Nestled next to the tall glass buildings of Spinningfields, it’s hard to miss The Oast House with its tin roof and wood cladded walls. A fairy tale in the city with a huge outdoor seating area, creating a glorious sun trap in the summer months, I couldn’t wait to try it out.
The Venue
I headed down in the afternoon for a spot of lunch and to escape the brisk Manchester winds. Settling down alongside a huge wooden table, I was instantly drawn to the well-stocked bar which adorned one side of the room. The seating area itself is a mixture of high and low tables with long tables for groups and cosy corners for intimate drinks and date nights. This was definitely the place to be on a cold Manchester day.
The Oast House is without doubt one of Manchester's best pubs.
The Atmosphere and Clientele
A mixture of office workers and families filled the tables during the day, showing that The Oast House caters for all ages. With sweet smells of food and dim lighting, The Oast House has really found a niche for itself with an Alpine cabin feel keeping you warm and cosy when it’s cold outside. It also clearly prides itself on customer service as the staff were excellent throughout our visit. The easy background music just added to the cosy laid back atmosphere, allowing me to kick back and enjoy my fruity beer.
The selection of great beers is what makes The Oast House one of Manchester's best gastro pubs.
The Food and Drinks
Hungry from a morning filled with meetings, we were ready to eat everything on the menu but settled on a Mezze platter to share, a Waldorf Salad and one of their trademark Hanging Kebabs. The Oast House prides itself great service and within a matter of minutes, our Mezze platter was placed between us. I have to say that their houmous is one of the best I have ever tasted – words don’t really do it justice. Then came the Waldorf Salad and my Hanging Kebab, and wow – what a kebab! I went for chicken which was served with sweet chilli and ginger, then drizzled in a garlic butter which our server poured over at the table. Barbequed to perfection, I could see why this was The Oast House’s speciality dish.
A huge selection awaited us in the beautiful drinks menu, with illustrations of each bottled beer and a little story of where it came from. As a massive fan of fruit beers, I opted for a classic Lindermans Raspberry whilst my friend went for the Wreckless, a 4.8% light ale from Cheshire. Both of which went down a treat and were the perfect accompaniment to our food.
Hanging kebabs at The Oast House are a real speciality and are worth a visit to this top Manchester pub.
Summary
With a great food offering consisting of locally sourced produce and hot smoked food, straight from the barbeque – it is easy to see why The Oast House is such a great escape in Spinningfields and why it’s consistently popular. Once the weather gets warmer, we will definitely be spending as much time as we can relaxing with a cold drink on their outdoor terrace just watching the world go by.
