As Ian Brown of the Stone Roses famously observed, there are no beaches in Manchester. Perhaps that’s what makes the city such an attractive proposition for the Turtle Bay Caribbean chain, which now has two branches here. This was the first (the other ’s in the Northern Quarter), and it’s a visually busy, ramshackle space, with all the Jamaican flags and Marley portraits you’d expect. There’s room for 250 people, with 40 rums available at the central bar; drink them in semi-private veranda-style spaces. The menu covers street food-inspired small plates (aka ‘cutters’) such as Trini doubles and beef patties, rotis and wraps, curry goat and other slow-cooked one-pots, plus jerk-spiced lamb, ribs and chicken. Although hen and stag groups aren’t allowed, this is a party restaurant, fuelled by drinks including Tingwray (made with high-strength Wray & Nephew rum and grapefruit-flavoured Ting), or Caribbean Pimm’s with ginger and passion fruit.
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