in Marple. There are nine sharing dishes on the NYE menu including crispy bhel puri, mushroom momo and khozi kuttan chicken curry followed by a choice of chocolate orange tart, mango mess or vegan passionfruit entremet - that GBBO classic - for dessert. This one is super family friendly, with a kids option at £12 and two sittings at 5.30pm and 7.30pm. 

What: Nordie 

How much: £12.50

The cheapest option we’ve found is Nordie’s NYE event at just £12.50 a ticket. For this price you get entry to the party with local DJs Moonboots & Jason Boardman (Aficionado), a pizza from Basilico eco-conscious pop-up pizza (served between 8 and 10pm) and an arrival drink. There’s also a tap takeover from Wylam Brewery as well as natural wine & fizz specials available on the evening. If you’re only after entry to the bar, it’s just a quid! Kick off is at 8pm.