Lupo

Patiscerria and small-batch Italian hand-roasted coffee – that’s the name of the game at the award-winning Lupo Caffe Italiano.

With a cafe open Thursday to Sunday, breakfast, lunch and dinner is covered with freshly made cakes and biscuits, sweet and savoury pastries, pizza, cicchetti and homemade pasta, from delicate ravioli to robust lasagne. The menu changes regularly but dishes are always authentic.

Lupo supplies the wider Manchester food and drink scene first and foremost; that’s why its days and opening hours are a little unconventional. Fresh pastries like doughnuts and cannoli are made every morning and delivered to cafes around town.

Coffee is made using Arabica beans selected then hand-roasted in 9kg batches by Alberto in Italy, using a manual Petronicini machine. Once here, the beans become coffee pulled on a two-group manual machine and served in handmade Italian cups designed to balance the flavours of a single shot espresso and milk.

It’s the perfect match for one of their light and fluffy brioches, or just-made cronuts. There’s also a good selection of natural Italian wines for those looking for a different kind of buzz.