My partner and I had wanted to eat at Wood since we first heard that Simon Wood was opening his own restaurant in Manchester. Having watched the 2015 series of Masterchef and heard good things about the work Simon had done at Oldham FC hospitality, we were keen to see for ourselves what his food was like. On a personal note having been lucky enough to have visited Grenache in Walkden a few years ago having lived local to it, I was also intrigued to see that Mike Jennings the owner and chef patron, was now head chef at Wood. So we booked in early November 2017.
As with all of my ramblings on this blog about restaurants, in my opinion it is not just about the food itself, but the whole experience of the evening at a restaurant. Therefore you will see my reviews split down into my key areas below…
Reservations & Website
For me where it all starts, just how easy is it to make a reservation and how are you treated during what is the start of your experience.
I booked before the restaurant was actually open, so as is often the case in this day and age I went to book via the website. Straightforward booking experience through a standard web reservation system, but all worked well and very efficient.
In addition, as a special occasion, I also wanted to ensure the restaurant knew I wanted to book the wine flight and followed the reservation up with a mail which was responded to positively and efficiently – overall a simple and efficient.
On re-visiting the website recently, I do find it a little confusing in content due to the sheer number of offerings Wood offer – a la carte, theatre, lounge, tasting, wine – along with when they are each available . I presume this is whilst the restaurant is new they are still trying to find an identity, but when deciding to book may well be intimidating for some.
First Impressions
Wood is in a “new” and developing area of Manchester of First Street. As such it is vibrant, but in some cases still being built areas, but even on a typical wet Manchester Saturday evening there was a good vibe about the place. Close to the Home Theatre complex and flanked by a couple of bars the location, even if not central (though not an issue for us) is good and well accessed by local transport. They will do well out of the theatre trade no doubt, but obviously the people behind Wood want to be more than just that.
Initial greeting was very efficient and friendly though thankfully not too formal and fusty, fitting with the feel of the place. The main restaurant space is a large, open, double storey glass fronted environment, with the exposed kitchen area very much the focal point of the restaurant – here you can see the chefs including Simon Wood himself, ply their trade whilst you sit, eat and drink.
We were fortunate to be seated in one of the large booths, so had an excellent seat with full view of the restaurant and the open kitchen. There is also a reasonably sized bar area with separate seating, and it is obvious that the cocktail and bar menu are a high focus revenue stream. The atmosphere was good, and whilst a busy service, you could still easily hold a conversation. The bar area itself was quiet on the night we were there, and whether on busy night in the bar the ambience of the restaurant is affected or not would be my only question.
Special note must be made of the music playing as background within the restaurant. Whilst not normally a fan of this, in this environment it fitted well being a mix of mostly classic 80’s hits and onwards. May just be my age and music taste showing but definitely a welcome addition to the experience.
