A well-established foodie haunt, Manchester boasts a plethora of delicious pasta joints, from authentic fresh pasta spots and Instagram-worthy destinations (cheese wheel pasta, anyone?) to cosy, traditional eateries. Here’s our lowdown on the best pasta in Manchester.
The 7 best Italian restaurants in Manchester
Sugo
Image credit: Sugo Pasta Kitchen
If you’re looking for southern Italian pasta fare executed perfectly, be sure to head to Sugo Pasta Kitchen’s Ancoats location, at the epicentre of what was once Manchester's own Little Italy. Fresh pasta offerings include the Puglian-inspired orecchiette with smoky peppers, stracciatella cheese and pangrattato (breadcrumbs), and the paccheri all’Amatriciana, which features Calabrian chilli and juicy datterini tomatoes from Sicily. Buon appetito!
The Pasta Factory
Image credit: The Pasta Factory
Shudehill's favourite pasta joint is headed by a group of childhood friends from Turin, in the northern Italian region of Piedmont. This no-fuss eatery boasts an exceptionally authentic taste of Italia – with all of the pasta made fresh in-house each day. The menu is informed by recipes from across Italy, with a classic Roman bucatini carbonara sat alongside southern-inspired dishes like beef and ‘nduja ragú with ribbons of reginette pasta.
Salvi's
Image credit: Salvi's
Boasting some of the best, imported Italian produce in Manchester, Salvi’s is a gem in the city’s culinary scene. Having first set up shop in the bustling Corn Exchange, owner Maurizio nurtured this much-loved deli-cum-restaurant to the success story it is today – with extra outposts in the Northern Quarter and Deansgate. Salvi’s menu offers pasta-fare reminiscent of the sunny Campania region which Maurizio originated from, with stand-out dishes like the pitch-perfect pasta vongole fighting with daily ravioli specials for your culinary attention. Whatever you pick, ramp up the Italian vibes by dining al fresco on their terrace.
Don Giovanni
Image credit: Don Giovanni
As an award-winning icon of Manchester's Italian dining scene, Don Giovanni proudly celebrates its heritage as the oldest independent Italian in the city. Don Giovanni demonstrates principles at the heart of Italian cooking, boasting classic dishes prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients, ensuring delightful and quality offerings. Our favourites include their creamy wild mushroom tagliatelle, as well as the plentiful al forno options, which include a knockout spinach and ricotta cannelloni.
Cibo
Image credit: Cibo
Now boasting two spacious outposts, city centre spot Cibo is a reliable choice for both day trippers and locals looking for a quality Italian dining experience. Cibo’s most famous dish is undoubtedly their penne reggiano, a TikTok-friendly dish of pasta, truffle and cream, all tossed tableside in a giant wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. But tear yourself away from the theatrics of this dish and you’ll find a menu of refined Italian classics, including some stunning lobster ravioli and a visually arresting (and truly delicious) dish of squid ink spaghetti and fresh seafood.
Vero Moderno
Image credit: Vero Moderno
Sitting pretty in Salford’s Chapel Street riviera, Vero Moderno breaks the mould with a menu of lesser-known, but seriously memorable, regional Italian dishes. We were particularly impressed by the homemade gnocchi with speck ham and porcini mushrooms, which sang of the northern Italian mountains, whilst a dish of paccheri alla Palermitana transported us to Sicily with its bold pairing of fresh tuna and golden fried aubergine.
Pasta Evangelists Manchester
We’d be letting our exceptional pastai (pasta makers) down if we failed to give them a shout out here. We might not have a brick-and-mortar pasta restaurant in Manchester quite yet, but Mancunians can still get a taste of our restaurant-quality pasta – and all without even leaving the house!
Want someone else to look after dinner? We deliver hot, ready-to-eat pasta dishes to postcodes across Manchester. Happy to do some (very minimal) cooking yourself? We deliver our pasta recipe kits to Manchester and all around the UK. Each kit comes with everything you need to prepare an authentic pasta dish in under 5 minutes – simply cook the fresh pasta, heat up the carefully-crafted sauce and top with the included garnish. With options like slow-cooked beef shin ragú, decadent lobster tortelloni and wild mushroom pappardelle, the only hard part is picking a dish.
