“A home away from home.” That’s how Pep Guardiola and his Catalan confreres at Manchester City promote Tast, their restaurant on Manchester’s King Street. Opposite are the Grade II-listed, medieval-style timbers of Boodles jewellers, a local institution, but this is all about the flavours of Catalonia.
Manager Fernando Marques calls it “the proper, traditional cooking that your nan and your mum will know”. In all fairness not too many nans, not even Spanish ones, can cook like Paco Pérez. He’s the chef with a five Michelin-star haul who joined Guardiola in this venture, together with Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, the director of football and CEO at City respectively.
For example, nan doesn’t tend to serve up Duck’in Donuts, one of Pérez’s signature creations from his Miramar restaurant in Barcelona. Never mind managers’ mind games, this is a sensory shimmy, or trampantojo as the Spanish call it: the eyes tell you one thing, the taste buds another. It looks like a doughnut but contains duck liver and white chocolate, in combination with a tangy raspberry powder.
“A home away from home.” That’s how Pep Guardiola and his Catalan confreres at Manchester City promote Tast, their restaurant on Manchester’s King Street. Opposite are the Grade II-listed, medieval-style timbers of Boodles jewellers, a local institution, but this is all about the flavours of Catalonia.
Manager Fernando Marques calls it “the proper, traditional cooking that your nan and your mum will know”. In all fairness not too many nans, not even Spanish ones, can cook like Paco Pérez. He’s the chef with a five Michelin-star haul who joined Guardiola in this venture, together with Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, the director of football and CEO at City respectively.
For example, nan doesn’t tend to serve up Duck’in Donuts, one of Pérez’s signature creations from his Miramar restaurant in Barcelona. Never mind managers’ mind games, this is a sensory shimmy, or trampantojo as the Spanish call it: the eyes tell you one thing, the taste buds another. It looks like a doughnut but contains duck liver and white chocolate, in combination with a tangy raspberry powder.
There are also simpler pleasures at Tast (which means ‘tasting’ in Catalan). There are crispy croquetas, the splendidly named Pop Records de Gener – octopus with coriander and paprika sauces – and xuixo de crema, a creamy puff pastry brought over from Girona, where it’s a long-established favourite. Most of the wine has come from Catalonia too, as well as the handmade tiles on the walls.
On the night of our visit there’s even a Barcelona man downstairs, in the form of Begiristain deep in conversation at the bar. He’s obviously decided against the fine-dining experience on the top floor of this three-tier venue. But then, unlike a Champions League group table, it even tastes good down at the bottom at Tast.
20-22 King St Manchester M2 6AG tastcatala.com
“A home away from home.” That’s how Pep Guardiola and his Catalan confreres at Manchester City promote Tast, their restaurant on Manchester’s King Street. Opposite are the Grade II-listed, medieval-style timbers of Boodles jewellers, a local institution, but this is all about the flavours of Catalonia.
Manager Fernando Marques calls it “the proper, traditional cooking that your nan and your mum will know”. In all fairness not too many nans, not even Spanish ones, can cook like Paco Pérez. He’s the chef with a five Michelin-star haul who joined Guardiola in this venture, together with Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, the director of football and CEO at City respectively.
For example, nan doesn’t tend to serve up Duck’in Donuts, one of Pérez’s signature creations from his Miramar restaurant in Barcelona. Never mind managers’ mind games, this is a sensory shimmy, or trampantojo as the Spanish call it: the eyes tell you one thing, the taste buds another. It looks like a doughnut but contains duck liver and white chocolate, in combination with a tangy raspberry powder.
“A home away from home.” That’s how Pep Guardiola and his Catalan confreres at Manchester City promote Tast, their restaurant on Manchester’s King Street. Opposite are the Grade II-listed, medieval-style timbers of Boodles jewellers, a local institution, but this is all about the flavours of Catalonia.
Manager Fernando Marques calls it “the proper, traditional cooking that your nan and your mum will know”. In all fairness not too many nans, not even Spanish ones, can cook like Paco Pérez. He’s the chef with a five Michelin-star haul who joined Guardiola in this venture, together with Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, the director of football and CEO at City respectively.
For example, nan doesn’t tend to serve up Duck’in Donuts, one of Pérez’s signature creations from his Miramar restaurant in Barcelona. Never mind managers’ mind games, this is a sensory shimmy, or trampantojo as the Spanish call it: the eyes tell you one thing, the taste buds another. It looks like a doughnut but contains duck liver and white chocolate, in combination with a tangy raspberry powder.
“A home away from home.” That’s how Pep Guardiola and his Catalan confreres at Manchester City promote Tast, their restaurant on Manchester’s King Street. Opposite are the Grade II-listed, medieval-style timbers of Boodles jewellers, a local institution, but this is all about the flavours of Catalonia.
Manager Fernando Marques calls it “the proper, traditional cooking that your nan and your mum will know”. In all fairness not too many nans, not even Spanish ones, can cook like Paco Pérez. He’s the chef with a five Michelin-star haul who joined Guardiola in this venture, together with Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, the director of football and CEO at City respectively.
For example, nan doesn’t tend to serve up Duck’in Donuts, one of Pérez’s signature creations from his Miramar restaurant in Barcelona. Never mind managers’ mind games, this is a sensory shimmy, or trampantojo as the Spanish call it: the eyes tell you one thing, the taste buds another. It looks like a doughnut but contains duck liver and white chocolate, in combination with a tangy raspberry powder.
There are also simpler pleasures at Tast (which means ‘tasting’ in Catalan). There are crispy croquetas, the splendidly named Pop Records de Gener – octopus with coriander and paprika sauces – and xuixo de crema, a creamy puff pastry brought over from Girona, where it’s a long-established favourite. Most of the wine has come from Catalonia too, as well as the handmade tiles on the walls.
On the night of our visit there’s even a Barcelona man downstairs, in the form of Begiristain deep in conversation at the bar. He’s obviously decided against the fine-dining experience on the top floor of this three-tier venue. But then, unlike a Champions League group table, it even tastes good down at the bottom at Tast.
20-22 King St Manchester M2 6AG tastcatala.com
“A home away from home.” That’s how Pep Guardiola and his Catalan confreres at Manchester City promote Tast, their restaurant on Manchester’s King Street. Opposite are the Grade II-listed, medieval-style timbers of Boodles jewellers, a local institution, but this is all about the flavours of Catalonia.
Manager Fernando Marques calls it “the proper, traditional cooking that your nan and your mum will know”. In all fairness not too many nans, not even Spanish ones, can cook like Paco Pérez. He’s the chef with a five Michelin-star haul who joined Guardiola in this venture, together with Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, the director of football and CEO at City respectively.
For example, nan doesn’t tend to serve up Duck’in Donuts, one of Pérez’s signature creations from his Miramar restaurant in Barcelona. Never mind managers’ mind games, this is a sensory shimmy, or trampantojo as the Spanish call it: the eyes tell you one thing, the taste buds another. It looks like a doughnut but contains duck liver and white chocolate, in combination with a tangy raspberry powder.
