Maray Manchester
Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor
It might have started life in Liverpool, but Maray has quietly become one of Manchester’s most reliably great places to pop in for drinks, lunch, family meal – you name it. It’s a small plates restaurant focusing on Middle Eastern-inspired cuisine. Expect friendly staff, affordable dishes and a wine list for everyone from the amateur drinker to true boffins.
As spring 2025 kicks into gear, so does Maray’s new menu, which is all about fresh new ideas and twists on old favourites. It’s a tidy list of small plates of varying sizes, with a pleasing amount of vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Mezze fan? Maray’s raved-about whipped goat’s cheese is back and better than ever. Swirled up with honey and thyme, it’s now topped with tangy pickled watermelon and their signature dukkah (a marvellously balanced dusting of crushed-up toasted sunflower, pumpkin and linseeds, seasoned with sea salt, cumin and coriander). It’s an inspired dish, with an ever-evolving texture.
The lamb keema, from the meat section, is another highlight. Silky smooth hummus provides the base level for an array of colourful toppings that veer from zingy stone fruit to earthy vegetables, brought together in service of the powerfully spiced ground-up lamb meat. Instructions: grab pitta, scoop.
The rump steak deserves a special mention. It’s not quite as dramatic as some dishes – speaking of which, the sweet potato has been jazzed up and discofied, similar to their now-legendary cauliflower plate – but it’s a grand cut of meat, speckled with crunchy chunks of salt and paired with an elegant tarragon-infused béarnaise sauce that’s markedly better than any other béarnaise sauce we’ve had in recent years.
Moving on to fish, the cod loin is a must. The thick-but-delicate fish is pan-fried, cooked in rich, nutty brown butter, served with a parsnip purée, and finished with a smart sauce vierge that gives the plate the right amount of citrus tang.
The Medjool date bread and butter pudding is the Sunday dinner staple levelled up with the Moroccan fruit (also known as “the fruit of kings”), plus créme anglaise, fresh Chantilly and dulce de leche.
Maray never disappoints, and this new spring menu is a treat. It’s full of loosely Levantine creations that seem simple but have fascinating hidden depths. It’s the kind of place you can pop in for one, two, hell, five or six dishes, and feel like you’ve experienced something special.
