The Oast House Food Review: For Families

Kids Confidential rating: 11.5/15
Family-friendly service 5/5, Facilities 3/5, Kids Food 3.5/5

WE had worked up quite an appetite having walked around Manchester Christmas Markets for a couple of hours (read here). The smell of chocolate pancakes had teased my stomach and I'd had enough. It was time to stand up to the delicious smelly bullies.

By the time we'd walked down the Avenue in Spinningfields, I'd lost interest in shopping and all my thoughts were on filling my empty belly. It was starting to rain.

Then, there it was, standing in a clearing amongst the posh shops and office towers, The Oast House. Like the cottage in Hansel and Gretel, I could see its gingerbread roof and walls of cake. The warm glow lured us in.

The Oast House is clearly very popular. Wooden floors, wooden tables, wooden benches and chairs, it's like it had been calved out of a tree by a colony of enthusiastic beavers. Very rustic.

We managed to squeeze onto a table which we shared with three young ladies, who were enjoying the atmosphere and the beer.

Two lads were perched oddly on some stools behind us. It took a few seconds to realise that they were in fact the band and not just two customers sitting on the most uncomfortable and strangely positioned chairs in the house.

They picked up their guitars.

“Oh no,” I whispered to my husband, “we're sitting beside the band,” expecting them to deafen us with their opening strum.

“What?” he relied.

I repeated myself, only this time loud enough for everyone within a mile of the city centre to hear. The girls looked at me. The two lads looked up. I looked down at the menu. Awkward.

The menu consists of a deli section offering platters of meats or a vegetarian option, various ploughmans boards, salads, meats off the barbeque and rotisserie chickens.

We started with houmus, requesting a swop from celery to cucumber on the side (£4.75). James loves houmus which seems to provide endless amusement for my mum, “What next” she exclaims “cous cous?” Erm, actually...

We ordered a main course each and a plate for James so he could share them with us. I'd already spotted the hanging kebabs on my way in, they'd nearly slapped me in the face earlier as they whizzed by swinging from side to side on the waitress's arms. We ordered a chicken kebab (£9.75) and a burger (£8.50) from the barbeque selection. Both came with chips. Both were fantastic. A real treat was the garlic butter on top of the kebab holder which dripped on the meat making it extra succulent. Later we had a beef hanging kebab which was just as good.

Sometimes us parents crave somewhere to go where we don't have to be classed as 'parents' and can mingle in grown up places with kids, unnoticed.

The Oast House is such a place. It doesn't promote itself as a child friendly destination, the name reflects that. You won't find a high chair, kids menu or any activity packs but on our visit the staff and venue couldn't have been more welcoming. And we weren't the only parents enjoying time out, there were at least three other tables with two generations on, singing along to the acoustic duo - who incidentally, were great to listen too - and not at all deafening.

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The Oast House
Crown Square
Spinningfields
Manchester
M3 3AY
0161 829 3830