The Sparrows Continental Pasta & Spätzle

It has been an overall good experience and the food is of good standards with a decent service and a buzzing atmosphere. There are clearly positive considerations about the Sparrows but it is important to be objective on the offering. Personally I have found the cost of the sharing platters very punchy - £17 pounds for the speck and £18 for the cheeses - as per picture the size is deceiving, especially for the cheese board. I do agree on the tastefulness of the cheese but sharing is a euphemism. On the main courses, the pasta was nice and the sauces are balanced. For those that have been to good quality European restaurants though, especially Italian and Mediterranean, the comparison is not straight forward. Personally I liked the concept and set up, post industrial location is quite nice, but value for money lacks for me the strength to support the price point. Obviously, I suppose it boils down to what you are used to and what you consider value. Please also be aware that when the restaurant is busy, the noice level might require engagement of tenor voice 😀

This was an amazing experience. We went to celebrate 🥳 my brothers birthday dinner at this place. I was not sure about the place as we could enter the place only through a small door in a wall. Usually you have a very welcoming entrance for places with such good experiences. The dinner began with a great story of how this place started and what all people are chefs and staff. A great history lesson was followed by an extremely good dinner as you can see in the pictures. I would recommend their butter sage pasta, pork sausage 🌭 and pennacotta. I totally recommend this place if you are looking for authentic Italian, Polish and Austrian experience.

This was such a cool little restaurant situated in a railway arch. It was really buzzing when we entered and had a great atmosphere. We had to wait a few mins for our table to be ready and then sat down to work out the menu - there was lots to choose from! They advised us to order approx 3 dishes per person and then they chose the order that the dishes came out, which was a great idea. No one took our food order for 30 mins, which we did unfortunately think was a bit slow, especially as we were really hungry! Our waitress then didn’t really notice this and seemed to take everything pretty slowly, so we didn’t leave until pretty late that evening. The slow pace aside, the food that we ordered was absolutely superb and we would recommend a visit for some exquisite pasta/dumplings. Some particular food shout outs - the ravioli special was insane, the gnocchi with wild garlic and burrata was to die for and the spätzle was super. We also enjoyed our cocktails and the wine choices fab too.

Hidden gem in Manchesters Green Quarter. Food is excellent, full of flavour (pictures do not do it justice), highly recommend a visit, ambience was chilled. Your server will talk you through the menu, which is seasonal and locally sourced produce. Can be within a budget or expensive. Our meal £80-£100 two people, beers and a nice bottle of wine. You will be asked when booking to leave a deposit for the table, which is deducted from the check/bill. Also dog friendly.

We had the most wonderful experience at Sparrows for our anniversary date night! From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by the lovely host at the entrance — though we didn’t catch his name, his friendly demeanor set the tone for the entire evening. Our service was nothing short of fantastic. A special shoutout to Freya, who impressed us even in her first week with her attentive and kind service — you would never guess she was new! Carla (I believe, or Karla), meanwhile, offered expertly tailored wine recommendations that elevated our meal beautifully. Her knowledge and enthusiasm were a genuine highlight. The food was absolutely amazing — every bite was a delight. Between the ambiance, the incredible service, and the memorable meal, Sparrows truly made our anniversary one to remember. We’ll definitely be back!

I was worried the day before the booking when I read a negative comment. But when I walked into the restaurant, all my worries vanished. The warm and welcoming atmosphere behind the door curtains, the high quality foods they offered, and the heartfelt services they provided, all impressed us. I highly recommend Sparrows to someone who want to have a decent gathering with friends, or to someone who is seeking for a nice place for anniversaries.

We did some extensive research on the best restaurant in Manchester for a special occasion and they unequivocally recommended this place. We made a reservation to celebrate our birthday, and this place did not disappoint. It is tucked away in an unassuming location—which makes it hard to find: we ended up walking in through the produce delivery door 😂. It truly was a gem, exceeding our expectations. I had been fascinated about the central/eastern european dumplings, and this is THE place to explore this fascination. Every dish was carefully prepared, well balanced, and unique. Their carbonara was DIVINE! Better than what you’d find in the best Roman Osterias. Their daily special, Polish hunter stew with cabbage, was also decadent and delicious. They also brought us complimentary digestifs to round up the meal and help us celebrate. We will be back next time we are in Manchester.

My friend had been yearning to come here for so long- we finally did for his birthday. It’s tapas-style: they recommended around 3 plates each and came up with a sort of ‘running order’ for them. 1 Kase- Spatzle 2 Bolognese- Gnocchi 3 Guanciale- Pappardelle 4 Ravioli of the Day (Goat’s Cheese) 5 Pelmeni- Beef and Pork 6 Smoked Sausage All of these dishes were phenomenal. The fillings, the sauces, the pasta itself 🤤 One of the best meals I’ve had in this city. Service was warm and attentive. Sparrows is on the more expensive side of dining in Manchester, but utterly worth it.