Tine at Kampus

Tine at Kampus, Aytoun St, Manchester, M1 3DA – Visit Now

Kampus is fast becoming a big name on, er, campus, and the latest pop-up addition to this attractive garden neighbourhood is Tine. The chefs behind Tine are James Lord and Josh Shanahan, two Manchester chefs who have worked in some of the city’s very best restaurants, including Where The Light Gets In, the sadly-missed Manchester House and Mana. And now they’re taking over The Bungalow, the in-house and on-stilts Kampus restaurant.

It’s a standout course and would be at any restaurant in the UK

The focus is on innovation and local British cuisine, served up in all-new and increasingly exciting ways. Tonight, we’re wowed by five courses, each remarkably different and each glorious in their own way.

We begin with a locally-caught oyster, served up beautifully on half a plum. On paper, the flavours shouldn’t work but it’s a wonderful creation, bringing to mind the very best of the British summer, but in a unique way.

The Dayboat ikejime sea bass continues the seafood element, with pieces of delicate, lightly cured sea bass served on top of a memorable smoked yolk emulsion – it’s the kind of sauce you dream about, rich but not overbearing, and an inspired match with the white fish. Then for colour and a dash of sharpness, the plate is topped with fresh orange tomatoes and a touch of lemon rind. It’s a standout course and would be at any restaurant in the UK.

Then, hogget loin with pumpkin seed stew. This is slightly-older-than-you’re-used-to lamb, which gives a boost of flavour to the meat, made into something truly special by the crispy outer casing of fat, and the gloriously pink and soft meat inside. The stew is rich and warming, full of cheek-watering aromas, and it comes with a welcome bonus: a fermented potato bread that works well at mopping up the rest of the plate.

For dessert, pickled green strawberry, served with walnut parfait and a frozen Eccles cake, which is actually grated over the bowl. It’s another subtle touch of genius that never goes too far into showiness, but always keeps flavour and taste at the forefront.

Astonishingly, considering the sheer skill and ingenuity on display throughout the entire meal, the final morsel is probably my favourite of them. It’s a small cracker hoop filled with soft Connage cheese and topped with slender pieces of fresh pear. It’s as simple as it gets but the combination of flavours brings it up to a whole new level.

If the food served today is typical of Tine, it’s a certainty that they’ll be shaping the culinary scene of Manchester for many years to come. A wonderful original meal, served up in one of the city’s most exciting new dining spaces. But be quick, Tine is only here until the end of September so get date night booked stat.

• Aytoun St
• Manchester
• M1 3DA
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• Website: kampus-mcr.co.uk
• Telephone: 01615461350
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