I am usually a huge fan of the chain Slug and Lettuce. The menu is really varied with a good selection and some great offers. So when my housemate Eleanor and I popped to the cinema over the weekend we decided to grab a bite to eat afterwards at the Cornerhouse.

The sun was trying to break through the clouds and all of the seats outside were taken, so we headed inside. We attempted to grab a booth but all of them were reserved, so situated ourselves by the bar at the taller tables.

The venue is pretty, there is no doubt about it. Colourful mirrors, plush comfy seating and beautiful lighting decorate the place out, with a fully stocked, huge bar as the focal point.

Boasting lunch from £5 Tuesday to Friday until 4 PM, and three small plates for £11 it’s usually great value for money.

However, on Saturday my food really lacked thought, content and presentation.

The food arrived in about 15 minutes, which was great. They weren’t massively busy being 3pm on a Sunday but I was still impressed with how quickly it left the kitchen. However this was the highlight unfortunately.

Eleanor ordered the grilled halloumi tortilla salad, a mix of avocado, edamame beans, tomato, lemon oil dressing, peppers and apparently omega seeds, all served in a tortilla bowl. The presentation of this was great, however the omega seeds were nowhere to be seen and the pot of dressing was tiny in comparison to the size of the dish. This meant that most of the salad went undressed, and the tortilla casing was incredibly tough to eat.

I on the other hand opted for one of their small plates, Lotus style steamed buns with barbecue pulled pork and pickled red onion. I also went for sweet potato fries with garlic mayo. This was stupidly underwhelming. Firstly the buns arrived with lukewarm pulled pork and absolutely no salad. Not even the pickled red onion that it said on the menu. Below is a picture of the buns on the menu…

Can you spot the difference? The menu clearly states it comes with pickled red onion, and the picture clearly shows some lovely greenery. Neither arrived with my dish. I asked for some salad and was given limp watercress to accompany. Gutted. I’ve had these at their Spinningfields bar and they were amazing! Here is a pic for comparison…

Totally different. How can two restaurants of the same chain, with the exact same menu and guidelines, get it at opposite ends of the spectrum? I was so disappointed. I would have complained but no one came over to check and so I had to eat them as I was so hungry.

The sweet potato fries were ok. They were very crisp but seemed to have been sat waiting a while as they weren’t as hot as you would expect.

It’s a real shame as it’s very reasonably priced and their cocktail menu looks fantastic. It’s a place that I would visit with friends for a relaxed bite to eat and a few drinks one afternoon. However I don’t fancy the drive up to Manchester for their version of the food and so until the Cornerhouse bar pulls its finger out and sorts out the food I doubt I’ll be back to try it.