
San Carlo Manchester
DeansgateSan Carlo is Manchester's most famous and, some say, best Italian restaurant. Run by the Distefano family, it's said to...

San Carlo Liverpool
Cavern QuarterHead to any of the ristorantes in the award-winning, family-run San Carlo Group and you know you’re in for exceptional...

Cicchetti
DeansgateAs the first San Carlo Cicchetti, the Manchester restaurant had a lot to prove on opening in 2011. Over a...

Piccolino Liverpool
Cavern QuarterPiccolino Liverpool is located in a particularly grand building on Cook Street with a small but perfectly-formed terrace at the...

Gusto Manchester
Manchester City CentreGusto Manchester may be the jewel in ever-expanding chain’s crown, even if the menu is the same everywhere from Heswall...

Piccolo by Piccolino
Manchester City CentreA stone's throw from Selfridges and the designer stores around Exchange Square, Piccolo by Piccolino is a Southern Italian restaurant...

Sicilian NQ
Northern QuarterBased in the Northern Quarter, this friendly neighbourhood bistro and bar is the place to avanti if it's a taste...

Riva Blu Manchester | Corn Exchange
Manchester City CentreFrom the same team behind Piccolino, Riva Blu Manchester aims to bring a little bit of La Dolce Vita to...

Vapiano | Corn Exchange
Manchester City CentreEverything at Vapiano is ordered via a QR code once you’re at your table, which may be rather au fait...

San Carlo Alderley Edge
Alderley EdgeThe latest addition to the San Carlo family is the impressive £3 million Alderley Edge restaurant, boasting a sunlit dining...

First Street Bar and Kitchen
Manchester City CentreMelia hotels have partnered up with Gino D'Acampo at First Street Bar and Kitchen, so although it doesn’t advertise itself...

Piccolino Hale
HaleThere’s no shortage of reliably good restaurants in the Hale-Altrincham-Bowden triangle, and Piccolino Hale is up there with the best...

Fumo
Oxford RoadWith its terrace overlooking Oxford Road and its much-photographed spiral staircase, Fumo is a favourite spot in Manchester for dinner...

Piccolino Knutsford
KnutsfordPiccolino Knutsford fits in perfectly with the Italianate villas and chic shops of this quirky Cheshire town. Situated on the...

Riva Blu Liverpool
Cavern QuarterWith its large alfresco terrace, island bar, and handsome architecture, Riva Blu Liverpool has a chic, continental feel inside and...

San Carlo Fiorentina
Hale BarnsSan Carlo Fiorentina (what the Italians call Florence) specialises in the meat dishes of Tuscany, grilled over charcoal, particularly steak,...

Bottega
Manchester City CentreWith its floor-to-ceiling views over Exchange Square and chic Selfridges setting, Bottega is a stylish spot for cocktails, lunch or...

Salvi’s | Corn Exchange
Manchester City CentreSalvi’s – or Salvi's Mozzarella Bar & Restaurant, to give it its full name – claims to be Manchester's first...

Zizzi | Corn Exchange
Manchester City CentreIn one of the prime locations on the storefront of Manchester’s Corn Exchange, Zizzi is pulling pizza bases and preening...

Pizza Express | Corn Exchange
Manchester City CentreThe first Pizza Express opened in London in 1965, and it has continued to bring consistent, family-friendly, quality pizza to...

Cibo Hale
HaleCibo takes a leaf out of San Carlo’s book with its version of upscale Italian dining. It may be out-of-town...

Gino D’Acampo 360 Sky Bar & Terrace
Liverpool City CentreSituated on the 18th floor of INNSiDE by Meliá on Old Hall Street, Gino D'Acampo 360 Sky Bar and Sky...

Trattoria 51 Liverpool
Business District (Liverpool)Offering good-value Italian classics, Trattoria 51 is an easy option if you want a family-friendly independent close to Liverpool ONE....

Gusto Liverpool
Albert DockWith views of the water and a menu that should have something for pretty much everyone, Gusto Liverpool is a...

The Pasta Factory
Northern QuarterThe group of friends behind The Pasta Factory's story originally hail from Turin in the northern region of Piedmont, so...

Puccini
SwintonPuccini has been serving up authentic Italian food to the people of Swinton since 1982, with signor Pucci at the...

La Famiglia Bar & Restaurant
Cavern QuarterThe name says it all: La Famiglia Bar & Restaurant is a family-run outfit serving fresh, traditional Italian cuisine rethought,...

Homeboys Pizza
EcclesNo shortcuts are tolerated at indie pizzeria Homeboys, where everything is made from scratch using only the freshest, best ingredients...

CULTO
LeedsFamous for both its top-drawer takeaways and unique black base Pizza Nera made using vegetable charcoal, CULTO is a cosy...

Trattoria 51 Southport
SouthportMuch like the seaside town itself, Trattoria 51 Southport looks its best when the sun is shining. The terrace at...

Sud Pasta Altrincham
AltrinchamSUD Pasta is a must-visit restaurant in Manchester. Since opening their first pasta kitchen in 2015, they've taken the city...

Buyers Club
Liverpool City CentreSquished on the cusp of the Knowledge Quarter and the Georgian Quarter and resident in the old Flying Picket since...

Al Dente
Lark LaneAl Dente is a Mediterranean restaurant with an extensive, far-reaching menu that just about makes sense when you consider the...

Gusto Heswall
HeswallWith its sunspot terrace and twinkly olive grove interior, Gusto’s Heswall branch lives up to the chain’s reputation for making...

Ornella’s Kitchen
DentonOrnella's Kitchen is owned and operated by Ornella Cancila, who was born in Castel Di Tusa on Sicily's north coast...

Amalia
RopewalksThis award-winning city centre Italian combines value with authenticity – founders Miguel and Antonio have been working together since 2007...

Sud Pasta Ancoats
AncoatsSUD Pasta is a must-visit restaurant in Manchester. Since opening their first pasta kitchen in 2015, they've taken the city...

Sud Pasta Sale
SaleSUD Pasta is a must-visit restaurant in Manchester. Since opening their first pasta kitchen in 2015, they've taken the city...

Ortica Italian Plant Based
UrmstonOrtica brings the south of Italy to the south of Manchester, minus the meat and dairy. Their 100% vegan menu is...

Embankment Kitchen
SalfordHead to the ground floor of the Citysuites aparthotel and non-residents are welcome at EK, to its friends, where plates...

Lucky Mama’s
ChorltonLucky Mama's is a vibrant Italian restaurant on Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton, Manchester serving fresh Roman-style pizza, Veneto-style pasta...

Onda Pasta Bar at Exhibition
Manchester City CentreFrom the brains of Northern Quarter bakery Gooey comes Onda Pasta Bar. Situated in the trendy Exhibition kitchen, Onda serves...

Casa Italia
Cavern QuarterStill in the spot where Mario Campolucci-Bordi opened its doors in 1976, the Casa Italia pizzeria and pastificcio is something...

Pastan
Manchester City CentrePastan was created after the founders struggled to find healthy, plant-based pasta anywhere else.

La Casa
WiganA new addition to Astley’s dining options is classy Italian restaurant and bar La Casa.

Salvi’s Deansgate Square
CastlefieldBright and airy, with white and pale sage tiles, dusky pink and gold rose barstools and booths, and even a...

Mano A Bocca
Sale"Roma è arrivata a Sale!" – Rome has arrived in Sale – proclaims the website, which is a slight exaggeration,...

Il Forno
RopewalksIl Forno’s name refers to their oven; a huge, fire-breathing head which swallows up pizza before cooking it to perfection and...

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

A Tavola
Greater ManchesterA Tavola has an offbeat charm. Don’t be put off by the exterior. Sicilian delights await within. Inside, it is...

Rosa
BoltonCicchetti, bar, grill. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Rosa's food is inspired by Italy, and the menus are updated regularly to reflect...

The Italian Club Fish
RopewalksRosaria Crolla's family left the mountain village of Picinisco to the south of Rome for Glasgow, setting up fish and...

Don Marco
Castlefield"A little Italian gem in the heart of Manchester", Don Marco says it "recreates the atmosphere of neighbourhood brasseries found...

Casa Italia
DidsburyCasa Italia Didsbury is an Italian restaurant but there’s not a pizza in sight. The focus here is on quality...

Salvi’s Manchester Northern Quarter
Northern QuarterSalvi’s NQ is the baby of what claims to be Manchester's first independent Neapolitan restaurant, and if traditional, authentic southern...

Delifonseca
BrunswickLiverpool's acclaimed deli and restaurant Delifonseca has a loyal following thanks to its irresistible victuals from the UK and beyond.

Hong Kong Choi
BroughtonThis cha chaan teng-style “tea restaurant” is the Hong Kong equivalent of a greasy spoon and serves the region's typical...

The Fat Italian Crosby
CrosbyThe OG of three Fat Italians (the others are in Burscough and Ormskirk), this family-run restaurant has been around since...

Tre Amici
BuryTre Amici is Bury’s own Neapolitan-style pizzeria, complete with 48-hour rested dough for that fold-it-up and shove-it-in experience.

Villa Romana
RopewalksRecently given a spruce-up in keeping with its Wood Street location, this authentic, family-run Italian has been in the Ropewalks...

Justino’s
AigburthTaking the corner spot once occupied by Et Alia is Justino’s - a family-run Italian restaurant and bar headed up...

Gusto Didsbury
DidsburyGusto Didsbury may be a mid-market chain but it certainly is very appealing. The interior is light and airy, but...

Cucina di Vincenzo
Woolton VillageHeaded by Vincent, this award-winning restaurant is run by members of the same family – the Margiottas – originally from...

The Italian Club
RopewalksTracing their roots back to the mountain village of Picinisco, high in the Apennines below Rome, and Puglia in the...

The Sparrows
Green QuarterGreen Quarter start-up and Good Food Guide entry, The Sparrows (sometimes with an umlaut) serves up a variety of continental...

Vero Moderno
SalfordAnother fab addition to the clutch of good, independent Italian restaurants in the city is Vero Moderno. Situated on the...

L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele
Manchester City CentreSet in a Grade II-listed Charles Heathcote-designed Edwardian Baroque building, all that marble provides the perfect backdrop to a family-owned...

Borrello
SaleBorrello is a slightly old-school Italian restaurant in Sale. You won’t unearth obscure regional delicacies or discover new ingredients but...