Set on Stockport Road in Levenshulme, Isca specialises in natural wine and small plates that celebrate growers, transparency, and local seasonal produce. Across a variety of dishes, from snacks and small plates to larger plates and desserts, Isca demonstrates a dedication to the freshest organic ingredients, working closely with suppliers and growers to form a regularly changing menu centred around casual modern European dining.
It also operates as a bottle shop, so naturally, you’re bound to find a great selection of wines on the Isca menu. Every wine is natural, organic, made by small producers and handpicked by Caroline Dubois - an artist and sommelier who has worked with the Michelin-starred restaurant, Where The Light Gets In since 2016.
As for the food, that’s taken care of by Isobel Jenkins, a chef with many years working in professional kitchens under her belt and the brains behind the popular supper club Seasons Eatings. Her approach is focused on seasonal, pesticide-free ingredients, transforming them into creative dishes and preserving and pickling fruit and vegetables in-house. The kitchen is also entirely free of single-use plastics.
The food menu at Isca kicks off with a selection of snacks, including house-made pickles and ferments, gordal olives, sourdough with a choice of butter or olive oil, and crispy Brussels sprouts with black garlic aioli. Smaller plates, ordered as starters or as sharing dishes offer up the likes of cauliflower with sprouts, pear and sesame; butternut squash with hazelnut, sage, pickled shiitakes, and fried egg; and roast rainbow carrot with beetroot, chicory, clementine and labneh.
Elsewhere, larger plates span Ogleshield, cheddar, and leek toasties; cavolo nero with celeriac and ricotta gratin, and salsify with savoy cabbage and fermented spelt. There’s also a British cheese plate with crackers and chutneys on offer.