Erst is a natural wine and small plates restaurant in Ancoats, Manchester.
Editorially verified May 27, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Seasonal small plates, Natural wine
Must order: Whatever the kitchen lists on the chalkboard; the wine list rewards exploration.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday only, kitchen closed 15:00-16:30 for the gap shift.
Address: 9 Murray Street, Manchester M4 6HS
The upstairs kitchen earned a Top 50 Gastropubs spot in the UK; Gabe Lea took over as head chef in late 2024. Located in Ancoats. Priced at £££.
Signature: Whole-animal British cooking, Aged Hereford steak
Order: Whatever protein is hung in the room that week; ask the pass.
Tip: Downstairs handles walk-in pints; the restaurant upstairs needs a booking.
The upstairs kitchen earned a Top 50 Gastropubs spot in the UK; Gabe Lea took over as head chef in late 2024. Located in Ancoats. Priced at £££.
Signature: Whole-animal British cooking, Aged Hereford steak
Order: Whatever protein is hung in the room that week; ask the pass.
Tip: Downstairs handles walk-in pints; the restaurant upstairs needs a booking.
Gary Usher's Didsbury bistro is the southern outpost of his Sticky Walnut group in Manchester. Two-course set lunch at sixteen pounds, ambitious for price.
Signature: Gin-cured sea trout, Braised featherblade
Order: Set lunch with featherblade and the parkin pudding with butterscotch.
Tip: Sundays book out; mid-week is calmer and the kitchen serves the same menu.
Kurt Zdesar's tenth-floor Nikkei rooftop room at No.1 St Michael's, opened October 2025. Located in Spinningfields. Kitchen leans japanese-peruvian nikkei.
Signature: Salmon Nikkei tiradito, Black cod miso
Order: Salmon Nikkei tiradito; black cod miso; finish at the rooftop bar.
Tip: Book the terrace tables for sunset; lift access from the Jacksons Row entrance only.
Simon Shaw's tapas room landed on King Street in 2016 and held its Bib Gourmand through the 2026 guide. Three floors: bar, counter kitchen, roof terrace.
Signature: Tapas selection, Charcoal-grilled meats
Order: Whatever is grilled over the open coals upstairs; sherry by the copita with it.
Tip: The counter on the first floor faces the kitchen; reserve there.
Max Yorke and Julian Pizer run a 24-seat Michelin-listed bistro on Deansgate Mews in Manchester. Vegetable-forward plates, low-intervention wines.
Signature: Vegetable-led small plates, Holy Grain sourdough
Order: The vegetable plate the kitchen builds that week; sourdough comes with cultured butter.
Tip: Tiny room, two services only. Bookings via the site, no walk-ins.
Nineteenth-floor restaurant and rooftop terrace above Hardman Square. Modern British menu against panoramic Manchester views; the bar opens later.
Signature: Sustainable steaks, Coastal seafood
Order: Sunday roast on the dining-room side; the bar terrace handles cocktails.
Tip: Book a window table; ten minutes before sunset is the slot worth holding.
