Hotel restaurants can be a bit hit and miss. With a captive audience of people who aren’t necessarily familiar with the city, they don’t always have to work as hard to fill tables and often play it safe with beige, people pleasing menus.

The only thing beige at the Alan is the decor, and that’s very much a design choice as part of a modern palette of neutral shades and natural fabrics on an industrial backdrop. Widely appreciated as the city’s most stylish hotel, The Alan’s restaurant has also won over Manchester’s discerning diners – and national critics – with its menu of inventive small plates.

When the Head Chef changed in 2023, the restaurant could have gone downhill, but with the appointment of James Hulme, formerly of ambitious indie The Moor, it has gone from strength to strength.

Highlights of the nose to tail menu include aged dairy cow tartare with cured yolk, whipped bone marrow and beef fat breadcrumbs; cavatelli pasta with brown crab and Yorkshire pecorino; and butterbean hummus with smoked salt, blood orange and flatbread. It’s all about salt, fat, acid, and heat, James told us when we interview him about his approach to cooking.