“WOOD has always been about bringing passion and creativity together to meet powerful flavours in an un-intimidating environment and this still rings true. We are all about welcoming diners to an exciting place to experience high quality dishes in quietly luxurious surroundings and the dishes we have created offer playful flavour combinations that make a fun dining experience that really delivers.” In the grand scheme of people who are hard, if not impossible to argue with, Simon Wood ranks pretty high from where we’re sitting.
One of the North West’s most exciting chefs and restaurateurs, Wood shot to stardom via TV’s Masterchef, and off the back of that success went all in with WOOD, his eponymous eatery in the cultural and hospitality hub of First Street. As playful as it is elevated, the establishment quicklybuilt a reputation for its exceptional tasting menu, which saw iconic northern English flavours pre-scented in bold and innovative ways, at once appealing to our sentimental and adventurous sides. This duality is also matched in the space and atmosphere — unarguably sophisticated yet alluringly laidback.
From 2023, the concept shifted to focus on “small and big plates”, although regulars will be de-lighted to know plenty of fan favourite dishes have survived. So expect Koji Cured Bavettre, a cheeky take on ham, egg and chips, chicken glazed lamb sweetbreads, and celeriac shawarma, among other things, while the Josper charcoal grill takes care of BBQ Hen of the Woods, herb smoked bacon chop and monkfish XO. WOOD is also home to some of the most knowledgeable and entertaining sommeliers we’ve ever met, so you can expect a spectacular choice of wines taking in timeless Old World bottles and more unusual varieties from lesser celebrated producing nations such as Armenia and Lebanon. And their back stories.