Ribeye: Manchester’s best fully Halal steakhouse (new menu)

We had the privilege of reviewing Ribeye Steakhouse – Manchester’s very first restaurant with a complete dry bar – soon after it opened in 2019.

Located in the city centre’s vibrant hub of First Street, this luxurious venue impressed enough for us to opine that “Ribeye is arguably the finest fully Halal steakhouse in the UK.”

Although we concluded at the time that they were “a whisker away from being rated a perfect 5/5”, we voted their Wagyu Ribeye the ‘Best Steak’ reviewed that year.

What’s more, our readers solidified Ribeye steakhouse’s growing reputation by voting them #FtLionAwards 2019 ‘Best Restaurant’ and ‘Best Newcomer’.

Fast forward three years, and this incredible establishment has survived the worst global pandemic to have decimated the UK’s hospitality industry in living memory.

Their Head Chef Djafar Yousfi, who boasts almost two decades of experience, and who served us a menu which we described as having “set the benchmark for all others to aspire towards”, is still with them doing what he does best.

Eagle-eyed Head Chef Djafar Yousfi

The two-storey restaurant is a luxuriously big one, with its focal point, of course, being the open kitchen’s bustling grill section that’s in full view of the customers.

A blue and turquoise colour scheme juxtaposed with floral back drops creates a sumptuous interior, with marble tables spaciously arranged, and even a convenient prayer room situated upstairs.

But, we only had one question going in upon our return: Would Chef Djafar and the good folks at Ribeye go one better and achieve that coveted perfect rating?

Manchester Bee – A peach lemonade with lime and honey; Ribeye Red – Fresh berries with citrus; Paraguay Punch – Fresh muddled berries and pineapple – £6.00 each

Of the trio of beverages tried, the smooth and fragrant Manchester Bee did its city’s namesake proud, with the sweetness of the honey giving way to the zingy, almost eye squinting, richness of peach and lime.

The two-toned Ribeye Red had the sweet overtones of the berries therein, but was quickly overtaken by the zestiness of the citrus therein. As for the silky Paraguay Punch, then this wasn’t as rounded as the others, being dominated by the pineapple, with barely a hint of the freshness of the berries coming through.

Beef Ribs (Spicy) – Marinated for 24 hours in their own spice mix and slow-cooked for 8 hours, £8.00

There was no doubting the fact that all the hardwork invested into cooking these Beef Ribs, what with a 24-hour marination process followed by an 8-hour cooking time, paid off. In fact, we’d go so far as to say that these were some of the best we’ve ever had!

In addition to how amazingly balanced the marination was – the touch of heat underscoring a smoky, honey-sweet glaze that was finger-lickingly sticky – the ribs were barbecued precisely to ensure that not only would the meat fall off at the merest glance, but the fat was beautifully rendered, with crispy edges that had nicely caught here and there.

Marinated Grilled Lamb Chops with Houmous – Three chops marinated in garlic and chilli with herbs served with houmous, £11.00

The sheer quality of these Lamb Chops shone through thanks to exceptional cooking skills and a simple marination.

Despite being presented closer to well done than medium well, they were tender and succulent throughout, had a lightly crisped exterior, and were paired with textured Houmous, whose sour undertone helped dampen the marination’s gentle heat.

Halloumi Cheese – Deep fried & served with a fresh tomato salsa, £8.00

We’ve had halloumi cheese plenty of times before, but we can’t remember having it as good as Ribeye’s.

An absolutely delightful dish, with not a hint of rubberiness to it. The cheese was lightly crisped on the outside, and practically dissolved on the palate. It was served with a tangy salsa that provided some heat and a little crunch thanks to the finely diced onions.

The restaurant bases its philosophy on ‘Its All About The Food’ and pays homage to the very best beef from not only around the world but also our own shores.

Wagyu (Ribeye 9oz) – 300-400 days corn fed, grade 8+, and cooked on a Himalayan stone salt, £75; with Chargrilled Beef Bone Marrow with sriracha seasoning, £5.00; Garlic Butter, £2.00

Ribeye’s statement that it’s “procured the best meats internationally” couldn’t be better demonstrated than by this Wagyu Ribeye.

Peppercorn or Mushroom Sauce (£2.75 each)

Nine ounces of utterly buttery goodness (and we’re not referring to the wedge of garlic butter here either), with only a standard table knife required to cut through this soft and tender specimen.

The accompanying piece of Chargrilled Beef Bone Marrow with sriracha seasoning just lifted what was already a mind-blowingly umami-rich experience into the stratosphere.

Add to all that two remarkably good sauces, namely the Peppercorn and the Mushroom, and we’d recommend letting your hair down and indulging with this one.

Creekstone (Fillet 9oz) – Wet aged and fed a 100% corn diet for 140 days, £39.00

As for this US Creekstone Beef, then it differed from its cousin above in that it was more stringy in texture.

In fact, this wasn’t so much an experience as it was a journey across textures and meaty flavours.

As we made our way slice by slice towards the centre, then not only did the cooking of this thick hunk of steak change from well done to medium/ medium well, but it also transitioned from a firmer and more intense beefy taste, to a softer and more umami-flavoured one.

Slow Cooked Spicy Lamb Shank – Served on a bed of butternut squash puree, and cinnamon-perfumed marinade sauce, with mint & parsley, £28.00

“Balance” was the recurring word that accompanied the review of this Slow Cooked Spicy Lamb Shank.

And while all the elements that make up this classic dish were accounted for, this particular one was elevated by innovative touches that included a butternut squash puree, which wasn’t just smoother in texture to its traditional potato mash counterpart, but its sweeter undertone also meant that it married harmoniously with the shank’s gently spiced and lightly flavoured cinnamon marinade.

Home Made Truffle Ravioli – Stuffed with cheese and truffle in a creamy white sauce topped with roquet and drizzled with chilli oil, £17.00

Although our only criticism of this Home Made Truffle Ravioli was the actual pasta, which being slightly thicker than it should have been meant that it erred on the chewier side, there was no doubting either the taste or the sauce it was presented in.

The former contained a piquant cheesy stuffing, with the aroma of the truffle coming through well and true.

Meanwhile, the latter was deliciously creamy and buttery, with what appeared to be large chunks of porcini mushrooms providing that firmer textural contrast.

Ribeye Red Mac and Cheese

We had the privilege of being the first to try Chef Djafar’s soon-to-be-introduced menu item: the Ribeye Red Mac and Cheese.

Let’s just say that you’ll be in for a treat, with the tiny pasta beneath a rich and cheesy top being soft and al dente, while generously mixed in with a tomato based sauce with a touch of heat therein.

Patatas Bravas, £4.50

The Patatas Bravas is the other new item and one that’s native to Spain. Here the potatoe cubes were soft, offered solid heat, and were sprinkled to a finish with cheese and herbs.

Fondant Potato – Pan-seared in butter and rosemary, then baked in oven with chicken stock, £4.50

The chef went the extra mile here by pan-searing this potato segment in butter and rosemary, before baking it in chicken stock.

The result was a perfectly made Fondant Potato that boasted a crispy, fragrant coating, which managed to retain some good firmness.

Panache de Legumes – Mix of steamed baby vegetables sauteed in parsley and butter, £5.00

This Panache de Legumes turned out to be a perfect foil to the meat dishes enjoyed during this review, especially the steaks.

Seasoned in sea salt were an assortment of steamed veggies ranging from shiny baby asparagus, baby carrots, and snap peas, to baby sweetcorn that had been rubbed in garlic.

Mac and Cheese, £4.50

Again, this Mac and Cheese was pleasurably good, with the soft pasta not only covered in plenty of gooey cheese, but also having a surprising touch of heat to it.

Tiramisu, £9.00

What more could you ask for from a Tiramisu than a cloud-like mousse texture, with a thin layer of saturated sponge as a base?

And though this was perhaps slightly on the sweeter side, owing to the coffee not coming through as strongly as it could have; nevertheless, this was a delightful dessert in its own right, and one that’s light enough to easily consider after a heavy meal.

Chocolate Bomb – Served with hot caramel sauce and crushed hazelnuts, £10.00

This Chocolate Bomb on the other hand might be a choice if you’ve had something of a lighter meal.

But what a choice it would be, with the hidden dark chocolatey cake on the inside being brought to life by the pouring of the sweet caramel hot sauce to deliver a rich and decadent finale.

Pistachio Profiteroles – A soft pâte à choux filled with a pistachio cream, £8.00

Although the pistachio flavoured cream filling in these generously large profiteroles was deliciously ambrosial, the profiteroles themselves were on the firmer side, and a sign perhaps of their lack of freshness nearing the end of the day.