Where The Light Gets In - Stockport

This restaurant underwhelms and is very pretentious. The 9 course tasting menu plus an amuse- bouche of duck broth is overpriced at £110, the amount shown on our bill not the website, and lacks imagination and flair. There is neither style nor elegance in the courses served. I suspect the ethos of sustainability overshadows any aspiration to a full Michelin Star as opposed to a green one. Each course, served approximately 20 to 25 minutes apart, and is given an explanation by the server, without which we would indeed be wondering what it was all about. But to start at the beginning. The amuse-bouche is served as you arrive at the foot of a metal staircase, so anyone with mobility issues please note, behind which is a barbecue so one hand rail is very hot, inside wood tables and chairs adequately spaced but note two of them are in full sun (WTLGI – yes I get it if it’s a sunny day, pretty uncomfortable to eat at and nowhere to move them. The toilets are up another flight of stairs and the sink outside the toilets is two planks of wood which slope together, do I detect style over substance? On to the food itself; the main event after all. First is a pickle plate, six pieces a little bigger than a thumb nail and two carrots (dried? about 2 inches by a ¼ inch with three spots of black garlic. Two oysters follow which were admittedly tasty then chunks of sourdough (from local Yellowhammer bakery with duck rillette are next. Kholrabi with a gooseberry puree follows; gooseberries from a chap in Marple (sustainability . Cornish mackerel in a corn chowder was I felt a bit odd, we were told it also had mussels in it; my portion had half a mussel but for the life of me I couldn’t find any more. Then the main event; confit of duck leg finished somewhere to render down the fat and crisp up the skin. Needless to say neither mine nor my husband’s was rendered or crispy, such a classic rooky error, just undercooked fat – yuck. Finally an upside down plum cake which was admittedly light in texture but hardly palate cleansing. Oh and a cobnut macaron. Cheese is extra. Drinks? A 125ml glass of wine is between £12 and £19 and a bottle somewhere between £69 and £110, soft drinks and beer £6/7. Stockport’s finest (tap water is free and plentiful. Regretfully I cannot recommend this restaurant nor, probably to their relief, will I be back.

What a great experience. I went with my fiancée for dinner as part of my 40th birthday celebration and we didn’t have a complaint about any part of the evening. From the welcome to leaving, the service was absolutely phenomenal and couldn’t have asked for more. The food was fantastic, very inventive and each dish was really well executed. The crackers that were served with the cheese course are amazing and made on site. I’ve never seen them before and would buy them by the case if they were on sale separately. Homemade by one of the team and worth ordering the cheese board just to try them. The place is very relaxed and feels welcoming. We were sat at the chef’s counter and could hear the chefs making changes to sauces etc during the cooking process. It’s not cheap but I think it was definitely worth the cost and we’ll definitely be returning for our next special occasion. Definitely worth a visit. Thanks to the team who looked after us.

Very disappointing. It had been recommended but wouldn’t go back again. Some courses didn’t taste good, one was far too salty, tiny portions, nothing wowed us. The first course was a few tiny pieces of pickled veg that didn’t taste good The second was one tiny carrot each, which didn’t taste that good Some parts of the menu did taste good but nothing exceptional

Once you get past the interesting location, our experience exceeded our expectations. I would recommend coming from the St Mary 's church end, rather than the bottom of the road as it 's quite steep and cobbled, which wasn 't a good combination with heels! The dining room is light and airy and there was plenty of space between adjacent tables which were all full during our visit. The open kitchen is fascinating to watch as the staff interact with the food and each other in an incredibly smooth way. The food was all delicious, interesting and thoughtfully selected to be both seasonal and as locally sourced as possible. Portions were fine, except for the main, which needed another slice of meat and some potatoes. I will definitely visit again.

Perfect from start to finish. We went for our wedding anniversary and cannot fault anything. The food was exceptional. The mackerel dish was heavenly, the oysters delicious, the chestnut mushroom accompaniment to the sourdough bread was simply divine. The staff work cohesively as a team together and are friendly and knowledgeable. It has a relaxed atmosphere and isn’t pretentious like other fine dining establishments. The menu is varied and beautifully presented. Will definitely be returning in the autumn to sample the menu then.