Why Tahi is the one as VIVA falls in love with the New Zealand eatery
| 13th September 2022
Tahi (Māori for ‘One’) is the newly launched New Zealand restaurant that by day is a wonderful coffee and brunch destination and by night is the best date you ever had.
VIVA wasn’t sure what to expect when we turned up for dinner as this is a one off, the first in the UK and we were delighted it’s washed up in Manchester with a Kiwi team and passionate staff determined to give you the best food and drink ever. And boy did they deliver.
In the evenings it’s a mix of sharing plates that come in waves and are changed every month to make the most of seasonal products– we all know the drill now and a frankly superb wine list (all from NZ bar two bottles in case anyone insists on French, starting from £28 a bottle).
There’s a lot of lamb as you’d expect but not like this. Aged lamb tartare anyone? The answer should be yes, as this was delicious. Initially ordered out of curiosity it was a burst of ruddy flavours, with a truffle tang that made you heap on more.
Smoothies and brunch at Tahi
Under the direction of Head Chef Andrew Tranter in the evening, the fare is described as a seasonal take on Kiwi classics and if you, like me, are unsure what that means, I’d say probably the nearest comparison for me is Skandi, with lots of pickles, fermentation and robust flavours through smoking, braising and basic, sheer brilliance.
Andrew’s pedigree is very impressive he achieved the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Award of Excellence in 2018 and was a finalist in the San Pellegrino Young Chef 2019/2020 competition. He has gone on to achieved acclaim as Head Chef at Pescatore, New Zealand, Senior Chef de Partie at Trinity Restaurant, London (which boasts one Michelin Star) and Senior Chef de Partie at Restaurant Story (boasting two Michelin Stars).
Like the rest of the staff, he’s charming and welcoming as was our host Charlotte and barista Ruby who left her previous position to be at Tahi because of their dedication to coffee, shown by the fact they are one of only four UK outlets with a Black Eagle Maverick coffee machine and also by her espresso martinis.
The portions are hearty as we started with a cheese sharing plate (sharing platters from £13), sourced seasonally and our cheese a wonderful Scottish ash goats’ cheese and a blue that had us groaning in satisfied cheese bliss, with a superb sourdough you would expect of these master bakers.
Small plates: Cevichee.
Next came an assortment of small plates (from £6) with the big plates starting from £12. Stand out (although all dishes are excellent) was the humble sounding cauliflower which would be one of my death row dishes and the beef cheek in smoky mash that was just a beautiful, perfect plate.
We also tucked into the fish ceviche which again was epic, with a stinging bite back you want from this dish and perfect squid crispbread. A gnocchi with lamb was a wonderful ragu, another hearty dish full of depth and flavour.
All this was washed down by New Zealand fizz (buttery, quaffable) and we also tried a superb Riesling.
The venue is pretty with an informal chic vibe and is the new kid on the block at Circle Square off Oxford Road, just near the uber drop off point.
VIVA verdict: Excellent food in a wonderful location with great staff and a good vibe. We’ll be back!
VIVA verdict: Excellent food in a wonderful location with great staff and a good vibe. We’ll be back!
For bookings and further information, visit Tahi New Zealand Eatery