The Rivals

4.2

875 Reviews

£25 and under

Gastro Pub

Innovative
Romantic
Good for special occasions

Situated within the visually stunning Royal Exchange Theatre, The Rivals is the perfect venue for a business lunch, a break from shopping or a pre-theatre dinner. With views out over St Ann"s Square and into the theatre's Great Hall The Rivals offers a superb pre-theatre dinner menu with friendly attentive service. The bar/restaurant is also open during theatre performances for non theatre going customers. Real ale, craft beer, fine wines and excellent food are all on offer

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
£25 and under
Cuisines
Gastro Pub, British, European
Hours of operation
Lunch Mon–Sat 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
0161 615 6666
Website
http://www.royalexchange.co.uk/the-rivals-bar-restaurant
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Anna Fysh
Private party facilities
In addition to The Rivals Restaurant, we also cater to private events and functions in a variety of attractive spaces.THE FUNCTION ROOM:In a setting unrivalled for its distinctive location overlooking both St Anne's Square and The Great Hall of The Royal Exchange, the Function Room is self-contained, with it's own bar and toilets and has the following capacities:Seated Buffet - 60 Boardroom Style - 20 Standing Buffet - 90 Theatre Style - 70Formal Dinner - 70 Classroom Style - 40THE CORPORATE MEMBERS DINING ROOM:For absolute privacy for a working lunch, an important business meeting, or simply elegant entertaining, the Corporate Members Dining Room and Bar is stylish and intimate. Available throughout the day, the capacities for the dining room are:Lunch - 24Boardroom style - 12
Private party contact
therivalsbar@gmail.com: 0161 615 6666 x6797

Location
Royal Exchange Theatre, St Anns Square, Manchester, M2 7DH
Neighborhood
Ashton-Under-Lyne
Parking details
 The following NCP Car Parks offer 20% discount to all our customers. Simply validate your ticket at the theatre's box office. NCP MARKET PLACE, Black Friars St. Tarriff info: 2hrs - £5.00 2-4hrs - £9.00 4-6hrs - £13.00 6-24hrs - £18.00 NCP KING STREET WEST Tarriff info: 2hrs - £7.00 2-4hrs - £15.00 4-6hrs - £17.00 6-24hrs - £25.00
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Beer Garden, Cafe, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Madeira Braised Pig Cheek, Parsnip Puree, Apple & Mustard£7.00
£1.50 supplement
Smoked Mackerel Fritters, Cucumber Tartare, Spiced Blackberry Pickle£6.50
Confit Salmon, Sweet & Sour Cabbage, Crispy Scallion£7.50
£1.50 supplement
Baked Goat`s Cheese, Beetroot Carpaccio, Pea Shoots, Horseradish£6.50
Pressed Confit Duck Leg, Kohlrabi, Soy Glaze, Burnt Orange£7.25
£1.50 supplement
Wild Mushroom Pate, Walnut Salsa, Rosemary Toasts*£7.00
£1.50 supplement
Butternut Squash Soup, Truffle & Parmesan Scone, Onion Butter£6.25

Main Course

Vadouvan Spiced Rump of Lamb, Bombay Potatoes, Cauliflower, Mango Salsa£24.00
£2.50 supplement
Saffron Risotto, Harissa & Lemon Carrots, Pumpkin Seed Dukkha£19.00
Stout Braised Feather Blade of Beef, Triple Cooked Chips, Kale, Basil Pesto*£22.00
£2.50 supplement
Roast Hake, Braised Salsify, Potato Boxtie, Peas, Citrus Beurre Blanc£21.00
Potato, Butter and Herb Terrine, Poached Leek, Sauce Gribiche£18.00
Sea Bream, Charred Courgette, Sardine & Tomato Ketchup, Olive & Tomato Dressing£23.00
£2.50 supplement
Roast Chicken, Potato Puree, Charred King Mushroom, Porcini & Bacon Crumbs£19.00

Pudding

Chocolate Orange Sundae, Chocolate Crumbs£7.00
Banana & Salted Caramel Semi Freddo, Italian Meringue, Banana Crunch£7.50
Eccles Cake, Mrs Kirkham`s Lancashire Cheese, Manchester Honey£6.75
Lemon and Raspberry Bread and Butter Pudding, Vanilla Ice Cream£6.75
The Rivals Cheese Board, Crackers, Grapes, House Chutney£7.00
- For 2£12.00

Sides

Triple Cooked Chips£3.00
Fondant Carrots£3.50
Greens£3.50

What 875 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.2

4.2 based on all time ratings

4.2Food
4.3Service
4Ambience
3.7Value

Noise • Energetic

875 Reviews

KW
KayW
London
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on March 14, 2020
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Hidden gem. What a lovely restaurant. First time diners, four of us. There was a show on at the Theatre. Restaurant was quiet as a consequence. Didn’t spoil our experience. Very nice menu. Reasonable prices for city centre restaurant. Lovely, friendly staff. Look forward to going again.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
London
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 6, 2020
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely staff Very accommodating when running late with a theatre production to see. Food excellent Nothing to complain about at all.
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B
Belle74
Manchester
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 6, 2020
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Gorgeous food, lovely staff and good decor/ambience. Had a fab pre theatre meal.
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S
Subalew
Manchester
20 reviews
5.0
20 reviews
Dined on March 2, 2020
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Good place for a pre-theatre meal. Excellent choice of food and wines
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D
samanthaD
Manchester
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on February 28, 2020
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 5
I always love dining at The Rivals before the theatre but on this occasion the food was quite mediocre - both of our mains were luke warm and the chips arrived after my partner had finished his main and I'd almost finished mine. We didn't complain because we were on a time limit as the play was about to start. Also, there's so much on the menu these days that isn't included in the set menu cost that it feels a bit odd that it's a set menu.
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R
Rach
Manchester
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 28, 2020
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
It was lovely to enjoy a great meal before the show, the staff kept the table for us and we had desert at the interval which was lovely.
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D
Davetherave
Warwickshire
5 reviews
4.0
5 reviews
Dined on February 26, 2020
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Food still excellent. Slow and inconsistent service. Quite expensive and supplements for certain dishes excessive.
Is this helpful?
FG
FrancescaG
Manchester
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on February 24, 2020
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great for pre-theatre dinner. Very nice choices for a set menu and reasonably priced for the quality of the food. Prompt service, but do tell them you have a theatre booking and they will hurry your order along if need be. You can also order desserts to have during the interval. Good for groups as has plenty of big tables. Also, interesting wine list and something for all preferences. Usually go for the Paco and Lola Albariño as it's a wine lots of people like, and goes well with a lot of the dishes on the menu. Have been here more than once and always had efficient service and a tasty meal in lovely surroundings.
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s
stephens
Manchester
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on February 22, 2020
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
good food, service efficient, pleasant atmosphere. Would certainly go again
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CR
ClaireR
Yorkshire
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 22, 2020
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely service . Nice food . A little expensive but a nice treat
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FAQs

The Rivals is rated 4.2 stars by 875 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

Royal Exchange Theatre, St Anns Square, Manchester, M2 7DH

Additional information

Neighborhood
Ashton-Under-Lyne
Hours of operation
Lunch Mon–Sat 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
£25 and under
Cuisines
Gastro Pub, British, European
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
 The following NCP Car Parks offer 20% discount to all our customers. Simply validate your ticket at the theatre's box office. NCP MARKET PLACE, Black Friars St. Tarriff info: 2hrs - £5.00 2-4hrs - £9.00 4-6hrs - £13.00 6-24hrs - £18.00 NCP KING STREET WEST Tarriff info: 2hrs - £7.00 2-4hrs - £15.00 4-6hrs - £17.00 6-24hrs - £25.00
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Anna Fysh
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Beer Garden, Cafe, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.royalexchange.co.uk/the-rivals-bar-restaurant
Phone number
0161 615 6666
Private party facilities
In addition to The Rivals Restaurant, we also cater to private events and functions in a variety of attractive spaces.THE FUNCTION ROOM:In a setting unrivalled for its distinctive location overlooking both St Anne's Square and The Great Hall of The Royal Exchange, the Function Room is self-contained, with it's own bar and toilets and has the following capacities:Seated Buffet - 60 Boardroom Style - 20 Standing Buffet - 90 Theatre Style - 70Formal Dinner - 70 Classroom Style - 40THE CORPORATE MEMBERS DINING ROOM:For absolute privacy for a working lunch, an important business meeting, or simply elegant entertaining, the Corporate Members Dining Room and Bar is stylish and intimate. Available throughout the day, the capacities for the dining room are:Lunch - 24Boardroom style - 12
Private party contact
therivalsbar@gmail.com: 0161 615 6666 x6797

The Rivals

Not available on OpenTable

There’s more to explore

Additional information

Before You Decide

Rosemary Focaccia£3.00

Nocellara Olives£3.00

To Start

Madeira Braised Pig Cheek, Parsnip Puree, Apple & Mustard£7.00

Smoked Mackerel Fritters, Cucumber Tartare, Spiced Blackberry Pickle£6.50

Confit Salmon, Sweet & Sour Cabbage, Crispy Scallion£7.50

Baked Goat`s Cheese, Beetroot Carpaccio, Pea Shoots, Horseradish£6.50

Pressed Confit Duck Leg, Kohlrabi, Soy Glaze, Burnt Orange£7.25

Wild Mushroom Pate, Walnut Salsa, Rosemary Toasts*£7.00

Butternut Squash Soup, Truffle & Parmesan Scone, Onion Butter£6.25

Main Course

Vadouvan Spiced Rump of Lamb, Bombay Potatoes, Cauliflower, Mango Salsa£24.00

Saffron Risotto, Harissa & Lemon Carrots, Pumpkin Seed Dukkha£19.00

Stout Braised Feather Blade of Beef, Triple Cooked Chips, Kale, Basil Pesto*£22.00

Roast Hake, Braised Salsify, Potato Boxtie, Peas, Citrus Beurre Blanc£21.00

Potato, Butter and Herb Terrine, Poached Leek, Sauce Gribiche£18.00

Sea Bream, Charred Courgette, Sardine & Tomato Ketchup, Olive & Tomato Dressing£23.00

Roast Chicken, Potato Puree, Charred King Mushroom, Porcini & Bacon Crumbs£19.00

Pudding

Chocolate Orange Sundae, Chocolate Crumbs£7.00

Banana & Salted Caramel Semi Freddo, Italian Meringue, Banana Crunch£7.50

Eccles Cake, Mrs Kirkham`s Lancashire Cheese, Manchester Honey£6.75

Lemon and Raspberry Bread and Butter Pudding, Vanilla Ice Cream£6.75

The Rivals Cheese Board, Crackers, Grapes, House Chutney£7.00

Sides

Triple Cooked Chips£3.00

Fondant Carrots£3.50

Greens£3.50

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is The Rivals restaurant rated?

Is The Rivals currently accepting reservations?

Not available on OpenTable

Additional information