The best places to go to enjoy oysters in Manchester

Positioned just off Cross Street, in a smart looking former townhouse, are all three floors of 10 Tib Lane – an idyllic hideaway, perfect for a moodily-lit rendezvous. Their expertly crafted cocktail menu comes courtesy of the mixological talent behind Henry C and their Cumbrae oysters come either naked or with a white mignonette sauce. During their legendary happy hour you can pair a handsomely discounted cocktail with oysters for just a quid a pop.

From Dan and Joe Schofield, the brothers behind Schofield’s Bar, twice voted the best cocktail spot in the UK, comes Atomeca Wine Bar. It’s a spin-off from their Atomeca bar at the foot of the Deansgate Square towers, but transplanted to Spinningfields, which feels like the natural home of the oyster in Manchester. Theirs are served with a champagne mignonette, and you can enjoy them alongside chic pasta dishes, charcuterie and flatbreads. A decadent post-work wind down if ever there was one.

This little Heaton Moor fishmonger opened in 2008, and in 2014 they decided to open an intimate, 30-cover restaurant. In fact, they had to – they were simply missing a trick by not preparing their award-winning wares, and Stockport diners were simply poorer for it. Menu-wise, it’s all about letting the flavours of that supremely high-quality fish do the talking. They serve oysters in threes (mussels and tiger prawns too) and come as-is or with a classic shallot and red wine vinegar dressing. 

Known for their minimally-presented plates of maximal flavour, and as-sophisticated-as-they-come natural wine list, it checks out that Erst has a sublime offering when it comes to oysters. They serve the prestigious Carlingford variety, from County Louth in Ireland, with suitably chic fermented chilli or simply lemon.

Being the steak and seafood behemoth that it is, it’s no surprise that Hawksmoor does a good oyster. You can begin your meal with three, six or a whole dozen of the slippery things, served au naturel or with a Vietnamese dressing. They also do an enticing happy hour, where natural oysters with a mignonette are two quid every weekday from 5pm-6pm. Drinks-wise, you can choose from a Pink Gibson or a Green Maria, which is reminiscent of a margarita, but fancier, for just £10.

One of the most uncompromising restaurants in Manchester, Higher Ground serve fine-dining quality food ‘family-style’, which means, if you’re doing it correctly, your table is heaped with meticulously prepared small plates designed to share. Before your feast, you can enjoy your pick of three varieties of oysters – Cumbrae, Lindisfarne or Achill – served with a pickled wild garlic dressing.

Super-cool Mexican restaurant Madre, located in KAMPUS, has a whole menu dedicated to all things of the marine persuasion. You can enjoy them with a jalapeño vinaigrette, or Rockerfeller style, which are wood-fired with bone marrow. Their speciality though is so-called divorced oysters, served in pairs but with a different accompanying salsas. Recommended consumption is with a shot of vodka-spiked tomato juice with lime and tabasco, which is one way to get your evening off to a fiery start.

With spots in Chorlton and Sale, The Oystercatcher are all about ultra fresh, ultra sophisticated seafood with loads of foodie flair. Their menu is a seasonal one, but you can expect to see the likes of chargrilled octopus with batata harra and harissa, tandoori BBQ monkfish, and black sea bream with salsa verde. As the name suggests though, the oysters are impeccable. They use a Cape Wrath variety from Scotland, and you can choose from a mignonette, Vietnamese dressing or the more wildcard option of apple, cucumber and dill. Accompanied with one of their limoncello spritzes, and you could almost be on the Cote D’Azure.

A love letter to the most glistening gems of the ocean, visitors to Street Urchin can usually expect something special. The ever-changing menu features dishes like smoked crab thermidor with parmesan and parsley crumb, roast hake on the bone and whole red gurnard. With a menu so unapologetically geared towards uber-fresh seafood of all sorts, it’d be rude not to try the oysters too. They are the rock variety, farmed in Colchester.