Manchester's Hard Rock (Hard Rock Cafe)

Member Name: ChrisSM

Product:	Hard Rock Cafe
Date:	30/04/02 (979 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Bustling, popular, good food

Disadvantages: Bustling, popular, noisy, on the expensive side

The first Hard Rock Café in the UK was opened in 1971, in London on Hyde Park Corner – I remember my first visit to this restaurant in 1980, when I didn’t have to queue to get it, though there were many subsequent occasions when I did have to queued up.
Their motto is “Love all serve all”, which displays their American / peace and love roots. And it’s true, you do feel welcome.

Now that I live ‘oop North’, I’m still lucky enough to have a handy Hard Rock Café, as one opened in Manchester in 2001. It’s in the Printworks development, along with the filmworks megaplex cinema, and it’s easy to spot – just watch out for the huge shape of an electric guitar in lights.

Whether its hamburgers, (or veggie burgers) or steaks or salads you’re after, served up with delicious fries, and in good-sized portions, you’ll be well catered for at the Hard Rock.
Other main course choices on the menu include:
Shrimp fajitas
Homestyle meatloaf
Portobello mushroom sandwich
Pasta Onassis (feta cheese, tomato and olive sauce)
Pasta Bolognaise
Pork Sandwich
Santa Fe pancake rolls

Prices for main courses are around £8 to £10, and if you intend having more than one course you’ll need to allow around £15.00, much more if you wish to indulge in the alcohol (there’s a good choice of cocktails).

Rock music videos play on the TV screens, and if you’re into a rockier version of MTV this should suit you. If not, well it’s best to avoid the place. It is called the Hard Rock Café, after all, what do you expect?
The venue is very popular as a bar, and often gets busy in the evenings. There’s a special deal for Saturday night parties, whereby if you have a group of between 10 and 40 you can get a special 3 course menu, with a cocktail, which at £19.95 is good value. There’s also a DJ, and you can party until 2 a.m
. You even get a souvenir shot glass (with the Hard Rock Café logo on it, of course) to keep.

The food isn’t cheap, especially if you think of what to many is a bog standard meal of burger and chips, but the food is very high quality, and the atmosphere is great. It’s the kind of place I feel comfortable, even at times dining there alone, I feel quite at home.

You can buy T-shirts at the shop near the door, and if you think they’re getting a bit passé (it does sometimes seem as though everyone down the high street’s got one) there are other styles, polo shirts, and even non-clothing items such as badges and glasses. I’ve still got a T-shirt from my London visits in the early 80s and it’s still in one piece, very good quality – a little too small for me, but that’s another story…

Opening hours
12.00 midday to 11.00 pm
The bar is open till 2.00 am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Menu details and maps at http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes/Cafes.asp? Lc=MANC

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