By Jessica Carruthers
From hearing many great things about Turtle Bay to seeing it flood my Instagram feed, I decided it was time to see what all the fuss was about. There are actually two restaurants in Manchester, one on Oxford Road and the other in Northern Quarter. My friends and I decided to go to the Northern Quarter restaurant, booking a table for 6 pm so we could catch the last hour of their happy hour, which runs 12 til 7 everyday – who doesn’t love 241 cocktails!
As soon as we arrived at the restaurant I was instantly impressed. The minute you step foot through the doors off the cold streets of Manchester, you are transported into a Caribbean paradise. The whole place is decorated to perfection with colourful beer crates forming the bar and a theme of red, green and yellow running throughout. I can definitely see why my whole Instagram feed was full of this place – the decor alone is Insta-worthy!
As soon as we were seated we each ordered cocktails, taking full advantage of the 241 deal. I ordered a Mai Tai, which was delicious and fruity, the only downside being I liked it so much it was gone within minutes; however, that’s what happy hour is for! We were all starving so decided to skip starter and order our main. The menu mainly consists of the ‘One Pots’ which are served with rice and peas, and then the ‘Jerk Pit BBQ’ which are Caribbean barbecued meat served with an option of rice, sweet potato fries or mash and slaw. I opted for a meal off the ‘One Pots’ section, getting the ‘curry, shrimp & mango’.
The food arrived promptly and did not disappoint. My meal was presented in a large dish containing the curry and rice and there was definitely more than enough to fill me. Not only did it not lack in the masses, it also didn’t lack in flavour, it wasn’t too spicy but had just the right amount of kick! A few friends ordered the half jerk chicken. This was absolutely huge and I was told it was very flavoursome as well. By the time we had all finished our cocktails and food there was unfortunately no room for desert. As a massive desert lover I was disappointed however it’s just more of an excuse to return. The deserts menu consisted of some of the following: BBQ pineapple, spiced chocolate pot, rum and raisin bread pudding and more!
All in all I definitely see what all the fuss is about. From the decor to the food and drink, the whole place sets up an amazing atmosphere creating a different eating experience.
Jessica Carruthers is a third year student studying English and Linguistics, she enjoys music fashion and reading. You can find her at @jesscarruths
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