The pink little sister of Australasia, Sunset caused a stir on social media when it launched in August as Manchester’s newest Instagram hotspot. With flower walls galore, neon light fixtures, frozen cocktails, a covered inside/outside terrace inspired by beachside dining and of course, a whole loada bento, I was more than happy to eat some Japanese in the name of “doing it for the gram”. 

Pass me some miso and one of those Apple Martini’s because I am in.

When Sunset first opened I headed along to try out their afternoon tea which is available everyday between 12-5pm and is ideal for catching up with the gals (& taking some rose tinted Insta images) or is the perfect gift for the person in your life who has everything.

Starting at £22.50 for the alcohol free option through to £29.50 which includes one of Sunset’s boozy (and delicious) Signature Frozen Pornstar, the Exotic Asian influenced take on Afternoon Tea at Sunset offers a selection of the menus much loved savoury favourites and delectable desserts, all served up in the Signature Bento Box and a dessert display that begs to have its photo taken.

It wasn’t hard to see why it was suddenly teaming with girls suspiciously co-ordinated with the millennial pink interiors, I mean, there’s no filters on any of these pictures, the place literally gives your images a rose tinted hue.

When I was invited to head back to Sunset to check out the All Day Dining menu I was intrigued to see whether it was just as busy as launch week or whether the initial novelty of it being Manchester’s most Instagrammable Restaurant had worn off.  Despite it being a blustery and grey Saturday afternoon in Manchester, all but a couple of tables on the terrace were full of people soaking up the cool interiors, sipping on delicious cocktails and enjoying the food.  Ah, the food.

For me, the ability to take a pretty photo is all well and good but if the food doesn’t live up to expectation or is disappointing, I’m not going to return no matter how photogenic my meal looks and I needn’t have worried.  The all day menu has an array of small plates (of which the oysters with lemon creme fraiche caught my eye), sushi dishes to share and Signature Bento Boxes.

Who doesn’t love a Bento Box?  

Like the Afternoon Tea, the Sunset Bento Boxes are served from noon – 5pm and offers up 3 options dependent on your tastes; the Signature Mixed which gives a little taste of Australasia with meat, fish and salad selections,  Premium Mixed including black cod, BBQ beef fillet, seared scallops and tartare and the Vegan option of silken tofu, salads and exotic vegetables.  Each Bento is available as 9 piece lunch box or 15 to make the perfect sharing selection.  We ordered the Signature and Premium to share and as much as I loved both, the Premium won it for me because of the seared scallops.  More. Of. Those. Please.

Looking for something a little sweeter?

The Dessert Bento selection is a 2 person minimum (so only go with someone who loves pud) £8.00 per person (min 2 person) and feature lime creme brulee, cheesecake, macaroons… the only problem I see is being willing to share your dessert.

Fancy something a little less designed for Instagram purpose but delivers delicious flavours in a stylish hidden sanctuary in the heart of Manchester?  Sunset’s big sister, Australasia offers up Modern Australian cuisine that combines Pacific Rim flavours with a blend of Indonesian and Southeast Asian influences.

A brand new menu has just launched and I can guarantee that you’ll be left watery mouthed and disappointed in your disappointing after checking out the small plates menu.