Review – Cafe Football [Old Trafford, Manchester]
Rating:
In a word (or two!):
Sporty chic
Cuisine:
Posh match day inspired food and, what some would say, stereotypical ‘manly’ dishes such as curries, pies and pizzas.
Appeals to:
In a nutshell, Manchester United fans. A strong football theme and located in Hotel Football opposite Old Trafford it would be hard not to submit to the surroundings.
What is Cafe Football all about?
Cafe Football offers an alternative to dining in the restaurants within Old Trafford itself with a light and airy space – perfect for watching the match whilst enjoying a glass of wine or two. It is much more relaxed than other football themed venues nearby with a subtle nod to the beautiful game throughout its menu and excellent service throughout.
The Food and Drink
Seated near the large screen on an away game match day the sun blaring through the floor to ceiling glass windows could believe we were far from Manchester, more like a sunny day in Spain! Desperately trying to ignore the amazing Sweet Shop style set up next to us we settled in with a drink and perused the menu.
I started with the Cuppa Soup With Toastie and was told the soup of the day was white onion. What arrived was beautifully presented in a good old fashioned mug and large pieces of cheese topped flat bread. The soup was creamy and lightly seasoned yet there was so much of it and it was so hot! I managed half before my friend had finished his Treble Pies. The pies were also quirkily presented in a cardboard box with Manager’s seats printed on the back. His unexpected favourite was the curried chicken which had a real kick of spice. The beef and onion contained soft chunks of beef whilst the cheese and vegetable was generously filled with a lovely yet light creamy filling.
Onto the mains and we went heavy… I chose one of the fan’s favourites; The Scholesy’s. A generously stuffed steak pudding with a lovely thin suet pastry. The chips arrived in a paper bag like you would expect to get at a match. They were light and fluffy on the inside with a crispy outer coating. Really delicious and perfect when dunked in the rich gravy. The Beast was aptly named, so much so, that my friend had to deconstruct it to get it in his mouth! 2 huge and juicy burgers cooked medium were topped with creamy mac and cheese, soft pulled pork, jalapenos and green olives. All this served with the same chips as with my pudding and I was amazed he said he had room for a dessert. A great burger amongst so many offerings currently available in Manchester.
How we had room for dessert I’ll never know but I chose the Melting Chocolate which arrived as a dark chocolate sphere that the wait staff poured hot chocolate sauce over in front of me. Apparently the shell was supposed to melt but it didn’t. Not a big deal but I did feel the dessert would have benefited from some sort of fruit as it was incredibly rich. Rich is also the best word to describe the Vimto Trifle. The custard layer was as thick as heavily whipped cream making it a hefty pud. The nod to Manchester made vimto was great and the flavours were lovely and pronounced.
The Verdict
We left suitably stuffed and satisfied. The food is great albeit a tad expensive, that said, we had a great experience watching the football in a chilled out and relaxed atmosphere. So much nicer than watching in a bustling pub where you are fighting to see the screen.
The Details
Cafe Football, 99 Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 0SZ
Twitter: @cafefootballuk