Friendly atmosphere, cosy and intimate, and some great live music events going on...

My friends and I decided to test out the new Trof in the Northern Quarter after being firm favourites of the wonderful place in Fallowfield were we spent most of our lecture time...Generally for the Sunday morning after the night before breakfast. So we sat down with the intent of ordering the massive breakfast and it was only when we had been overheard mentioning this that a member of staff came over and told us that the only food that Trof were serving that day were Roasts, "but they are really nice." No sandwiches, no snack foods, just Pork, chicken, beef and veggie roasts.
So we make the best of a not very ideal situation, have already settled in with our Fruhlis, and decide to go for the roast. Initial thoughts being, they sound nice and at 8.95 GBP, reasonable.
The food arrives....My first reaction was too the size of the serving. My chicken seemed a reasonable wing and breast but my friend who had ordered beef had two measly strips of meat and the other friend's pork was 95% fat. Then, the Yorkshire pudding...about the the same circumference as a small digestive biscuit and there was only one....then I tried a potato...stone cold potato it seemed, and not just mine but the 3 other people I dined with, cold potato! Now with this in mind, if you are only making roasts in the kitchen and you don't have other orders to distract you, surely you should do a decent, if not good job? I was very disappointed is the least to say, there was no gravy and it looked like an assembly line bad job. When the staff came over to collect our plates, I informed her that the potatoes had been stone cold, of which she replied, "well you should have said," no love, you should have made sure my potatoes were warm before serving them....
Although, it wasn't all too bad, the bubble and squeak cakes were lovely and original, the beer was good and priced averagely and the service was reasonable, so not many other complaints.
I think the lack of signage that they were only serving roasts annoyed us greatly, as it was only after we were settled in with drinks that we realised this and if there had been a sign on the bar to alert customers to this, we could have simply gone to one of the Northern Quarters greasy spoons.
All in all, I will say, It's probably a better idea to stick with what you know is good and although you have to fight with students for tables at the original Trof, I would much rather do that than eat a cold roastie.

love trof! good selection of beers, cool music and some very nice female bar staff :P

Whoa,ignore that review from Zahina-what is this...ready steady cook? Trof serve the most delicious king sized breakfast anywhere in the Northern Quarter with friendly staff and a generally cool atmosphere...check it out!

Zahina - Get a life, was bored by your article at 95% fat! Trof Northern Quarter is the coolest thing to open for ages and is bound to have teething problems like any good establishment. If you really want a good roast dinner - Go home and get your mum to cook you one! SD

cool, great atmosphere, definately be visiting again

good live music nights

I agree with everyone else - ignore Zahina. When we went we had fantastic food that came in big portions which was good because we were all starving! Some quirky beers to choose from which gets some variety into your average night out

F**kin brilliant

Really nice decor, great beers, good food, just a shame all the staff are so rude!

Nice bar if only it wasnt so full of pretentious wannabe media types! oh how tiresome to see them all trying to be so different yet all end up looking the same.....get some proper mancunians in and stir up the atmosphere a little, sick of southerners taking over our patch.

great beer selection and lovely decor. However, on the past 2 visits I have found the staff to be rude. I went with a friend for dinner and found that the staff were too busy chatting amongst themselves to take our order(waited ages for a menu!)and when I called in one night, the service was rude and abrupt(despite my friend tipping and the fact that we were stone cold sober, having just finished work).shame really....

went down to the open mic night on sunday, 28oct. what a shady place manchester is on a sunday night. anyway, when we got there, they said it was comedy night. he was right. what a farce. on our way back we met two guys carrying guitars, who didn't believe us and said they would go and play anyway. so, besides chorlton folk club, 1 lapwing lane and the blue cat, which are all so clicky and basically just after money i will add trof to my list of No Go venues.

been to trof a good few times, great beer selection and always a good atmosphere.. although this place at the weekend can get a little too busy. I have to disagree with thoughts on the service... the staff have always been approachable and friendly enough.. and thats even facing the friday night crowds!

too smelly mate

The last few reviews are far from the mark in my opinion - I visited recently after being recommended by a friend and I loved it. The food was ample, tasty and well presented (I had a royal breakkie). The beer selection is unmatched locally and the staff all seemed fun, friendly and all very much in the festive spirit.

Anonymous below, you're right, they work in a bar, well done you. Perhaps they were slightly off with you because you have that stupid opinion of them - would it be ok for people to be up themselves if they were in a different career? I think not. Neither was it a "shambles" as mentioned below, it seemed to be perfectly well run - as for not selling anything other than roasts - they serve breakfasts until 3 or 4 (I can't remember which) and then do, unless I'm very much mistaken everything else on their menu after they've stopped serving the brekkies. So perhaps it is YOU who should read more attentively - it says it all on the menu.

I can't recommend this place enough, ignore the stupid and somewhat ignorant derogatory comments below, give this place a go and you'll find it to be worth your time and your hard earned!

Totally agree with Zahina's review, This place was a shambles when I went and why should you have to go to yourmum's if you want a roast, the article blatantly says that they went in for a breakfast but had to get a roast as they were'nt serving anything else! Winds me up when people read half a review and this place is not a patch on the Fallowfield branch and i filled with pretentious idiots who think they know better than you because they listen to bloody Sigur Ros. What a joke!

I have also been there on a Sunday after a massive breakkie and have had to make do with a shoddy roast. The issue is, when you are having a roast, you can't have a rubbish roast. It's so difficult to have a rubbish roast but they do a good job at making it so. Also, I had the pork and believe me, there is certainly not enough meat on the bits they give you...pork belly, not chop! Who the hell serves pork belly as a roast?!?!? I have always had a chop or carved from a larger cut...the staff are up themselves too, get over yourselves, you work in a bar!

The point was, I went in there to have a brekkie, as I love them, and have had to have a roast on a Sunday becuase they WERE'NT doing a breakfast. I read the menu fine thank you, it was only when I went to order I was told that they were serving nothing but roasts. I don't think it's an issue that they are bar staff and shouldn't be up themselves, the point is, they work in the service industry and are getting paid to make people feel comfortable in their bar. I couldn't care what job they have as long as they do it properly!

Woah, Had no idea I would be sparking a mass debate. I have been in again recently, not for food but for an evening and it's getting better. Atmosphere was good etc. The bar staff are also much better than the first few weeks and you can't get a better Fruhli anywhere else....

love this place.
think people are being a tad too picky myself...

This place is a hole! Get yourself to Odd, so much better!

This place is ace - was there last nite the only bad thing is that it shuts at 1pm!

I really like the Trof in Fallowfield and whist this venue is more stylish, the staff are rude and pretentious in my experience. They really need to go on a customer service training course. Smiling and not acting as though it's a major effort to serve you would be a start. I have to admit the food is pretty good and they have a nice selection of drinks but the attitude of the staff leaves a lot to be desired.

suffers at the weekends from an overspill problem orginating at poorer neighbours; namely the shirt and shoe lover brigade of bluu and the printworks. perhaps some kind of short intelligence test door policy might be employed to stave off the obnoxious?

a great bar, but staff?? bar 1 or 2, are prob' the worst in manchester, they haven't a clue, waited for 20 mins on friday night whilst the one member of staff on duty, was on the phone, we left along with many others vowing not to return, meanwhile in odd we were greated by three staff and although busy they were quite happy to take our money pretty quickly. troff-sought out the dead-wood and get some staff who know something about customer service.

trof---are you not getting the hint about your staff YET!

rude staff

music not in key

i enjoyed it - food was lovely and service was fine.