Bistro West 156

Based on my most recent experience at Bistro West I feel I need to update my last review and give the place 5 stars. The night was great from start to finish and I certainly couldn’t fault it. We were a large group but that wasn’t a problem at all. The service was friendly and seamless and at no point did we have to wait for anything even though they were busy. The food was fantastic. My salt and pepper squid starter was packed with flavour and had a bit of an Asian style kick. My salmon main was amazing and I loved the bubble and squeak cake that accompanied it. Also as we ordered from the set menu it only cost us £16 for 2 courses. A faultless experience and one I can’t wait to repeat.

Serving classic British dishes as well as additional European fare Bistro 156 offers variety in spades. It has a rustic environment that is relaxing and not at all stuffy. My last stay had me ordering the Lamb & pistachio nut meatballs with yoghurt & pomegranate from their new spring menu. It was very hearty and satisfying. Another great thing about the Bistro is that they have an all day Breakfast menu. This is great for me since I seem to only crave breakfast on off hours. This is a brilliant little restaurant to frequent.

Fantastic little place. Food was lush.

This review is for the Seasonal Set Lunch at £11.50 for two courses (set main course only is £9; three courses is £14).
I decided on this place to follow-​on from Thomas restaurant as I felt I needed more of a ‘bistro’. So I searched for bistro on Unilocal,and this was top of the list due to the name and the word being used in Unilocal reviews. Basically, I wanted to shave a couple of quid off the restaurant prices of Thomas with less fussy presentation and more food on the plate. The price is right here at BW 156 and so is the good, substantial food with relaxed presentation.
With regard to vegetarian choices, usual ‘cusine’ rules apply — that is, not a huge choice from what is already a short menu, but enough. From the board, the soups of the day were Leek & Potato with Rosemary and Tomato & Red Pepper. I went for the latter, and really enjoyed it. I find tomato soup is often too acidic for me, but this was not like that and just the right substantial consistency and interestingly seasoned. The warm white and wholemeal crusty bread added to the fun and butter was served as two lumps cut from a pat in a little white dish. (Why don’t more places serve butter like this, instead of rancid foil-​wrapped portions?!)
The set menu main of goats cheese, spinach & squash pot pie with homemade chips and seasonal greens was what had drawn me in from the website. So we’ve got a pot with a pastry lid on top, fat chips, mange tout and a tablespoon of some sort of mash of butternut squash and maybe coconut (I’m guessing!)
The pastry on the pie was fair enough, with extra presentation points for star-​shaped pastry decorations on top! However, this is the second time in a row when I’ve been served pastry which is burnt black at the edges in a bistro or restaurant! (Maybe this is due to some gourmet convention which I’m not privy to, but my own cooking experience points to either someone taking their eye off the ball or else a chef who is not confident enough to pull the pie out in time. In both cases, the filling was well-​cooked and then some and the rest of the pastry nowhere near being stodgy and undercooked — pull it out already, folks!) For the main, I would say it was well done for what it was, but not quite to my palate. I’m a bitty iffy about the sour flavour of goat’s cheese, especially when it is running right through the whole contents of a pie. The chips, mash and mange tout on the side were all done to a T. But I can take or leave chips and even normal potatoes in general these days. And the combined carbs of two hunks of excellent bread, a pie lid and maybe a dozen or so fat chips was just a bit much for me. (On reflection, maybe this isn’t a problem, just a reflection on the soup and bread starter being a filling meal for me.)
On a positive note, my impression confirms the conclusion of experienced high-​end diner John L. that this place delivers on the bistro tag. I’m seeing fried breakfasts, soup & sandwich deals (all £7 and under) and evening set menus on the website. They have a Mother’s Day set lunch at a very reasonable three courses for £20, two courses for £17.50 for what looks to be really pushing the boat out. But I personally would pass on that particular menu as not veggie-​friendly enough, especially when Greens (which I’ve yet to try) is just round the corner in Lapwing Lane. From the menus, puddings look to be a strong point, and dropping in for tea or coffee and ‘cake of the week’ is encouraged.
All in all, a very creditable eatery with reasonable prices especially for the in-​house cooking and the quality of ingredients they use. Indeed, for omnivores, Bistro West 156 may be a contender for the best restaurant in town. However, for my vegetarian self, although I will definitely be back, I think other places in Manchester may be a better fit — and I am going to have fun looking for them!

So many places these days lay claim to Bistro status that it’s nice to come across one that genuinely is. With a friendly and personal welcome into the place, which seats less than 20 covers, the neighbourhood feel is undeniable. It’s obviously popular with those neighbours, too.
Surrounded by frankly terrible artwork (am I harsh?), we ordered from the mid-​week summer set menu. It’s not very set, though — something like eight choices for each course.
My starter of butternut squash salad was a surprise: covered in cheese and served on chicory, the contrast of bitterness and sweetness worked perfectly. Presented in a bistro manner, perhaps, but this was a delicious starter.
My main was nice but not quite so good, essentially a mash-​free fish pie in a white sauce, with decent fries. The other dish the table ordered, essentially a fish and chips mixed grill hybrid, was met with murmurs of approval.
Places to go, things to do: we skipped the deserts this time.
At 17.50 for two courses you can’t really go wrong.

I visited this place on the recommendation of a work colleague who proclaimed it to be ‘much better than The Lime Tree’ and less expensive. I found it to be very pleasant and extremely warm and friendly, probably with quicker service than its neighbour, but overall, it was lacking something foodwise. There were definitely some inventive dishes on the menu, but maybe a little too inventive in some cases (some of the dishes seemed to have a lot of ingredients and extremely long descriptions). I was also disappointed to find that on the occasion I went every fish dish involved prawns in some guise or another, and thought that it was a bit of an oversight considering that quite a lot of people have shellfish allergies (I concede that this is a pretty petty point, but I just thought I’d mention it). One other thought I had was that the portions were absolutely ENORMOUS. While some people might like that, I kind of thought it was a bit odd. There was no way I could have even two courses, never mind three, at that size. I felt that while it was trying to compete with places like the Lime Tree etc in terms of price and food quality, there were subtleties in the way the menu was structured that just wouldn’t allow for that. I think Bistro West is good, don’t get me wrong, I just think there are things they could do to get people to eat more courses of their food!

Located in the heart of foodie paradise (that’s Didsbury for those not in the know) Bistro West 156 is everything a great bistro restaurant should be. It’s intimate and the décor is simple: wooden chairs, purple walls and a rotating art from local artists. Run by a husband and wife duo who personally create all the wonderful British dishes on offer here, you can tell that they take so much care and get so much pleasure from getting the smallest detail just right.
The last time I visited the restaurant I was advised by the waitress to try the Lamb ‘Henry’ slow roasted with oregano, lemon & garlic on a roast red pepper & courgette barley risotto. It didn’t come cheap at £14.95, but it has to be one of the best meals I’ve had all month, tender and delicious.
There’s a wonderful selection of wines here too, specially picked to accompany the menu. The Espiga Tinto went very well with my main, very well indeed!

I visit many restaurants with family and friends: this is consistently one of the best. if your notion of a very good restaurant is the same as mine: one where the choice and quality of the food is invariably excellent, and this is your main reason for eating out, you will not be disappointed whatever your tastes. As a non-​vegetarian I often choose a vegetarian option here and I have never regretted it.
It’s small and cramped and acoustics can be poor but the chef is magical and clearly loves to present food which is both visually stunning and tastes wholely divine. The wine list is small but good and very fairly priced. In terms of value for money you can’t beat this place

I think Bistro West is possibly the smallest restaurant I have ever been to! It has a really welcoming and friendly feel, and the service is excellent. There are only a few tables, but we never felt rushed at all — they were happy for us to take our time with our meal, and it was a lovely relaxed atmosphere in which to sit and chat.
It’s great value for money too, for really top-​quality food. The menu is quite adventurous, so it gives you chance to try things you haven’t had before. One of the best meals I’ve ever had, and the melting chocolate pudding is to die for!

Bistro West is situated in Didsbury Manchester. Myself and some friends went to Bistro West and sampled the evening set menu which for £16.95 (3 courses) is really good value for money. The restaurant was smaller than I expected but was clean and welcoming inside. The food was very good — loved the crab cake starter, the duck was good too — large protion. For desert we both had the crème brûlée and it was lovely too! recommended.