Under the railway arches of Oxford Street station, Gorilla has become one of the top bars, eateries and music venues in Manchester. A great place for after works drinks, quick eats and late night drinks, Gorilla is easily one of my favoured bars in Manchester.
Fast approaching its 5th Birthday (can you believe it?!) the team at Gorilla invited us down to try the new menu items for 2017 and our honest opinion.
Whilst other bars may have copied the stripped-back décor of Gorilla, the mix of reclaimed timber, exposed brickwork and 50s style booths works really well. The place includes an industrial chic bar area, full floor to ceiling windows and a mezzanine area above the bar, specialising in gin cocktails.
Food at Gorilla MCR
For my main, I opted for the ‘Shakshouka’, based on the Middle Eastern breakfast dish Shakshuka. The one-pot meal included baked eggs in a spicy tomato sauce, served with chickpeas, coriander, Parmesan cheese, red chilli and a slice of sourdough toast. Ideal for brunch, the Shakshouka tasted fantastic, with a lot of punch.
My partner opted for the Smashed Avocado and Feta, a sourdough toast dish topped with Avocado smash & smoked feta, red chilli, coriander, lime, poached eggs, sourdough toast. Whilst the dish looks great, I found the smoked cheese to be just too overpowering (and I like strong cheese), overriding the flavour of the avocado and chilli. If the feta was switched to something a little less full-flavoured I’m sure this dish would taste as good as it looks.
To go with our mains we also tried the new Milkshakes now available. At £4 a pop, they are good value and tasted great. My favourite of the two we tried was the Mighty Malt, with the malt powder offering a little extra depth and creaminess, along with some extra calories ☺. If you’re a fan of classic milkshakes give these a try!
Also on the menu for 2017 are the pancake stacks, a new addition to the breakfast/brunch menu (served until 4 pm daily). We opted for the Fat Elvis (without the Bacon), which includes gorgeous peanut butter ice cream, candied nuts and caramelised bananas. For those who have a sweet tooth even at breakfast, this was made for you.
Away from the new menu, Gorilla is one of my favourite places for breakfast & brunch. My favourite choice would be the veggie breakfast for £9 and the royal veggie for the seriously hung-over and hungry.
It’s great to see that the team at Gorilla are adding to an already veggie-friendly menu. My top recommendations would be to try the Shakshouka along with the Mighty Malt Milkshake.
You can see all the recent pics showing off the new menu by checking out the #thisisgorilla Instagram hashtag.
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