A new restaurant dedicated to garlic bread has opened in Manchester, and it’s the stuff that dreams are made of.
A new arrival located in Shudehill, the eatery comes from the same team behind Swan Street pizzeria Ciaooo.
The team, famed for their fluffed-up sourdough crusts and burrata-topped pies, has spent the past five years wowing Manchester diners with its pizza, not to mention the likes of fun starters like deep-fried lasagne and carbonara.
Now they’re getting ready to do it all over again with loaded garlic bread – this time operating out of a unit in Shudehill, formerly home to Manchester’s X-rated d*ck waffle cafe Mr. D*cks.
Open from 12-6pm daily with a focus on the lunch rush, at the team’s new loaded garlic bread shop classic options include ‘plain’ with garlic butter and ‘cheese’ with butter, mozzarella and parmesan, priced between £5 and £5.50.
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Inside Ciaooo’s new garlic bread shop. / Image: The Manc Eats
A gorgeous pesto and burrata topped garlice bread (foreground). / Image: The Manc Eats
From here, it gets even more exciting with the likes of ‘Cacio E Pepe’, ‘Pesto’, ‘Marinara’ and ‘Truffle’ loaded garlic bread all on offer.
We’re talking Ciaooo’s signature fluffy base, with a choice of added tomato, garlic, oregano, truffle, burrata, housemade pesto, parmesan, black pepper and more, with the most expensive loaded garlic bread priced at £6.50.
Elsewhere, you’ll find 10″ pizzettes – smaller versions of Ciaooo’s ever-popular pizzas – available from just £5-7.
Choices here include classics like Margherita and not one but two styles of Marinara, plus a Toscana (parma ham, truffle oil, parmesan), Chorizo (salami, chorizo, mozzarella), Calabrese (n’duja sausage and burrata) and The Smoked (smoked pepperoni, crispy onion and burrata).
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Elsewhere, you can get your hands on hot slices of deep-fried lasagne, as well as Oreo milkshakes, hot coffees and cold fizzy cans of coke, San Pellegrino and more.
N’duja and Honey garlic bread (back) and Calabrese pizza. / Image: The Manc Eats
The Toscana Pizette loaded with parma ham, tomato, mozzarella, truffle oil, parmesan). / Image: The Manc Eats
Head chef Stefano Mordecchi comes with a strong pizza pedigree, having earned his crust at Double Zero in Chorlton before going on to open his own restaurants alongside Lory Grigore.
Previous successful ventures opened under the Ciaoo name include its popular but shortlived pasta stall inside Manchester Arndale Market.
Featured image – The Manc Eats
Eats
‘Classy, clever, confident’ – New Manchester restaurant receives glowing Guardian review
Daisy Jackson
Winsome, one of the newest restaurants on Manchester’s dining scene, has gone and received a seriously glowing review in The Guardian this weekend.
Legendary restaurant criticGrace Dent said that the British bistro ‘may well be my new favourite restaurant’, lauding chef patron Shaun Moffat’s ‘elegant but plentiful modern cooking’.
She said that there’s even a teeny touch of Toby Carvery in their Sunday offering, with meaty and saucy dishes and ‘cartoon-esque XL yorkshire puddings’.
Winsome opened back in March under the steer of three hospitality heavyweights – ex-Edinburgh Castle chef Shaun Moffat, former Schofields head bartender Tom Fastiggi, and Belzan founder Owain Williams.
It’s a beautiful, stripped-back space at the foot of the Whitworth Locke aparthotel and Moffat’s first venture as a chef patron.
Based on this Guardian review, he’s doing a pretty good job so far…
Grace Dent said of Winsome’s nostalgic yet modern menu (featuring dippy eggs and puddings that sound like school dinner puds): “This is Cool Britannia wearing a napkin bib with a side portion of rhubarb jelly and custard for pudding.”
Novelty crockery at Winsome. Credit: The Manc GroupChef patron Shaun Moffat at Winsome. Credit: The Manc GroupDippy egg and asparagus. Credit: The Manc GroupInside WInsome on Princess Street. Credit: The Manc Group
She also wrote that it’s ‘far from a novelty restaurant’ in spite of its animal-shaped crockery.
And Dent added that while there’s an element of fine dining, it’s unpretentious enough that you’re happy to smear it all over the tablecloths and, indeed, yourself.
‘Deeply nostalgic’, ‘forward-thinking fine dining without any of the faff’, is how she described her Winsome experience.
“This is confident, clever cooking that stays just the right side of earnest, or at least as earnest as a chef can be when he also serves up a dessert that is essentially a 1980s school sponge pudding with a scoop of milk ice-cream flecked with multicoloured sprinkles, or hundreds and thousands as they will for ever be known in my heart,” she wrote.
Grace Dent’s Guardian review concluded with: “Winsome may well be my new favourite restaurant, and it’s the new, big, generous beating heart of Manchester hospitality. It’s classy but come-all – bring your gran, bring your baby, no one need feel conspicuous.
“There’s something about the place that makes me want to use it as a canteen, not least out of sheer curiosity as to what Moffat will put on the menu next. Great cooking, and forward-thinking fine dining without any of the faff.
“Bring your appetite and don’t wear pale colours. Aaah, Manchester, you have so much to answer for. Winsome will seriously impact your waistline.”
Winsome said in a post on Instagram: “It doesn’t get much better than that! We’re over the moon, full of pride and could not be more grateful to the team who’ve worked so hard to help us deliver this dream.”
Hidden Manchester bar Mala to offer unique ‘movie night’ experiences inside private cabins
Thomas Melia
You can have your own private film experience inside little wooden cabins at a popular Northern Quarter bar this summer.
Manchester city centre secret garden spot Mala is hosting an event where you and your friends can enjoy a private movie night with food, themed drinks, and bucket loads of free popcorn.
Listed as the ‘Cabin Movie Night’, get ready to sit back, relax and watch a cult classic, all from the comfort of your own personal wooden hut.
The film you’ll be watching is very on-brand too, as it’s none other than none than ‘Labyrinth’.
This secret garden spot is hiding right in plain sight over on Dale Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, and as well as hosting events such as these, they’re also home to some top tier eateries too.
Currently El Jefe, Doodles, Wok Bros, Christakis, D&X Caribbean, and Gulf are all serving up some cross-continental delights for you to enjoy in this marvellous space.
Some mouth-watering scran from El Jefe.Wok Bros have some delicious noodle boxes. Credit: The Manc Group
The Cabin Movie Night’ is the perfect way to round up your friends and watch a classic with a cocktail in hand.
There’s a handful of group packages available too at an additional charge, ranging from £30 to £50, which includes themed cocktails for each guest in the booking, and the cost of the ticket.
Georgina Pellant -
29th May 2023 
