CityLife

Hi-Life Dining Awards 2011: Winners

The French won Best Overall Restaurant

Revellers and VIPs at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate Hotel for the annual Hi-Life Dining Awards were entertained by Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley.

And Tony managed to spring a surprise when, as well as performing his band’s classics like Gold and True, he even did a cover of his old Eighties rivals Duran Duran’s hit Rio.

There were plenty of other unexpected moments on the night – where the subscription dining club members crown their favourite eateries from across the north, as well as Scotland and Ireland.

Probably the biggest surprise on the night was Walkden’s Grenache, a little neighbourhood eaterie run by charismatic Huss Abbas, which picked up the Best Manchester Restaurant gong.

Huss closed the Bridgewater Road restaurant – which was nominated for a Newcomer gong in 2009’s Manchester Food And Drink Festival Awards – for the night to take his entire staff to the awards and was understandably delighted to win.

He told me: “It is fantastic. This award is for all the team at Grenache.

“It was worth every penny to close the restaurant and bring them here. We can all celebrate together!”

Best Overall Restaurant was won by sometimes-overlooked The French at Manchester’s Midland Hotel, which prides itself on its ultra-traditional service and Gallic cuisine.

Anibal Cabral, the French’s delightful maitre d’ of 24 years, admitted to having a tear in his eye as he collected the award. He said: “Our customers appreciate quality and it is wonderful to be recognised in this way.”

Head chef Paul Beckley added: “It’s not all about London anymore.”

Other winners included newly-expanded Living Ventures, which picked up Best Restaurant Group, Pecks in Congleton, which won Best Platinum Restaurant, and the Leeds sister to Manchester’s Sam’s Chophouse, named Best Yorkshire And North East venue.

Lisa Lund, Hi-Life’s Commercial Director, said: “The calibre of entries this year has been exceptionally high with lots of new restaurant members of Hi-Life taking part.

“I would like to congratulate all winners and thank everyone for making this year’s Hi-Life Dining Awards such a truly fantastic event.”

This year’s nominated charity was the NSPCC. A silent auction and raffle raised over £7000 pounds for the remarkable charity.