Restaurant Review: Exhibition, Manchester
Small Plates, Big Flavours in Manchester City Centre
Three amazing kitchens, all under one roof – that’s what you’ll find at Exhibition Manchester. I took a day trip over to Manchester to check out the new Spring menu from Exhibition, and of course, squeezed in a wine tour of some of my favourite Manchester wine bars along the way. If you’re looking for a new city-centre dining spot to visit in Manchester, Exhibition could be it. Read my full review and decide for yourself if it’s one you’re going to be adding to your list.
Too hungry to read it all?
Here’s a quick snapshot of Exhibition Manchester – menu, decor, vibes and price.
- Venue: Exhibition, St George’s House, 56 Peter St, Manchester M2 3NQ
- Food: Small plates-focused with dishes from three independent Manchester kitchens (Osma, Jaan and Baratxuri)
- Drinks: Great for cocktails, really solid wine list too
- Decor: Industrial but modern decor, big bar area, main restaurant area with booths, high tables and open kitchen
- Vibe: Trendy spot for an evening out with live DJs – on the louder side but would be great for a dinner and late-night vibe
- Price: ££ – £££ around £35–£50pp (depending on drinks)
- Kitchen opening hours: 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Tuesday to Saturday
- My rating: 4.5 ⭐️
About Exhibition Manchester – three kitchens, small plates, big flavours
Exhibition is a modern and dynamic bar, restaurant, and late-night venue in the heart of Manchester. Its industrial, open-plan setup features a large bar with high tables and stools, a spacious dining area with booth seating, an open plan collective kitchen space – and, right in the middle, a DJ booth for evening entertainment. A bar–restaurant–DJ combo is a unique concept in itself, but what makes Exhibition truly special is its menu, which brings together dishes from three of Manchester’s best restaurants:
- Jaan by Another Hand: A Persian-inspired restaurant concept from the team behind Another Hand – a Michelin Guide recognised restaurant in Manchester.
- Osma: Scandinavian small plates from Chef Patron Dani Heron – a Michelin Guide mentioned Chef from Osma’s original restaurant in Prestwich.
- Baratxuri: Award-winning experts in brilliant Basque fire cookery – think bold and smoky flavours cooked over an open flame.
The multi-kitchen menu is perfect for those who love trying a little bit of everything (like me!). There aren’t many places where you can get great Basque cooking, let alone Scandi and Persian-inspired dishes alongside it, but Exhibition dares to combine them all in one single à la carte menu. Curious what I ordered from this three-kitchen lineup? Keep reading.
What to order at Exhibition Manchester – plates from Jaan, Osma and Baratxuri
With three kitchens to choose from, it only felt right to try a mix of plates from all three. For three people, we ended up choosing a total of six plates to share between us all (as well as desserts, but I’ll tell you ALL about them in a bit). Going into Exhibition, I was most excited for Baratxuri’s Basque-inspired plates. I’m a serious fan of Spanish cuisine, and love touring Spanish cities whenever I travel, so I was naturally drawn to Baratxuri’s menu. But, I’ll admit, both the Scandi dishes from Osma and Persian plates from Jaan sounded equally as delicious. Here’s what we ordered from each kitchen.
Caponata & Feta (Jaan).
Potato Terrine (Jaan).
Ricotta Gnudi Dumplings (Jaan).
Jaan by Another Hand at Exhibition, Manchester
From Jaan, we tried the Caponata & Feta with grilled flatbread (£5.50), the Potato Terrine with nduja jam and white onion (£5.50), and the Ricotta Gnudi Dumplings with brown butter, crispy sage, pine nuts and black garlic (£20). The grilled flatbread was so light and fluffy but with a crispy exterior, and the caponata and feta were a perfect balance of salty cheesy goodness with citrus and herbs to cut right through the creaminess. It’s a great little dish to start the night off with, and for £5.50, I thought this was a serious bargain! The Potato Terrine had a beautifully crisp exterior, but cut like butter – just what you want. The nduja sauce worked really well for me, and added a little kick to the dish – nothing major, so if you’re not a fan of spice, I wouldn’t worry about the heat blowing your socks off. Plus, it came with a sort of mayonnaise (I think that’s what it was, but don’t quote me!) sauce that added a creaminess to the dish, balancing everything out. Again, at £5.50, this is a real steal and should definitely be on your list.
As for the Ricotta Gnudi Dumplings – I’m not sure how they managed it, but these were somehow weighty in texture but light as a feather on the palate. The pine nut dressing worked beautifully alongside them and added an extra bit of nuttiness to the creamy ricotta. The only downside for me was the price – at £20, I do feel like they’re on the expensive side, but I can appreciate the work that goes into making dumplings that stunning! There are also seven dumplings in a portion, so it’s definitely larger than a small plate by my standards. Other than the price tag, I honestly couldn’t fault this dish.
Osma at Exhibition, Manchester
Onto the Scandinavian inspired Osma next – from here we tried the Panko Chicken Thigh with tonkatsu, Chinese curry, noodles, daikon and shiso salad (£18) and the Tuna Sashimi with tomato, XO ponzu and sesame (£13). The Sashimi was so fresh and light – the citrus of the tomato complemented it perfectly, and the XO ponzu sauce added a tiny bit of spice and richness to the dish. As for the Panko Chicken Thigh, this was a real crowd pleaser with us all. First of all, the dish was more like a main than the small plate we were expecting – it was stacked with noodles and crispy chicken thigh. The tonkasu flavour was a little bit sweet and little bit spicy, but full of depth. The spring onions cut through the richness and added extra fresh flavours to the dish. But, most importantly, the chicken was cooked to perfection – crispy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside. I couldn’t fault it. This one defo warranted its £18 price tag.
Panko Chicken Thigh (Osma).
Tuna Sashimi (Osma).
Salt Cod Brandade (Baratxuri)
Baratxuri at Exhibition, Manchester
Rounding off the sharing plates is the Salt Cod Brandade with grilled Basque chorizo and smoked potato (£12). I told you I was drawn to Baratxuri’s menu, and for good reason – this was my highlight of the night. Granted, I’m a bit biased because I a) love Basque cooking and b) am a big salt cod fan – so they’d already won me over before I even tried this dish. But, for me, this was the winner. The dish came in a piping hot cast iron pan and was packed with flaked salt cod, slices of chorizo, spring onion and mashed potato. I can best describe it as the inside of a croquette, but grilled, covered in chorizo and packed with salt cod. I could’ve eaten a vat of it with a spoon. At £12 a portion, it’s worth every penny in my eyes.
Drinks and dessert at Exhibition, Manchester
For drinks, I’d definitely recommend exploring their in-depth cocktail menu – it’s one of the best restaurant cocktail menus I’ve seen in a while. There’s a great mix of classic cocktails that we all know and love, lesser-known serves and a few unique cocktails too. One that immediately stood out to me was The Basque (£12.50), a blend of Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Rousillon Apricot, Oloroso Sherry and Comte. The Mezcal brought its signature smoky flavours, which were balanced out with the sweetness of the apricot and the depth of the Oloroso sherry – this was right up my street. I also tried a Vieux Carré (£13), which used Michter’s Rye Whiskey, Martell VSOP Cognac, Cocchi VDT and Benedictine Bitters. It was dark and herbal but had a bit of sweetness to it as well – absolutely brilliant.
‘The Basque’ cocktail.
Vieux Carré cocktail.
Basque Cheesecake.
As for dessert? I didn’t even need to think about it. It had to be their Basque Cheesecake (£8.50). Perfectly brown and burnt on the outside, silky and creamy on the inside – it’s everything a Basque Cheesecake should be. Honestly, I’d go back just for a Vieux Carré and a slice of cheesecake.
Final thoughts on Exhibition, Manchester
Overall, Exhibition Manchester puts on a show. It’s no easy task to combine high-quality food and drink with a late-night bar atmosphere, but Exhibition manages to pull it off. That said, I will say that it won’t be for everyone. The live DJ might be a bit much for some, and the food–drink–music combo definitely leans more towards a Friday/Saturday night out than midweek dinner. But for the kind of lively Saturday night I was after, it was pretty much perfect. If you’re looking for a fun night out with friends that delivers on food, drink, and good vibes – I couldn’t recommend Exhibition Manchester enough. Have you had the chance to visit Exhibition Manchester yet? Let me know in the comments what you’d choose from their menu – I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Exhibition, Manchester opening hours and information
All the practical things you need to know about Exhibition, Manchester.
Address: St George’s House, 56 Peter St, Manchester M2 3NQ
Opening hours:
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: 12:00 pm – 12:00 am
Wednesday: 12:00 pm – 12:00 am
Thursday: 12:00 pm – 12:00 am
Friday: 12:00 pm – 1:00 am
Saturday: 12:00 pm – 1:00 am
Sunday: CLOSED
Pricing: around £35–£50pp (depending on drinks)
Follow Exhibition on Instagram @exhibition.mcr
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I was invited by Exhibition Manchester to try their menu free of charge. While the meal was complimentary, all opinions, thoughts, and recommendations shared in this review are entirely my own and based on my honest experience. This post is not sponsored, and I was not paid to write this review. To find out more information about this, please visit my privacy policy and disclaimer.