Podium Restaurant Bar and Lounge @ The Hilton

Three courses and a glass of Prosecco August offer from Podium Restaurant — situated in the Hilton Hotel. Lovely choices on the menu, even though on this seasonal deal, and with the usual suspects being at a supplement. Can’t go into specifics on the food as the menu is not available online — which would have be useful for reference purposes ! However, I can say that that my dining companions and I (we were 4) very much enjoyed the menu presented to us @ The Hilton. Service was excellent (although they were not busy, given that it was around 8pm on a Saturday evening). The food highlight for me, being a fish and chip «bon bon» with a pea purée, which was a delightful starter, and presented beautifully. A trip to Podium is recommended, and I would re-​visit to sample their a la carte menu.

Being the hopeless romantic I decided to take my partner for a Valentine’s dinner, I wanted to go somewhere that makes you feel special & that serves food to impress. Podium, situated in the iconic Hilton Hotel on Deansgate didn’t let us down. This was one sleek dining experience, from décor to service, it was flawless.
Then came the food… If I could eat this food everyday, I would. The Ham Hock starter was something I wouldn’t normally pick but the unusual pineapple, chilli chutney was delicious & ham just melted in your mouth. For our main we had the Surf n Turf. This was not rubbery prawns on a minute steak, this was half lobster on medium rare chateaubriand with hand cut chips, mushrooms & tomatoes. This was quite possibly the best steak experience I’ve ever had… And I’ve had a LOT of steak! For dessert I had the Whisky Crème Brûlée which was rich but still light and a great end to a super meal.
Thank you Podium for a lovely evening and excellent food. Needless to say I earned serious girlfriend points. I’m not sure how I’m going to top this next year! :)

The podium is frequented mostly by guests at the hotel above. It does provide a more than reasonable option for those looking to fine dine the night away.
Podium is mostly teaming with couples in the evenings when it is intimately lit, serving fine British cuisine with stunning views across the city and beyond.
Being a restaurant bar & grill in a hotel however has advantages such as offering freshly-​made smoothies or full English breakfasts for those who get in early to work.
I would recommend also treating yourself to an apéritif at the bar after work and maybe even dine with your better half on locally reared Cheshire beef fillet with celeriac purée, roasted beetroot and a potted beef Scotch egg… yum yum…
All is good in the Hilton hood…

The Podium Restaurant, Bar and Lounge is located on the ground floor of the Deansgate Hilton Hotel.
On first impressions The Podium looks fantastic. Everything about it is immaculate and stylish. The attention to detail in this place is an art in itself. Everything right down the carefully polished wire garden-​esque chairs to the avant-​garde hand arranged fresh flower display on each table screams class. The staff fall over backwards to help you without being overbearing and there is a calming atmosphere throughout.
The menu in the restaurant serves ever-​trendy «British classics with a twist» dishes, which again are elegantly served and delicious, but come at a rather large price, that perhaps can’t compete with other Restaurant’s on Deansgate. The lounge is more of a coffee shop; it’s glass wall perfect for people watching along Deansgate. The coffee served here is expensive and leaves one disappointed upon realising there is nothing special about it as everything is branded with «Costa».
Very good for an occasion as being in one of Manchester’s Iconic buildings feels very novel.