Rigatoni’s Ancoats

Rigatoni’s is a neighbourhood pasta place serving homemade rigatoni with a variety of sauces. Their trio of venues (in Ancoats, Altrincham and Exhibition in the city centre) are known for taking humble pasta dishes to another level of flavour. Expect beautiful combinations of fresh ingredients and budget-friendly prices.

Go for their extra virgin oil, salt, butter and parmesan rigatoni, or their seafood fra diavolo with tiger prawns, brown crab and mussels served in a spicy tomato sauce. Other highlights include their eight-hour beef shin, pork shoulder, and nduja ragu, and our personal favourite, the quattro formaggi (with the crispy prosciutto upgrade).

Outside pasta, your options include some cracking little appetisers featuring fried treats and focaccia toasts, and Italian-influenced desserts in a glass. To drink there’s decent house-made cocktails and a wine list that works. The keg stuff is good, especially if you’re on a budget. Keep an eye on their chalkboards for weekly wine and pasta specials.

They’ve also got a £15 midweek lunch offer in Ancoats and Altrincham, Tuesday to Friday, 12pm to 3pm, that we’d encourage you to check out.