The Refuge opens in Manchester

The Refuge by Volta, situated at the Palace Hotel, Manchester, has welcomed its first diners for lunch.

The kitchen served up The People’s Lunch, a changing selection of specials, overseen by DJs turned restaurateurs Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford, AKA The Unabombers.

The menu included crispy pork belly in a spicy broth with pak choi and sticky rice; marinated sea bass finished on the plancha grill with tabbouleh, green yoghurt and harissa; and fattoush with feta. The restaurant boasts a wide selection of craft beers, including Volta’s own collaborative brew with First Chop, and cocktails served from a 40ft granite bar.

Cowdrey comments: “When me and Justin go somewhere for lunch, we don’t want to speak to each other, we haven’t got much time and all we want is a really good meal that’s fairly priced. It’s kind of inspired by some of my favourite Vietnamese or Chinese places, a bit of a nod and a wink to the way a lot of south East Asian places do it.”

The Refuge will also offer coffee, brunch and lunch, as well as afternoon tea served in the winter garden.

www.voltafoodanddrink.co.uk