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

Frederiks
MerseysideOne of the buzziest spots in the Georgian Quarter, Frederiks models itself on the neighbourhood bars of Brooklyn. Think casual...

Cibus
ManchesterAh, those awkward encounters when you bump into someone at a party and can't recall their name or where you...

Luisa’s
RadcliffeRun by brother and sister team Dom and Stef, Luisa’s pizzeria in Radcliffe Market is named after their Nana Luisa,...

Voodoo Ray’s at Escape to Freight Island
Manchester City CentreNYC-style pizza via LDN. Voodoo Ray’s at Escape to Freight Island is the first opening outside the capital for these...

The Crafty Pig
Northern QuarterWhatever it is you want to eat, you can be sure you'll find it, or some approximation of it, in...

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

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

Society
Manchester City CentreDoes Manchester need another hipsterish food hall? Probably not. But do we want one? Judging from the peak-time busyness of...

Purezza
Northern QuarterSitting in the old Dough Kitchen spot in the Northern Quarter, Purezza is yet another pizza restaurant for Manchester -...

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

Croma Chorlton
Greater ManchesterCroma is a Chorlton institution. It’s not a hipster pizza joint but it is solid, dependable and popular for a...

San Carlo Cicchetti
Manchester City CentreAs the first San Carlo Cicchetti, the Manchester restaurant had a lot to prove on opening in 2010. Over a...

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

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

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

Honest Crust Sourdough Pizza Altrincham
Trafford"On a mission to make really great sourdough pizza" since 2013, when they had a pop-up in rainy Ramsbottom, Altrincham...

Little Furnace Smithdown Road
MerseysideBack in early 2013, two pals Peter and Ryan had their first taste of Neapolitan pizza, while on holiday in...

Hide Away
Greater ManchesterAuthentic Italian food is what's on the "surprise" daily-changing four-course menu at Hide Away, cooked fresh from scratch by former...

Crazy Pedro’s Manchester Bridge St
Manchester City CentreDescribing itself as a full-time party bar and part-time pizza parlour, Crazy Pedro’s is hot on super-chilled drinks, from frozen...

Cuckoo
PrestwichLike the interloping bird that gives it its name, Cuckoo was an odd-one-out when it first opened in Prestwich back...

Nell’s New York Pizza & Bar
Manchester City CentreThis Brooklyn-style pizza joint was born out of a love of using the best ingredients with care and attention. Nell's...

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

Rudy’s Pizza Sale
TraffordRudy's mission is simple: to put proper Neapolitan pizza on your plate. Following the traditions and artistry of pizza-making from...

Bacaro
MerseysideLike the backstreet Venetian tapas places which inspired this central Liverpool bar and restaurant, there is something about Salt House...

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

San Carlo Fumo
Manchester City CentreHead to any of the ristorantes in the acclaimed and award-winning family-run San Carlo Group and you know you’re in...

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

Dulcimer
Greater Manchester"Music is in our blood" proclaim the team behind Dulcimer, the Chorlton bar named after a funkily shaped hammer-struck string...

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

Crazy Pedro’s Liverpool
MerseysideDescribing itself as a full-time party bar and part-time pizza parlour, Crazy Pedro’s is hot on super-chilled drinks, from frozen...

Noi Quattro
Northern QuarterIf it’s a taste of Italy you’re after, think NQ for proper pizza – Noi Quattro, to be precise. Meaning...

Market House Indoor Food Hall
Greater ManchesterSetting a precedent for the likes of Mackie Mayor and Stockport Produce Hall, many have hailed the revamping of the...

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

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

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

Tariff & Dale
Northern QuarterTariff & Dale is a Northern Quarter institution – one of the first to colonize the Rochdale Canal frontier, bringing...

HOME
Manchester City CentreOne of Manchester’s flagship buildings, HOME is many things including cinema, theatre, art gallery and, of most interest to Confidential...

The Klondyke Club
ManchesterNo round-up of Levenshulme’s social spaces could exclude The Klondyke Club AKA The Levenshulme Bowling and Social Club. This century-old...

Mani
MerseysideThe focus of Italian-inspired bar and kitchen Mani is small plates, cheese and meat platters, and classic pasta dishes. There's...

PINS Social Club
MerseysideAs the name suggests, PINS Social Club is more than just a bar – and it's more than just a...

The Beagle
ManchesterThe Beagle is a bustling, eclectic, neighbourhood boozer which has recently replaced its Tex-Mex trash food menu with NYC-style pizza...

Crazy Pedro’s Manchester NQ
Northern QuarterThis self-styled party bar is hot on super-chilled drinks, from frozen margaritas to ice cold beers. It's also hot on...

Rudy’s Pizza Liverpool
MerseysideRudy's mission is simple: to put proper Neapolitan pizza on your plate. Following the traditions and artistry of pizza-making from...

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

Rudy’s Pizza Manchester Peter Street
Manchester City CentreRudy's mission is simple: to put proper Neapolitan pizza on your plate. Following the traditions and artistry of pizza-making from...

Croma Didsbury
ManchesterThe newest addition to the Croma family, the Didsbury restaurant has all the features that make its south Manchester sister...

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

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

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

Piccolino Liverpool
MerseysideAs well as an open kitchen so you can watch all the fun, Piccolino Liverpool – on the aptly named...

San Carlo Bottega
Manchester City CentreHead to any of the ristorantes in the acclaimed and award-winning family-run San Carlo Group and you know you’re in...

Double Zero
ManchesterAn authentic Neapolitan-style pizzeria, Double Zero in Chorlton has been lauded as one of the best in the UK.

Rudy’s Pizza Manchester Ancoats
Manchester City CentreListed amongst the world’s best pizzerias in international pizza guide, Where To Eat Pizza, Rudy’s Pizza has grown from a...

Electrik
ManchesterElektrik is an award-winning independent bar with great coffee and a wide selection of beer, wine and cocktails. They offer...

The Pasta Project
ManchesterOne of the things we love about Italian food is its ability to transform a few basic ingredients into something...

Turncoat Bar
MerseysideTurncoat Bar is a spacious, subterranean hideaway beneath Royal Albert Dock specialising in gin, craft beer and wood-fired pizza.

Chez Moi
MerseysideFamily-run Chez Moi started life as a bistro specialising in "the finest French cuisine", but appears to have gone off...

Black Spot Pizza
StockportThere is no shortage of floppy, fold-it-up Neapolitan pizza in Manchester these days. Like the bee symbol, it has descended...

Franco Manca
Manchester City CentrePioneers of sourdough Neapolitan pizza and natural Italian wine purveyors, Franco Manca started out as a small concern in Brixton...

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

Honest Crust Sourdough Pizza Manchester
Northern Quarter"On a mission to make really great sourdough pizza" since a pop-up in rainy Ramsbottom back in 2013, Honest Crust's...

Croma Prestwich
PrestwichAs Manchester’s own, independent (and we would say, superior) version of Pizza Express, Croma was always going to feature strongly...

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

Ramona
ManchesterPredominantly a pizzeria, Ramona incorporates a bakery, margarita bar, coffee counter, stage and Firehouse restaurant, and is found in the...

Rudy’s Pizza Bold Street
MerseysideRudy's mission is simple: to put proper Neapolitan pizza on your plate. Following the traditions and artistry of pizza-making from...

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

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

Pasta 51 Express
MerseysideIt’s takeaway pasta but it’s unrecognisable from the refrigerated joyless stuff you get on a supermarket meal deal. Pasta Express...

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

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

Broadley’s
West YorkshireIt might be part of a mini shopping complex, but family-run Broadley's bistro has a sunny outdoor terrace for eating...

Common
Northern QuarterOne of the Northern Quarter's original hipster hangouts, Common – bar, eatery, coffee spot – has been at its Edge...

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

Our Neighbourhood Bar
ManchesterOur NeighBourhood Bar in Didsbury is perfectly placed for forays in to Manchester’s most popular suburb right next to the...

Tre Ciccio Altrincham
TraffordTranslating as ‘three chubby friends’ (a self-effacing reference to owner Francesco Scafuri and a pair of his portly pals from...

Tre Ciccio Ramsbottom
RamsbottomTre Ciccio’s Ramsbottom restaurant does much the same thing as Tre Ciccio in Altrincham - and that’s no bad thing.

Slyce
OldhamLike its sister restaurant Muse next door, Slyce brings a taste of the city to the bucolic surroundings of Uppermill.

Il Capitano’s
MerseysideItalian restaurant and takeaway Il Capitano always deserves a visit if you’re in the Waterloo area. Its offering is simple:...

Six Trees Kitchen & Bar
TraffordPop in on your way back from the Trafford Centre – there's plenty to watch go by, and plenty of...

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

Fred’s Ale House
ManchesterLaunched in 2015, Fred’s Ale House in Levenshulme is a CAMRA award-winning, beer lovers’ haven with numerous extra benefits. There...

PLY
Northern QuarterDescribing itself as a "hangout" and "creative space", PLY is in the beating heart of hipster Northern Quarter, benefitting from...

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

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...

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

Little Furnace Baltic Market
MerseysideBack in early 2013, two pals Peter and Ryan had their first taste of Neapolitan pizza, while on holiday in...

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

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...

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

San Carlo Fiorentina
TraffordHead to any of the ristorantes in the acclaimed and award-winning family-run San Carlo Group and you know you’re in...

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

Proove Pizza
ManchesterProove Pizza has proven itself to be a success which is fortunate because there’s no shortage of eateries slinging out...