Tariff & Dale

Pen and Pencil, Frog and Bucket, Cane & Grain, Miller & Carter, Marks & Spencer… they say two’s company, but in the world of food and drink it’s a recipe for success. Manchester has enough two-title teasers to plot a pretty handy day out in the city, but it’s fair to say no route would be complete without the dark and mysterious Tariff & Dale.

But where is Tariff & Dale?

Well, it’s on the corner of Tariff Street and Dale Street in the Northern Quarter, hence the name, but I’m told the postal address is 2 Tariff Street, so technically, it’s slightly more Tariff than it is Dale. I imagine it’s a bit like Ant and Dec in that there’s definitely a double act scenario going down, but Dec commands more respect because Ant got hit with a paintball in Byker Grove and crashed his Mini in wellies.

But I love a name with a story and Tazzy-D has got one.

Back in the day, the home of Tariff & Dale was a cotton warehouse and bombed during The Manchester Blitz in World War II, so it’s been through the mill… sorry about the snide pun, but I had to weave that in. All the old stuff is still in there and you can see it all by the entrance and throughout the bar, so the history is ever-present. It’s a nice touch.

Tariff & Dale feels more like a place to drink than somewhere you’d eat, but the menu is impressive. There are loads of unique options to mull over and even the standard dishes are nuanced with exciting twists and creativity. In fact, the appetisers and starters sound so good, you’ll wind up pretty stressed out if you don’t just close your eyes and randomly point at one when the waiter shows up.

Tariff & Dale feels more like a place to drink than somewhere you’d eat, but the menu is impressive

My foodie finger landed on the wild mushroom arancini and the beef tartare taco, both of which exceeded expectations. The crispy taco plate is heaped with avocado, chilli, pickles and a stunning nduja mayo, covered in beef tartare and finished with a mesmerising, golden egg yolk. It was so pretty I didn’t want to pull it apart, but after the first mouthful I was like a bull in a china shop. The mushroom arancini was stuffed with mozzarella and covered in chimichurri and rocket so you can imagine how quickly they we thrown onto my tongue.

The sweetcorn and pepper relish transformed some pretty normal fries into a delightful sideshow

The drinks menu is huge and it’s all worthy because the bar upstairs is well stocked. If you like draught beer, there’s your Beavertowns, your Lervigs, your Paulaners etc and there are too many craft ale cans and bottles to mention, sorry guys. There are plenty of gins and an incredibly extensive cocktail list; well worth a squeeze if you’re in. Okay, back to the food.

The bone marrow steak burger was as good as it sounds, with a dill pickle, two slices of brie and all the crispy veg on a sweet brioche bun above a huge patty. I had to dislocate my jaw to take the first bite, but it was worth the pain and the sweetcorn and pepper relish transformed some pretty normal fries into a delightful sideshow.

The chicken Sunday roast was a right royal treat. I’ll call it the Prince William of roasts because it was beautifully-presented and fused contemporary flavours with classic themes. It came with a chicken breast, some soft vegetables and a massive Yorkshire pudding, but the mash and cauliflower cheese on the side were a sensational twosome. These creamy show stoppers arrived on a regal wooden slab and stole the show, just like Prince George does when he wears that gorgeous blue jumper at weddings.

If you ignore the fact that the name itself provides the exact location Tariff & Dale, is a hidden gem

Compared with the inside, the exterior is quite understated, so I’m going to label Tariff & Dale a hidden gem and I suppose it is, if you ignore the fact that the name itself provides the exact location. The thing is, it doesn’t too much wrong and it does a lot right, so this isn’t a place you should be stumbling across; Tariff & Dale is a place you should be building your evening around.