Dinner at Grill in the Park--Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club

An exclusive evening of tantalising treats, mastering cocktails and a three course gluten free meal at Grill in the Park in Worsley!

A few weeks ago, my husband and I had the absolute pleasure of spending the evening with a group of Manchester bloggers at an exclusive dinner at the Worsley Park Marriot Hotel & Country Club, dinning in the Grill in the Park. Come take a peek inside the restaurant and see what we got up to on this brilliant, intimate evening.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Worsley Park. I have been compensated for this post, however all opinions remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company. Should you choose to visit the restaurant, I will not receive a commission or any monetary compensation. You can review my disclosure policy in full here.

A Review of the Grill in the Park

From the charcoal gray flagstone courtyard, the exposed brick walls and natural, vertical shiplap, the decor at Worsley Park's newly renovated Grill in the Park is nothing short of classy and contemporary. Classic meets rustic modern on and off the menu at this welcoming and well-appointed establishment, housed in what used to be a Victorian farm on some 200 acres of land.

Lit candles, oversized farm tables and the easy listening of live acoustic performers combine with organic feminine details like centrepieces arced with swooping ferns and chairs upholstered in a mix of buttery leather and crushed velvet to create an atmospheric setting that harkens to the hey days of lush jazz cocktail lounges.

We started our evening with an exclusive cocktail masterclass, offered by two of the restaurant's resident mixologists. They kept the cosmos coming along with a signature drink based on the delightful aperitif Aperol Spritz while they explained the etymology behind essential bartender's tools like the Mexican elbow and the Boston shaker. 

Between the ambient lyrics of the live guitarist and the general cacophony of the restaurant, it was nice to be set apart from the crowd, in the exclusive use area of the dining room, a quiet room with comfy chairs, a beautifully laid table and a velvet curtain awarding both luxury and privacy.

The feel of luxury continues as you are waited on by one of the single best servers I have ever had the pleasure of being looked after by. Our server, Sean, went above and beyond to ensure we had absolutely everything we needed. Ready to offer a menu suggestion or advice on how to tailor a item to suit my gluten intolerance, there was nothing Sean couldn't do. Every time he appeared at our table, whether it be to serve our food, refill our drinks or simply to ensure we wanted for nothing, his warm smile and approachable demeanor helped to relax us and kept the mood light and convivial. Thank you, Sean, for your first-class service, only matched by those in Michelin star restaurants!

Our bellies lined with the classiest of cocktails, we poured over the evening menu, sharing plates of charred flat breads and boards of handpicked crab and fishcake enticing us. For appetisers, my husband settled on the Braised Beef Brisket Hash Brown and I settled for the seasonal soup--Pea and Ham and Mint accompanied with rolls of seeded gluten free bread.

For me, the highlight of the meal was the appetisers. The soft and tender brisket made rich by the yolk of the perfectly fried egg that sat atop it and the rich jus was absolutely delicious. The soup, fragrant with mint and filled with the flavours of fresh pea and salty ham was divine. The only thing that let it down was that the gluten free bread, perfectly served in individual wrappers, had not been warmed. Anyone who's eaten commercially made gluten free bread rolls knows that at best, the sometimes rough textured interior needs the residual heat of an oven to soften it and allow the butter to melt and glide over its coarse grain.

The mains, which should have been the highlight of any grill experience, were sharply let down for me. My husband had an impressive tomahawk pork chop, endearingly misspelt to be tommahawk on the menu. Never one to turn down the crispy skin of a piece of grilled sea bass, I opted for the sea bass with lemon and dill. Ever on the ball, Server Sean kindly advised that the sea bass would be served with its head in tact. He made sure I was cool with this, which I greatly appreciated. There's nothing more upsetting than an unsuspecting head arriving on your plate at the dinner table!

Actually, strike that. There is something more upsetting. It's a fish that hasn't been filleted arriving on your plate at the dinner table. I was absolutely shocked and appalled that my sea bass had not been filleted. I was also disappointed that it had arrived headless! No head + bones was not what I was prepared for. Try as I might, there was no dainty, proper way to eat the bony fish. I also had not been served a dish for depositing the fish bones onto, so I requisitioned the butter tray and piled my fish bones onto it. Not a very pleasant sight for an elegant meal. I was grateful that I hadn't been on a first date, because fishing out sea bass bones from beneath its soggy skin would not have been the way to woo anyone.

Dessert ended the meal nicely. Though the only thing made without gluten that appealed to me was the modified bowl of ice cream. It originally comes with a biscuit, so I had to ask for this to be held back and I enjoyed three scoops of rather ordinary ice cream two of vanilla and one of strawberry. I felt like that 5 year-old at the table with my dish of ice cream while literally every other person in attendance, including my husband scoffed down this elaborate and minimally named Chocolate Pot, which was a veritable work of art!

Overall, there were a few issues with our meal, but I would have no qualms about visiting Grill in the Park again. I've got my eye on a few of those appetisers and would fancy a go at the fabulous-sounding Cep, Truffle and Asparagus Risotto, too.

Book a table and experience your own three course meal at this contemporary grill!

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