Beluga

Groupon voucher for afternoon tea and cocktails for two people £15… BARGAIN! I immediately got in touch with a friend and told her to buy one and we would all go out for the afternoon/​evening.
Booked it about two months in advance (due to the fact this was the first date we were both available — whatever happened to spontaneity?) and when we arrived the room downstairs was quite full… all of people having booked the same as us.
The room itself is nice — cosy, quite dark with its own bar. My chair however had a hole in the fabric :(
We were issued with cocktails — champagne (or a cheap imitation — not in my eyes a cocktail. About five minutes later the food was brought over on two platters. We hadn’t ordered anything (foodwise) or been shown a menu or any options for the afternoon tea — we just got what everyone was given. Egg mayo, cucumber, salmon and beef sandwiches, a tiny carrot cake a tiny brownie and a soggy scone with jam and cream.
The food itself was poor, and the lack of options, service and COCKTAILS was the same. But £15 for two people — its worth more than one star.
Literally everyone in the room was using a Groupon voucher and I wonder how many of them will be returning…

My housemate and I visited Beluga today with a Groupon voucher for afternoon tea ‘with a twist’ for £15 instead of the standard £36.
I will start with the positives; it is a sweet place, even if the décor may need a spruce up, but this may be because it is not a place built for afternoon tea, but a bar. The food was tasty enough and the bellinis went down a treat.
However, the service was borderline awful and we were ignored for the majority of our stay. It was quite busy — as in, all the tables were taken — but with one bartender and one waitress, it felt like things should have moved a bit faster. When ordering a tea and coffee it was explained to us that we were entitled to another cocktail (which hadn’t been offered even though we had finished our drinks about 10 minutes beforehand) but not asked whether we wanted them before/​after our hot drinks, so then got them together. And by got them, I mean we had to get up and get the drinks rather than having them served. Aand I didn’t get a spoon with my cup of tea. Aaand I didn’t get any milk.
Overall, I feel like I want to come back to Beluga for a drink, as the atmosphere was quite nice and in a quieter area of our fair city. However, it felt like a lot of touches were missing and we both left feeling full, and a bit tipsy, but very uncared for. Sad face for Beluga.
As all great parents and teachers say, i’m not angry, just dissapointed.

We went to the restaurant section which is downstairs, the ground level is purely a bar as far as I could tell, we were greeted and taken to our table and looked after by a couple of polite waiters.
The clientele were smart making for a nice atmosphere. Unfortunately as many others have noted the décor needs an update and it’s a little too dark, we sat in a corner where I spotted white splashes up the wall and on the edge of the seat, no idea what it was but it wasn’t nice. The whole restaurant had the appearance of an area that was previously used as a club and is in serious need of an overhaul, Claridges it isn’t.
The food and drink however was exceptional and it came out from the kitchen quickly.

Great value food, some of the offers on their website offer incredible value. However from reading about this place I had expected more. The service was slow and a little scatty. The place was really quiet and yet somehow service still took forever.
The food tried to be something it wasn’t, I never expected Michelin quality, but the menu gave titillating descriptions of what were surely to be wonderful plates of food. Sadly not, I had the black pudding and rocket to start, which is all it was. A load of rocket wilted by a mass of slightly singed black pudding piled on top. The duck main faired a little better though the pancetta was most definitely not pancettta more like cheap lardons. And the duck «roasted til pink» was so well done it took a good 20 minutes to chew through. The presentation of this concoction left a lot to be desired too, just a mass piled on a plate, with the poorly emulsified «Jus» thrown all over the show.
The restaurant looks lovely, the ambiance is nice, but if you’re looking for top quality food and not just a good lunch, go to Linen or Abode.

From what I had read about this place, I was expecting the place to be a little bit better. For an evening, it was surprisingly quiet with only about 5 other people in the bar /​restaurant area. As there were two staff serving so few people, I was surprised when the service turned out to be so slow and difficult.
As one was a waiter and one a bar tender, understandably they separate the roles, but surely they can cover for each other when necessary. When we were not ready to have our order taken, the waiter disappeared for approximately 15 minutes. This was fine, though surely the other staff should be trained to take an order on their behalf.
When our order arrived, it was surprisingly OK, though nothing amazing. The restaurant looks quite nice and has some outdoor seating so would be good in the summer or if it got busy. Other than the 30% off vouchers available on the web, I cannot think of any reason why you’d go out of your way to find this place or choose to eat there. As other reviews state, the town hall is right next door and must provide a huge proportion of their clientele.
+Friendly, helpful staff (when around)
+Nice looking bar
+Outdoor seating
+Good food
+50% & 30% off vouchers can be found online
–Lack of variety on A la carte menu
–Slow service
–Staff could be better trained

I implore ye to take advantage of the £19.99 Beluga meals with unlimited wine — the offers are on the website and it’s super duper value. Beluga’s housed in a beautiful building and has very little to do with the caviar or the whale from whence it came, but it is one fine restaurant.
The menu has a Mediterranean feel and as well as clay oven pizzas (the best kind, apart from Dirty Domino’s of course… what! I never claimed to be a gourmand) with stonkingly delicious toppings and light bites of Greek meze and tempura prawns, fishcakes and warm bread, you’ll find simple and delicious mains like oven-​baked sea bream, steaks or pastas, and my absolute favourite — the inventive, innovative and most importantly delicious savoury cheese and onion bread and butter pudding. I want to meet the genius that thought this up and pinch his or her cheeks in glee. Tomato and basil sauce, fried rocket, red onions, melted cheese, buttered bread and leeks and vegetables… heaven. Pure heaven.
It might seem a little pretentious on first glances, but Beluga really is worth a go. I’ve heard it has its off days but my visit was an absolute pleasure. The food tastes fresh and delicious and the prices, while a little dearer than chain restaurants, are pretty reasonable for the quality you’re getting.

This place looks quite lovely from the outside. It’s in a beautiful old building, just behind Central Library, and I’d often admired it. So when we finally got round to booking a meal there, I was pretty excited. There was such a great offer on, too three courses and unlimited wine for around £20 per person.
However, my heart sank almost as soon as we were led to our table downstairs. Although the décor looks nice from afar, it looks quite shabby when you’re up close. The waiting staff were also far too busy, which meant service was slow and unattentive. When our food finally arrived, it was awful. My main, a veggie risotto, was cold and slimy, whereas the rest of my meal was merely average. I know this was a cheap deal and I wasn’t expecting the world, but I left feeling truly disappointed. And this is unusual for me, I’m not a fussy eater.
Another thing that annoyed me about this place was that the clientele were a little bit too ‘Deansgate’. You know, bleach blonde hair, designer labels, all that jazz. Fine if you like that kind of thing, but I’d rather be in a grubby Indie bar where you can enjoy substance over style.

Grotty bar that needs refurb. Staff in a symptomless coma. Beluga? — name says it all. Belsen would be more apt.

I couldn’t disagree more with the review Alison gives of Beluga, but then she’s focusing on the drinking aspect, whereas my experience is of the lovely grub and wine, so I guess that’s something for potential customers to consider.
I first visited Beluga with Classy Friend and her parents, and it has become a fave of mine for special occasions. It’s a well-​known fact that Classy Friend is absolutely aces at picking a restaurant, and Beluga was no exception.
We were seated in the downstairs restaurant area, a quiet little cavern, very well lit, that also benefits from having no mobile signal; always good because it means your meal won’t be ruined by some loudmouth at the next table pretending to be a Wall Street trader.
The food here really is good. With a Mediterranean slant, expect lush salads, perfect pizzas and faithfully cooked meats. I can personally recommend the fillet steak, which comes in at a competitive £21 (add £1 for the lush pepper sauce) and will come to your table cooked *exactly* how you want. When a steak is as rare as I like it (about 10 seconds past bleu) you can really tell if it’s quality meat. And, my friends, this steak came from a very tasty cow! If you’re on a date, a natural sharer, or you just have a big appetite, you could do worse than to plump for one of their starter platters (£10-£12), which are very hearty indeed. The boyf strongly recommends the oven baked sea bream, and as far as I remember, Classy Friend’s dad would not shut up about the tuna steak (unfortch not on the current menu)
The wine list here is one of the few I can’t comment on, because since my first visit, I have always just ordered a bottle of the house red. Fruity, full, and priced around £18, it’s exceedingly good for a house wine (well, it must be, as I don’t even bother looking at the list!!!)
There are three set menus priced £15 (vege), £20 and £25, all of which are made up freom components of the a la carte menu, with the slow roasted lamb shank making an appearance. From what I saw of a table-neighbour’s lamb shank, it is pretty incredible; flaking off the bone in juicy chunks, and I have resolved to plump for that when I next visit.
All in all, Beluga is a very nice place to have a special meal, especially if you get to sit in the intimate basement. For city centre dining, you could certainly do a hell of a lot worse.

This is a poncey bar where the frequncey that its décor changes is only surpassed by the frequency with which the beers on tap change?! Note, it is also a ‘feature’ of this place that a full range of draft beers are available only if they have stocked up for the week… something that they seemingly don’t like to do all that often given the number of glasses on taps at my last visit. Sorry, but the only reason I ended up in here was to meet some friends from Manchester Council who only congregate in here because it is the first bar you fall into after leaving the town hall, and were it not for this clientele, I doubt the place would still be in business. Nice idea, but could do better. MUCH better.

I had a lovely meal here before the theatre. I had a voucher for 50% off so it was great food for fantastic prices! The staff were lovely and made sure we weren’t late for the theatre.

Beluga is a modern and trendy bar and restaurant with a young trendy crowd. There is a split level bar on the ground floor and a restaurant that seats about 100 in the basement. The food is very good quality and there is a menu to suit all tastes and pockets. It is a good place for a cosy dinner with your partner, or with friends. The bar serves a range of beers and spirits. The staff are very friendly and always welcoming. It is possible to sit outside and enjoy a drink after work under umbrellas giving a café society feel.

Bright and stylish bar/​restaurant just round the corner from Albert Square near Central Library.
The restaurant is situated in a large room downstairs, though with plenty of quiet corners so it never seems too crowded.
The food itself was very good — it’s difficult to go wrong with bruschetta (though it has happened) and my Thai spiced sea bass was delicately flavoured and slipped down nicely. My Baileys cheescake with ice cream was also hungrily devoured. The food was well received by the other members of the party I was with, other than a red pepper pie which contained every other colour of pepper except red, but that’s a minor criticism.
The service, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. The food came over in drips and drabs, some of us waiting a lot longer than others for their meals. I actually did quite well out of it, my main course and dessert came in the early wave both times, but after waiting a long time to eat (to be polite) and then being told by my dining partners to start eating, I’d managed to finish both courses before some people actually got theirs.
We were also asked to leave early as they’d double booked our tables, so we were rushed upstairs pretty unceremoniously not long after our deserts. They did knock 10% off the bill and gave us a free shot (of sambuca) to be fair, but it did kinda spoil the end of the meal for us.
4 stars for the food, 2 stars for the service — it’s good food but I’d go when it’s quiet, not sure they cope too well when its busy

Lovely place to go for a drink. Especially during the summer months when you can sit outside. This bar has a lovely atmosphere and the staff are always friendly. Haven’t eaten there yet but have heard very good reviews about the food.

this place is one of my favourites because it does the best (mushroom) risotto I’ve ever had also, the main restaraunt is situted downstairs and and had some rather intimate corners with large curtains the staff are happy to pull across should you want a bit more privacy. (great if your a messy eater or a loved up couple). The bar staff are friendly, a wee bit cheeky and know there stuff. Great cocktails. Can get jam packed in the later hours.

What started out an innocent lunch, turned into something more when me and my friends ended up in Beluga, although we had already eaten earlier, by the time we hit Beluga (after the 3^rd or 4^th Bar) we found we were starving again, and although the downstairs restaurant looked lovely and intimate we were only after something light to soak up the alcohol and the restaurant was a bit too formal for us all.
So if you don’t fancy the al la carte menu in the main restaurant downstairs Beluga also offers a brassiere style bar menu perfect!
The bartender was also very helpful, the cocktail that I wanted wasn’t on the menu but he made it anyway!
The only downside is that the bar area isn’t very big and the later it got, the more the doormen crammed in the guests.
I recommend it for a starting out place, or somewhere to end up if like us you’ve been out all day!

Beluga is a fairly standard affair. Decent selection of drinks, prices okay-​ish, décor smart enough. It does attract an after-​work crowdhow you feel about this will depend on your own preferences. My residing memory of my visit there was of a woman having a startling and highly emotional argument with a friend via mobile phone. A man in a suit sat opposite her and watched, like a hawk. I did not stick around to see how this played out, although I can imagine. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it, but having said that I can’t think of anything especially negative about it either.

A great location just behind Central Library, this place was a favourite back in the day when it was Citrus. The Beluga people have swapped the bar and restaurant over, so the restaurant is in the larger basement, while the bar is in the smaller ground floor space. Its beautifully decorated and the staff are pretty good. The food is good, though nothing spectacular. The bar is great for pre-​clubbing drinks — its right next door to One Central Street, and near enought to the the Venue and South. Its generally a chilled out, friendly crowd and vibe, and I would recommend it for weekday or weekend — a place you can rely on for a good evening.

really comfty seating makes you want to stay there all night. Good clientel of people giving it a relaxed yet cool city feel. Slightly overpriced however the beautiful food makes up for this