Erst is the epitome of assured, confident cooking, the type that happens when you’ve got both killer ingredients and the know-how to show them off to their best. That means you get golden olive oil-drenched wedges of mozzarella and Cantabrian anchovies alongside plump Carlingford oysters and a rich spiced lamb shoulder, courgette and farro dish made for autumn in the North West. Both the tomato flatbread and the deeply funky beef fat and fermented onion flatbread; and the vegan beetroot with ajo blanco that had us dipping spoons back into the sauce several times, were particular highlights on our visit. Wine is just as central to the Erst operation as the food, with a cracking list of around 40 bottles, mostly low-intervention wines from Europe. If you’re anywhere in the Manchester area, do yourself a favour and stop by.