Erst

Ancoats, a residential neighbourhood laced with canals, feels tucked away from the rest of the city, but it’s become one of its go-to dining destinations thanks, in large part, to Erst. The succinct list of modern European small plates at the wine bar changes constantly and the crowd is decidedly grown-up, as stylish as the curved Bauhaus lamps that soften the industrial-chic dining room. If you don’t want to bother getting a reservation weeks in advance, we love it for impromptu solo evenings by the twinkling candlelight, with an interesting orange from Marsala, Sicily and no one to lose a single bite of your grilled flatbread glistening with beef fat and urfa chilli to.

The menu in Erst is minimal – with around 12 small plates to choose from and four desserts – but the punchy flavours in each dish won’t disappoint. A seemingly simple plate of mozzarella with new season olive oil is perfectly seasoned and moreish, while you’ll be fighting with any dining companions over the last piece of grilled flatbread with walnut tarator, brown butter and sage. There’s a predominantly natural wine list to complement the food, plus relaxed industrial interiors with oak tables, concrete flooring, high ceilings and an open kitchen.

This neighbourhood wine bar in Ancoats is run by a group of friends who wanted to create a restaurant they would choose to go to themselves. It offers something a little bit different for the city, providing a lively, laid-back ambience and a short menu of satisfying, modern Mediterranean small plates to go alongside its keenly priced natural wines, many of which you can buy to take home.

Manchester has Erst, Kerb and Flawd in Ancoats, Isca Wines in Levenshulme. Sheffield has Bench and Pearl. Edinburgh has Mistral and Spry.

Tucked away in Ancoats, Erst has swiftly become one of Manchester’s most acclaimed dining spots.This modern, minimalist wine bar offers a menu of seasonal small plates designed for sharing, with dishes that change regularly to reflect the freshest produce available.Standouts include the urfa chilli and beef fat flatbread and a ceviche-style fish dish that varies weekly. Erst’s commitment to quality and innovation has earned it recognition from the Michelin Guide, which praises its selection of natural, low-intervention wines and flavourful small plates . The restaurant’s understated approach has also caught the attention of critics, with The Observer’s Jay Rayner describing his meal there as “one of the best of the year”.

Modern, seasonal and just very cool, this Scandinavian-esque wine bar and restaurant was launched in 2019 by the same team as Trove bakery. Situated on Murray Street, just behind Cutting Room Square, it’s a restaurant that has been lauded as ‘fiendishly good 'by food critic Marina O’Loughlin and was one of the M.E.N.’s best meals of 2019. A masterclass in natural wines and seasonal cooking - at a price point that won’t require you to re-mortgage your home - this neighbourhood spot delivers a simple but well executed menu of small plates designed for sharing.

The Ancoats side of Manchester city centre is alive with good food, from cutting-edge Michelin-starred Mana to Detroit-style pizza destination, Ramona. Natural wine bar and restaurant Erst, a chic, minimalist space with a convivial buzz, is a neighbourhood favourite of national renown. Chef Patrick Withington handles vivid flavours with great confidence across sharing plates of, for example, grilled scallops in roe and charcuterie sauce; short rib ragu with cavatelli pasta; or bream tartare, blood orange and radish.

Fans of Erst will know that the menu changes with the tide, so think fast if you want to catch a Carlingford oyster from Jay Rayner’s new fave spot in town. Here you’ll find the classic accompaniment of a mignonette which is essentially a dressing made of chopped shallots, vinegar and black pepper. Apparently, this is a great choice if you’re not completely sold on the texture of our little friends just yet, and for £3 each, we’d say that’s better value than a Boots meal deal.

Sorry, you need to accept cookies from Instagram to view this content. Erst is a natural wine bar and restaurant in Ancoats where the small plates on offer change depending on what’s in season but Esrt’s dedication to championing quality local produce remains unwavering. Dry-aged rib eye comes served on the bone with anchovy and bone marrow butter, an umami combination that brings out the sweetness of the meat, and eats especially well alongside a bottle of biodynamic Gamay.

Erst has earned a top spot on our list for its innovative small plates paired with refreshing glasses of vino and craft beer. Specialising in natural, low-intervention wines, many available to take home, this laid-back joint offers a selection of flavourful tapas. With a focus on simple, seasonal food, their concise menu includes charred flatbread with whipped lardo, oozy ricotta dumplings in wild garlic butter, and buttery picanha steak with anchovy-dressed chicory.

What: Ok, perhaps ‘outdoor restaurant’ is a bit of a stretch when it comes to Erst, the industrial-chic natural wine bar and restaurant in Ancoats which has just a few streetside tables outside its doors. If you can bag a spot though, you will be rewarded with a menu of simple seasonal food cooked to the highest of standards. The menu changes often, but is always accompanied by a considered selection of natural wines and craft beers.Where: 9 Murray Street, M4 6HS

From the team behind its Ancoats neighbour, Trove – a Levenshulme-born bakery at the forefront of Manchester’s indie sourdough wave – Erst arrived quietly in 2019 with a left field approach to small plates. Early menus featured ox heart and cured salt cod at a time before ingredients like these were showing up on half the menus in Manchester. Fast forward several years and Erst has stuck to its guns while the rest of the city has fallen into step alongside it.

The beginning of this rise can be traced back to March 2018 when Erst, a natural wine bar and restaurant was opened in the formerly industrial neighbourhood of Ancoats. The restaurant has come to be celebrated for its flavoursome but precise dishes, as well as its focus on natural wine. In Observer restaurant critic Jay Rayner’s glowing 2021 review, he took a predictable dig at natural wine while admitting the wine he had been served was ‘lovely’.

If you are looking for a completely harmonious experience between food and wine then Erst has to be your go-to spot in Manchester. At the moment Erst is an incredibly popular, booming with business thanks to a recent review from Jay Rayner of The Guardian, who called Erst “One of the best meals of the year.”. Erst is the sister restaurant located just two doors down from Trove Foods, one of the best organic bakeries in Manchester city centre.

Erst, 9 Murray St, Manchester, M4 5BN - Visit now. Erst utilise locally-sourced ingredients in such a way that the end result is effortlessly cutting edge, without resorting to gimmicks and elaborate laboratory equipment. While many up-and-coming restaurants are a mish-mash of ideas from all over the world, Erst is a truly Northern restaurant – full of dazzling ideas and the finest quality ingredients.

Tucked away in Ancoats, this place is a shrine to natural wine, from the drinkable to the downright daring. It’s the spot where wine bar snobs come to nod approvingly at the selection, which spans the globe from Georgia (the country, mind) to the local English countryside. The tasting menu (tasting menu) is where Erst really shines, offering a journey through varieties and vineyards without the need to splash out on multiple bottles.

Erst is a natural wine bar and restaurant in the Ancoats, a historical and recently regenerated area of Manchester now filling up with independent businesses and trendy places to eat and drink. The interior is stylishly pared back – clean lines, a brushed steel bar plenty of wood. A series of simple but flavourful European small plates and wine friendly snacks – oysters, salami, anchovies and grilled flatbreads – are on the menu.

Tucked away in popular neighbourhood Ancoats, Erst is a natural wine bar and restaurant, with stripped-back yet up-market décor. Each wine on their menu is specially selected due to its ‘quality’ and ‘character’, with wines available to try by the glass, or by the bottle if you fancy. Try the new and trendy orange wine, or an array of reds, whites and sparkling alongside a number of small plates that are designed for sharing.

With low lighting, sumptuous small plates and an unbelievable wine selection, Erst almost feels like it was hand made for nights like Valentines. Recently described as “fabulous” by the equally decorated and feared Jay Rayner, the Ancoats wine bar and restaurant provides a relaxed atmosphere while serving some of the most thought-provoking dishes we’ve had the pleasure of sampling, all paired with a stunning wine list.

Erst, located on Murray Street in Ancoats, is a natural wine bar and restaurant serving affordable seasonal small plates in a modern and elegant space. The venue features minimalist decor and soft lighting, adding to its alluring and intimate vibe. The menu highlights seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients, offering a selection of small plates and artisanal dishes with flavour at the forefront.

Natural wine bar and small plates restaurant Erst in Ancoats is a place that you could linger all evening. Its interiors are sleek and understated – concrete floors, an open kitchen, wine bottles lining windowsills and simple wooden tables will greet you when you walk in. And its seasonal menu is small and well thought out with around 15 sharing plates plus a handful of desserts.

That's the case with Erst, an industrial, minimalist, Scandinavian-style eatery found in Ancoats, an area known for its industrial past. Before Erst, the team of friends behind it ran Trove, a still-active bakery famous for its artisan sourdough and brunch selection. After realizing they wanted to explore beyond brunch, Erst was born: a small-plate restaurant and bar.

Inventive seasonal small plates and intriguing natural wines. Reopened in January 2025 after a seasonal refit that brought an extension to the kitchen and a revamped bar area, Erst retains its industrial-chic styling – and still fits seamlessly into the regenerated Ancoats district as … Read more. 9 Murray Street, Ancoats, Manchester, Greater Manchester M4 6HS

Not too long ago named in the Michelin Guide, Erst has quickly risen to become one of Manchester’s most renowned eateries. With a combination of fantastic natural wines and excellent seasonal small plates, the industrial Ancoats venue is a wonderful space for splitting a bottle and a dozen of its exquisite Carlingford oysters between friends.

With its focus on natural wines and seasonal small plates, Erst is a simple affair that draws on quality local ingredients. Set against the industrial backdrop of Ancoats, the forward-thinking restaurant has recently been lauded as “one of the best meals of the year” by Jay Rayner – the highest of praise from The Guardian’s coolest critic.

££ | BOOK AHEAD | BAR | Best for bold flavours delivered with flair. When Erst opened in March 2018, there was nothing like it in Ancoats, a once industrial area with little to offer. Today, the neighbourhood is buzzing with spots to enjoy natural wine, but Erst stands out for its matured selection and consistently excellent food.

With just about 20 covers, Erst is a little restaurant with a buzzing atmosphere, found just out of the city centre in fast-developing Ancoats. Despite its size, the tall ceilings and bar seating give Erst a fresh and open feeling. Choose from a selection of delicious sharing plates, all at affordable prices.

They're joined on the list by Onda Pasta Bar, which recently opened its first permanent restaurant just off Oxford Road and Erst, the trendy natural wine bar and bistro in Ancoats. Onda was opened by chef Sam Astley-Dean in June this year following a successful pop-up over in the Northern Quarter.

When you’re looking for a harmonious experience between food and wine Erst has to be your go-to spot, without a doubt. Just to set the tone for you, Erst is the birthchild of Trove in Manchester, which is arguably the best organic bakery in the city…. But let’s all about Erst right now anyway!

A laid-back Ancoats wine bar with an industrial vibe, Erst dishes up small plates to accompany its selection of natural vino. Photo: Google Maps Photo: Google Maps. Restaurants Manchester Restaurant Midland Hotel Greater Manchester Cooking Ireland Inspectors Pinnacle

A spin-off from neighbouring Trove, a local chain of excellent bakery-cafés, Erst’s fame has eclipsed that of the mothership. Its mix of on-point sharing plates and well-selected natural wines has won this Ancoats’ restaurant national recognition, and rightly so.

Erst, a natural wine bar and seasonal small plates restaurant, is among the best-budget restaurants in Manchester. It, with cheap eats in Manchester, specializes in natural, low-intervention wines, many of which you can buy to take home. It opens at 1:00 p.m.

Small plates are seasonal and include trendy fare like oysters, juicy Gordal olives, and sea bream crudo with blood orange and radish. Wine is, as previously stated, decidedly natural, and the surroundings are sparse but hip. 9 Murray St, Ancoats, M4 6HS

Erst, a natural wine bar and restaurant in Ancoats, could make you and your lover feel like stars on a magazine cover. Yes, that’s how glamorous this place looks – but, of course, the most important thing is the food and drink.

This chic restaurant focuses on seasonal food, natural wines and craft beers. The pared-down menu relies on bold flavour combinations to deliver superb dishes such as salt cod with blood orange, olives, capers and oregano.

Easily one of The Manc’s personal favourite restaurants, Erst has become a neighbourhood restaurant of which Ancoats is very proud, and is another worth addition to the Michelin Guide for Manchester.

Erst is another Ancoats favourite and is considered a fancier option. Serving up wine by the bottle as well as food all day long you really cannot ask for more!. View this post on Instagram

This is a place for serious foodies so don’t come looking for mac n cheese balls. Plenty of other places can satisfy that filthy craving for you.

Erst is one of the newer kids on the block, but it cannot be denied that they're made their stamp on the urban village neighbourhood.