The Red Hot World Buffet Manchester

A Food Lover's Fantasy

My daughter Megan lives in Manchester and one of her favourite places to dine is the Red Hot World Buffet.  So when I was offered the chance to review the chain I was only too pleased to take Megan and her two sisters for a Sunday lunchtime buffet.

We arrived at 2.30pm and there was a queue to get in.  It moved quite quickly though as families were directed to tables or diverted to the bar area.  The restaurant is housed over two floors and we were seated on the second floor in a really attractive dining area with decor from Mexico.  It was really modern and funky, bright and spacious.  We were served by our waitress who took our drinks order and explained the buffet system to us.

The restaurant prides itself on serving a huge range of healthy, fresh dishes that are replenished regularly.  Diners pay a set fee which allows them to visit the buffet as often as they wish.

The buffet area is huge with dedicated areas such as Indian, Italian, Chinese, Tex-Mex, Starters, Salads and Desserts.  Up to forty chefs are busy cooking a selection of the 300 dishes and keeping the food topped up.  There are  ten live stations where you can get food cooked to order.  Megan had an Asparagus Risotto freshly cooked in front of her.

As we are all vegetarians we were really impressed with how many veggie dishes were available to us, however a V sign on the labels would make it easier to identify which foods are suitable for vegetarians.  Kizzy almost piled her plate with Calamari thinking they were some sort of fancy onion rings.  A veggie friendly symbol would have avoided this mix up!

The food is beautifully presented with some dishes ready served into little bowls, others in big lidded serving vessels and some on platters.  It really is a treat for the eyes for any foodie!

The temptation is to go for a big mix and match plateful of different cuisines, and although I promised myself not to do this, I couldn't resist adding more and more tasty offerings onto my plate making a combination of Indian, Chinese, Italian and Tex Mex dishes.  I did actually enjoy having a little bit of everything and sampling all the different veggie food.

My favourites included Paneer Mather, Chinese Noodles, Thai Vegetable Curry, Four Cheese Pasta, Corn and Spinach Gratin, Spicy Veg Quesadila and Chana Dahl.  The Indian, Thai and Tex-Mex food was really quite hot and spicy and not for the faint hearted.  However, there are plenty of other offerings such as traditional roasts and pizza for anyone who prefers their food mild!

The desserts really were impressive to behold with up to 40 homemade puddings on offer.  A beautifully decorated ice-cream counter served up a selection of flavours including bubblegum, coconut, mango and my favourite banana and caramel.  There were gateaux, cake, brownies, fruits, mousses, jellies, cheesecake, apple crumble and sweets galore to chose from.  Everything was so pretty!  

Dirty plates were collected regularly from the table and we were given a jug of tap water to drink on request.    Lots of waiting staff worked the dining areas and the service was very efficient.

Lunch is served from 12-4pm and is £8.49 during the week and £9.99 at weekends.  Dinner is from 5.00pm -10.30 (or 11pm Friday and Saturday) and is priced at £13.99 (or £14.99 Friday and Saturday).   The later sitting has more food options including a Sushi Bar and Waffle and Pancake Station.   Children under 10 are half price.  Drinks are priced not included (a small fizzy drink costs £1.75).

Kizzy, who is 9, was charged adult price on the bill and I had to query this with the manager who promptly refunded me the £5 difference and apologised.  So if you take the kids make sure that you specify their age prior to being billed to be sure they are charged the correct price.

I would definitely recommend booking in advance because the place gets so busy, especially at peak times.  However the buffet area is huge and there is plenty of food which is constantly replenished so it copes well with the amount of people dining.

We had a really enjoyable meal with a great range of vegetarian food to choose from.  The Red Hot World Buffet is a slick and impressive operation that well deserves the string of awards and accolades it has achieved over the last couple of years.  I don't think anyone would be disappointed with the range and quality of food available.  Restaurants are located in Cardiff, Milton Keynes, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, Northampton and Manchester.

To find out more visit the website at www.redhot-worldbuffet.com

*We were given £30 towards our bill for the purpose of this review.*

Taybarns for Family Dining

Going out for a meal as a family can sometimes be a bit daunting!  Fussy eaters, troublesome toddlers and diverse tastes can create worries even before you've left home.  Deliberating over menu choices, waiting to be served and then waiting for the meal itself can make the children get a bit fed up.  I have to be honest, going to traditional restaurants with my brood often ends in someone throwing a tantrum!

However I was delighted to be invited along with the family to try out Taybarns "The Ultimate Eatery" offering an all-you-can-eat experience, giving amazing value, choice and convenience.  It sounded just perfect for us!  A relaxed restaurant geared up for family dining.

Taybarns philosophy is fresh, fun and different, providing good food at an all in one price, all under one roof.

We arrived to be warmly greeted and shown to our table in the spacious dining area. The decor and furnishings were bright, funky and modern.  Everything was clean and tidy.  We had a great view of the impressive 34 metre food line.  

The food line is divided into counters : Soups, Salads, Chip Shop, Grill, Kitchen Italia, Carvery and Desserts.

There was an area for collecting plates, bowls and cutlery, which was kept well stocked.  You could then help yourself to as much or as little as you liked from the range of over 100 freshly prepared dishes.  

Everyone was able to tuck in at their own speed, enjoying what they liked, when they wanted.

Everything was well labelled so you could see exactly what was what.  The food was well attended to and the areas were kept clean and tidy.  We are vegetarian so we were looking closely at the suitability of the choices for us.  We were also looking to see if there was cross contamination of meat into the veggie options, and also the provision of separate serving utensils.  I have to say I was impressed with both of these issues.  I had no worries eating at Taybarns as a vegetarian family. 

 Behind the scenes you could see the chefs hard at work preparing pizzas and salads.  Food was baking fresh in the ovens.  It was very interesting to be able to see so much of the "behind the scenes" operation.  It is an incredibly busy, bustling restaurant but it is managed incredibly well and efficiently.

As you can go up as often as you liked, the used plates and bowls on tables could easily mount up.  However, a team of friendly staff stay on top of it.  They were polite, unobtrusive and always asked whether you had finished with your crockery before taking it away. (I once had a bowl of soup whisked away from me in a restaurant when I put my spoon down for a second...so I was very pleased that Taybarns adopted a much more considerate approach!)

As for the food itself, it was good.  Between us we sampled Spicy Mediterranean Bake, Cheesey Pasta Bake, Doughballs, Garlic Bread, Potato Wedges, Mushroom and Thyme Pizza, Mediterranean Pizza, Grilled Corn, Tomato Soup, Roasted Vegetables, Chips, lots of different vegetables and salads.  It was all well cooked and hot.  The Handmade Pizzas were actually fantastic...on a par with a Pizzeria and with a range of different toppings.  The Kitchen Italia counter boasted a big selection of pasta dishes and accompaniments...the veggie options were very well received by my children.

A mini flip-over sign on the tables made it easy to request a drink at your table.  Flipping it to FILL saw a member of staff come swiftly to take my drinks order.  Very attentive!

The Desserts were wonderful!  I am a sucker for a cake and I was spoilt for choice with Chocolate Fudge Cake, Carrot Cake, Bakewell Tart, Victoria Sponge and Cheesecake.  There was also Profiteroles, Hot Lemon Sponge, Apple Crumble, An Ice Cream Machine and for the healthier diners, a Fruit Salad!

The place is so family friendly supplying high chairs and booster seats as well as colouring sheets and crayons for the little ones.  There is baby changing facilities in both the Gents' and Ladies' toilets.  While we were there a Chef Character came round to meet and greet the children.  The relaxed nature of the restaurant kept children happy and the atmosphere was perfect for family dining.

Prices for weekdays are £6.20 between 11.30pm and 5pm and £8.25 from 5pm to late.  At weekends it costs £8.75 per head.  Children under 10 are charged £4.15.  A bottomless soda costs £2.30 and can be refilled at the Drinks Station.  OAP's and Students can get special deals. This represents such good value for money.

                                        

Taybarns caters for the whole family, providing a diverse range of good quality food at one all inclusive price. It is friendly, fun and relaxed.  It is definitely a great venue for a family meal out.  As vegetarians we were well catered for with plenty of good choices for even the fussiest eaters!  It's a "Cheap and cheerful" family restaurant where we felt completely at ease and unhurried.

It does get incredibly busy at peak times.  Some diners had to wait up to 45 minutes for a table, but there is a bar area with TV to accommodate them.  People can't get enough of the Taybarns' Experience!!

For more information and to find a Taybarns near you check out their website.  Sign up to their newsletter for exclusive news and offers.

*Our meal was complimentary but the opinions expressed are my own.*