Rochdale’s food scene is quietly – and confidently – on the rise, with ambitious independents leading the charge. At the heart of this transformation is The Martlet, the elegant restaurant housed in a Grade I listed Neo-Gothic building, which has just unveiled its brand new outdoor terrace: a thoughtfully designed outdoor area made for long summer evenings and after work drinks.
Opening this May—just in time for World Cocktail Day on Tuesday 13th May —the 60-seat new summer terrace offers an expansion not just in square footage but in ambition. With the addition, The Martlet now boasts 132 covers in total, cementing its place as a serious dining destination.
To mark the launch, The Martlet is unveiling its first ever signature cocktail: The Martlet Blue – a taste of summer in a glass, mixing summer spirits including Defiance Vodka, Blue Curaçao and Malibu, with freshly squeezed lemon, a dash of pineapple juice, and all shaken over ice and garnished with pineapple and edible flower.
To celebrate the launch, The Martlet is giving away 200 free signature ‘The Martlet Blue’ cocktails throughout May* to the first 200 people to enter the competition via the restaurantsInstagram channel. (T&CS apply)
The new spring/summer food menu from The Martlet has something for everyone. Salads, including a smoked Finnan haddock with rarebit and chive and beetroot with goats’ cheese and white balsamic, make the perfect choice on sunny days ahead. While a choice of sandwiches, from roast sirloin beef and sweet pickle, to roast chicken, Caesar sauce, lettuce and parmesan shavings can be grilled, or not, and enjoyed under blue skies. And for the indecisive, The Martlet Kitchen’s new sharing board is a smorgasbord of northern indulgence: pork pies, peppered mackerel, Todmorden charcuterie and local cheeses that talk back.
While The Martlet Blue will headline the cocktail menu, a line-up of seasonal summer serves will sit alongside it such as Tiki on the Beach – Mango and pineapple rum, orange and cranberry juice. Drumstick Cocktail – Raspberry and vanilla vodka, apple and cranberry juice, freshly squeezed lime, grenadine and sugar syrup and a Cherry Bakewell Float – Cognac preserved cherries, Amaretto, lemon juice and whipped cream. —perfect for sipping as the sun goes down.
Offering a refreshing change of pace in the busy town centre, this expansion, coming just ahead of The Martlet’s first anniversary, is no small thing. It’s a sign that ambition, flair, and great service still have their place.
