Review: The Grill At Dakota Manchester Airport Is A Truly Luxurious Steakhouse Experience
Hotel restaurants can vary wildly in quality, but The Grill at Dakota Manchester Airport is a destination in its own right. It’s part of a new seven-storey, 84,000 sq ft, £55 million luxury hotel which opened in July 2026, every detail is taken care of — whether it’s valet parking, or a pre-dinner drink at the elegant bar in perhaps the most comfortable leather bar stools I’ve ever experienced. But of course, it’s The Grill itself that is the real treat for steak lovers.
The menus offer round-the-clock dining options, from a 5.30am breakfast or lighter bar snacks to lunch, dinner, a Sunday roast, or room service if you’re staying in the hotel. Whether you’re a hotel guest or not, it’s worth treating yourself to a meal in The Grill. The steaks on offer range from 28-day dry aged UK fillet, ribeye, New York strip and chateaubriand to Westholme, Australia Wagyu fillet and ribeye with prices from £41 to £85. There’s even a 10-ounce A5 Wagyu ribeye from Kagoshima, Japan. It’s priced at £150 if you really want to push the boat out.
We opted for the British dry aged ribeye and New York strip (both £43), cooked medium rare. They were both outrageously succulent and juicy, with a robustly beefy flavour and a delicious char from the grill. This is clearly great quality meat, cooked with care and properly rested before being served. But it wasn’t just the steaks that impressed us — the sides and pitch-perfect service really elevated the meal.
The steaks and sides make Dakota Grill the ultimate steakhouse experience
One of the most indulgently complementary sides to a juicy steak is surely bone marrow. At The Grill at Dakota Manchester Airport, you can have it two ways. We loved the soft, decadent roasted bone marrow (£8) spooned straight from the bones over the steak (and, let’s be honest, spooned directly into our mouths). Pouring an umami-rich bone marrow gravy (£4) over the whole plate took it to the next level. Add on an aromatic, tarragon-spiked béarnaise, and this is basically food from the gods.
No steak is complete without chips, and Dakota offers both skinny french fries and golden chunky chips (£6.50). Both can be pimped up with salt and chilli or truffle and Parmesan (£8.50). We opted for the latter, in the chunky format. We were rewarded with a heady, powerfully savoury side of spuds, crunchy outside and beautifully fluffy within.
You want more meat? The short rib mac and cheese (£16) hides a generous layer of tender braised beef that begs you to dig your fork in deep. A side of wild mushrooms (£8) delivers a delicious earthiness with every bite. A dessert of sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and butterscotch (£7) is just the jolt of super-sweet treat you crave after all that meatiness. The Grill isn’t a cheap option for a meal out — but it’s absolutely worth every penny for a special occasion. We’ve already planned our next visit.
Disclaimer: I’ve previously stayed and dined in Dakota hotels in Manchester city centre and Glasgow several times, as both a paying guest and during press visits. I was kindly invited to try The Grill at Dakota Manchester Airport in August 2026 as a guest, and our meal was gratefully comped.
