New restaurant opens in Rochdale Town Hall

The new restaurant inside the recently-restored Rochdale Town Hall has opened its doors in Rochdale, as The Martlet restaurant has officially launched.

For now, The Martlet is in a soft launch phase, offering a Café Luxe menu featuring traditional northern dishes, such as Jackson's rag pudding and bacon chop served with Bury black pudding. 

This soft opening serves as a preview of what’s to come, with the full fine dining experience set to debut on 27 September.

Once the fine dining menu is launched, patrons will be treated to a selection of refined dishes. 

Highlights include mackerel and Whitby crab, served with pickled cucumber, Granny Smith apple, sorrel, and sourdough croutons; North Sea Halibut with masala-spiced pumpkin, saag aloo, tandoori onions, and purple sprouting broccoli; and the showpiece RTH fillet rossini, which features a Lee Horsley beef fillet paired with truffle, duck liver pâté, wild mushrooms, rösti potato, and wilted spring onions.

 

 

The kitchen is led by executive chef Darren Parkinson, a celebrated chef with a distinguished career, having worked at renowned establishments like Shibden Mill and The Fleece, where he earned multiple AA rosettes. 

Assisting in the development of the menu is Tristan Welch, a chef with an international reputation. Welch has previously worked in prestigious kitchens such as Le Gavroche and L’Arpège, and is a familiar face from his appearances on the BBC’s Great British Menu.

Rochdale Town Hall, already a local landmark, is poised to become a major culinary destination with the arrival of The Martlet. With its blend of traditional northern fare and gourmet fine dining, this new addition is sure to appeal to locals and visitors alike.