"Having read the great reviews on Restaurants Of Manchester, I decided to give it a try, but I was not so sure that I'd made the right decision as I drove past Bradford Road Gasworks to arrive at an industrial park. The security guard waved me through a checkpoint and we then entered another world as we walked into the restaurant at the end of a big industrial unit. This place is jaw-droppingly amazing! Incredible design, which no amount of photography can really do justice to. Absolutely stunning huge restaurant and upper floor bar. Worth the trip just to see the place but what about the food? My meal of sushi style Cinnabar Roll (salmon & avocado), followed by Slowly Cooked Duck with a Penang Curry, was excellent, as was my wife's Sea Bass and my son's Seafood Casserole. Maybe my main course could have been served a little hotter, but that was the only slight quibble with a really good meal. As for value for money, I thought that the main courses were well priced but the starters could be a little cheaper, as could the rice accompaniment for the main course, which was £3.50. Wines are mainly mid-price to higher end but there's a few decent bottles at very accessible prices.
After our meal we stayed for a drink in the bar (Cinnabar), which I've reviewed separately at Manchester Bars.com.

My overall verdict: This is a must-see, must-do experience, whether you live in th region or are staying for a night or two - it's only a short taxi ride out of town. If the place was in the city centre, the excellent Chaoprahya would be getting a really serious competitor and if it was in London it would no doubt get sensational reviews. The Southern journos should get themselves out here to see what we can achieve 'Up North'." - ian, stockton heath 13/6/08 (visited on a thursday evening)

"I've vistied Vermilion three times now; once for a quick lunch, once to entertain business clients and another for a romantic evening. On each occassion it has fitted the bill perfectly and delivered consistently good food and service. As you'd expect for a restaurant costing £4.5 million and designed by Miguel Cancio Martins, famous for Man Ray in Paris which is owned by Johnny Depp, Mick Hucknall, John Malkovich and Sean Penn, the interior is breathtaking. Cinnabar, the bar area above the restaurant is worthy of a romantic night out on its own with huge pods to relax in.

The menu is a fusion of Thai meets British, with a great selection of seafood dishes, which, given the owner's shrimp importing empire, is certainly worth exploring. Indeed from my three visits, the Clay Pot of Baked Mixed Seafood (£12.50) has been the stand out dish so far. Presentation of the food is as impressive as the decor whilst the prices aren't as steep as I'd been lead to believe by some reviews. Main courses range from £8 (Chicken Green Curry) to £18.50 for the Exotic Rock Lobster Tails with Truffle Oil and Asparagus - another dish I tried and liked! At lunchtime, prices are even more tempting with a superb business lunch offer - only £12 for 2 courses with a varied selection to choose from including the Grilled Sirloin Steak served with sticky rice, which at this price is amazing value!

Service is somewhat formal although, with the surrounding decor and sliding Japanese style doors, adds to the James Bond ambience. The highlight of all three visits though has to be the desserts, which are amazing. The Delicately Steamed Golden Bean Cake (£6.50, or only £3 extra on the lunch menu) and the Vermilion Surprise (£7) are to die for - the 'surprise' being the number of calories!

Overall Vermilion is an excellent restaurant and whilst it sells itself as a destination restaurant, it's close enough to Piccadilly (only 5 minutes in a taxi) to offer a great alternative to city centre dining. With the superb Cinnabar upstairs it's very easy to make a night of it and it should only be a matter of time that Manchester's elite will be knocking back glasses of Hennessy Ellypse cognac at £350 a pop and scoffing the £120 Beluga Caviar with their Ferraris parked neatly in the car park outside. Not that the rest of us should be put off, there's plenty here to impress." - neil, restaurants of manchester 28/5/08 (visited on a mon afternoon, weds lunch & friday evening)