The Cellar Key

One of the best bistros in Manchester. If you like wine, you’ll love this place. They have over 100 wines on the list, as well as a wine vending machine, and the emphasis is on pairing your drink with the dishes.
They serve world cuisine in tapas style, from British classics to Asian and European food, so you can graze away over the course of the night. Very relaxing atmosphere and lovely service — the owner, Andy, is a gem.

Having recently visited The Cellar Key on a Travelzoo voucher it was definitely worth the review.
A warm welcome into the warm upstairs bar — personally greeted by the owners which was very nice.
We’d reserved at the same time as other diners so we were introduced to their concept of food and drink education. We were booked in for a 4 course tasting menu with paired wines and I was very excited!
Being a fussy eater of no red wine and no fish, the team were very accommodating and remembered my requests without prompting.
Noteably the pan fried calamares with garlic toast paired with a delicious prosecco and passionfruit dessert with desert Muscat were delicious. The main course steak with polenta was tasty but polenta slightly bland and too much. More salsa verde needed! The Malbec rose I had in place of red was delicious and worked with the steak course.
They do these nights on the 1^st and 3^rd weds of the month and it really was enjoyable. The only possible downside of this style of dining was the price £45 per head is good value for money with the menu in mind but a bit of a treat for a dinner out in chorlton.
The bar upstairs however has a good selection of wines and casual menu I am yet to try.
Definitely fills a gap in the chorlton market but I’ll be interested to see how it’s received.

The Cellar Key, a laid-​back, rustic wine-​led restaurant in the heart of Chorlton, is owned and run by Andy Leathley (@AndyTheWineGuy on Twitter) and has a seriously comprehensive wine list, offering 80 or so bottles.
It’s also one of only three places with its own Enomatic wine vending machine so you can choose a small number of interesting wines by the glass. The other machines are in Manchester city centre’s Salut on Cooper Street and Bakerie on Lever Street.
Formerly the long-​established Azad Manzil Indian restaurant, it apparently still has the tandoori oven in place for use in cooking some of the dishes on offer.
Though not apparent on entering, it’s spread over two floors, with tables downstairs in the cellar, but we didn’t go down there to see what it was like. The only downside for a restaurant of this size was that there appeared to be only one unisex toilet which could prove somewhat troublesome on busy nights. The loo is decorated with cuttings from a wine guide though so your trip will be educational!
Their autumn/​winter menu consists of snacks (such as crab spring rolls and croquetas), platters, flatbreads and small plates (such as cassoulet, scallops or garlic and chilli quail). We opted for a few dishes and enjoyed them all — the artichoke on toast and homemade cassoulet were stand-​outs for me.
What we all really liked was that it’s different enough to set it apart from the other eateries Chorlton has to offer, with the emphasis placed on wine supported by small plates for social eating. You also don’t have to be a wine expert as the friendly staff are on hand to give you advice on what you might like to try.
Having looked at the menu, I’ll definitely be going back to try some of the other dishes for an evening of unhurried food and wine with friends in warm and comfortable surroundings.

Cellar Key is a new wine bar on Barlow Moor road in Chorlton and is a welcome addition. The place has a really cosy feel with wooden tables and candles. They offer a great selection of wine and yummy bar snacks. They also have a wine vending machine. You just need to buy a card for £2 and then add to it however much you want to spend. Think it’s a really good idea as it gives you the chance to sample a small amount of different wines and see which one you really like before ordering a full glass. The service was also very friendly and efficient. Will definitely be back.

Ok, so first I have to front up. The meal I had here at The Cellar Key was a prize from a podcast competition. However, that does not colour the review and it’s definitely a place that I’ll be returning to to further explore the menu and to happily cross Andy’s palm with gold.
The Cellar Key is a new presence on Chorlton’s Barlow Moor Road (not far from the lovely Yakisoba) and offers a good selection of wine along with a number of small plates, platters and bar snacks. As well as the restaurant upstairs there is a bar area downstairs that we didn’t explore.
The wine menu is very nicely set out and for those less versed in matters grape related it makes it simple to find something that will float your boat.
I’m very much one of those people so I went with Andy’s recommendation, Silver Myn (a South African red). It’s a smoky delight and went with our dishes beautifully. It’s also a very easy drink. I can definitely picture myself working through a bottle or two of that sat in front of the fire in the current frosty conditions.
To eat, we shared a Beef Bourginon pie with mash, spiced duck and a chilli and garlic quail with fennel salad. Everything hit the spot but the pie was my particular favourite. I’d heard it mentioned before the visit and it did not disappoint in any way. Good crust, warm and delicious filling and plenty of meat in there.
Whilst eagerly filling my face I was also casting my eye around the restaurant to see what others were having and the cheese platter & the lamb shank certainly look like dishes I’ll be trying in future.
Service was very good. Our waiters were pleasant and well informed and we were given plenty of time to enjoy our dishes without feeling rushed.
I’m already looking forward to visit #2