When former L’Enclume executive chef Tom Barnes decided to leave the comforts of the Rogan stable, his next stop was always destined to be hot property. Aside from holding three Michelin stars at L’Enclume, Barnes is also a Roux Scholar and a Great British Menu finalist. Chefs of his calibre don’t hit the open market often, so for Tom to land in Manchester with his debut solo restaurant is quite a coup for the city.
As a result, expectation for Skof shot through the roof and headed into the stratosphere. To live up to that is some feat, but Skof is proof not just that Barnes is a prodigious talent, but also that Simon Rogan truly has the Midas touch as a mentor as well as a chef.
A lot of work has gone into turning Manchester’s iconic Hanover Building into a slick, spacious restaurant that still pays homage to its roots as an Edwardian drapery warehouse. An open kitchen is demarcated by gleaming burnt red tiles, and combines with the soft orange of the original brickwork and amber floor tiles to present a sunset of terracotta tones. Tables are very generously spaced, which allows the whole room to breathe with natural light and really shows off the pared-back beauty of the space.
Barnes arrived in Manchester with a CV to match anyone in the country, but Skof couldn’t feel more down to earth. The service is L’Enclume-esque (no surprise as many of them came with Tom from Cartmel); warm and welcoming, with every small detail covered with genial pleasure.
There’s a great deal of food to talk about, but here’s the headline: Barnes and team are turning out some of the best food in the country. Immaculate bites emerge at perfect intervals, from a dinky cured mackerel flatbread with fermented gooseberry, to an astonishing glazed langoustine, which reclines majestically on a sourdough croustade, dripping in langoustine emulsion. Every bite is perfectly balanced, as delicious as it is beautiful. There’s even room for clever, comforting things, as Barnes comes around the room at the end of the meal to serve a bowl of his signature tiramisu - a dish close to his heart that he made for his late father. If you're worried that all this excellence comes at a price, there's an outstanding lunch menu at just £50 a head, and it doesn’t skimp on portions either.
There are other restaurants that can match the level of cooking at Skof, but few do it with the same exceptional balance and warmth. If there were doubters, they can be silenced now - Skof has instantly put itself in the conversation as one of the UK’s very best restaurants.