Salvi’s Deansgate Square

Bright and airy, with white and pale sage tiles, dusky pink and gold rose barstools and booths, and even a private dining room – Salvi’s Deansgate Square brings a breath of fresh air to one of Manchester’s most famous and favourite restaurant brands.

Claiming to be the city’s first independent Neapolitan restaurant, if traditional, authentic southern Italian cuisine is what you’re after, then family-run Salvi’s is the place to sniff out. The newest addition to that family joins the original Corn Exchange outlet and the more recent Northern Quarter go-to. Headed up by chef patron Maurizio Cecco, the Salvi’s stable is named after his father, while the cooking is inspired by his mother’s kitchen back home in Naples – the Nonna Teresa dish with pancetta and pistachio pesto is named in her honour. “Our passion for the produce of our home region of Campania in Italy is behind everything that we do,” says Maurizio, and the dishes are made using the finest quality ingredients imported directly from Italy – think fresh San Marzano tomatoes, ‘ndjua sausage and burrata, smoked mozzarella and mozzarella di bufala cheeses. Pastas include a ravioli of the day along with classics the likes of meaty carbonara and vegan puttanesca; there’s also veggie gnocchi and risotto, with mushrooms and truffle oil. There are Neapolitan pizzas, including a spicy Vesuvio and a folded calzone. There are also mains from the grill, including a couple of steaks and some fresh seafood such as Amalfi tuna with Sorrento lemons and sea bass with yellow cherry tomatoes and white wine.

Salvi’s Deansgate Square also has a large outdoor terrace including an Amalfi Coast-inspired garden and bar just perfect for a glass or two of Limoncello spritz. And if you fancy cooking yourself, stock up in the deli – Italian produce is shipped in weekly.

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