Gourmet Burger Kitchen Grill Warming in Manchester

Last night Gourmet Burger Kitchen launched the shiny new look of their intu Trafford Centre restaurant and I headed over to their “grill warming” to check it out.

Before last night I’d not been to GBK for years and my previous visits weren’t very successful as I was a little disappointed in my burger choices. But I was glad to try it out again and was determined not to make the same mistakes.

Burger specialist restaurants seem to be popping up all over the place now, offering all sorts of weird and wonderful combinations and epic burger stacks that are physically impossible to eat. But I always think of Gourmet Burger Kitchen as being one of the first, and I was happy to find that their burgers were as good as any I’ve tasted since. We made really good choices – i.e. we went for what we knew we’d love rather than getting distracted by the most exotic sounding ones, which is much better suited to my taste!

I ordered the Taxi driver – a beef burger (medium cooked) on a brioche bun with cheese, smoked chilli mayo, cajun relish, pickle, salad and an onion ring. It tasted…amazing! And Craig had only good things to say about his Cheese and Bacon (medium rare) – which is a classic combination for a reason. It’s great that you get the option of choosing how the burger is cooked – which is a testament to the quality of the meat. Our sides were also delicious, and the baconnaise dip that came with my sweet potato fries was just devine! I’d more than recommend that!

We were welcomed with a beer reception (in place of a champagne reception) so were able to sample the craft beers that they source from smaller breweries, and I’d like to give a little shout out for our soft drinks too – Coca Cola which comes served in glass bottles is always a winner, and my strawberry and elderflower fizz was fantastically refreshing on the hottest evening of the year! At the end we also got their speciality peanut butter milkshake to go – which again was perfect.

So the food was great, and I also loved the look and feel of the new restaurant. The main restaurant area is really spacious, modern and bright, and we got a table upstairs on the balcony, which was more quiet, relaxed and romantically lit, and a great spot for a couple dining out.

I’ve also found a new interest in intu Trafford Centre as an eating venue. I only ever go there for shopping, and yes, I do sometimes stop off for food as well, but it’s always as an afterthought. I’ve also only really eaten in the food court area. But actually, there are plenty of decent restaurants to choose from – from Carluccio’s deli, to Chao Baby for Thai food, and of course GBK. On a weekday evening like last night it was a pretty relaxed atmosphere, and it’s actually a great alternative to Manchester city centre for a meal out. I’m already planning another evening there to combine food, a cinema trip and drinks.