Italian Restaurants in Manchester

Our review:
Sven Goran Eriksson was seen in San Carlo up to four times a week during his time as City's manager. A vote of confidence from the ex-England manager isn’t the reason that San Carlo is the newest entry into our Top Ten Restaurants; after all, we’ve questioned his judgement plenty of times in the past. But the man lived in Italy for five years and you can be sure he ate at enough good restaurants to know his puttanesca (so to speak) from his polenta.

We’re not just taking Sven’s word for it. Nearly every review you find of San Carlo praises it as among the best Italians in the city. We couldn’t agree more. The ingredients they source are both fresh and authentic, and they are put to good effect in a menu that balances the traditional and the innovative. However, the real reason we’re so fond of San Carlo is their fish.

Manchester is, frankly, dismal when it comes to fish. There isn’t one consistently good fish restaurant in town these days; Manchester restaurants seem to have trouble turning out high quality fish dishes on a regular basis. But somehow San Carlo manages to pull off excellent fish choices again and again, from linguine served with clams and giant prawns to the board offering the best fish on the market today.

Judging by the business San Carlo attracts, the restaurant is already a firm favourite in Manchester. It tends to fill up every night, which is great if you love people watching and pretending you’re in New York. Bear in mind though that with high demand comes uber-fast service, so this might not be the place to go if you want to stretch out your meal over a leisurely three or four hours.

Italian cooking at its best.

We offer dishes to die for at a price that won't do damage to your wallet. Meat, fish or pasta dishes all cooked the traditional way and all the better for it. A cheerful wine list and diet-busting desserts put the finishing touches to a dining experience to savour... again and again

Just off busy and bustling Piccadilly, the MC Café Bar, located on the ground floor of ABode Manchester, is the place to drop in to, from breakfast until late evening. Michael Caines' philosophy is that great food should be accessible to everyone and this inclusive attitude means that food here is at once delicious, fast and fun. You can enjoy simply superb coffee or teas together with home baked pastries and pâtisseries; light bites such as sandwiches, paninis and salads; Greek, Spanish or Italian platters to share; delicious pasta and pizza hot from the oven; or full three-course meals including fresh fish, steaks, Goosnargh duck and much more. There is always good selection of wines by the glass or bottle; local and imported beers; and freshly made smoothies, juices and bottled waters. And as the evening draws out, simply slide over to the adjoining BarMC, our chilled, late night lounge bar...

Book online at: www.michaelcaines.com

MC Cafe Bar Reservation; 0161 200 5665
MC Cafe Bar bookings of 8 or more; 0161 200 5662

Down in the cobbled streets of Castlefield next to Dukes 92 lies Albert’s Shed. Bizarre names aside for what is a fairly upmarket restaurant, a lot of fuss has been made over this place so we had great expectations.