Doobedoobedoo

We ate out at Dukes Grill, in Dukes 92, on the canalside in Castlefield. No bad.

It was a little cold, and the walk along the canal itself to get there made us readt for some warmth whne we arrived. Pity about the broken crokery outside the main entrance. They weren't busy and were certainly keen to serve us, so we repeatedly asked them to give us a little time to actually read the menu... In the end, I plumped for the 6oz ribeye bavette steak, beaten thin and marinaded overnight in garlic and olive oil. Myn opted for the beef & horseradish risotto and we had a side order of honey roasted root vegetables, with a bottle of Berri Estates shiraz.

Myn enjoyed the risotto, which (from my small sample) seemed to be ideally cooked: not chalky and not stodge. However, my steak was incredibly salty. It was also very tender, and the marinade had given it a pleasant taste. But my goodness, was it salty.

"How are you enjoying your meals?"

"Very nice thanks, but this steak is very salty"

"But they've only been marinaded in garlic and olive oil: it shouldn't be salty"

"Maybe it's my taste, but it is definately salty."

Eventually, they agreed that the marinade was too salty and offered us a free dessert. I had a sticky toffee pudding and Myn had a chocolate toffee brownie. Both were good, and neither - I'm glad to say - showed any sign of having been near a cream aerosol can.

The surroundings were pleasant enough. However, the music was a bit loud and one got the feeling that had the bar been full, then the noise would have been quite overpowering. Also, the back door opened directly into the restaurant area, which let in a cold blast every time it was used. So: overall not bad, but with a few provisos. Would possibly go again, but only if I wasn't after anything in particular. There are other placed to go for pizza / pasta / risotto, or for good steak, or for good fish. There are some excellent wine bars around that offer food and there are some great pubs you could visit.

In other words, Dukes 92 does high-end pub food. From that perspective, it does it well enough, but you may want a glass of water if you order a steak.