The Lowry’s new restaurant and bar has had a £3m makeover and feels suitably swish, with armchairs for lunch, intimate booths for dinner à deux, and larger tables for groups. The menu uses ingredients from across Cheshire and Lancashire, from Cheshire lamb rump and sweetbreads to Leagram’s organic soft Lancashire cheese. A starter of perfectly cooked scallops was accompanied by a sweet cauliflower purée, with rich smokiness added by bacon and an intense red-wine sauce. Next, Cheshire beef showcased its quality two ways, with tender pink fillet and slow-braised blade; bubble and squeak and buttery spinach soaked up the meaty braising sauce. A pork dish also displayed a variety of techniques, with fillet and braised cheek matched by crispy crackling and an outstanding sausage. We were gladdened to see Manchester tart for dessert, albeit an elegant version far removed from school-dinner memories – typifying this stylish addition to Salford Quays.