It’s a jungle out there

I may be the minority of the Confidential office who enjoys a good wander around the Trafford Centre, but for a parent like myself, free parking, minimal walking and accessibility fit my criteria perfectly.

The only thing which grates me is the number of fast food establishments that are flashed before Harry’s (my three year old) eyes. He’s more familiar with the big yellow M, then he is with the big red S for Superman. Choosing where to eat at the Trafford Centre is always a battle of the wills but usually nine times out of ten we have to succumb to Harry’s demands for a burger.

So after dragging Harry round the sales for some new shoes, I decided to give him the choice of where he would like to go and eat – naturally the word burger popped out right on queue. Obviously not wanting to dine at McDonald’s we wandered round the Orient trying to locate somewhere that would cater for H’s burger obsession and something more palatable for myself and my other half. There we stumbled across Giraffe, menu complete with burgers (not of the entrails variety), fresh fruit smoothies, and salads. Everyone was a winner.

The restaurant itself had a jungle theme to it – hence the name Giraffe, with the décor using oranges and browns. Nothing bright nor offensive for a themed restaurant. We were sat down promptly by our waitress who quickly delivered crayons and paper to keep Harry amused which was a godsend as Harry’s temper was fraying due to his shoe shopping ordeal.

The menu was varied, with a wide choice for all ages; Giraffe even boast a breakfast menu where you can enjoy your traditional sausage, egg and HP sarnie or your more adventurous Range Style Eggs tostada.

As we were dining at lunch we opted for a children’s burger for Harry, salad for me and a burger for H’s dad Dan (the apple never falls from the tree it seems.)

Harry’s burger arrived looking refreshingly like it was the product of a cow served with perky chips and a healthy serving of salad to go with it. The burger was tasty and not over cooked, Harry guzzled it down so that was a good sign. Dan ordered the slightly more sophisticated adult Aberdeen Angus burger and chips with a side salad and devoured it equally as heartily. My Caesar salad with extra herby chicken was fresh and the chicken succulent but less seasoning would have been preferable and a slightly reduced amount of Caesar dressing. Overall though, the right boxes were ticked for a light bite out at the Trafford Centre.

We were going to venture on to the desert menu, which ranged from the saintly fresh fruit sorbets to the devilish choc chunk brownie but instead we had a major melt down with Harry who opted to throw a timely tantrum. To aid us with our trying toddler, our waitress delivered our bill promptly and never rolled her eyes as if to say “dreadful child,” instead she smiled sweetly and tried to entertain Harry whilst we sorted the bill – thumbs up to Giraffe’s customer service.

As a whole Giraffe is the ideal family experience with an emphasis on hearty and healthy food which in today’s fast food world is a little slice of heaven when dining out with your children. The restaurant is themed but not overtly so, which means adults without children don’t feel like they have stepped into a Whacky Warehouse pub.

You can’t ask for anything more when dining out with a toddler.

It’s a George and Harry go go go

The Trafford Centre
136 The Orient
Manchester
M17 8EQ
Phone Number:
0161 747 2100