The Sparrows - Comfort Dining at its Finest

“It is better to hold a sparrow in one’s hand than a dove on one’s roof.” - Polish proverb.

Named after the translation of the word ‘spätzle’, The Sparrows is a lesson in the art of Polish hospitality. Through a heart-warming story of pasta, dumplings and good old-fashioned love, it's comfort dining at its very finest. And I’d challenge anyone who’d dare suggest otherwise.

As it is told in the eternal Polish proverb - Lepszy wróbel w garści niż gołąb na dachu - if Kasia Hitchcock and her team could teach us anything, it is that sometimes, the simple things in life are the things we should cherish most. At The Sparrows, simple, welcoming interiors are met with unostentatious dishes. Or to put it another way; low key perfection.

On this particular visit, one (snowy) day in May (if you’d believe it), we were greeted by warm smiles and led to our seats, before being served gratuitous hot herbal tea. With influences that stem from all around the continent, The Sparrows cite southern Germany, Switzerland, Alsace, Austria and Sud Tyrol. The menu is a magical mix of European dishes and Japanese drinks, featuring spätzle as the house speciality.

Kase Spåtzle

It would be a crime, therefore, to miss this from our long list* of items ordered. We dutifully opted for the spätzle with kase sauce, whereby glossy, melted Emmentaler cheese (Swiss) marries lovingly braised onions and embraces buttery heaps of ribbony noodle. Mop up any leftover sauce with spongy focaccia.

It’s the soothing sort of dish you’ll pine for in the weeks and months that follow.

*Generously affordable, it would be fair to say that The Sparrows' menu could almost be treated like tapas - in that, the best way to avoid any inkling of regret is to simply order and share anything you fancy. You’ll get no judgement from us.

Tracing down the menu, next up is the Sacchettoni (which translates to ‘beggar's purse', on account of the tied-up pasta shape). Served in a celestial pool of burned butter and sage sauce, these little stars were stuffed with slow-roasted butternut squash and amaretti biscuits, before receiving a dusting of parmesan. Sunshine personified.

Hand-made pierogi

Our final course came in the form of pierogi, or hand-made Polish dumplings; better described as lovely pockets of joy. Hearty, wholesome and heavenly, ours were filled with creamy cottage cheese and potato; delivered with an ample dollop of sour cream and chives.

While The Sparrows wine list is not necessarily extensive, it is certainly refined. It is also supplemented with a well-informed assortment of Japanese sake. We selected the Tikves Cuvee Methodius, from Macedonia, a deeply coloured, full-bodied red with vibrant aromas and hints of cocoa - the perfect accompaniment to tangy creams and braised dishes.

Tikves Cuvee Methodius

In a world full of chaos, allow food to be your compass back to harmony. Such is the heart at The Sparrows - throughout the month of March, the team is dedicated to donating profits from selected dishes to #CookForUkraine - which aims to increase awareness of the humanitarian crises the world faces right now. It also raises the funds needed to aid children and families in Ukraine who have been displaced by military conflict.

For shelter and soul, head to: The Sparrows 16 Red Bank, Cheetham Hill, Manchester M4 4HF