Taurus, Manchester

On a sunny day Canal Street feels like a piece of Paris, complete with well-coiffed men daintily sipping cappuccinos while holding tiny dogs in their laps.

Taurus distinguishes itself from the usual disco din on offer in the Gay Village by offering a sophisticated refuge where the focus is on fine dining, good wine and quiet conversation. The music is always classy and never overly loud.

Book ahead for evenings or drop by some sunny Sunday morning to soak up the jazz sounds, sip an iced coffee and work up an appetite for a 3-course lunch.

Favorite Dish: Lots of British specialities, all with a luxurious twist and exquisite finishing touches...yet all very VERY affordable!

The cornfed chicken breast is very tender and tasty, the tuna steak is huge, whilst a friend of mine swears by their luxury burgers.

Plenty of veggie options, too and the wine list is varied but affordable. The one drawback is the lack of fine ales which, as anyone who has been around the Northern Quarter would know, is by no means the sole provence of old codgers walking whippets. Not everyone in the village is happy sipping on overpriced bottles of watery lager and sugar-laced vodka pops.

It's a cozy spot that i think is a club at night but we had a very tasty lunch there on a Sunday afternoon. It had couches around low tables, a little alcove that could seat about 6 and a few other tables and chairs around. The décor was modern with some interesting sculpture framed on the walls and cool blues and reds and greens covering surfaces. The food was reasonably priced and it was really tasty. I had a mushroom soup and a tuna baguette melt. The service was good and later, a man came over to chat. Not sure if he was the manager or owner (or both!) but had heard my accent and once clarified that it was Canadian, was full of questions about where I was from. It’s congeniality like that that makes you enjoy a restaurant even more, you feel welcome and appreciated for your custom and you definitely want to return in the future.