Erst, Manchester restaurant review

On our increasingly regular trips to see my family up north, we’ve grown accustomed to breaking up the journey with a pitstop in Manchester.

There’s no question that it’s one of my favourite cities in the UK with its peerless craft beer scene, top notch restaurants, and effortlessly cool vibe.

This time, there was one restaurant which was erst on my list of places to visit. (Sorry, not sorry).

Located in Ancoats, Erst serves natural wine and seasonal small plates.

If that sounds like your idea of hell, then you may as well stop reading now.

Whilst it might be an increasingly well-worn hipster cliché, if handled well, then I don’t see what’s not to love about interesting wines by the glass and clever small dishes that allow you to try more of a menu.

With its vast windows and moody lighting, sitting at Erst’s bar on a dreary night with a drink in hand is the height of cosiness.

I started with a can of Track Sonoma (£6), an easy drinking pale ale with buckets of hops. Mrs G went more off piste with an excellent glass of sparkling red Lambrusco Salamino (£8) with plenty of fresh red berries. We then moved onto a corker of a skin-contact Georgian orange wine (£11.50), a smashable gamay / pinot noir blend (£6.50), and to accompany dessert, a beautifully layered and sweet Riesling Auslese (£8.50).

Whilst the wine was great, the cooking was even better. There’s clearly bags of technique which goes into Erst’s understated dishes.

A soft and pillowy flatbread (£6) was topped with umami rich beef fat which melted into the bread alongside finely diced white onion and the warmth of urfa chilli. The bread, beef and onion combo was highly reminiscent of a hamburger and I’m fully on board with elevated dishes which taste like refined junk food.

A beetroot dish (£12) is one of Erst's menu mainstays and I can see why. Fudgy, earthy and sweet long-cooked beetroot sat in a pool of creamy ajo blanco that was punctuated with vibrant green chilli. A well-judged note of acidity, which arrived with every mouthful, ensured the dish was perfectly balanced.

Deeply savoury, charred and caramelised onion petals (£12) were sat on a bed of creamy stracciatella cheese. It’s basically the same as the innards of a burrata without any of the Instagrammability of having to slice it open. The crunch of breadcrumbs and a drizzle of good quality oil completed the excellent dish.

A seasonal special of white asparagus (£18) was the only bum note of the meal. Two tips were pleasingly tender but the pair of bottoms were disappointingly woody and stringy, so much so that one remained uneaten and the other stuck between my teeth for the rest of the meal. 

Whilst the main component was a big disappointment, a creamy mussel sauce had excellent shellfish intensity and plump pickled mussels provided clarity. But at £18 for two asparagus stalks, I can't help but think it still would have represented poor value, even if it was flawless.

Things got back on track in a big way with a gloriously meaty and tender piece of skate (£21), which nudged away from its cartilage with ease and was drenched in a glossy and rich lemony butter sauce that was seasoned with the savouriness of scallop roe. Tender pink fir potatoes and saline monks beard all enhanced the lovely piece of fish.

Finally, a lamb belly skewer (£15) looked low key but turned out to be the most decadent dish of the night. The compellingly crisp-fatted, smoky and tender meat was intense on its own, but accompanied by soft and sweet mashed dates, it was a juggernaut of flavour intensity. Raw onion and flat leaf parsley played a vital role in balancing its richness.

For dessert, I lasered in on the Monbazar booze-soaked prunes. Their accompaniment was lush too, a mirrorlike panna cotta (£7) which eschewed vanilla in favour of pure creaminess.

I can see why people rave about Erst so much. With its huge flavoured small plates, cosy atmosphere and excellent wine, it’s a cracker of a restaurant.

The Details:

Address - Erst, 9 Murray St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6HS

Web - https://www.erst-mcr.co.uk/

Telephone - 0161 547 3683