Grenache

With former chef Mike Jennings taking over the helm, Walkden’s first and only restaurant of note is looking fresh. Jennings has previously worked for Nigel Haworth and Gary Rhodes, and now must combine his obvious culinary ambition with pleasing the local regulars who have kept the 34-cover restaurant going thus far. Accordingly, a seven-course tasting menu for £49.50 runs alongside a well-priced set lunch and a monthly changing à la carte with strong British roots and international frills. Dishes such as forager’s soup with ricotta gnocchi have echoes of Jennings’ time in Lancashire, while herb-crusted halibut with textures of broccoli, saffron farfalle and lobster bisque have a more complex ring to them. The wine list features less Grenache than you might expect, but there’s fun to be had with lesser-seen bottles such as a British red, Lychgate, from the Bolney Estate in West Sussex.