Flavours of Sound: The audio-taste experience of Liverpool's Michelin Guide restaurant, Manifest!

We recently took time off from our usual schedule of attending gigs and interviewing artists to visit one of the most talked about restaurants in the North-West that promised a unique audio-tasting experience.

Situated in Liverpool's Baltic Triangle, Manifest was opened by Chef Patron Paul Durand and his wife and business partner Charlotte Jones in 2022. Inspired by Paul’s travels around Europe, the wine bar and restaurant offers a combination of relaxed European dining and modern fine dining. Just four months after opening, Manifest was quickly submitted to the Michelin Guide and has since been included in The Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Local Restaurants as well as currently standing at no.84 in the National Restaurant Awards Top 100 (the only Liverpool restaurant to make this list).

Having heard news that Paul himself had a huge love for music and had specifically curated the restaurant playlist itself, we had to head down to discover how the unique sonic soundscape of Manifest enhanced their acclaimed dining experience and ask Paul about the unique relationship between flavour and sound.

Manifest, 4a Watkinson St, Liverpool

On arrival, we were instantly struck with the warm ambience of the restaurant. Although exquisitely designed with an elegance and style, the restaurant still felt welcoming; a far cry from many of the intimidating interiors of fine dining locations across the country. The music played a big part in this too. We were half anticipating an abstract, artistic soundtrack to compliment the intricacy of the dishes on the menu. However, we were pleasantly surprised to be greeted with poignant 80s, 90s and 00s classics, bringing a fuzzy nostalgia that made us feel completely at home. This immediately showcased the personality of head chef Paul, giving us a taste of the man behind the food we were about to enjoy. As we sat down on the chef's table we got a chance to ask Paul about his own musical background and how he selected the soundtrack.

He told us that he has "always been drawn to music, usually the louder the better. I’m always drawn to larger-than-life characters that are a bit off the wall. The likes of David Byrne and Tom Waits for instance. In a previous life I played in a few bands and just generally had fun with it. The age-old story, a few mates from school got together, learned a couple of chords and formed a band. My time writing music and being a creative is a lifetime ago but the creative process I have now is the same. What story have I got to tell. My food is all about trying to give the sense of place, Liverpool – a kid from Anfield in the northwest with Irish and French family history, with connections to people. It's an outward-looking city with a hugely rich culture and story to tell. So my food follows the same lines as song writing, what is this dish saying, celebrating, showing us and making us feel?".

Poached Oyster

As we tucked into our first ever poached oysters, which even impressed the most seafood averse member of our party, we began to realise that the soundtrack was making us feel so at ease. It was like we were dining with all the comforts and enjoyment of being in our best mates house while indulging in the sophistication of a fine dining experience. The music dissolved any hint of pretentiousness from the experience and made it one of the most relaxed and comfortable fine dining meals we've had. Paul explained that this was a key thought behind his playlist curation: "First and foremost for most people it's enjoyable music to listen to, even if you’re not into that kind of music it’s appreciated. It’s very subtle, we have some mega songs that peak around 9pm when the restaurant is in full swing and the energy is just perfect. We have more session length songs for nursing those digestifs and those relaxing notes of enjoyment at the end of a meal".

Then, as our meal progressed with a fish course filled with delicate flavour combinations, we felt the soundtrack begin to rise in energy, building our excitement for the evening and stimulating the energy of the conversation around the venue. Paul explained that they had purposefully curated the playlist "to suit the moment depending on the sitting be it lunch or dinner, a more casual vibe or a high-energy Saturday night. The tempo and songs on the list reflect that first, and then the order of songs will build with the sitting. So that the music is high energy and fun, peaking with your main, and then reflective, slower and more intimate as the meal ends and you’re hopefully revelling in good food and good times".

Chef Patron Paul Durand

At the mid point of our meal, as we tucked into an array of different Beef-based bites that had an incredible depth of flavour to them, we really felt the full effect of the sonic experience. As the sounds of The Strokes whirred around us, we felt the fuzzy richness of the meal we were eating, delivered in audible form. We found the tracks bringing old memories to the fore and igniting discussions across the table, another huge factor that the soundtrack played throughout the night. Paul commented: "Music and food can and do connect, they’re choices – personal and subjective. Discovering flavours and technique in cooking and drinking wine can be emotive, interesting, start conversations in the exact same way that music does. My wife and I play a game at home where we try and find perfect songs and wines that go together and imagine what place and time they should be enjoyed together. Enhancing the sensory experience, but most importantly to me the memory! The imprint of that moment, that sip and that sound. Humans want that connection, and to make those emotional imprints. It’s at the heart of what Manifest is trying to do because it's what we love! It's the human side. An example of this is when you have that first sip of an ice-cold beer say on holiday! And you instantly lighten your load and start to relax, the same can be said about when the record player goes on and the vinyl starts and everything else is blocked out. It's matching these moments".

And indeed, we felt throughout the course of our two and half hour experience, the music was always either reminding us of nostalgic moments or generating us new ones in the moment. A prime example of this was when an appropriately bright synth-melody began to play while we were enjoying the summery fruit sorbet. We began to try and remember who sang the song that we were all singing along too... we leaned over to ask Paul who joined in with our pursuit of audible recollection. At last we got it.... it was The The's classic 'This Is The Day'...of course it was!! This moment perfectly captured the experience for us. Not only did the song match the tones and textures of our food, but it also made us nostalgic, starting a fun conversation while simultaneously creating us a new memory there and then while being able to interact with the man behind the menu and get a true sense of the personality of Manifest.

The full Manifest taster menu

This sense of comfortability and enjoyment was at the heart of the night. By blending a relaxing, welcoming environment devoid of snobbery while still providing a flair and finesse through the service and the food, it brought together all the best elements of dining experiences we'd had in the past with a unique personal touch. Paul summed it up well by stating "We are labelled casual fine dining, as there are no white table cloths, no dress code and no formalities needed from guests. The fine comes from fact that our staff want you to have a good time and think about your experience, they work to make sure drinks elevate the food or excite you with their own story, they will even notice if you’re left-handed and subtly edit your place setting. The food takes a lot of skill to make and even our most subtle dish the onion tart has a lot of chefs' learned skills on plate that come from years in the industry and learning. A fine dining restaurant is more likely to put these elements to the fore".

The music enhanced each dish by complimenting the sonic tones, whether it was the delicate melodies matching the finesse and subtlety of the fish dishes and desserts or the rich, bold choruses of retro classics bringing out the depth of flavour of the meat-based mains, it was a beautifully complimentary experience. However, what really stuck with us was how the soundtrack made us feel so at home in an environment that we would usually feel a little out of place in. So even if you're completely new to fine dining don't worry, Paul and the team will make you feel at ease in an instant and we can't recommend their Manifest experience enough.

Book at Manifest today.