The Edinburgh Castle Ancoats

A pub that has stood in Manchester’s Ancoats since 1811, The Edinburgh Castle reopened in 2019 with an upstairs dining room which, since 2022, has been presided over by executive chef Shaun Moffat. While the ground floor of the building retains a traditional pub atmosphere, along with a menu of all-day quality bar food, the dining room has a slightly more formal (though still relaxed) vibe, with tan leather chairs, parquet floors, and huge windows bathing the space in natural light.

The dining room’s regularly changing menu is also more formal, with dishes celebrating British produce, local suppliers and seasonality. Sourdough comes from the nearby Pollen Bakery, with local favourites Littlewoods Butchers and The Crafty Cheese Man supplying meat, cheese and dairy. Moffat’s CV includes stints with Mark Hix and the Jamie Oliver Group, John Salt, Manteca and Berber & Q, and his experience shows in a series of hearty yet refined dishes.

Our dinner began with appetising snacks - fresh, salty Achill rock oysters with a piquant mignonette sauce made with Bagthorpe Farm onions from Norfolk, and light savoury doughnuts dusted with Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire cheese - before diving into a starters list heavy with vegetables and fish. House-cured steelhead sea trout was garnished with jewel-like roe and bitter puntarelle leaves from the local Cinderwood Market Garden in Cheshire, while Shetland mussels were plump and sweet with new season leeks and cider.

Mains are on the heftier side - pork chops, a pie of the day, whole fish, and North Yorkshire mallard to share - with decent meat-free options, too. Our Red Poll porterhouse to share was cooked perfectly pink with a layer of intensely rich and savoury fat, served with crisp beef dripping potatoes, bread that had been dredged through the meat juices, and buttery kale. Puddings include some classics, such as fresh madeleines and tarte tatin, as well as a sticky, spicy, syrupy slab of Yorkshire parkin.

With its enticing menu, accomplished cooking, and locally-sourced ethos, The Edinburgh Castle feels like a country gastropub in the heart of the city. Any meal here is an utter joy.

The Edinburgh Castle is a nationally recognised gastropub serving homely but sophisticated grub that speaks for itself. It has stood on the corner of Blossom Street since 1811 but the iconic red brick building has since been refurbished in a quirky but glamorous style in keeping with its history as a Victorian boozer. The cosy downstairs bar is fitted in a dark colour palette with marble, mirrors, mahogany and candlelit tables. The upstairs dining room is more mid-century in style, with tan leather chairs, parquet flooring, and framed posters peppering the walls. 

Under the culinary direction of executive chef Shaun Moffat - who has held roles with The Jamie Oliver Group, Berber & Q, and Manteca - The Edinburgh Castle menu seamlessly blends casual pub fair, fine dining technique, and North Country charm. 

It’s a short menu but composed with exclusively British produce, with bread and flour from the local Pollen Bakery, vegetables from Cinderwood market and organic noth, and fish sourced directly from Henderson in Brixham. Incorporating locally sourced ingredients with attention to seasonality, dishes here cover both the unusual and the familiar without presence. 

Menu options have featured a variety of dishes, such as Colchester oysters served with a rhubarb mignonette, Pollen sourdough accompanied by house butter, and Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire cheese doughnuts. For smaller plates and starters, guests can enjoy offerings like Tamworth sausage with cavolo nero and plum relish, Shetland mussels with leeks and cider, or a unique cull ewe crumpet-scone hybrid served with homemade garlic mayonnaise. 

Main courses include classic chops like a Barbara Davis Tamworth pork saddle, or a highland beef oxtail and bone marrow pie. Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Northern pub experience without an extra side of beef-dripping chips and a respectable Sunday roast offering. Plus, there’s an extensive but affordable wine selection to accompany your meal.