San Carlo Fiorentina

San Carlo Fiorentina (what the Italians call Florence) specialises in the meat dishes of Tuscany, grilled over charcoal, particularly steak, and also fresh fish and seafood.

It’s one of the best places to eat near Manchester Airport (it’s situated at the Marriott Airport Hotel). Think exceptional ingredients, artfully prepared, and served in super chic surroundings.

From the big blue, luxe ingredients include lobster and Dover sole, while 20 minutes are surely worth the wait for a salt-baked seabass. Those famous steaks are cooked using a special Robata wood-fired flame grill to enhance the flavour, with a choice of ribeye or 8oz fillet, aged 28 days and served with garlic butter or bearnaise sauce.

There’s plenty of pasta choice, from classic spaghetti Carbonara to ravioli filled with delicacies such as truffle and pecorino (and you can specify gluten free), and there’s a huge plate of “gran pasta” to share if you’re hungry and fancy a bit of fun.

Carnaroli rice is used in the risottos and Neapolitan flour, Sicilian tomatoes and the finest buffalo mozzarella is promised pizza wise. Fiorentina is also the only restaurant in the San Carlo Group to serve up traditional Sunday lunch.

San Carlo wouldn’t be San Carlo without a well-sourced wine list featuring the best of Italy and its islands, plus plenty of prosecco and, of course, the makings of an Aperol Spritz or two.