Review: The Egyptian Room food hall opens in Oldham

The launch of Oldham's newest food hall this weekend (November 1) indicated that the venue will quickly become a top spot for people in the borough.

It's impossible to enter the hall without immediately noticing the stunning interior. 

Oldham Council's renovation of the Egyptian-inspired Victorian architecture has simultaneously managed to breathe new life into the space while preserving the historic look.

The years of work and planning put into the rustic preservation of the section of the old town hall have paid off in the form of a contemporary but authentic feeling when sitting down to enjoy the evening. 

With cream orange, burgundy and brown original decor lining the walls, the designers have fine-tuned the furniture choices by going with emerald green booth sofas, mahogany coloured tables and chairs and black, with minimalist enclosures for the vendors. 

@theoldhamtimes Here’s a first look inside The Egyptian Room in Oldham ahead of its public launch tonight. #theegyptianroom #oldham #oldhamfoodhall ♬ MILLION DOLLAR BABY (VHS) - Tommy Richman

The bar stands out, keeping with the black metal beam frames but with a classy cool blue light display adorning the bar front. 

Now, onto the most important stuff, the food and drink itself.

During the launch on Friday (November 1) guests were handed taster portions of some of the best dishes on the vendors' menus, with a small army of servers parading the food around.

I also opted to order myself a burger from The Last Stop, to try their smash patties out for myself. 

My burger from The Last Stop (Image: Newsquest)

Taking the first bite into one of their cheeseburgers I could see why this new start-up, beginning only in April and already having multiple venues, had quickly shot to popularity. 

The burger patty itself was flavourful with a seasoned taste to it and was well accompanied by fresh salad as well as a delicious sauce. 

I need to admit as well that I'm a rather fussy eater, usually ordering my burgers with nothing but cheese and lettuce, maybe a touch of ketchup.

This time however, I had all the trimmings and was pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed it just as much, if not more than usual.

The flavours all blended perfectly and no one ingredient overpowered the other. 

Next, I tried a taster from Wings of Power and grabbed a chicken wing from one of the waitresses. 

One of the taster chicken wings (Image: Newsquest)

They were presented as nicely as a chicken wing can be, on a small skewer, likely for hygiene purposes. 

Lashings of hot source adorned the wings and not being the best at handling intense spice, I grabbed one on the less saucy side, with just enough to taste and judge the sauce itself. 

I immediately wished I'd grabbed one with more as the fruity, warming sauce lit a toasty fire in my mouth.

It wasn't overbearing and was an enjoyable heat that complimented the crispy coating covering the soft, fall-apart meat underneath.

My next dish was a vegetable spring roll from the Tuk Tuk kitchen, presented in an adorable little paper boat. 

While it doesn't look like much, this spring roll was safely one of my favourite treats (Image: Newsquest)

The rolls had sweet chilli sauce on and I hate the stuff, but managed to find one sauce-free dish.

They were crispy on the outside, but not crumbling as spring rolls sometimes do and the golden wrap was hiding a well-spiced and fresh-tasting filling.

The filling didn't feel like a premade mush you might find in a poor quality Asian takeaway, but tasted as though it had been lovingly crafted from fresh ingredients.

Onto the next dish, from the Italian kitchen of Ply Loves Pizza, came a cheesy linguine with a soft spice to it.

The pasta dish from Ply Loves Pizza (Image: Newsquest)

The server had described it as 'like a spicy carbonara', which fits quite well, crispy bacon pieces were adorning the dish and a touch of N'duja in the cheese sauce. 

I then found myself much too full to try another thing and headed to the bar to check out the selection of drinks on offer. 

There's a large range of spirits on offer including both premium and everyday brands.

A fair selection of draughts was available too, with eight options including Staropramen, Coors, Aspall and even an Egyptian Room larger as well as other popular brands.

The Egyptian Room restoration has breathed a new lease of life into the venue (Image: Newsquest)

I wasn't drinking, on account of driving, but was told the Egyptian Room larger was what you'd expect from an own brand beer and was an easy drink. 

There are also three options for both white and red wines and two for rose and sparkling wines. 

All in all, the night was a hit with people staying even after the official launch was over and more people flooding in once the doors opened to the public.

The space also has excellent acoustics, meaning that the space was filled with the music of the entertainment that was booked for the evening. 

Each Friday and Saturday, The Egyptian Room welcomes a different entertainment act to set and keep the good vibes flowing.

They're open 11am to 10pm Tuesday-Thursday, 11am to 12am Friday and Saturday and 11am to 9pm Sunday.