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.
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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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.
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.
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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Viral ‘colour analysis’ trend now available at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet
Daisy Jackson
Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet is preparing for summer with a series of brilliant fashion events – including jumping on the colour analysis craze.
The viral sensation which helps people to dress in their most flattering colours is now heading to the popular shopping destination.
Free consultations with expert colourists will tell you your ‘colour season’ and whether you’re warm or cool toned, pointing out the colours that will make your face quite literally light up.
Then armed with your new-found appreciation for your own favourite colour, you can browse a rail of pre-selected clothing from Pinko, Reiss and many other brands, or head out shopping around the many other brands based at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet.
It’s all part of The Great Dress Up campaign running this spring/summer, which celebrates fun childhood memories of playing dress-up.
The last few weeks has also seen Cheshire Oaks have a spring makeover, with a vibrant flower wall and colourful seating areas.
The free Colour Theory consultations launched last weekend and will continue on May bank holiday weekend, with bookings available on 4 and 5 May.
Colour analysis is a trend which has taken over TikTok, designed to assign individuals with their most flattering colours based on complexations, skin tones and other factors.
People can learn the dos and don’ts of colour at Cheshire Oaks with Kate Harrison and EWA.
The 20 minute one-to-one consultations will take place within the beautiful Spring Garden opposite Under Armour.
Cheshire Oaks is hosting The Great Dress Up series of events this summer
Shoppers can sit back and relax while more than 30 different fabric swatches are draped across your shoulders to determine your perfect colour palette.
Free expert talks will help you to learn about the importance of knowing your colours and what they mean for your style.
There are bounce back vouchers to the stores involved in the event as well as goodie bags containing a gift bag with colour swatches and more treats.
Visitors can either pre-book a session or snap up one of the limited walk-in appointments available on 4 and 5 May.
For more information and to book an appointment visit: mcarthurglen.com
Manchester’s smash burger and ice cream legends Big Licks launch huge crowdfunding effort
Daisy Jackson
Big Licks, the Manchester restaurant that’s found the ‘sweet spot’ between amazing burgers and delicious desserts, is sailing through a huge crowdfunding campaign.
The restaurant, which has an eye-catching location down on Liverpool Road as well as two sites in Scotland, has already raised a whopping £135,000 for its expansion dreams.
It’s now pushing to hit £150,000 so that it can open new restaurants and franchises across the UK.
Big Licks was first launched by two teenagers in 2009 as a takeaway – it’s now gone on to be a rapidly expanding name bringing in £3m in sales and more than 400,000 customers in the last 12 months alone.
On their menu you’ll find incredible smash burgers (with up to four patties in each bun) made with free-range grass-fed beef that they source directly from farm, or buttermilk chicken topped with their signature ranch sauce.
There’s also an impressive menu of house-churned ice cream made with quality local ingredients, and cakes, cheesecakes and brownies all baked in house daily.
All that is alongside fried chicken, loaded fries, and other mouth-watering sides.
Next on the agenda for Big Licks is expansion across the country, offering up the chance to become a shareholder in this bright young business.
They want to use the money raised to prepare the business for franchising, with a target to open 18 restaurants by 2027.
Then any extra money raised will be used to open more company-owned restaurants.
And there are rewards on offer for those who choose to invest in Big Licks.
If you invest £100, you’ll get a Big Licks White Card which gets you 10% off in store, as well as owning a share of the business.
Then the rewards continue with other things like free burgers and shakes all the way to merch and much bigger discounts.
Co-founder Anees Ahmed said: “It is clear that the potential is great.”
He added: “We believe one of the key ingredients to a successful restaurant is creating a hangout spot, a vibe. That will always be our aim when you come to Big Licks.”
The businessman then said: “We won’t compromise on quality. We will always keep sourcing within head office. This means we keep producing our own ice cream using locally sourced organic milk and the finest Italian flavours.
“We’ve found that sweet spot. The combination of sweet desserts and smashing burgers that opens up audience’s doors, covering off every craving.
“We want you to be part of the journey and become a shareholder in Big Licks.”
You can find out more about the Big Licks crowdfunder through Crowdcube here.
*Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong.