Bull and Bear

The Bull & Bear in the new Stock Exchange Hotel in central Manchester – an upscale 40 bedroom hotel set in the former home of the Manchester Stock Exchange. The restaurant is on the old trading floor under a magnificent domed ceiling, with open kitchen and big sweeping booths. There’s also private dining options and event spaces The Bank and the Vault. The menu is refined, classic British comfort food, and presented in a flexible format of smaller and larger, hot and cold dishes to encourage sharing and feasting.

The wine list is mid sized at around 250 bins. Concentrating on the classic regions, it’s heaviest on France, but with enough New World and a handful of more experimental styles (there’s a few skin contact) and regions (eastern Europe and England) to pique interest. The by-the-glass list is perfectly serviceable and as you’d expect in a hotel the half, magnum, sweet and fortified boxes are also ticked. As well as a few big names from Bordeaux, Burgundy and Napa there’s a general preference for smaller producers who farm responsibly. The hotel also features a bespoke cellar called The Strong room where guests can have a more in depth wine experience.

Corkage £30