Eating Out
From Bolton Interweb
Bolton has a huge variety of restaurants and takeaways catering for all tasts with Chinese, Indian, and Italian cuisine dominating.
The big chain takeaways all maintain several outlets in the town, some with drive-thrus open until Midnight. But you can't drive more than a mile in any direction before coming across the most common fast food outlet - the traditional Northern Fish and Chip shop, although in Bolton it comes with a twist. A large number of fish and chips shops are also Chinese takeaways, resulting in the unhealthy but compulsive local "fusion" dish: chips, rice, and curry sauce. You can have mushy peas too if you are brave enough, though frankly luminous green gloop has never appealed to me and peas should come frozen in a bag marked Birds Eye. There are also a scattering of late-night kebab houses which, oddly, usually serve pizzas too. At 2:00 am on a Friday or Saturday night you should have no problem getting something to eat, especially if you are not fussy.
Good restaurants are at a premium in the town and, if eating out, most people will go to one of the pub restaurants, few of which will serve after 8 - 9 pm. Menus tend to be of the big chain variety and, frankly, uninspiring. When the Pizza Hut is one of the culinary highlights in a town, you get the picture. Having said that virtually all pubs serve sandwiches and hot meals at lunchtime.
But Bolton is a big town and despite the dominance of chain pub menus and takeaways, there are a few gems and the good news is that bookings are not always needed.
The jewel in the crown is probably the Red Bridge, tucked away off the beaten track on the border between Bolton and Bury on Breightmet Fold Lane. A decent pub as well, the food is plentiful, original, and of excellent quality. Plus you can open a tab with a credit card and eat and drink in the civilised manner the rest of the world is used to. Bookings are not normally required. You can get cheaper but prices are nowhere near what you would expect for equivalent quality fare in a restaurant, and the beer and wines are at normal pub prices.
On the other side of town, another excellent place to eat is The Thatch and Thistle on the A6 at Blackrod. Less traditional in character than the Red Bridge and with slightly higher prices, it is still a great place for a night out with good food and plenty of it.
For those wanting a romantic evening or a very special occasion, the Alghero is an Italian restaurant, about a 20 minute drive North over the West Pennine Moors about a mile beyond Abbey Village. The drinks can be a little expensive and it is best to ring ahead and book, especially for Fridays and Saturdays. The food is, however, superb and the service friendly.
Finally, if you want to try that famous chips and curry sauce, the best by a wide margin can be found at Chae’s in Harwood, opposite Morrisons. Chae's is also a Chinese takeaway but, personal preference, I prefer the Tak Ming, a couple of doors down.
Bolton may not be the greatest place in the world for eating out but it does have variety and when all the takeaways in all the other towns are closed for the night, Bolton’s are just getting busy! In fact, if you are truly desperate, the McDonalds on Derby Street is open 24 hours a day. How many other provincial towns can claim that!!!
