IT was the year of the lemmings. Except you expected to find them, not spreadeagled at the bottom of a cliff, but slaving over a lukewarm stove in Cheshire exile. Chefs are all a bit kamikaze, but ritual hari kiri on their Sabatier knives seemed the way of things as they jumped ship (or were pushed) across the city.

In a coming review I welcome back the brilliant Robert Owen Brown to a kitchen - albeit in some quiet corner of Bolton borough a far cry from gastropub accolades at his former venture, The Bridge. I was also happy to trek out to a pub called Cabbage Hall, beyond Tarporley, to discover the piratical Francis Carroll pining for the big city he graced at a number of venues but still cooking quality food.

Doubtless I'll travel even further towards Chester to gauge Robert Kisby's transformation from Le Mont malcontent to country squire at the Cock o'Barton. Pursuit of the Cocoa Rooms Two, Colin Buchan and Steve Mclaughlin, might require tracker dogs, while Arlindo Anjo, who quit Casino 235's Linen the same week as McLaughlin exited the Hilton's Podium, stays beyond my radar.

Ashley Clarke, whose fine, gutsy cooking failed to lure discerning punters into the depressing Princess On Portland Hotel, decamped to Hale, to take Anjo's place at Nectar, Jeremy Al-Rahdi's laudable organic restaurant (Don't miss his recipes in Weekend Go in the New Year).

So what remains? Well, a stable but rather dull dining scene with some interesting newcomers but little with stellar potential. The possible exception is Alison Seagrave, charismatic driving force at Harvey Nichols' Second Floor, who stepped out from the shadow of previous exec chef Robert Craggs and ratched up the cooking a couple of notches in a frantically busy kitchen. I've high hopes this Heywood lass may scoop chef of the year at next month's Hi-Life Awards.

Her pal, Eyck Zimmer, at The Lowry Hotel's River Restaurant, continues to plunder awards, although there have been moans about inconsistency. Still, my best lunch of the year was there - on the terrace, eating a phenomenal lobster salad and watching the salmon leaping in the Irwell (well, you can dream).

My favourite newcomer was the city's first Portuguese eaterie, Luso, in Bridge Street, which almost made up for the loss of Owen Brown at The Bridge opposite. Because it is a friendly family business I so wanted owners Carlos and Jane to succeed. Fortunately the food, which ambitiously spans the globe for Portuguese influence, justifies those hopes.

My best meals of 2006 were often in far-flung places. The original Heathcotes at Longridge, Northcote Manor, also in the Ribble Valley, and the Old Bore at Rishworth on the far side of the M62 all thoroughly deserved their five-star scores.

In the city, the chains snapped tight shut on Deansgate. Pesto deserved its critical hammering. In contrast, Evuna stayed fun with its interesting all-Spanish wine selection and El Rincon stayed the benchmark tapas joint. At the far end, in the Hilton, Cloud 23's novelty value - and sky-high prices - endured but Podium, the restaurant 23 floors below, was a deadening experience.

I never penetrated Linen at the top of the mega-bucks Casino 235 (I needed to sign up to lose money) but accessible Numero on the ground floor was a lovely space with nice staff and some surprisingly hardcore Italian fare.

I have hopes 2007 may bring great things. I just hope our remaining chefs can hang on in there. Tweet