My Sunday roast experience at Albert's Schloss included an emergency button and Snoop Dogg - I loved it

“We have reserved a table beside the stage for you,” said the very polite maître d when I arrived. “Is that okay?” she added, after a quick glance at my slightly perplexed expression.

‘I’m here for a Sunday roast, not a concert,’ thought I. But I needn't have worried about having to shout my conversation over the clamour of a rock band while trying hard to enjoy my dinner. Instead, I was treated to a well-crafted lounge music performance, including a jazz version of Snoop Doggy Dogg - Who Am I (What’s My Name)? by Manchester musician Kemani Anderson.

Having been reassured by the well pitched ambience at Albert’s Schloss, thoughts quickly turned to the food - and there was no disappointment here either. If you want large portions in a lively atmosphere then the German-themed Bold Street venue is the place to go.

Chicken, beef, pork and no-nut roast options are on the menu, with two courses available for £24 and three for £29. In keeping with the bier haus feel, I opted for the German style Schweinshaxe (caraway roasted pork knuckle with apple sauce) while my dining partner opted for the chicken.

The majority of the Sunday roast options have a Germanic twist, including the sauerbraten beef Wellington, but all remain faithful to classic Great British Sunday dinner too, with roast potatoes, root vegetable mash, seasonal greens, Yorkshire pudding and ‘lashings of proper gravy’.

My Schweinshaxe arrived within less than 20 minutes of ordering. Coated in amazing crispy crackling, the succulent meat underneath fell off the bone and I’d been lured in to eating half of it before even trying anything else on the plate. The accompaniments were plentiful and delicious but they did need a bit more gravy.

But that’s no problem. The dining booths at Albert’s Schloss are fitted out with emergency buttons labelled ‘Push for Gravy’. Hit the button and a server will head to the table to help out. Mine brought a boat of the brown stuff, which was more than enough for even a gravy guzzler like me.

My partner’s chicken, mash and greens were also done to perfection, although she did find the crispy outside of the roast potatoes a bit hard. I had bathed them in a pool of gravy, so I never experienced that problem.

Overall, the roasts were spot on and the portions were so large we found it difficult to finish. My dining partner opted against a desert but in the interest of research and curiosity I ploughed on. Sticking with the German theme, I opted for the pretzel doughnuts with chocolate dip - which were a fluffy and warm churros-style affair.

In terms of drinks, I was happy to see a local Mersey Pale Ale on the menu. Made in collaboration with independent brewery Neptune, it packs a refreshing citrus punch with a bitter finish. My dining partner doesn’t drink alcohol and was pleased to see a good choice of virgin cocktails on the menu. ‘The Livener’ was very refreshing and her only wish was that it was bottomless.

Having been wonderfully fed and attended by the friendly and knowledgeable staff, I rolled home a happy man. Snoop Dogg jazz covers, more delicious food than I could possibly eat and an emergency gravy button - Albert’s Schloss had everything I didn’t even know I needed.