Read Reviews About Greater Manchester Restaurants

Italian Restaurants in Greater Manchester

1. San Carlo Italian restaurant in Manchester 40 King Street West - M3

This decade-old fixture (with many a sibling in the city and beyond) is certainly “a bit flash” – lots of crisp tablecloths and well-dressed waiters – and accordingly popular with business types as well as those celebrating a special occasion – and those who are simply keen to star-spot. The “food is standard Italian but well presented”, while the old-school service is “very attentive” (albeit slightly “overwhelming” for some tastes).

Price*

£76

££££

Food

Good

Service

Very Good

Ambience

Good

2. The Spärrows Continental Pasta & Spätzle East & Cent. European restaurant in Manchester 16 Red Bank - M4

“Don’t judge a book by its cover: hidden away in a railway arch on a dingy street” you’ll find an “unexpectedly beautiful space” serving “incredible food at a great price”. The speciality is spätzle, ‘comforting noodle-like pasta of Schwabian origin’, served in recipes inspired by central European grannies.

Price*

£50

££

Food

Good

Service

Very Good

Ambience

Very Good

3. San Carlo Cicchetti Italian restaurant in Manchester 42 King Street West - M3

“For a quick bite” in touristy parts of town, all with a bit of affordable glam thrown in, these “closely packed” Italians with their wide range of Venetian-style Cicchetti have carved a sizeable following: fans say “the small-plates formula works well” and “the whole place buzzes”. Ratings came under more pressure this year, though, with service – generally “swift and charming” – sometimes found “rushed” or “rather random”.

Price*

£59

££

Food

Good

Service

Average

Ambience

Good

4. Croma Italian restaurant in Manchester 500 Wilbraham Rd - M21

“Pizza with an inventive streak” – plus all the standards “for those who are less adventurous” – is the offer at this surviving branch of an independent Manchester group founded in 2000. The flagship in the city centre and the Didsbury branch have closed down in recent times, to the dismay of their many fans, leaving just Chorlton and Prestwick standing.