First established in 1984, independent Italian restaurant Don Giovanni is one of the longest standing in the city.
Still held in high regard after nearly forty years, it has been feeding the people of Manchester for decades.
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In that time, it has cemented itself as one of the city centre’s go-to Italian eateries, especially for diners that are looking to celebrate a special occasion.
No stranger to a proposal, the restaurant is one of Manchester’s most popular places for couples looking to pop the question. It’s also a popular choice for theatregoers, thanks to its central location and special pre-theatre menu.
Image: Don Giovanni
Image: Don Giovanni
Originally housed across the road in what is now 1 St Peters Square, today you’ll find the elegant Manchester Italian restaurant sitting opposite – with panoramic glass windows looking out onto the street.
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“If you’re a lover of Italian food then you need to try Don Giovanni at least once.”
Inside, large comfy leather booths and a stunning eighteen-foot marble bar ensure it looks the part for a celebration. The menu’s pretty swish too, offering everything from freshly made pizza and pasta to indulgent seafood platters and premium cuts of meat from locally-reared cattle.
If you’re a lover of Italian food then you need to try Don Giovanni at least once. It is the place you head to in the city if you are looking for authentic Italian fare.
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The restaurant may have been feeding Mancunians for decades, but its chefs frequently revise their offering to remain classic and authentic but still on trend, most recently adding pizza alla nocciolata, pizza al tartufo and gnocchi al gorgonzola.
Image: Don Giovanni
Image: Don Giovanni
From premium chargrilled meats cooked on Don Giovanni’s in-house Josper grill, to a solid list of pizzas and pasta dishes there are some stunning dishes to choose from here – all made using fresh produce picked from local markets each morning.
The restaurant also boasts its very own pasta-making and dessert station, where you can watch its chefs busy at work preparing fresh bread, pasta and sweet treats every morning.
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Pasta lovers will find fresh favourites like spaghetti carbonara, lasagne, tagliatelle al bolognese and linguine e vongole, all available from the A La Carte menu, as well as freshly prepared homemade treats like tiramisu and panna cotta.
Read more:A boozy pasta restaurant with wine-infused dishes is coming to Manchester
Elsewhere, as part of its antipasto section you’ll find a large selection of mouthwatering starters like beef carpaccio, homemade focaccia, frittura mista and antipasto Italiano, all sure to whet your appetite.
As for drinks, the restaurant boasts one of the best classic wine lists in the city with a choice of over 100 hand picked vintages sitting alongside a selection of cocktails and craft beers.
Image: Don Giovanni
Image: Don Giovanni
From raspberry caipirinhas to espresso martinis, negronis to pornstars, there are plenty of tipples to choose from with a solid mixture of classics and signatures making an appearance on the list.
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This restaurant has long stood the test of time as one of Manchester’s best Italian eateries, offering stylish settings in the heart of the popular theatre and nightlife district.
A short walk from both The Palace and The Opera House, it also offers a 2 or 3 course pre theatre set menu between the hours of 12-2pm and 4-6pm every day.
Open seven days a week from 12pm, to find out more and book a meal, visit the Don Giovanni website here, and check out their Christmas menus here.
Feature image – Don Giovanni
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Beloved Manchester Italian restaurant unveils big refurb
Thomas Melia
Much-loved Italian restaurant Italiana Fifty-Five has just unveiled a beautiful refurbishment at one of its Manchester sites, along with a new menu of fresh, handmade pasta.
Gone is the famous yellow colour palette of this Italian eatery as they swap in a sophisticated and regal turquoise blue at their Liverpool Road restaurant.
This establishment is known for its impressive shop-window pasta making stations where you can see your food prepared live in-store and while walking past outside the venue.
They’re continuing their foodie legacy serving carby creations, like a flaming cheese wheel pasta where staff blowtorch the cheese to ensure it’s as melty as possible.
One of the biggest menu highlights at Italiana Fifty-Five is the cappellacci, which comes in two equally gorgeous forms and much like its English translation, emulates tiny hats.
These cute little plates come in two delicious stuffed pairings – the burrata, combined with a tangy tomato and beef filling, and a salmon with cream sauce and fresh lemon for a match made in heaven.
Beloved Manchester Italian restaurant Italiana Fifty-Five unveils big refurb. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Italiana Fifty-Five as it unveils a new look on Liverpool Road. Credit: The Manc Group
How can you think of anything more ideal than a table full of hearty and home-comforting meals than one that also features an array of beautiful sides?
Usual delights like the burrata on a bed of rocket, tomato and finished off with a balsamic vinegar glaze area great addition to your already faultless food.
Cheesy garlic pizza bread is quintessential when dining in an Italian restaurant, and Italiana 55’s lovely flavour-packed favourite is a go-to when ordering here.
The Liverpool Road restaurant also has a tonnata pizza which uses toppings that are an exact ingredient breakdown of the Mediterranean sauce, which it shares its name with.
In photos: Italiana Fifty-Five has undergone a refurb. Credit: The Manc Group
What better way to wolf down some incredible Italian feasts than with some perfectly paired alcoholic offerings like the classic Aperol spritz, trusted espresso martinis and a selection of fine wines.
Their menu is staying as tasty as ever with their delicious pizzas and pastas, with the new fresh pasta menu available at their restaurants on Liverpool Road and in Didsbury.
Rochdale’s incredible fire festival will bring blazing sculptures and fiery displays to town this month
Daisy Jackson
Rochdale will be filled with dazzling pyrotechnic displays later this month when the Ignite Fire Festival returns to town.
The spectacular free event will see the gardens opposite the Rochdale Town Hall – which reopened to the public earlier this year – transformed with fiery displays, blazing sculptures and illuminated installations.
The smash hit event debuted last year, attracting more than 10,500 people, and this year’s will be even bigger with three nights of magical family entertainment.
And the festival will culminate on the Sunday with the Rochdale Christmas lights switch-on.
Ignite Fire Festival comes from Walk the Plank, the outdoor arts specialists behind some of the UK’s biggest and best outdoor arts events, who have called upon artists and pyro technicians to create the many installations on show.
Between 5pm and 8pm each night, visitors will be able to walk past fire-based sculptures like goblets of fire, a daisy chain of flaming flowers, a fire bird with blazing eyes, and smaller birds circling a flaming nest – to name just a few.
There’ll also be sculptures that twist, flap and erupt with balls of fire, and ‘In The Balance’ will be a festival highlight, where rotating globes of flame seemingly defy the laws of physics.
Ignite Fire Festival is back in Rochdale this month. Credit: Supplied
Each evening, a fire drawing designed and made by local residents will be ignited alongside flaming hot performances from some of the UK’s top talent including Flame Oz – a thrilling fire dancing and juggling show.
There’ll also be performances from Liverpool’s Bring the Fire Project, local favourites Skylight Circus Arts, and street theatre and interactive arts group Travelling Light Circus.
Visitors should look out for Drum Machine, a 20-strong drumming collective, The Fire Man Dave performing a live fire show with fire eating and juggling, and Astro Aliens, a trio of cosmic beings that will entertain all ages.
The incredible event, sponsored by car supermarket The Trade Centre UK, is set to take place between Friday 22 and Sunday 24 November.
Ignite Fire Festival takes place in the gardens opposite the Rochdale Town HallThere’ll be performers as well as pyrotechnic sculptures. Credit; SuppliedIgnite Fire Festival is back for a second year. Credit: Supplied
After exploring the gardens, you’ll be able to pick up hot food, mulled wine and other seasonal drinks served each night.
On Sunday, Father Christmas will be in town to switch on the Christmas lights at 5.30pm in front of the town hall.
Councillor Sue Smith, cabinet member for communities and co-operation at Rochdale Borough Council said: “Last year’s Ignite Fire Festival and Christmas Light’s Switch On was a fantastic event and an instant hit with audiences from across Greater Manchester.
“It’s an exciting and unique event and the perfect addition to our big switch-on, providing family entertainment across the weekend.”
Mark Bailey, founder and owner of sponsor Trade Centre UK added: “Our partnership with Ignite Fire Festival and the Rochdale Christmas Lights Switch On is a fantastic opportunity to give back to a community that has welcomed us so warmly.
“At Trade Centre UK, we believe in more than just selling cars; we believe in being part of the fabric of the local area. Supporting events like this, which bring people together to celebrate in the heart of Rochdale, aligns perfectly with our core values of community and connection.”
The event is free, and no tickets are required. Ignite is organised by Rochdale Borough Council in partnership with Walk the Plank and Culture Co-op, a ‘Creative People and Places’ programme, funded by Arts Council England.
Find out more and plan your visit to Ignite Fire Festival HERE.
The Manc -
25th October 2022 
