Italian Manchester

Adored by Man United players and visiting celebs like Rihanna, San Carlo is probably the UK’s most glamorous restaurant chain. The Distefano family own a number of restaurants in Manchester including San Carlo Cicchetti and moved into the cocktail market with Fumo, bringing in expert mixologist Jamie Jones. Highlights include house-infused vermouths (endorsed by Martini themselves), negroni with Fernet Branca, and sumptuous lavender vodka, served with a fragranced purple ribbon wrapped around the stem.

1 St Peters Square
Oxford Rd
M1 5AN

Tel: 0161 236 7344
www.sancarlofumo.co.uk/fumo-manchester

Enjoy 42 wines by the glass and hundreds more by the bottle at this straight-up wine bar. Perfectly preserved using Enomatic machines, northern Italian reds like Amarone and Chianti are almost always on tap. Staff are helpful and knowledgeable, and wine flights are available for those who just can’t make up their minds. There are tasty bar snacks too, like pecorino cheese with honey and walnuts. A real treat.

11 Cooper St
M2 2FW

Tel: 0161 236 2340
www.salut.co.uk

Volta’s long and sociable bar and vintage feel gives it an edge in Burton Road’s competitive social scene. The bar and restaurant may be Mancunian to the core (it’s owned by local DJs/entrepreneurs Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford) but the bestselling drink is a house-aged negroni, served in a decanter to share. Cowdrey and Crawford went looking for inspiration ahead of the launch in 2014 and Volta’s menu is the result of their nights out in Rome and Milan.

167 Burton Rd
West Didsbury
M20 2LN

Tel: 0161 448 8887
www.voltafoodanddrink.co.uk

Exceptional coffee bars are de rigueur in Manchester with leading independents like Takk, Caffeine and Co and North Tea Power, to name but a few. But one offering a new take on the Italian concept is Pot Kettle Black. Owned and run by professional rugby league players Jon Wilkin and Mark Flanagan, what sets PKB apart is extraordinary attention to detail. The result is a place to catch up on work, chat about the Super League and keep an eye out for thesps (Maxine Peake is a regular) on a break from rehearsals at the Royal Exchange Theatre. The house espresso blend is ‘Cult of Done’ from Workshop in London. Try a toasted caramel piccolo or go long with their pourover options.

14 Barton Arcade
Deansgate
M3 2BW

www.potkettleblackltd.co.uk

The palatial Whitworth Art Gallery, on the edge of Whitworth Park, has just reopened after being transformed by London’s MUMA architects. New promenades and spaces have been designed to bring the light and space of the surrounding park indoors, plus there’s a café that’s completely made of glass nestled among the 200-year-old trees. The opening exhibitions include the world’s largest retrospective of work by Turner Prize-shortlisted artist Cornelia Parker and bold creations by the Scots-Italian father of pop art, Eduardo Paolozzi.

The University of Manchester
Oxford Rd
M15 6ER

Tel: 0161 275 7450
www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk

Luxury cycle clothing brand Rapha’s café and shop is the place to pick up your high-performance bib shorts, manufactured to the highest standards in Italy. Italian style runs through the collections by this London brand, thanks to lines created in homage to the Giro d’ Italia and iconic racers like Marco Pantani. If it’s wheels you’re after, stroll down Deansgate to the Pinarello showrooms at the Italian-centric Bike Rooms, where you’ll also find eyewear from Rudy Project and clothing by Giordana.

Rapha Cycle Club
5 St Ann’s Alley
M2 7LP

Tel: 0161 834 6748
www.rapha.cc/clubs/manchester

The Bike Rooms
274 Deansgate
M3 4JB

Tel: 0161 870 8195
www.thebikerooms.com

Oi Polloi has grown from being a local secret to a brand that’s recognised around the world for promoting minimal, smart-casual designs for men by the world’s finest labels. Their Scandi collections by Denmark’s Norse Projects and Swedish brand Fjallraven are a strength, but the store and online shop stock a good range of Italian names including Valstar for leather jackets and Stone Island for stylish sportswear.

63 Thomas St
M4 1LQ

Tel: 0161 831 7870
www.oipolloi.com

Walking into opticians Seen is like visiting a boutique gallery: this is eyewear but not as you know it. The cute location, tucked away in a little arcade in historic St Ann's Square, completes the picture. The collection includes Belgian brands like Theo and handmade Italian frames from LGR.

6c St Ann's Arcade
St Ann's Square
M2 7HN

www.seen.co.uk

To some, magazines, comics and cards are a thing of the past. But the art of paper lives on at Magma bookshop, specialising in art, design, photography and graphic art. A stalwart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, it’s been here since the early noughties and the stock includes prints, stationery and gifts like limited-edition T-shirts. It’s the only place to go to find the current Italian Vogue along with books on Italian hand gestures and interior design.

22 Oldham St
M1 1JN


Tel: 0161 236 8777
www.magmabooks.com

Home is a new artistic powerhouse. The purpose-built new venue opened in May 2015 with five screens showing arthouse and European films, two theatres, art galleries and a huge café with exhilarating views of the city’s Victorian heritage. Italian cinema is a strength and the venue has announced a joint training programme with Florence’s Lo Schermo dell’Arte Film Festival for emerging filmmakers. Expand your mind as well as your creative skill set.

2 Tony Wilson Place
First St
M15 4FN

Tel: 0161 228 7621
www.homemcr.org

Future Everything’s festival of the fiercely creative is based around the Royal Northern College of Music with strong ties to the Med. Previous guests include experimental producer Lorenzo Senni and Rome’s noise merchants Zu, who are signed to Mike Patton of Faith No More’s label, Ipecac Records. Conceptual artist Paolo Cirio appeared at Future Everything 2015, while sound artist Nico Vascellari’s credits also include the Manchester International Festival (alongside Marina Abramovich) and the Whitworth Gallery’s reopening. Keep an eye on the website for forthcoming dates.

www.futureeverything.org