How to discover the best of Italy in Manchester

Set up six years ago by Maurizio Cecco – owner of beloved local Neapolitan restaurant business Salvi’s – Festa Italiana (Aug 25-27) is a celebration of Italian Manchester that drew over 40,000 visitors to Cathedral Gardens last year. Full of authentic food, drink and music, the free festival celebrates the city’s Italian population both historical and present. Not only that, but this year, Peroni Stile Capri is throwing an epic closing party to bring those sunny Capri vibes to your August bank holiday! Scroll down to learn more about it.

Speaking of this beloved Neapolitan restaurant, Salvi’s Deansgate is also home to the Italian deli of your dreams. Here, they get weekly shipments of authentic produce from Italy so that you can recreate your favourite dishes at home. Prefer to eat in? If the sun’s out, make a beeline for Salvi’s large outdoor terrace. 

The Ancoats district has long been synonymous with Manchester’s Industrial Revolution zenith and post-industrial decline. But in recent years there’s been wider recognition of how its boom was shaped by thousands of Italian immigrants who came over from the late eighteenth century onwards, fuelling its rise and enriching its culture. Since 2021 there’s been a plaque declaring Ancoats to be ‘Little Italy’ outside St Michael’s, the now defunct Catholic Church that was the Italian community hub in Victorian times. And the local Italian community has never forgotten: every July since 1888 it has staged a magnificent procession through Ancoats, alive with national colours and led by a statue of the Madonna.

With two restaurants located in Altrincham and Ramsbottom, the small local chain of Tre Ciccio brings the taste of southern Italy to Manchester’s surrounds. Authentic Neapolitan pizza and pasta need little introduction, but for something a little different check out its chicken menu: it’s one of the few places in the entire country where you can enjoy Italian-style marinated, slow-roasted pollo. Oh, and a lovely cold Peroni Nastro Azzurro, of course. 

The classy San Carlo collection has a few restaurants in the Manchester area: all of them modern eateries a long way away from old fashioned bistro cliches. But to soak up some proper Amalfi Coast vibes this summer, head to its Fiorentina restaurant in Hale, near the airport. Its stunning terrace is modelled on the romantic garden restaurants of southern Italy, and it’s also got an all-weather roof, meaning it’s a perfect al fresco spot no matter the weather.

On Sunday August 27, the final night of Festa Italiana, Peroni Stile Capri and Salvatoris will be hosting a big old Capri Nights closing bash for the festival. And nothing says ‘Italian summer party’ like a Peroni Stile Capri – for the first hour, festival-goers will be offered a free can as they bid a cheery arrivederci to the summer. Make sure to get down early!

Capri Nights starts at 6pm on Sun Aug 27 at Festa Italiana, Cathedral Gardens. @PeroniUK

Please drink responsibly, bedrinkaware.co.uk.