Harden's says
Hand-rolled pasta is a highlight at Chris Leach and David Carter’s modern Soho trattoria.
Harden's survey result
Summary
Chris Leach and David Carter’s “of-the-minute hot-spot is still packing ’em in” to this “Shoreditch icon”, where “some lovely Italian dishes propel it above your ordinary Italian place”: “small plates of interesting pastas, salads and exceptional meats” (the latter often “cured on the premises”). “The utilitarian seating and the too-small tables are not designed for lingering, but they are still failing to put off the hordes heading to its unlovely location in trendy old Shoreditch. Book ahead”. Top Menu Tip – “the brown crab Cacio e Pepe remains one of those legendary dishes that you have to try”.
Summary
“Packed fuller than a tube train, but the blinding food makes it all worth it!” – Chris Leach and David Carter’s “bustling” two-year-old “in the heart of hipster Shoreditch” has “made huge waves and deservedly so” thanks to its “punchy, honest, original and surprisingly good-value” Italian cooking which includes some notable pasta dishes (e.g. “shout out for the duck fazzoletti – homemade, with a perfectly balanced sauce”); and whose meaty options “make full use of lesser cuts (the pig’s head croquette is a special treat)”. “Always a good night out”… “superb!”
Summary
“A fabulous range of super-tasty Italian small plates with some very memorable flavours (that pig skin ragu!!!!)” and incorporating “terrific homemade pasta” are making a smash hit of Chris Leach and David Carter’s “absolutely rammed” venture, which relocated from Heddon Street to Shoreditch in October 2021. It wins nothing but praise and many nominations as “the top food experience of the last 12 months”. “Enthusiastic” service can suffer under the weight of custom and – with its “deafening noise” – the setting does “slightly reek of (the former) PizzaExpress the site used to be” – but “given that it’s exceptional, you’ll get by… they can polish any rough edges later”.
Summary
Hand-rolled pasta has been a highlight at Chris Leach and Smokestak’s David Carter’s year-old concept – a follow-up to their hit residency at 10 Heddon Street – which, in October 2021, is set to shift from Soho to Shoreditch, re-opening in a former PizzaExpress at the address given above. As well as the trademark pasta (which you can watch being made), expect a range of small and sharing plates – featuring nose-to-tail offal dishes and meat from selected farms – cooked in the open central kitchen and wood-fired oven. The basement, glass-walled hanging room showcases their in-house butchery and the making of their in-house salumi.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Manteca?
49-51 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3PT
Manteca Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Sharing plates: puntarelle (like fennel) and anchovy salad. The pasta was fantastic: lumache with kale, and fettucine with venison ragu, whole plaice, green beans with tomato, grape sorbet and cherry and almond cake. The only quibble was that they charged for filtered tap water, but quickly took it off the bill when we complained. "
"Good find for an Italian lunch thanks to Hardens. Wide variety of customers from tourists to business to long distance visitors. Negatives: We ate upstairs and visited basement for the loo. Avoid eating here as it is claustrophobic and moreover smelled of loo and kitchen Service is erratic. Training needed to make servers more efficient and not wonder about without looking, Over selling: our server suggested we needed about 8 dishes which is silly. Water: They charge a nominal £2 for filtered water. That would be fine except that they never tell you about this until the bill comes. It was not mentioned by the server nor on the menu, Positives: The food! Tourists next to us said they had the best pasta ever. And it was good. Our lumache Kale (very bright green) and fettuccine venison ragu were outstanding. Focaccia is also great , needing a bit more oil perhaps Grilled plaice is plain and helped by the excellent green beans and tomato side dish. Grape sorbetto was small but subtle. The cherry and almond cake was large and far better than most Italian offers in London The glass was fine was really good and very well priced"
"Nice buzzy place. Lovely meats cured on the premises. The fried olives and pasta ragu were great. Some lovely Italian dishes that propel it above your ordinary Italian place. "
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £22.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £2.50 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 13.50% |
49-51 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3PT
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5:30 pm‑11 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5:30 pm‑11 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5:30 pm‑11 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5:30 pm‑11 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5:30 pm‑11 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5:30 pm‑11 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5:30 pm‑11 pm |
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