Nico Simeone is the Scottish-Italian chef behind the Six by Nico restaurant empire, and his latest venture is Lennox, located in Spring Gardens, Manchester. If you’re not familiar with Six by Nico, it’s like a fever dream version of fine dining. Simeone came up with themes like “The Chippie,” “Italian Road Trip,” and “Ancient Rome,” and served six courses inspired by each one. Tokyo! Mad Hatters! Childhood! At one point, the Six empire was spreading like knotweed, and by 2025, there were 17 restaurants. You had a better chance of eating at a Six by Nico than finding an NHS dentist.
Let’s just say, lots of people love the concept—overlooking the so-so cooking—because it’s affordable, and the six-course format makes a night out with friends feel special, unlike Pizza Express. Simeone says Lennox will be very different: à la carte, focused on dry-aged meat, but still playful and inventive. There would be a fish finger with katsu curry and celeriac remoulade; a tempura oyster shell filled with dry-aged beef tartare and oyster emulsion; and gnocchi with deboned chicken wings and parmesan. Lennox would be personal, bespoke, and absolutely not scalable. No plans to roll it out, no way. But by August 2026, there will be three of them. Wait, what? Yes, shortly after Manchester came Glasgow, and then Edinburgh. Simeone sleeps with one eye open; I admire his tirelessness.
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Lennox’s gnocchi with chicken wings are ‘genuinely, strangely enticing. Does it work?’ We arrive at lunchtime and look over the menu, which is puzzling but has definite moments of delicious intrigue: mussels, sourdough, ‘nduja, pickled fennel; pork cheek, gochujang, cheese on toast; sole kiev, caesar salad, burnt lemon. And for dessert, hazelnut tiramisu with dulce de leche, and pavlova with extra-virgin olive oil. There’s an open kitchen, a Japanese barbecue, and lots of visible dry-aging fridges for both steak and fish, because chefs seem convinced that what guests want is to watch meat rot firsthand, like a weird Sam Taylor-Johnson art installation.
First out of the kitchen, brought by a lovely server, was the dry-aged beef tartare with oyster emulsion—a chunky, oozy little bullet of beefy fishiness, styled to look like an oyster in a tempura batter shell. Tartare purists will hate it; oyster purists will hate it even more. But Six by Nico, and now Lennox, have never been about strict rules.
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The fish finger with katsu curry is the ‘shining light’ on the menu at Manchester’s Lennox restaurant.
In fact, the longer I’m at Lennox, the harder it is to tell where one restaurant ends and the other begins. A halloumi shawarma with baba ganoush and rosemary flatbread, for example, is really unappetizing: dry, unseasoned, neither fine dining nor inventive. But then the gnocchi with chicken wings is genuinely, strangely enticing. Deboning chicken wings makes them small, but the gnocchi, on the other hand, is purposely large, so we end up with a weird bowl of beige lumps topped with sheets of parmesan. Does it work? It’s comforting but lacks finesse. Still, it’s Friday lunchtime and Lennox is full of life, filled with couples, groups of friends, and people starting their Friday night early.
For me, the shining light on the menu was the fish finger with katsu curry. A charming idea: think of an elevated McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish dipped in those tiny pots of curry sauce. Some aged ribeye was very good, though its red wine sauce was a bit thin and bitter.
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A ‘chunky, oozy little bullet’ of aged beef tartare with parmesan game chips at Lennox Manchester.
A plate of salmon gravlax in buttermilk, dill, and grapefruit was very pretty but underwhelming. Lennox feels like being bombarded with ideas from all sides; you’ll leave fed, challenged, and slightly punch-drunk from the experience. We finished with a lemon tart, inexplicably served with a red wine sorbet and rRosemary. Three very assertive flavors locked in a battle for dominance. My heart was crying out for just a touch of Chantilly cream, as a refuge from this flavor boot camp.
When it opened, Lennox was described as a highly personal project, but there was no sign of Simeone when I visited, and oddly, no other named chefs were attached to the venture. His all-seeing powers and singular vision are not only running multiple Six by Nicos locations, but also a bold new Lennox-shaped dawn. Hospitality would be far more boring without him, but next time, I’ll go for the hazelnut tiramisu.
Lennox Manchester, 60 Spring Gardens, Manchester M2 2BQ, 0161 832 1815; lennoxrestaurant.co.uk. Open Tuesday to Sunday, noon to midnight (1am Friday and Saturday, 9pm Sunday). About £70 per person à la carte for three courses (set menus from £35), plus drinks and service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the restaurant review of Lennox in Manchester titled A boot camp of flavours
General Concept Questions
1 What is Lennox
A modern restaurant in Manchester that serves bold intense and experimental British food The review describes it as a boot camp of flavours because the dishes are packed with powerful sometimes challenging tastes
2 Who is the chef behind Lennox
The review doesnt name the chef directly but it focuses on the kitchens philosophy of pushing boundaries with flavour combinations
3 What kind of food does Lennox serve
Modern British cuisine with a focus on strong layered flavours Think small plates and tasting menus that use unusual ingredients and techniques to create punchy dishes
4 Is Lennox a tastingmenuonly restaurant
The review suggests it leans heavily toward a tastingmenu format but its best to check their current menu online for la carte options
Boot Camp of Flavours What That Means
5 What does boot camp of flavours actually mean
It means the food is not subtle Every dish delivers a concentrated highimpact taste experience like a flavour workout You wont find bland or gentle dishes here
6 Is the food spicy
Not necessarily spicyhot but intense The review mentions dishes that are salty sour umamirich or bitter all at once Its about strength of flavour not just heat
7 Will I like it if I prefer simple food
Probably not If youre someone who likes mild familiar flavours Lennox might feel overwhelming Its for adventurous eaters
Practical Tips Common Questions
8 How much does a meal at Lennox cost
The review doesnt give exact prices but highend tasting menus in Manchester typically range from 60100 per person Expect to pay for a premium experience
9 Do I need to book in advance
Yes For a restaurant with this kind of reputation booking weeks ahead is recommended especially for weekends
10 Is Lennox good for a date or special occasion
Yes if you and your date are food adventurers The intense flavours can be a
