Weekender: Review – TheHeart by BridgeStreet and The Alchemist

In all honesty, I’ve never considered MediaCityUK a candidate for a weekend break.

That was until my partner and I were offered the chance to sample the accommodation at TheHeart Apartments by BridgeStreet.

These are 50 lavishly furnished and equipped waterfront apartments right in the middle of the North West’s state-of-the-art destination for digital creativity learning leisure.

We arrived on a Friday early evening and as if to illustrate we had arrived at a place “where it’s all at” we bumped into none other than the actor Peter Francis – aka Peter Barlow – presumably fresh from shooting on the set of the nearby Coronation Street studios.

We opted to be “cool” and managed not exclaim “oh look, it’s Peter Barlow” and drifted off without saying a word to our room with our suitcase.

Our spacious one-bedroom apartment had all the amenities you would expect from a modern high-quality facility.

Drinks were taken in the nearby Botanist bar before a dinner date at The Alchemist which is in a stunning location on The Bund (effectively a bridge) at Salford Quays.

Our booking was for early evening and there was already an amazing atmosphere in the establishment was we enjoyed pre-dinner drinks in the bar.

We were shown to our table by the window which overlooked the shimmering reflections of MediaCityUK’s spectacular buildings on the water against the night sky. It was more like dining in Chicago than Salford.

The menu is straightforward and affordable. For starters my partner chose the Duck Spring Roll with hoisin sauce, which she reported were hot, fresh, crispy and simply outstanding.

Meanwhile I opted for Crispy Lamb Ribs with mint sour cream. These were the best lamb ribs I have ever tasted. Both our dishes came in at a reasonable £6.75.

For mains we both opted for Fillet Steak, cooked to perfection (medium rare) with offered sweet potato fries and winter greens (£24). Once again, the food was flawless as was the service in an already very business restaurant.

For dessert, I opted for sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream (£5.75) while my partner had just the ice cream to complete the perfect meal.

In short, the combination of a night in MediaCityUK coupled with a meal in quality restaurant like The Alchemist is perfect alternative to a night in central Manchester. You don’t even need to take your car with the Metrolink station just stone’s throw from the apartments.