Albert’s Schloss is no stranger to The Mancunion, whether it’s a Sunday Roast or a German breakfast, students at the University of Manchester have been enjoying the Cook Haus side of the bar-cum-restaurant for a long time. Now with the new delicious St Patrick’s day specials running until the end of March, if you haven’t been before, now would be the time.
Entering the restaurant, you are instantly reminded why Albert’s Schloss is one of Manchester’s most notorious late-night venues: passing a live acoustic performance of 2010 indie songs soundtracks as well as numerous post-work drinks and get togethers while being guided to a table.
As I sit down, I am instantly captured by the button to the left side of the table, with ‘press for Guinness’ scrawled above. I press it and am greeted minutes later with one of the best pints of the stout I have had in a long time, which is a shame considering that they won’t return until the following St. Paddy’s day.
The food however was why I was there, and the first of the cook house specials was the smoked salmon Irish boxty — an Irish potato pancake, topped generously with baby spinach, sour cream, pickled red onions and dill. The ingredients came together with a squeeze of lemon giving a delicious, fresh and rounded flavour that set me up for much heavier and richer main, I found however that the other flavours got slightly lost in the generous helping of sour cream — although I appreciate that this is to some people’s tastes.
The cow and Guinness pie followed quickly: a massive stew of braised beef shin, with a bone filled with parsley and marrow stuffing sticking out the top of a golden pastry lid – a hearty, comfort-focused dish which I would say pairs perfectly with Guinness and a St Patrick’s Day environment. This of course came with a generous serving of a thick, viscid mash and thinly sliced hispi cabbage, which were massively well suited to soak up the flavour of the pie. The pie itself unfortunately did not quite reach the heights of the starter or the sides; I found that there was not enough pastry to soak up the filling, which had a slightly watery gravy lacking flavour. That being said, the beef shin itself was delicious and perfectly tender, with the marrow being a nice touch which certainly added to the dish.
The standout of the limited time menu however was the sticky toffee pudding, a delightfully rich dessert that fit exceptionally into the theme of the menu and event. The sponge was extremely moist without losing any of its structure and remained light and sticky; the Jameson’s toffee sauce was extremely sweet and full bodied, with providing an underlying smoky note which complemented perfectly with the custardy, French vanilla flavour of the ice cream. Considering the arguably steep price of Albert Schloss, I would advise anyone to try the sticky toffee pudding as it is well worth the price, and personally it left me with a sense of child-like excitement.
Overall, Albert’s Schloss will satisfy anyone who missed out on the excitement of 17 March. The atmosphere is certainly suitable for getting in a fix of Guinness and the menu is worth a try if you’re unfamiliar with Irish cuisine.
Albert’s Schloss’s St Patrick’s Festival is running until 29 March. Opening times: Monday-Sunday, 9:00am-2:00am.
