We've slept in a tent before now, just to be able to eat some of the best food in the country, due to a lack of available hotel rooms at the time. It’s a sacrifice that you happily, in fact excitedly make, for doing something which you love. Sky high Manchester rents, along with a large reliance on booze revenue, are also factors in deterring independent, top quality fine-dining eateries from opening in Manchester city centre - 63 Degrees in the Northern Quarter being a notable exception.

Due to this, the cycle of booze friendly eating is predominant, as places soon realise that you can make more money by selling booze to the masses. Cool concepts such as burgers, late lounges, and BBQ joints are the current go-to places in Manchester, with a new one seemingly sprouting up every other week. So, how does a fine dining restaurant sustain itself in Manchester city centre, outlasting the passing fashions and trends? Is Manchester ready for true top end fine dining, and can it be sustained, where everywhere else has failed to date?

True, Michael Caines at ABode and Australasia are still fully booked most nights despite being open a few years now but they're both affordable, inclusive establishments with no aspirations for a Michelin Star, something which reportedly irked talented master chefs Ian Matfin and Paul Greening respectively, with each walking out, the later no sooner than he had started.

In early 2013, multi-award winning super-chef, at Cumbria's dual Michelin starred L'Enclume; Simon Rogan, declared his opinion that we are indeed more than ready, and so became The French in its current guise. As many of Manchester diners are already aware, The French has been a gem in Manchester's food crown for a generation. It was a legendary room, which back in 1974 won a Michelin Star; the last time which our city centre has gained one in fact and failed to hold for over 30 years since. The appeal of The French, its character, its charm, and indeed its very ethos, ironically were also what eventually became its problem. We loved it, but it was old fashioned, "Voila!" silver service, and needed some fresh blood to appeal to a new generation of customers. When the time came for The Midland, Manchester's grandest hotel, to revamp, they turned to Chef Rogan. Outside of food circles, Simon Rogan is perhaps an unknown in fairness. Within food circles however, he's mentioned in the same breath as household names such Blumenthal, White, and Ramsay, as well as other perhaps slightly lesser known culinary heavyweights such as Howard, Bains, Clifford, Caines, Outlaw, Wareing, Atherton, etc. In short, Manchester was about to be graced with an eatery, driven by one of the most talented UK chefs of our time. This was a big deal. A very big deal.

Following in the footsteps of Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon in The Trip, we dined at L'Enclume earlier this year, ahead of the big opening. We were lucky enough to sit down with Chef Rogan, and also The French's new Head Chef, Adam Reid, to find out what they had in store for The French. We were told that the food would be 'The same as L'Enclume'. High expectations were set ahead of our arrival due to this statement. We anticipated no half measures, no watered down Manchester experience. We were excited.

The décor for us, whilst being bright, airy, and admittedly well turned out, isn’t our cup of tea in all honesty. It’s a strange hybrid of old and new, which for us never truly gels. The French of old was a special room, a massive part of the old restaurant itself and an important part of the Midland Hotel's rich history. In short, it was a legendary space, and without doubt one of our favourite dining rooms anywhere in the world.