The Ivy Asia

Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor

Visit now

The Ivy Asia

The Pavilion, Byrom St,, Manchester, M3 3HG
0161 5033222
  • Monday8:00am - 1:00am
  • Tuesday8:00am - 1:00am
  • Wednesday8:00am - 1:00am
  • Thursday8:00am - 3:00am
  • Friday8:00am - 3:00am
  • Saturday9:00am - 12:00am
  • Sunday9:00am - 1:00am

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Image courtesy of the Ivy Asia.
Book now

New Year’s Eve:

No question, The Ivy is one of the hottest spots on Manchester’s dining scene. And it’s not hard to see why — with four floors and over five hundred covers, this is an impressive place, and the perfect setting if you’re looking for a New Year’s Eve with a bit of dazzle.

This year, the specially-curated menu is themed around Tokyo. It it begins strongly with Poached Lobster with Gochujang Hollandaise & Caviar on Blini, before a sharing menu that features everything from Tuna, Yellowtail & Salmon Sashimi with Truffle Miso Dressing and Yuzu to Snow Crab California Maki Rolls, Black Cod & Miso and Wagyu Beef Fillet, ending with Salted Caramel Cheesecake with Manchester Bee Honey Ice-Cream.

With a glass of Dom Perignon champagne thrown in for good measure, the New Year’s Eve set menu doesn’t come cheap at £175 per person, but nor does the calibre of food it entails. And hey, if you can’t push the boat out on New Year’s Eve, when can you?


 

Restaurant review:

No expense has been spared on this Spinningfields venue. Beautiful marble floors, chandeliers, plush pillows – so many pillows – and practically everything else that screams opulence. As is routine by now, this has led to mixed reports from grumpy locals tutting at the very idea of luxury, implying that Manchester should ‘know its place’. All of which is wearingly tiresome – it’s fine for a meal out to be a special event, dressing up and treating yourself is not a crime.

Buttermilk fried chicken, kimchi mayonnaise

Moreso, a restaurant should be judged largely on its cuisine, decor is just an interesting sideshow, and certainly not the main event. So, onto the food.

Today, we visit The Ivy Asia, the upper floor restaurant that focuses on, you guessed it, East Asian cuisine. Much like Tattu, the restaurant adds a splash of innovation to classic dishes, so while you’ll recognise ingredients and basic elements, there’s always something about each dish that elevates it above the norm.

Crispy duck bao, hoisin and five spice

First, buttermilk fried chicken with a little bowl of deliciously creamy-but-tangy kimchi mayonnaise. The chunks of chicken come in bitesize morsels – soft white meat with a crunchy coating comprising an impressive number of herbs and spices. They’re one of the more simple dishes on offer but a fine way to kick things off.

The raw scallops are where things get interesting. Razor thin slices of high-end seafood, layered with crunchy pickled slices, then dotted with Oscietra caviar and a tangle of subtly-flavoured noodles – it’s an immediate hit for both the eyes and tastebuds. Did we forget to mention the gold leaf? If you’re looking for wow factor, here’s your plate.

Thai sea bass, coriander, lime and chilli

The crispy duck bao is one of the more popular items on the menu, and for good reason. A soft spongy bun holds thick chunks of duck, rich in hoisin and five spice flavours. The Thai sea bass is excellent too, boasting a crispy skin and soft flaky flesh, full of coriander, lime and chilli flavours but never overpowering – plus the low-key addition of Thai basil adds a neatly complex element to the whole plate.

Duck massaman curry, cashew nuts

But the duck massaman curry is the standout dish. You don’t get much for your money – it’s a decidedly small bowl – but the combination of flavours are stunning. The inspired choice of duck meat blends beautifully with the creamy, spicy curry sauce, each mouthful delivering a new flavour, aniseed one minute, cashew nuts the next, shortly followed by an impressive thwack of heat.

If anything the desserts are even better. The creme brulee is a sheer delight, the faintest hint of matcha green tea balanced out with eye-wateringly sweet crushed raspberries and that all-important crunchy sugared top layer.

Matcha green tea creme brulee, crushed raspberries

But the white chocolate sphere is the optimum way to end such an extravagant meal. It’s exactly what it says on the tin, a perfectly round sphere, onto which the waiter pours a hot caramel sauce, which melts away to reveal passionfruit, meringue and yuzu foam. It’s a stunning end to an excellent, albeit pricey, meal.

White chocolate sphere, passionfruit, meringue, yuzu foam, caramel sauce

You probably wouldn’t visit The Ivy Asia on a daily, or even weekly basis, not unless you have endless pockets and a penchant for gout, but when it comes to event dining it’s up there with the best. Ignore the nay-sayers, it’s fine to dress up and treat yourself. Manchester is a world-class city, The Ivy provides food – and an experience – to match.

What's on near The Ivy Asia

Where to go near The Ivy Asia

Testbed Main Space
Leeds
Event venue
TESTBED

TESTBED is a newly renovated 10,000 sq foot event venue in Leeds that offers endless possibilities for creating unique and inspiring experiences.

Manchester
Restaurant
Salt & Pepper

Chinese inspired British food in the centre of Manchester, backed up by plenty of well-deserved local hype.

Morning Glory - Coffee Cup
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Morning Glory

Morning Glory positions itself as a grab-and-go spot, with just 12 seats inside serving coffee, bagels and sweet treats.

The Warehouse In Holbeck
Leeds
Event venue
The Warehouse In Holbeck

Run by acclaimed theatre company Slung Low, The Warehouse in Holbeck is home to boundary-pushing performance and community projects.

Leeds
Event venue
The Attic

Tucked away above the bustle of Merrion Street, The Attic is one of Leeds’ most distinctive small venues – intimate, unpretentious, and steeped in DIY spirit.

The Chevin is a great place for visitors to do lots of different activities and is open all year round with 5 free car parks. To help you find out whatís best for you we have divided this section up into some of these different activities.Please be aware that The Chevin is a working estate so you may see vehicles including timber-extraction lorries using some of the tracks.Self-guided WalksThe Chevin is a big place and there is a good network of paths to make your own circular walk, but if you want to follow a themed trail there is a Geology Trail, Heritage Time Trail and a route for Tree Spotters.Bikes & HorsesThere is an extensive bridleway network on the eastern parts of The Chevin that caters for a range of abilities.Orienteering and GeocachingTwo orienteering courses and a number of geocache sites are waiting to be discovered.Climbing & BoulderingThere are many fantastic crags for climbing and boulders for bouldering.Mobility Scooters & Wheelchairs
Leeds
Restaurant
Oporto

For many years, Oporto has been a beacon of alternative energy on Leeds’ Call Lane – serving up great food and drink alongside resident DJs and live music.

Culture Guides

Cinema in the North

This month we recommend a season of Film noir, cult Australian movies and a huge celebration of DIY community cinema.

Exhibitions in the North

Galleries around the North are gearing up for a new season of exhibitions - from iconic art prizes to smaller, artist-led gems.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

This season’s theatre is gloriously eclectic: from radical cabaret and reinvented classics to new musicals and boundary-pushing performance.

Wisp Press Image
Music in the North

From corrupted shoegaze to experimental electronica, post-hardcore to Indian classical, these are the shows that should be on your radar.