O’Sheas invited me along to try their menu with some other foodies. O’Sheas is a traditional Irish bar in the centre of Manchester. Having served the city for over 20 years, they have earned the title of one of the most iconic bars in that Manchester has to offer.
Venue
The O’sheas venue itself is excellent, spacious and a step up from your bog standard pub. Being my typical self, I arrived early; however, the staff were super friendly and accommodating.
To Start
Bucket of Shrimp & Calamari / £7.50
Where do I start with O’sheas? The Shrimp was cooked well and coated in a light crispy batter that complimented the texture perfectly. The Calamari was equally as good. Both made better the fantastic tartar sauce that accompanied this dish. For the price, this is excellent value and perfect for sharing!
Nachos (v) / £5.95
It’s difficult to go wrong with Nachos, and these really impressed me. The homemade chips were crispy and tasted unique, not like your usual set of tortilla chips. This accompanied by the generous serving of cheese, sour cream, guac and salsa was the perfect combination. If you like a bit of heat, the jalapenos certainly delivered on that front!
First Up
Beef Brisket Hash – Fried potatoes with beef brisket, scallions, chilli & fried egg.
Or
Veggie Black Pudding Hash – Fried potatoes with veggie black pudding, scallions, chilli & fried egg.
I opted for the veggie option. The flavours worked well together, and the potatoes were beautifully seasoned. I can’t say I was 100% convinced by the veggie black pudding, but the rest was okay. I wouldn’t order it again, but it was worth trying. I am not a black pudding supporter, and the veggie version left much to be desired. I would note that the others (who liked black pudding) enjoyed this dish so do keep that in mind.
Followed by
Smoked Salmon & Prawn served on homemade wheaten soda bread with gem lettuce, lemon & herb mayo.
or
Goats Cheese with red onion marmalade & rocket on homemade wheaten soda bread
Smoked Salmon is one of my favourite things, which meant this course was a no brainer. The Smoked salmon and prawns worked well, but the sandwich was tough to eat. The bread was a little dry and could have used some butter or even the sauce being on it rather than sitting on top of the lettuce.
Then
Mini Beef & Guinness Pie
Or
Mini Broccoli & Cauliflower Cheese Pot Pie
I went for the veggie option this time. I don’t have much to say for this one. For me, it was a little underseasoned. I needed to add a lot of pepper as there was not much flavour at all.
And to Finish
Mini Fish & Chips with Mushy Mint Peas.
Fish and chips done right. The fish was cooked beautifully, and the batter was nice and crispy. The chips were perfect! Chunky, crisp on the outside and soft in the middle and the mushy peas were on another level!
Ratings:
Food 7
Price 9
Service 10
Recommendation
O’sheas did surprise me! The food was good, and for the price, you can’t argue with that. The stand out dishes for me were the fish ones! I will definitely be back to try some other things they have.
