Quiet and unassuming, The Sparrows in Manchester is a place of culinary excellence, and has now officially been awarded a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide 2023, representing the North West. Famed for its European pasta and dumplings, The Sparrows is a diversely continental offering, with its speciality being Spätzle; fresh egg pasta representing a vast geographical region of South Germany, Switzerland, Alsace, Austria & Sud Tyrol – Trentino & Alto Adige of Northern Italy.
Never heard of anything like it? Its unique origin and quirky but classy interior design, comprising of 70s style retro furniture set to a European backdrop with a bistro feel, make it so different to what we’re used to in Manchester, and given the recognition it’s now getting, we’ll hopefully start to hear more about it.
According to the Michelin Guide in the January edition of the Michelin Inspectors’ Favourite New Restaurants: “Manchester’s dumpling and pasta lovers should make haste to The Spärrows in the city’s Green Quarter. Nestled under the railway arches in Manchester’s Green Quarter is a restaurant whose name is (almost) the English translation of the word ‘spätzle’ – which gives some clue as to the style of food on offer here.
“The dumplings and assorted pasta dishes are all made in-house and include excellent pierogi. The focus on Eastern Europe carries through to the wine list, which has a leaning towards Polish wines.”
The Sparrows has occupied its sub-railway line space on Mirabel Street since 2019, with owners Kasia and Franco hailing from Poland and Italy respectively, hence the fusion of culinary influences. In this time the Manchester restaurant has peaked the interest of critics far and wide, but now with a nod from the Michelin Guide they’re running with the big boys.
Whilst, yes, somewhat hidden away, The Sparrows in Manchester is well-deserving of the accolade from the Michelin Guide, having been given overwhelmingly positive reviews for their great cooking and commitment to the cuisine – and we hope to see much more of them, growing Manchester’s reputation.
Find the full list of the restaurants which received a Bib Gourmand here.