I Love Yardbird

Having recently celebrated its second successful year in business, Yardbird is well and truly a mainstay of our village landscape, serving up delicious food and drink seven days a week. I Love Bramhall met up with Yardbird’s owners to find out just why the bar-cum-restaurant continues to go from strength to strength.

If you’ve ever visited Yardbird, you’ll know that the stylish exterior gives way to a welcoming interior peppered with industrial features and a range of textures, from hide-backed chairs to stone-clad walls. With both a bar area and a restaurant spread over the split-level ground floor, Yardbird is a local favourite across the community as a whole, from parents with prams and couples eating out to retirees popping in for a coffee and a chat.

Owners Ryland and Judith Wakeham have owned the premises on Bramhall Lane South for many years, first as a wine bar and then as its subsequent foodie incarnation, Napa. Spending a lot of time in London, the pair decided to introduce some serious style to the premises, inspired by England’s capital city, and so Yardbird was born – a metropolitan eatery with a relaxed vibe and a modern menu. 

A fully trained chef himself, Ryland worked his way up from the kitchens into management but his influence can still be seen – and sampled – via the menu. Sourcing ingredients locally, as well as from his Cornwall home where possible, Ryland’s menu is packed with fascinating flavours. Among the mains you’ll find salt ‘n’ pepper squid, miso-maple sweet potato tacos and yakitori chicken skewers, while those with a sweet tooth can savour a delicious strawberry pink gin and tonic cheesecake or decadent double chocolate brownie.

Nothing beats the all-time customer favourite that is the sharing surfboard, however, which has featured on the menu in various guises for seasons, such is its popularity. Comprising smoked salmon, tempura king prawns, soused herring, smoked mackerel pate, salt ‘n’ pepper squid rings, crayfish tails in Marie Rose sauce, mini fish cakes AND multigrain crostini, this is a fish dish designed to delight. Yardbird serves up some delicious deals, too, including this autumn’s Friday Food Faves – choose any two main menu meals at lunch or dinnertime for just £20 over the next few weeks.

In addition to flavour-filled food menus, Yardbird serves up an array of cocktails and drinks, making the bar a popular haunt for after-work or weekend gatherings. Pop in to browse the current cocktail offers – they change regularly throughout the year – and enjoy some musical accompaniment from 11pm until 2am courtesy of the resident DJ on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Along with all the great deals, fun-filled evenings and delicious dishes, Yardbird tops off its enticing package with the cherry on the cake: exceptional service. From the warm welcome guests receive to the complimentary brownie bite served with every coffee, it’s this attention to detail from the 20+ team that keeps people coming back again and again. Both Ryland and Judith cannot praise their staff enough for a job well done and the enormous contribution they make to Yardbird’s ongoing success.

With Christmas just weeks away, now is the time to start planning any upcoming parties with family or friends. From November 30th onwards, Yardbird will be taking bookings for their Christmas party nights on Fridays and Saturdays until December 16th, so reserve a table and enjoy a three-course meal, crackers and dancing until 2am.

The eatery will also be serving up a festive Christmas dinner with all the trimmings from November 29th, a Boxing Day special brunch into lunch on December 26th and a New Year’s Eve dinner until 10pm on December 31st – the I Love Bramhall team can’t wait to tuck in to a terrific, tasty turkey dinner! To make a reservation, or for more information, contact the team at Yardbird using the links below:

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