Greens Sale

TV chef Simon Rimmer’s famous non-meatery Greens has been going strong in Didsbury since 1990 and now he’s branched out to Sale’s new social and dining destination Stanley Square, offering innovative and locally sourced vegetarian and vegan food, plus bar and outside spaces.

Seasonal eating is on the menu inside, where large plates in July and August include the likes of herb gnocchi with summer vegetables and a spinach, pistachio and feta filo pie plus heritage tomatoes. There’s a curry, Malabar style – creamy and coconutty with curry leaves and spices – combining butternut squash, pilaff rice and onion bhaji. Small plates for summer include a fresh and light confit potato dish with crème fraiche sauce, capers and sunblushed tomato, and a charred peach and bean number with mint, hazelnut and Driftwood goats cheese. Further cheese dreams may be met by the classic combos of burrata, beef tomatoes, basil and pine nuts with focaccia or Spenwood cheese with honey, candied walnuts and a sourdough crisp. There’s plenty that’s purely plant based, too, drawing inspiration from around the globe: chilli and lemon oil-drizzled hummus and muhammara with flatbread sits in the Middle Eastern corner alongside barbecued hispi, pomegranate, harissa and almond; from the Far East comes tempura cauliflower and Korean sweet and spicy gochujang with Japanese seasoning furikake. Oyster mushrooms stand in for the traditional duck in the Greens favourite of pancakes with spring onion, cucumber and plum sauce, and there’s a dhal too, here with sweet potato and spinach, toasted coconut and coriander, and a flatbread for dunking. Eat your Greens!

Upstairs in the relaxing roof garden – weather permitting – you can pick at sharing platters, and there’s a street terrace out front at ground level perfect for sipping spritzes in the sun, continental style. The bar area welcomes guests (and dogs until 5pm) for cocktails, craft beers and organic wines, and there’s a coffee and brew club giving loyal customers free bevs – and you get a homemade vegan hobnob free with every sit-down hot drink.

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